Photo by edkashi / A Dutch court recently gave a major victory to environmentalists and perhaps all human beings on the planet. Royal Dutch Shell, one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, was issued a ruling that it must reduce its carbon emissions (from 2019 levels) by 45% by 2030. The civil suit was led by environmental nonprofits, and Shell can appeal the ruling. The court held that Shell violated its "duty of care" under Dutch law because its emissions contribute to climate change. The court didn’t outline how the reductions would be met, or how it might enforce the ruling. This ruling could potentially help communities who live under the specter of pollution and environmental mishaps, like the young girl in this photo who must daily cross active gas and oil pipelines (belonging to Nigerian National Petroleum) that frequently leak or rupture, with the potential for violent explosions. It's not safe or healthy for people to live among industrial facilities, and any ...