Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Laura Kleinhenz/Docuvitae A federal judge has ordered the government to review missing documents related to the pipeline’s approval process. Opponents of the project say the documents, including emails and internal communications, may reveal which factors the administration relied on when it green-lighted the project, abruptly reversing a 2015 […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Zinke’s first year as secretary of the Interior Department has been a disaster for the environment and Americans who value it. The numbers don’t lie. Ron Sachs/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images Number of national monuments Zinke has proposed to shrink or change: 10 Percentage of land within Utah’s Bears Ears National […]
Published by the World Wildlife Fund Living with polar bears Dine steps outside the incineration plant early in the morning to smoke a cigarette. Flicking on his lighter, he finds himself looking into the eyes of a polar bear standing by his ATV four meters away. The bear moves straight towards him. Dine races for the corner […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Welcome to our weekly Trump v. Earth column, in which onEarth reviews the environment-related shenanigans of President Trump and his allies. Mariel Carr/Chemical Heritage Foundation Safety Delayed Is Safety Denied A federal judge this week slapped down Scott Pruitt’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for illegally delaying implementation of a rule […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund The regulation, which targets methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is now back in full effect. iStock Marking another legal win in the fight against climate change, a key air pollution rule was upheld today after the Trump administration put a pause on it twice. A federal judge ruled […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Courtesy Town of Normal, IL The U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER program was implemented back in 2009 with the goal, in its architects’ words, of funding “complex, innovative projects that did not fit into existing narrow federal funding silos.” Since then, the program, whose acronym stands for Transportation […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Something disturbing is happening off our Atlantic coast. Unprecedented numbers of great whales are washing up dead on our shores. At the end of January, NOAA Fisheries declared an “Unusual Mortality Event.” Twenty-nine minke whales stranded between Maine and South Carolina from January 2017 to January 2018. Of […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Our federal courts have blocked the Trump administration’s second attempt to hit the ‘stop’ button on critical protections against harmful air pollution and waste of natural resources from oil and gas operations on public lands nationwide. The decision once again sends a message to this administration that it […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy By some accounts, the Arctic Ocean remains a largely blank area on the map. Yes, we have charted the contours of the seafloor, and, yes, we map the extent of its sea ice throughout the year. But what lies between the bottom and the top of the sea? The recent international agreement […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund A new investor, First Quantum Minerals, recently announced a $150 million stake in Pebble Mine, a proposed open-pit gold and copper mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. First Quantum Minerals is the fourth potential investor to join the Pebble Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of Canada’s Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Co-authored by Sayantan Sarkar Driving national, state, regional and city action on air pollution was a hot topic of discussion at the recently concluded World Sustainable Development Summit, inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Programs such as the Indian government’s recent landmark announcement to focus on bringing […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Achievable and commonsense energy efficiency measures could help save six American lives every day and avoid up to $20 billion in health harms each year. That’s the takeaway from a new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), which […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund In a win for solar power in New York, the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) released an order expected to encourage more communities to pursue shared solar projects by increasing the maximum size of community solar projects eligible for credits from 2 MW to 5 MW. The initiative, […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Joe Tirone in front of his bungalow on Fox Beach, Staten Island, New York The neighborhood of Oakwood Beach on Staten Island was forever changed on October 29, 2012, as Hurricane Sandy tore through the Eastern Seaboard. Residents of this small coastal community had to bear some of […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy The Ocean Sciences Meeting in Portland, Oregon, had a strong focus on science and communication. While I was there, I spoke with someone whose work relies on both. Mona Samari is an investigative journalist from Tunisia who works on ocean issues. Samari answered several questions about what motivates her. What do you […]
Published by the World Wildlife Fund January brought record-low sea ice cover to the Arctic, according to new data released by the US government. That’s bad news for the ocean, wildlife, and local communities that rely on both for survival. 1. The science is solid The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) uses satellites to […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Earlier this week, the Department of Water Resources released an “Economic Analysis of Stage I of the California WaterFix” prepared by Dr. David Sunding. In 2016, Dr. Sunding’s draft cost-benefit report reached the conclusion that the full project was not economically feasible, even with billions of dollars in […]
Published by Ocean Conservancy In its latest installment, Blue Planet II brings viewers to new underwater ecosystems. “Green Seas” highlights the kelp forests, mangroves and underwater grasslands that provide homes to some unique creatures. Dragon fish dads float through the currents, looking for a safe place to spawn. Giant cuttlefish search for mates. Thousands of spider […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund A coalition of 40 organizations, including NRDC, submitted a formal petition to the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) today, requesting that it do more to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption by turning to utilities to be more proactive in supporting transportation electrification. The petition enjoys the broad […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund California is seeking input on a plan to update its building energy standards to increase energy efficiency, clear the way for clean energy heating and hot water, and, for the first time, require new homes to install rooftop solar panels. The standards, effective in January 2020, will be […]