Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Gage Skidmore/Flickr Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump’s pick to be the next director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, must be feeling pretty psyched this week. On Monday, federal ethics officials gave him the all clear, bringing him one step closer to Senate confirmation. That, however, doesn’t alter the […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Interior Secretary Sally Jewell today laid out plans for long-overdue overhaul of the broken federal coal program, including steps to address climate change and fix a process that has short-changed taxpayers more than $30 billion over the last three decades. Currently, 40 percent of coal burned in the […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund This blog post was authored with my colleague Bruce Ho. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which launched in 2009 to fight climate change by cutting carbon pollution from power plants in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, also provides major public health benefits—including lives saved, asthma attacks prevented, and […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund In the final weeks of President Obama’s time in office, members and activists from eight environmental organizations located around the country are calling on the federal government to take decisive action to stop the looming threat of tar sands tankers on U.S. waterways. NRDC, Credo Action, Center for […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund The core mission of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all, free from discrimination. It’s something that we, as environmentalists are deeply invested in, and, in fact, have been working diligently on for a […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund The Center for Whale Research recently announced the death of J2—or as she was affectionately known by many “Granny”—the world’s oldest known killer whale. Granny was estimated to be a possible 105 years old. With Granny gone, the Southern Resident killer whale population is down to 78 individuals […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund It was a big year for appliance and equipment energy efficiency standards, with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) releasing 11 new or updated standards in 2016, ranging from battery chargers and pool pumps to ceiling fans and portable air conditioners. Together, these new standards will save consumers […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund In his FY16-17 budget proposal released today, Governor Jerry Brown included proposed legislation that would cement the state’s authority to both extend its economy-wide cap on greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2020 and auction allowances to ensure polluters pay for their emissions. If the legislation passes, the budget also includes a $2.2 […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Courtesy Deepwater Wind “2016 was the best year yet!” said just about no one—except, perhaps, U.S. offshore wind developers. In December, the burgeoning industry saw its first turbines start spinning off the coast of Rhode Island. It’s been a long time coming. Europe installed its first offshore wind […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund In a stunning development for clean energy in New York State, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that New York plans to build enough offshore wind capacity by 2030 to power 1.25 million New York homes, starting with a 90-megawatt project 30 miles off Montauk on Long Island’s South […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund When it comes to supporting renewables, blue and red make green. A wind farm in Steward, Illinois Tom/Flickr Among a dwindling number of politicians at the national level, there’s a pretend debate going on. Using all the scare tactics and rhetorical tricks they can muster, some apologists for the […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund This blog post was co-written with my colleague Bruce Ho. The good climate news out of New York just keeps coming. Yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced a proposal to install more than 500 new electric vehicle chargers throughout the state. This morning, the governor officially announced the deal to […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Paula Olson/NOAA The vaquita—pronounced va-KEE-ta—is a small, adorable porpoise native to the Gulf of California. It’s also the world’s most endangered cetacean, with fewer than 60 left in existence. Last week, in what can only be described as a conservation Hail Mary, scientists announced they want to round up […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Oystermen in San Francisco Bay haul in their catch in the late 1800s. University of Washington From the shores of Manhattan to the craggy coastline of Puget Sound, the country’s seaboards were once flush with oysters. Unfortunately, overharvesting and habitat destruction over the past century have taken a […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Your browser doesn’t support Javascript or has it disabled. onEarth works best with Javascript enabled. This should not be a partisan issue. It is good business and good economics to lead a technological revolution and define market trends. —President Obama, writing in the journal Science, shares his reasons […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Kicking off 2017 with major news, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that the troubled and aging Indian Point nuclear power plant, located 24 miles north of New York City, will be shuttered by April 2021 under a negotiated agreement with Entergy, the facility’s owner. New York’s plans to […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that the two reactors at Indian Point Energy Center would close in the coming years, in large part due to safety concerns and the risk of a nuclear accident. The original 40-year operating licenses for the Indian Point Unit 2 and Unit […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma Attorney General, to be the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt’s primary previous connection to EPA is that he has joined with corporations in multiple lawsuits to overturn federal safeguards that reduce air pollution and water pollution. Pruitt […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma Attorney General, to be the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt’s primary previous connection to EPA is that he has joined with corporations in multiple lawsuits to overturn federal safeguards that reduce air pollution and water pollution. Pruitt […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In recent weeks, a number of public officials have stepped forward to support Mr. Pruitt’s nomination. One would hope their testimonials would explain the public health and environmental […]