[Source: Washington Examiner] Scott Pruitt is under fire, this time for trying to stay safe. Because the EPA chief requires 24/7 security, according to a new Washington Post report, the agency has pulled agents from environmental investigations to serve on his security detail. There is an obvious solution to this staffing problem. End the demonization Read More…
Tag: climate change
California leads the way in growth of climate change lawsuits
[Source: Capitol Public Radio] Lawsuits will help drive how climate change policy evolves in the years to come. More of those lawsuits are originating in California than any other state, according to a new study out of George Washington University. Not only is there a growing number of climate-change related lawsuits, but roughly 25 percent of Read More…
Allowing polluters to offset carbon emissions by paying forest owners effectively reduces greenhouse gases
[Source: Stanford News] A pioneering California program to sell carbon offsets has surprising environmental benefits – including providing habitat for endangered species – and provides lessons for initiatives under development in other states and countries. You can’t grow money on trees, but you can earn money for letting trees grow. Or at least you can Read More…
Good intentions: why environmental awareness doesn’t lead to green behavior
[Source: Earl J. Ritchie/UH Energy] Polls consistently show a high level of environmental awareness in the U.S. However, awareness frequently does not translate into action. Use of mass transit has shown almost no per capita growth despite substantial investment in light rail and other transit improvements. Carpooling has declined. The use of environmentally friendly technologies Read More…
Brown, lawmakers celebrate bipartisan cap-and-trade victory
[Source: Sacramento Bee] The three-bill package now heads to Brown’s desk. Brown has sought to offer the state’s cap-and-trade program as a model that can be reproduced in other states and even nations to reduce carbon emissions and combat rising temperatures. “We’re only 1 percent of the problem, but we’re a lot more a part Read More…
Gov. Brown and Democratic leaders offer plan to extend cap and trade, with aim for approval this week
[Source: Los Angeles Times] After weeks of back-and-forth between environmentalists and business interests, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders introduced a proposal Monday evening to reauthorize California’s cap-and-trade program, the centerpiece of the state’s efforts to battle climate change. The plan consists of two bills: Assembly Bill 398, which would extend the life of the Read More…
California drought increased electricity bills and air pollution
[Source: East Bay Times] California’s brutal five-year drought did more than lead to water shortages and dead lawns. It increased electricity bills statewide by $2.45 billion and boosted levels of smog and greenhouse gases, according to a new study released Wednesday. Why? A big drop-off in hydroelectric power. With little rain or snow between 2012 Read More…
How California became the first environmental battleground
[Source: Orange County Register] Earth Day is April 22, so we look at California’s role as an environmental leader and how the state ranks. The first fight The beginning of the national grass-roots environmental movement goes back to a fight by John Muir and the Sierra Club that failed to prevent the construction of the Read More…
California won’t meet its climate change goals without a lot more housing density in its cities
[Source: Los Angeles Times] To meet the bold new climate change goals put in place last year, California will work to put millions of electric cars on the road, revolutionize its dairy industry and generate half of all power from solar panels and other renewable sources. But those efforts will come up short, warn state Read More…