EPA

US Senate Has Confirmed Former Coal Industry Lobbyist As Deputy At EPA

While most people like to place all of the blame for the recent about-face that the US Environmental Protection Agency has done with regard to pollutions controls on President Donald Trump, the reality is that there’s a broad amount of support for such actions throughout the government. With that in mind, the US Senate has

US EPA To Bar Certain Scientists From Serving On Independent Advisory Boards

The US Environmental Protection Agency will begin barring select scientists from serving on independent advisory boards — a move possibly intended to clear the path towards the installation of industry-friendly advisors on the panel in question, according to critics. The new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ban-list is focused on scientists who have won agency-awarded grants

US EPA Approves Monsanto’s “RNA Interference” Insecticide — GMO Maize/Corn Intended To Actively Interfere With The Healthy Functioning Of Pest Genomes

When you think of insecticides you probably think of dangerous chemical compounds that allow modern industrial agriculture (and its high yields) to occur, but that also have some negative effects on the environment and also on human/animal health. The effects of a certain class of insecticides on honeybees, for instance, may well be what comes

Massive Dead Zone In Gulf Of Mexico Blamed On Meat Industry

A dead zone larger than New Jersey is expected to appear in the Gulf of Mexico later this year. Similar dead zones are found in the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay. A report by Mighty, a global environmental group headed by Henry Waxman, a former US Congressman, claims the dead zones are the result

An Update on US Methane Emissions from Fracking

Originally published by gws on SkepticalScience.com A relatively large number of research publications has appeared in the peer-reviewed literature since we last updated our readers on fracking and methane, CH4, emissions. We cannot discuss them all here. However, in summary, it can be concluded from these papers that EPA is very likely underestimating fossil fuel

CARB Integrating Cap-And-Trade Revenue In California Low-Income Neighborhood Bikeshares

It is no secret that the health of the air affects everyone. Presently, California’s plan for zero emissions includes using cap-and-trade revenue to help stop air pollution in specific clean transportation programs. Following last year’s carsharing programs in low-income neighborhoods, California now allows cap-and-trade revenue to fund California disadvantaged neighborhood bikeshare projects. Nextcity.org relates, “Last year, the [state]

Is the Clean Power Plan Un-American?

Taking cues from Trump’s exhibitionist tirades, Republicans are ramping up the rhetoric against the EPA. A recent House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting was the latest venue for Republican ranting that climaxed in a condemnation of the Clean Power Plan as “un-American.” Janet McCabe, the EPA’s acting assistant administrator, was called as a witness to

Clean Power Plan Status Report

As many know, on February 9, 2016, the US Supreme Court stayed implementation of the Clean Power Plan pending judicial review. For background, here is a brief glimpse into this issue. According to the EPA, the Court’s decision was not on the merits of the rule. “EPA firmly believes the Clean Power Plan will be upheld when

GW Bush’s Republican EPA Head Blasts Fox On Climate Change

Former NJ Governor and EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman (2013 interview screen shot from youtube) You may remember Christine Todd Whitman, the Republican who served as Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001 and as EPA administrator for President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. On Thursday, she repeatedly called out Fox Business’s Varney & Company questioners for their obtuseness on climate issues and on the intent

“TAX ME” To Slow Climate Change, Says US Public

The EPA’s new rules proposed for power plant emissions may have changed a few minds about the seriousness of climate change. Polling 1,005 U.S. adults, a report published yesterday finds that many US citizens say they would pay more for energy if their contribution would reduce climate change caused by pollution. The vote is nearly

Obama: We Can’t Afford To Deny Climate Change

In a couple of hours, everyone in the United States with access to cable TV and Showtime can hear President Barack Obama say he favors making the energy industry absorb the real price of the carbon it introduces into earth’s atmosphere. In other words, ante up the cost of carbon emissions. From Years of Living

Rails-to-Trails Gains Steam With $5M For Atlanta BeltLine

Sustainable redevelopment strikes again! The Atlanta BeltLine, one of nation’s largest, widest-ranging urban redevelopment programs, will develop the Westside Trail. Plans call for a three-mile-long, 14-foot-wide concrete multi-use path in the BeltLine’s southwest corridor. As well as a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the US Department of Transportation, which is covering 42%

Proposed EPA Carbon Rules (cartoon)

Looks like a comment on today’s EPA carbon rule, but we do hope you’ll notice that this cartoon is seven years old. Thanks to the artist and the University of Colorado—Boulder for being ahead of their time! (Or not.)

Fixing The Unseen Infrastructure: The Value Of Water

The Value of Water Coalition hosted an in-depth conversation at the Newseum in Washington DC on the current condition of water infrastructure in the United States, the consequences of letting leaky and failing systems worsen, and solutions to water challenges of today and tomorrow. Our water infrastructure systems, a matter of pride for over a

"Clean Gas" More Dangerous Than Coal, Industry Expert Tells TV

US “clean gas” wells in operation (Irekia-Eusko Jaurlaritza in blogs.lse.ac.uk) Turns out that just about everyone (including President Obama) has been hugely underestimating the methane pollution levels of so-called “clean gas.” The booming American economy now seems to come at a greater cost than we originally thought when we found out that natural gas produces

Caution: Now Entering The "Years Of Living Dangerously"

Last week something rare and extraordinarily positive occurred on American television. Fortunately, through YouTube and 350.org, the rest of the world got to see it too. “Something positive?” a critic questions. “If climate change is as bad as you tree-hugger people claim it is, how can anything about it be positive?” The phenomenon tends to

EPA And Army Corps Move Today To Safeguard Clean Water

It doesn’t take rocket science to draw a line between pollutants in small streams and wetlands and water quality downstream. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers have united to propose a rule that will strengthen the Clean Water Act, applied to safeguard American water quality since 1972. The rule will

How Clean Is Your Electricity? Ask The EPA

If you’ve ever wondered about the composition of the electricity delivered to your home (most of us have no clue), there’s one quick and easy way to find out. The EPA’s ‘Power Profiler’ tool has apparently been around for at least 2 years, but I only discovered it recently. Although the data used to generate

Shutter 1.2% Of Power Plants, Cut Carbon Costs By 20%

The nation’s most-polluting power plant, Georgia Power Company’s Plant Scherer in Juliette, Georgia, emits more carbon dioxide than all of Maine’s energy emissions. Here’s more from Environment America: On September 10, the Environment America Research & Policy Center, an independent nonprofit, and the Frontier Group presented a mighty appealing fast track toward limiting the U.S.

The Greenest Cars Around & How This Is Measured

Interest in fuel economy is more than karmic: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Americans spent an average of $2,655 on gasoline in 2011. The federal government instituted new minimum standards for the fuel efficiency of autos in 2011 to help address this. Aside from money, emissions also provoke some self-interest, as they are

Fracking Waste: Too Toxic, Even For A Hazardous Waste Site

On April 19, a truck delivering waste from a fracking operation in Greene County, Pennsylvania, was quarantined after being rejected by a hazardous waste landfill as too dangerous. The truck was carrying highly radioactive radium-226 in concentrations 86 times higher than allowed per EPA limits. After being quarantined at a the landfill, the truck was sent back

EPA Employees May Have Fewer Work Days & Less Pay

Due to the sequester cuts to federal programs, employees at the EPA may experience a reduction of up to thirteen work days this year. How you see this kind of situation depends upon your point of view. As a former state government worker who experienced a similar kind of work furlough which resulted in about

5 Home Technologies For Cleaner Energy

Clean energy is in everyone’s best interests. Not only does it save you money, but it also helps to save the future of the earth’s resources and ecosystem. Finite energy sources will not be around forever, and their production is harmful to the earth’s atmosphere. Luckily, some real progress has been made regarding clean energy,

Taking Action Against Toxic Superfund Sites

Would you want to raise your children on the site of an old toxic-waste dump? Unless you’re some sort of uneducated cartoon villain, the answer is probably no. Most of us don’t realize how close these dangerous sites are to our own backyard. According to the Society of Environmental Journalists, “over half the U.S. population lives

"Worst Environmental Bill" Now Before Congress: Denying Science & Health, Written by Coal Industry Lackey

  Tomorrow, the US House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 3409, the “Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act.” The bill has been called the “single worst environmental law” proposed by the most virulently anti-environmental US legislators in history. The bill is aggressively anti-science and anti-public health. Its priority is made clear:

Fracking and the Natural Gas "Boom" — No National Standards, Secrecy, and Carcinogens

  The President of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Francis Beinecke, recently visited areas in western Pennsylvania where ‘fracking’ operations are occurring, and spoke with local residents about the impacts of these projects in their communities. My cousin — a medical professional without any affiliation with environmental organizations like Ms. Beinecke’s — also spent

EPA Findings Point to Water Contamination from Hydraulic Fracturing

  Recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ) findings have raised awareness of potentially harmful levels of water contamination that may be the result of hydraulic fracturing. Lawsuits from individuals who believe their water has been contaminated by hydraulic fracturing are coming in all across the country and support for stricter regulations is growing. Just

US Map of Biggest Polluters (Interactive)

  The EPA release a cool new interactive map yesterday that lets you check out who are the biggest greenhouse gas polluters in your neighborhood (or anyone’s neighborhood in the U.S.). It’s pretty awesome… if you’re really into protecting our climate and/or maps. I just checked out my home town of Sarasota and some neighboring

House Republicans — 191 Votes Against the Environment in 2011

  A new report notes that House Republicans voted a record 191 times against the environment in 2011. The report, logically, called this “the worst environmental record of any Congress in history.” “Out of the 770 legislative roll call votes taken in the House this year, ‘more than one out of every five’ were votes against the

Public Trusts EPA, Not Congress (Wonder Why)

Because many in Congress are lying sacks of oil money bags, perhaps. But, the EPA supports the public, and the public trusts and supports the EPA (not oil-funded millionaire Congressmen). More, a full repost, from Think Progress Green: Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year by industrial polluters to demonize the Environmental Protection

Take Action: Protect Clean Air Today!

  This Tea-Party-led Congress (well, all of the Republican party) has attacked our water, air, and climate protections more than any in history. It is out of this world how little care they have for the necessities of life. One of the most recent attacks, from one of the leading culprits, Senator Rand Paul, continues

Colbert "Takes on" EPA

Colbert, with his tremendous skill at bringing out the ridiculousness of today’s GOP leaders, took on the EPA this week. He discussed the EPA’s “uselessness” and job-killing clean air and water with former EPA Administrator Carol Browner.

“The EPA is useless. That is an indisputable fact… We protected the air and the water. We cleaned it up. Now you’re just rubbing it in our faces by continuing to keep it clean,” Colbert said.

Is that not exactly the GOP’s stance?

And:

“If there’s more pollution then there’s more work for the doctors who have to cure us of the diseases we get from the things we eat and drink. I can use your logic against you.”

OK, yep, that finishes the GOP’s official perspective. But watch it all here:

EPA Global Warming Finding "Supported by the Underlying Science"

Witch hunts seem to be all the current GOP has money or time for. For example, Senator James M. Inhofe (Okla.) — one of the most outspoken climate change deniers in the world — requested a review of the EPA’s greenhouse gas endangerment finding by the Office of Inspector General (IG) recently.

The report from the IG is in. Surprise, surprise.. it found that:

– “EPA met statutory requirements for rulemaking and generally followed
requirements and guidance related to ensuring the quality of the supporting
technical information.”
– “…the TSD was a highly influential scientific assessment
because EPA weighed the strength of the available science by its choices of
information, data, studies, and conclusions included in and excluded from the TSD.”

7 Top Action Opportunities

Along with the many top activism stories I’ve shared in the past couple weeks, here are several more I keep forgetting to get to because I was saving them on email and not in my normal places. Check them out:

Obama Reverses Course on Smog Rule

In a surprise move on Friday, President Obama ordered the EPA to withdraw its proposed regulation to tighten ground level ozone standards. Seen as yet another retreat from the president, the decision brought claims of victory from his GOP and industry rivals, and quick rebuke from his supporters and environmental watchdog groups.

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