News and Media

Environmental justice: From our ancestors to our children

June 5, 2021

"The fight for a livable planet and the fight for social justice are one and the same. The struggle for a stable climate, for clean air and water must begin in places like South Valley that have long paid the price for others’ wealth and comfort. And its success depends on building the power and prosperity of people in marginalized communities — so that no one’s home is a dumping ground."
- Richard Moore (co-coordinator of the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, co-coordinator of Los Jardines Institute (The Gardens Institute) in Albuquerque, N.M., and co-chair of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council) Read More

What a Republican-controlled Senate means for Biden's climate agenda

December 9, 2020

President-elect Joe Biden has made fighting climate change more of a priority in both his policy agenda and political appointments than any previous US president. But many climate advocates are bracing themselves for a reality check if Democrats don't win both Senate runoff elections in Georgia in January, which would leave the chamber under Republican control. With a divided Congress, there's almost no chance the Biden administration can push through it's most aggressive climate proposals. Read More

News: There's A Lot At Stake For The Climate In The 2020 Election

October 22, 2020

Despite the cascade of other crises this year, climate change has emerged as a key election issue. Two-thirds of Americans want the government to do more about it, and the same share of Biden supporters say it's very important to their vote. While not many Trump supporters overall agree, there's more concern among younger Republicans. The stakes are high as more Americans experience record heat, wildfires, hurricanes and flooding, and the two candidates could not be further apart. Joe Biden calls climate change an existential threat to our health, economy and national security. President Trump continues to question climate science. Here are six takeaways from Trump's first term on climate and energy, and the challenges he or Biden would face if elected. Read More

News: The EPA cut back enforcement during COVID. These researchers are assessing the damage

September 17, 2020

Six months after the agency announced its temporary enforcement policy, a picture of its effects is slowly beginning to emerge. Self-reported data from industrial polluters collected by the EPA shows that these facilities conducted 40 percent fewer emission tests at smokestacks in March and April this year compared to the same period last year. Also, while only 325 facilities notified the EPA that they would be unable to submit water quality reports as required during those two months, more than 16,500 facilities simply did not submit them — that’s the fourth-highest amount of noncompliance in the last 20 years, according to an analysis of the agency’s own data. Read More

News: Hurricane Laura didn’t cause pollution in this Louisiana town. It just added to it.

August 28, 2020