Executive Editor Jonathan Katz reviews the top news for August 2025: Eastman Chemical faces setbacks as it appeals the Trump administration's cancellation of $1.2 billion in funding for its Texas plastic recycling facility, while seeking alternative locations for its methanolysis technology. International climate efforts stalled when UN plastics treaty negotiations in Geneva failed to reach an agreement among 2,600 participants from 183 countries over production limits and funding responsibilities. Safety concerns persist at Didion Milling, where federal investigators report unaddressed recommendations eight years after fatal 2017 explosions. On a positive note, researchers have developed a promising water-based electrochemical method for ammonia synthesis using palladium membranes, potentially replacing alcohol-based processes.