Category: Environment
Biden praised for pause on drilling leases
“Let’s Turn This ‘Temporary Halt’ to Permanent Ban” “The federal oil and gas program is nothing but an injustice,” said Jeremy Nichols of WildEarth Guardians. by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Thursday, January 21 President Joe Biden…
Cheaper solar power means low-income families can also benefit – with the right kind of help
“Until recently, rooftop solar panels were a clean energy technology that only wealthy Americans could afford. But prices have dropped, thanks mostly to falling costs for hardware, as well as price declines for installation and other…
Trump’s big gamble to gut US power plant emissions rules fails in court, opening door for powerful new climate rules
by Daniel Farber, University of California, Berkeley Wednesday, January 20, 2021 The day before Joe Biden’s inauguration, he got a big judicial win for his climate agenda. The case involved plans for cutting power plant emissions…
Federal Court Strikes Down Trump Coal Power Plant Rule
‘Major Win for the Planet’ “This decision frees up the new Biden administration to begin working immediately on the science-based greenhouse pollution rules we desperately need to make up for lost time.” by Andrea Germanos, staff…
Arrests in Minnesota after Water Protectors chain themselves inside pipe section to halt Line 3 construction
“Enbridge’s last-ditch effort to build fossil fuel infrastructure is killing people and the planet.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Thursday, January 14 Water protectors were arrested Thursday after halting construction at a Minnesota worksite for Enbridge’s…
Indigenous women urge Biden to stop pipelines and respect Treaty Rights
“Joe Biden, we are asking you to stand on the right side of history and humanity by putting an immediate end to the deadly pipelines destroying our Earth, our communities, and all life.” by Jessica Corbett,…
Climate Emergency persists as 2020 ties for earth’s hottest year on record
“It took over 200 years for [atmospheric CO2] levels to increase by 25%, but now just over 30 years later we are approaching a 50% increase.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Friday, January 8, 2021 Highlighting…
Timber Tax Cuts Cost Oregon Towns Billions. Then Polluted Water Drove Up the Price.
Rural communities in Oregon paid millions of dollars for clean, safe drinking water because the state didn’t protect their watersheds from logging-related contamination. by Tony Schick, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Rob Davis, The Oregonian/OregonLive Thursday, December…
Wildfire smoke changes dramatically as it ages, and that matters for downwind air quality – here’s what we learned flying through smoke plumes
Wildfire smoke is far more complex and dynamic than meets the eye. It contains thousands of different compounds, most of which are molecules containing various amounts of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen atoms. by Brett B….
In a last-minute rule change, the Trump administration rolls back water-saving standards for showerheads
by Robert Glennon, University of Arizona Saturday, December 19, 2020 For more than 25 years, Congress has directed U.S. government agencies to set energy and water efficiency standards for many new products. These measures conserve resources…
John Kerry, Biden’s Climate Czar, talks about saving the planet
In the months before the election, Joe Biden’s most influential voice on the issue of our age shared his views on climate migration, open borders, the threat of nationalism, and the challenge posed by China. by…
Pollution, poverty and pandemic collide
In a segregated community outside of an Alabama oil refinery, chronic illness tells a story of racial inequality, poverty and disease as U.S. deaths from COVID-19 surpass 300,000. by Sean Reilly, E&E News Wednesday, December 16,…
‘Can anybody still deny that we are facing a dramatic emergency?’ Asks UN Chief at Climate Summit
“If we don’t change course,” he warned, “we may be headed for a catastrophic temperature rise of more than 3 degrees this century.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Sunday, December 13, 2020 World leaders aren’t doing…
5 years after Paris: How countries’ climate policies match up to their promises, and who’s aiming for net zero emissions
Even if every country meets its commitments, the world will still be on track to warm by more than 3 degrees Celsius this century, a new UNEP report shows. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images by Morgan Bazilian, Colorado…
The Marshall Islands could be wiped out by climate change – and their colonial history limits their ability to save themselves
The Marshall Islands and other small island nations are urgently threatened by rising seas. Stefan Lins/Flickr, CC BY by Autumn Bordner, University of California, Berkeley and Caroline E. Ferguson, Stanford University Sunday, December 13, 2020 Along…
Federal regulators are rewriting environmental rules so a massive pipeline can be built
Federal regulators and West Virginia agencies are rewriting environmental rules again to pave the way for construction of a major natural gas pipeline across Appalachia, even after an appeals court blocked the pipeline for the second…
Rathke: Are single use plastics getting a bad rap?
New York City Once the breeze picks up between the canyons formed by New York City skyscrapers, the most common local bird that seems to be floating in the sky when you see something flutter…
Biodiesel, before and after
by Wade Rathke December 7, 2020 New Orleans Over a decade ago, ACORN stumbled into an offer that seemed exciting as a progressive experiment. Friends and relatives of friends and comrades had been bitten by…
5 things to know about plastic pollution and how to stop it
Researchers continue to find new information about how widespread plastic pollution has become, but also how we can help stem the tide. by Tara Lohan, The Revelator December 3, 2020 Our plastic pollution problem has…
Indigenous water protectors take direct action against Minnesota tar sands pipeline
‘Strong Hearts to the Front!’ Construction on the Enbridge Line 3 extension—which will transport up to 760,000 barrels of the world’s dirtiest oil daily—began earlier this week, despite strong Native opposition. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer…
Rathke: Spewing Cancer Chemicals on Louisiana’s Death Alley
New Orleans A tip from a friend sent me to a seat on the back row of a lecture hall at the Tulane Law School to listen to a star-studded panel assembled on the topic…
Is it too late to save ‘America’s Amazon’?
Alabama’s Mobile River basin has the most aquatic biodiversity in the country. But we’re in danger of losing it before we even know what’s there. The Ask by Tara Lohan November 30, 2020 When longtime environmental…
Colorado high school students post video pleading with local authorities to ban fracking
“We shouldn’t be afraid for our health when we step outside our own houses,” says one of the students in the video. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Tuesday, December 1, 2020 Students at a Colorado high…
Climate movement takes on big oil at the Hague
‘Historic Moment’ Friends of the Earth vs. Shell “This is actually ‘the People versus Shell,’ a company that has got away with greenwashing for too long.” by Julia Conley, staff writer Tuesday, December 1, 2020 Representing…
