Click for the latest from The Hill{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story  Biden blocks new offshore drilling in vast areasPresident Biden has blocked new offshore drilling for oil and gas in several parts of the country two weeks before President-elect Trump takes office.  © Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Biden has announced he’ll block new drilling off the entire East Coast, as well as California, Oregon and Washington state. The president’s move also blocks some drilling off Alaska’s coast in portions of the Northern Bering Sea and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. “Drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks,” Biden said in a statement.   “As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren,” he added.   Biden’s effort does not target areas that are major hubs for fossil fuel development — the vast majority of U.S. offshore oil and gas production comes from the central and western Gulf of Mexico, which is unaffected by Monday’s announcement. According to the Interior Department, industry activity in the area Biden blocked off has historically been “very low,” and there is no active oil and gas exploration or production in the Atlantic. Nevertheless, the effort could be an effort to prevent expansions from taking place under President-elect Trump, who has promised to promote domestic energy production and “drill, baby, drill.”   Read more at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:  Trump rips Biden’s offshore drilling restrictions: ‘I’ll unban it immediately’ President-elect Trump blasted President Biden’s decision to block oil drilling across large swaths of the U.S.’s coastlines, saying he will “unban it.”  Full Story   Analysis links fluoride exposure to low IQ but finds ‘high risk of bias’ in most studiesAn analysis of more than 70 studies on fluoride and IQ levels concluded there was a relationship between higher levels of the common water additive and lower IQ levels in children, though a large percentage of the studies were noted as having a “high risk of bias.”  Full Story  Biden signs bipartisan outdoor recreation bill into lawPresident Biden on Monday signed a bipartisan bill aimed at boosting outdoor recreation weeks after it cleared the Senate.  Full Story  Lead pollution linked to lower IQs in Roman Empire: StudyAtmospheric lead pollution likely caused cognitive decline among citizens of the Roman Empire, according to research published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  Full Story   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Departing Senate Environment Chair Carper pledges to ‘never retire,’ keep fighting climate change Newly former Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.) may be departing Congress, but he told The Hill he’ll “never retire” and plans to continue working on climate-related issues. Full Story   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: US Chamber of Commerce, fossil fuel lobby sue Vermont over Climate Superfund Act (Vermont Public Radio)  Trump team takes aim at crown jewel of US climate research (E&E News) Climate crisis ‘wreaking havoc’ on Earth’s water cycle, report finds (The Guardian)  What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Trump pitches ‘merged’ US, Canada after Trudeau resignation announcement President-elect Trump pitched the idea of a “merged” United States and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation, noting there would be no tariffs if the two countries were one. Read more 5 things to know about Canada’s political crisis Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation on Monday signals the extent of the unpopularity facing the country’s progressive Liberal Party, which has dominated its politics for decades, heading into elections later this year.  Read more  Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: Why climate activists are becoming more radicalized (and why that’s not a bad thing) China’s new super-dam carries both geopolitical and environmental risks We cannot afford to delay modernizing the US power grid   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Energy & Environment page for the latest coverage.Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Energy and Environment newsletter Subscribe