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. Pruitt image courtesy Gage Skidmore The Dog Ate My Pollution Remediation Plan Lawyers for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told a federal judge late last week that they needed […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund NRDC and a coalition of nonprofits challenged a state law criminalizing the collection of data on public land regarding environmental conditions or agricultural practices. Yellowstone’s Norris Geyser Basin, Wyoming Shutterstock Wyoming’s data trespass law violates First Amendment rights, a federal appeals court ruled today. The so-called ag-gag law, […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund This post authored by Rachel Fakhry. The Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC) has voted down a project that would have created jobs, lowered utility bills and protected clean air for Missourians. Nearly seventy towns and cities in the Show-Me state supported the Grain Belt Express transmission project, together […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund In yet another attack on fuel economy standards supported by the majority of the public, the Trump Administration unlawfully delayed implementation of rules meant to ensure auto companies invest in fuel-saving technologies. This delay sets up a perverse incentive making it cheaper for auto companies to simply pay […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund The Republican-led House Science Committee—which routinely serves as a platform for the chemical manufacturers—hosted an Oversight Hearing this week as part of its larger plan to slash the budget for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program that conducts rigorous hazardous assessments of industrial chemicals. You can imagine […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Rather than address the need for dollars to build our water, transportation and other failing infrastructure, Congress blames the requirement to evaluate the environmental and community impact of a project, as the major reason for project delays. Study after study has proven that is not the case and […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund The catastrophe of Hurricane Harvey is now shedding light on how climate change – manifesting in the form of stronger and more intense weather events – can bring enormous destruction to communities. Because the region hit by Harvey also serves as a home base to much of the […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund As L.A. residents lose an average of 104 hours to traffic every year, the city is hoping to become the first U.S. region to adopt a supply-and-demand payment system for using congested roads. Beatrix Boros/Stocksy It’s simple economics. If you’ve stood in an endlessly long line for a […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund How many monster storms does it take for us to realize “freak occurrences” such as Hurricane Harvey are part of the new normal due to warming water and land—with the devastating consequences exacerbated by aging and inadequate infrastructure and unfettered development? Our vulnerable coastlines are dotted with cities […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Michigan wisely passed clean energy legislation back in December, but starting today that legislation is giving you a voice. The legislation kicked off an energy planning process where you can tell your Commissioners in person or in written comments what your vision of a better today and tomorrow […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund The Trump Administration recently weakened the Guidance for how the U.S. representative at the multilateral development banks will vote on future projects being financed. The new guidance calls for increased fossil fuel projects to be financed by the multilateral development banks, in direct contrast to what MDBs have […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund As the California legislature sprints toward its adjournment deadline of September 15, there are major issues still pending. Below are the major environmental issues we at NRDC will be watching, and working on, during the frenzied final days of the state legislative session. Preserve California The three “Preserve […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund More than half of the 40 million American adults with a mental health condition don’t have access to care at the best of times. When you add the challenges of a disaster like Hurricane Harvey—flooded roads, closed hospitals, and unexpected water rescues—it’s likely some people will go weeks […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Co-Authored by Henry Ruehl, NRDC Energy Fellow Cities across the globe from Houston to Mumbai have been ravaged by catastrophic floods. In the United States and South Asia, this summer has combined record-breaking temperatures and heatwaves with unprecedented rainfall levels, and the human and economic toll has been […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey surround homes in Port Arthur, Texas, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017 Gerald Herbert/AP Harvey is now, officially, the heaviest and most destructive rainstorm in our nation’s history. Nearly 25 trillion gallons of water pummeled southeast Texas and Louisiana over the course of a week, […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund How often does a legislature get to take action that will reduce voters’ utility bills and improve their air quality with no upfront costs? California lawmakers have an opportunity to do just that by acting now to enhance and integrate the fragmented western grid crisscrossing 14 states, which […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Texas National Guardsmen rescue a resident by boat during flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston. Photo Credit: Texas National Guard Hurricane Harvey will be one of the nation’s largest flood disasters and the storm is not over yet. An uncounted number of homes are heavily damaged. Hospitals, […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund Indian workers install solar panels at the Gujarat Solar Park. Ajit Solanki/AP When President Trump announced his intention to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, he singled India out, claiming (falsely) that, under the accord, the country of 1.3 billion could “double its coal production […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund As we lend our immediate support to Gulf Coast communities, we must also protect people from such future disasters by addressing infrastructure, safety measures, flood policies, and climate change. People in Houston are evacuated on rescue boats as floodwaters from Harvey rise, August 28, 2017. David J. Phillip/AP […]
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund In a victory for all New Yorkers, the state has blocked a natural gas pipeline that would have threatened upstate residents’ health, water quality and communities, citing climate change concerns. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) denied the water quality certification to the Valley Lateral Pipeline […]