Fred Krupp: EDF Voices

With Biden declared the winner, a window opens for climate, equity and public health

It’s the moment millions upon millions of people across the United States and around the world have been waiting for: The Associated Press has declared that the U.S. has a new leader.

Stopping the spread of COVID-19 and getting help to struggling workers and businesses must be apparent President-elect Joe Biden’s first priority. As he turns toward building a better future, he has vowed to take bold action to repair America’s frayed social fabric, grow a clean and equitable economy, and confront the existential threat of climate change.

It’s a tall order, especially after such a close election and with divided government in Washington, D.C. So Biden needs to choose policies that put America back to work and bring us together — policies that are inclusive rather than polarizing. If he does that, a window of opportunity may be opening to drive progress in all three of these areas.

Environmental Defense Fund has three policy priorities that can help make it happen.

1. Meet the moment: Power up a better America

It’s time to make a big, fast down payment on jobs and clean transportation. A recent poll by Hart Research showed that 63% of likely voters in swing 2022 Senate states support moving to more electric trucks, buses and cars — including a majority of independents and a plurality of Republicans.

The new administration needs to fast track the availability and use of electric trucks, buses and passenger cars, and invest in infrastructure to power those vehicles, with an emphasis on the communities experiencing the greatest burdens of environmental harm. And it should supercharge our transition to renewable energy and modernize the electric grid to make it cleaner and more resilient.

Boosting American innovation and building our manufacturing base will have appeal across the political spectrum.

By leaning into this effort with bipartisan appeal, Biden can make good on his promise to create 1 million clean transportation-related jobs in the next four years, and millions more in clean energy.

Our goal must be a transition to 100% clean electricity and 100% clean for new vehicle sales. American innovation can deliver 100% zero emitting new cars by 2035, and 100% zero-pollution new freight trucks and buses by 2040.

Taking these steps can also bring significant health benefits, potentially saving 20,000 lives a year by reducing the pollution that causes asthma attacks, heart disease and other serious health problems.

For too long, economic and policy choices have isolated Black and Latino communities and subjected them to higher levels of deadly pollution. A well-designed plan for clean transportation and power — one that takes into account the existing pollution burdens and underlying health risks — can deliver equitable benefits from clean transportation investments.

2. Lead again: Take responsibility for climate change

We are on an urgent timeline to cut climate pollution. There is no more time to lose.

Biden has promised to bring the U.S. back into the Paris climate agreement on his first day in office. A meaningful new U.S. commitment to match — one with an ambitious and credible emissions reduction target — will require sustained effort.

The European Union, China, Japan and Korea have recently stepped up their timelines for achieving net zero by 2050 (or 2060, in the case of China) and are expecting the U.S. to make a similarly ambitious commitment — which would translate into a near-term reduction of 45-50% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Credibility requires follow-through: not only taking strong actions under existing statutory authorities and making climate, clean energy and environmental justice central to economic stimulus and recovery investments, but pressing for bipartisan support for reductions in climate pollution across the economy.

This is what’s needed to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 — releasing no more climate pollution into the atmosphere than we can remove — and avoid climate change’s worst impacts.

The single fastest thing we can do right now to slow the rate of warming is to reduce the amount of methane coming from the oil and gas industry. Methane is a powerful pollutant responsible for more than a quarter of today’s warming.

The Trump administration rolled back vital methane protections at the very time we need them most — a backward step so big even major oil companies objected. Concerted methane policy in North America and Europe could deliver a meaningful climate impact, and U.S. leadership on this is imperative as we prepare for COP26.

Leadership also means restoring science to its rightful position at the center of environmental decision-making.

Repairing America’s scientific integrity begins with strong, evidence-based leaders at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and independent scientific experts on federal advisory committees that ensure the use of best available science.

The EPA needs to rebuild its scientific staff and get back to the business of safeguarding the environment and public health. NOAA must scrub itself of past political interference and ensure that the government is again providing objective information about climate change.

Only when we acknowledge our climate responsibility on the global stage, follow and fund the science, and bring the right experts to the table will we be able to reclaim U.S. leadership in driving lasting environmental solutions.

3. Repair the damage: Protect our communities

America’s safety standards for clean air, water and toxic chemicals are in tatters after four years of Trump administration rollbacks.

Regardless of party, nobody wants dirty air or water. But infants, children, pregnant women, workers and the elderly are all facing increased health risks because of Trump’s policies, as are low-wealth communities and communities of color, as well as “fenceline” communities — those closest to the sources of pollution, which have long faced greater pollution burdens.

It’s time to not only repair the damage, but rebuild better. That means developing protections that fully take into account the cumulative impacts of pollution exposure, health disparities and economic inequality.

The new administration should use its full existing environmental authority to strengthen protections for communities and individuals at high risk, while expanding the collection of data on exposures to better characterize the health impacts of pollution and health risks associated with climate change.

This includes expanding air and water monitoring, particularly in areas with the greatest dangers. And importantly, the administration should fulfill its commitment to expand upon Executive Order 12898, which President Clinton signed 26 years ago. It requires the EPA to work with, support and enable highly impacted communities to fully participate in the administration’s decision-making process.

The Biden administration also has a historic opportunity to bolster our rural fishing and farming communities through investment in climate resilient food systems.

Our rural economies have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, trade wars and the changing climate. Jobs, food security and sustainable natural resources like water, forests and coasts will be critically important to our future economic and environmental health as a nation.

Investing now in natural infrastructure on our farms and coasts, building tools to thrive in the face of changing climates, and advancing policies that help farmers and fishers manage for future conditions will position the U.S. to lead both here and abroad.

With these priorities as our guide, we can turn this historic opportunity into concrete progress for healthier communities, more jobs and less climate pollution. It’s not enough to make up for four lost years, we have to rebuild an America that’s healthier and more equitable than it has ever been.

It’s a new day. Let’s seize it.

Support Biden’s pledge to rejoin the Paris climate agreement mmelendez November 8, 2020 - 09:47

Puerto Rico can achieve reliable and equitable clean energy. Here’s what it’ll take.

This post first appeared on Forbes and was co-authored by Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz.

Puerto Rico sits in the eye of what’s been the busiest hurricane season on record with an old and historically unreliable power system. The all too common occurrence of blackouts left more than 400,000 people in San Juan in the dark hours before Tropical Storm Isaias made landfall on the U.S. territory this week. Isaias is the latest storm to test Puerto Rico’s preparedness after Hurricane Maria tore apart its electric grid in 2017.

Lack of funding to rebuild critical infrastructure and the Trump administration’s ongoing neglect have elevated the risk that unimaginable human suffering awaits with the next storm.

There are few places where social, economic and environmental inequality are on display more starkly than in Puerto Rico. Only months ago a series of earthquakes dealt another blow, causing widespread blackouts and leaving thousands of people without shelter in Guayanilla and other towns on the southwest corner of the island. Now, the coronavirus has halted an already struggling economy. Relief can’t come fast enough.

Energy is a lifeline for the people of Puerto Rico to access clean water, food and health services. Yet three years after Maria, work to rebuild the electric system has barely begun and blackouts are commonplace. Rural communities remain the hardest hit.

Complicating matters is the premium Puerto Ricans pay for energy that is both dirty and unreliable because of an outdated, centralized power infrastructure. Most electricity is generated from old oil-burning power plants fed by expensive imports, then transported by a fragile, decrepit delivery system. The poor design, with heavy reliance on fossil fuels, adds to high electricity costs and air pollution that harms people’s health.

Many actions are required to right decades of wrongs in Puerto Rico. One of them is a reliable and resilient energy system built to withstand an increasingly volatile climate. But resiliency alone is not enough. Puerto Rico deserves a cleaner future that puts families and communities first in delivering safe, affordable and reliable energy.

Leaders in Washington and San Juan should look for solutions bubbling up from the communities across the island, which amid a global pandemic are even more exposed than they were before Maria. Policymakers can support them by removing barriers that maintain a centralized system and providing incentives for communities to invest in and develop distributed resources using rooftop solar and other innovative technologies.

Although the need to reinvent the electric grid to better serve all communities is obvious, there is a troubling history of special interest groups representing large energy projects being prioritized over the public good. Many communities have little faith that the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority will be responsive to widespread calls for affordable, locally produced energy such as rooftop and community solar power.

Now, PREPA has an opportunity to make lasting improvements to the electric grid through its integrated resource plan, a 20-year roadmap for how the public utility will develop energy resources. Unfortunately, the process has been marked by delays, and PREPA’s revisions fall well short of the government’s pledge to generate 40% of energy from renewable sources by 2025 and for Puerto Rico to hit 100% renewables by 2050.

PREPA and Puerto Rico’s elected leaders must prioritize the island’s long-term energy transition by actively listening to all stakeholder input, including that of communities and local non-governmental organizations. These groups have demonstrated tireless leadership to meet critical needs through an array of crises. They deserve our attention.

It’s also crucial that public officials respond to local demands to scrap plans to build new gas power plants and avoid making contracts that perpetuate a vulnerable, centralized system at the expense of resiliency and clean energy.

Several promising technologies are available to accelerate clean energy growth. Distributed energy resources like solar and new innovations that include low-carbon microgrids — mini clean power service stations backed by battery storage — can help both decentralize and strengthen the grid.

A community-first approach is the only way to shape Puerto Rico’s energy future so that it serves the people, the economy and the environment in a reliable and equitable way. Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund are working together with communities and local groups to advocate for the solutions that will make this a reality. Clean energy and community leadership are key to a system that will protect the island from the next storm and improve the lives of all Puerto Ricans.

The energy job market is in trouble. Here's how we fix it. jtroyano August 12, 2020 - 05:08

Congress has a plan to fight climate change and build a more just America. Here's what you should know.

Our country is no stranger to hardship. Over the past century, when times were tough, people came together and our government took bold action that guided us toward better days.

Our resilience and penchant for recovery and renewal is part of what defines us as Americans.

Today, we are again facing difficult times. We are fighting through an unprecedented public health pandemic, an economic downturn, and systemic racism and injustice. But just as we have done before, leaders are emerging on Capitol Hill with a bold plan that meets our immediate economic and health crisis while also strengthening our country for all Americans over the long-term.

Representative Kathy Castor, Chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and her committee, recently released a report that provides dozens of good ideas for reinvigorating our economy, putting people to work and building the 100% clean economy we need.

Chairwoman Castor and her colleagues understand what it takes to rebuild a better, healthier and more just America.

Solving the climate crisis Read a summary of the report on creating a clean energy economy and a healthy and just America.

Their report gives other Congressional leaders the policy prescriptions to address climate change, and while doing so, build a robust and sustainable economy for American workers, small businesses and future generations.

We know that Black and Latino neighborhoods are burdened with disproportionate impacts from climate and air pollution. That’s why the recommendations in this report seek to promote equity by ensuring these frontline communities are prioritized for clean energy and infrastructure investments. These are important steps: we also need to get serious about reducing toxic pollution in these communities and ensuring that community leaders have an influential voice in the policymaking process.

Solving climate change is not a distant dream or an unachievable goal. Unlike the Trump Administration, the authors of this report listened to scientists in outlining steps we can take today to save our planet from further destruction.

How we can rebuild better

At Environmental Defense Fund, we have long supported the climate solutions highlighted in this report—including aggressively cutting oil and gas methane pollution that is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in contributing to warming in the short term, and promoting and investing in community resilience to better adapt to extreme weather like flooding and drought.

EDF supports robust investment in American clean energy that will create durable, good-paying jobs right away in all 50 states, reduce deadly air pollution and help avert the worst impacts of climate change — which is putting the health and well-being of our communities at extreme risk.

Cleaning up our transportation sector by rolling out more electric vehicles such as buses and medium- and heavy-duty trucks will help curb climate pollution, create good manufacturing jobs and reduce health impacts in neighborhoods that have, for too long, suffered far more than their share of air pollution. It’s also critical that we power our fleet of electric vehicles with clean power, so I’m pleased that the Special Committee is also recommending the electricity sector move aggressively toward renewable energy.

A launch point to a 100% clean economy

The Select Committee took the time to dissect nearly every facet of our economy, and as a result, this report can serve as a launch point to achieve a 100% clean economy by midcentury—meaning that we don’t release any more climate pollution into our atmosphere than we can remove.

Securing a 100% clean economy by 2050 is consistent with what scientists tell us is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. That is why it is time to get to work.

This proposal emphasizes many points of bipartisan agreement, such as investing in American innovation, promoting domestic manufacturing, and rewarding the job-creators who successfully drive us towards a clean future.

Chairwoman Castor and the committee, with strong support from Speaker Pelosi, created the plan we need to defeat the climate crisis. Now it is time for our elected leaders to turn this report into legislative action and help America emerge from this economic recession stronger, healthier, and safer.

Environmental Defense Fund, our members, and our partners across the country are more than ready to do our part.Once again, it’s time to rise to the occasion and rebuild a better America.

Triple your impact with a $2-for-$1 match. Give now tmoran July 1, 2020 - 03:34

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An Earth Day pledge for the COVID era

Earth Day in the time of COVID-19 is more urgent than ever. This crisis has made the 50th Earth Day a profound reminder that our mission is not only about the world, but about all the people in it.

So let’s honor it by pledging to help everyone, especially those who have suffered the most.

Now is the time to commit to cleaning up the air pollution that causes conditions like heart and lung disease and increased asthma attacks, all of which put people at higher risk for severe illness from the coronavirus.

The painful truth we face about public health

As this disease runs its unjust course through our nation, we should join with those who have been fighting discrimination for decades in an effort to bring us closer to the society we hope to be.

Though the pathogen doesn’t discriminate, our public health outcomes always have, because of unequal exposure to pollution and unequal access to treatment.

In this case, the result is a significantly disproportionate rate of COVID-19 hospitalization and death among African-American, Latino and immigrant communities in dense urban areas.

In Harris County, Texas, for example, 40% of those who have died so far from COVID-19 were black, though black people account for only 20% of the county’s population.

And in Louisiana more than 60% of the deaths are in the black community, which makes up 32% of the total population.

As the longtime leader of a U.S.-based environmental group, I can’t claim any of this is surprising. That makes it more painful.

In these neighborhoods, just breathing can make you sick

Outdoor air pollution kills more than 4 million people around the world each year. We have known for decades that in neighborhoods where the air is most polluted, just breathing damages the human body, causing cancer, heart disease and lung disease, including asthma.

This year we added yet another killer to that awful list. Of course, air pollution varies from place to place. Communities of color and low-income communities are more likely to be situated near power plants, refineries, ports, highways and other sources.

And according to preliminary analysis by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, areas with high air pollution levels before this crisis reported higher COVID-19 death rates.

Doing more to address the inequities

It is an understatement to say that, as a nation, we have not done enough to address these inequities. And given the systemic nature of the challenge we face, it will take more than environmental progress to improve these outcomes.

But I know where I can start, which is by being clear that my group, Environmental Defense Fund, has not done enough. So we are working to change that.

At EDF we recognized later than we should have that our focus on global climate change had led us to spend too little time addressing air pollution in local communities.

Over the past six years, we have started to improve on that, working with community groups that have long been fighting this battle. We are learning from them as we go forward.

EDF is now making the reduction of disproportionate health impacts from pollution a priority, beginning in our health-related science and advocacy, and expanding into our energy and climate work.

We’re working to address exposures to toxic chemicals in the workplace, the home and in neighborhoods near industrial facilities. We’re working with local organizations that are helping us understand these issues and seeking to weave what we learn into other aspects of our programmatic work.

Industrial pollution is not the only scourge putting communities at risk. Changes in weather due to climate change are making wildfires much worse — pouring more pollution into the air — and are also making low-lying areas more vulnerable to flooding.

When rising waters swamp industrial facilities, the result is often a toxic soup of hazardous chemicals. In many instances these chemical releases are not measured by local or federal officials, so groups like EDF, led by partners on the ground, have taken on the task.

How the Trump administration is taking us backward

The Trump administration and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler are pushing policies that will make these problems worse.

The administration is taking us backward on mercury pollution, air pollution from transportation, and in other critical areas.

“That’s a death sentence for us,” Hilton Kelley, a leading figure for environmental justice along the Texas coast, told the Associated Press. “But when you’re inundated day after day … we’re dead. We’re dead.”

What our goal should be for the world

We can do better. On this Earth Day, let’s see to it that the worst of times bring out the best in us.

And that as we move from relief to recovery, we do so in a way that rebuilds in ways that address the underlying disparities in these communities — beginning with the air we breathe.

Our country needs to take action to accelerate electrification of cars, trucks and buses to protect communities adjacent to busy roads and highways. We need to strengthen and enforce tight air pollution standards that protect all communities.

And philanthropists need to provide groups on the front lines with the resources they need to advocate for their own interests.

Our goal should not be restoration of the world as we know it, but the creation of a better world where the air is cleaner and communities are healthier and more resilient than before.

On the 50th Earth Day, that should not be too much to hope for.

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Donate to support this work $35 $50 tmoran April 21, 2020 - 07:30

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Trump’s war on science is hobbling the U.S. in the global innovation race

The rise of China, which has lifted more than 800 million out of poverty since the economic reforms of the late 1970s, is the great economic story of our time. Though the United States retains a sizable edge in technological innovation, that competitive advantage is under threat from an unlikely source: the U.S. government.

The administration’s disdain for science makes news all the time. It was on display again in its proposed 2020 budget, which would have slashed funding for the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which oversees the federal government’s 10 national laboratories.

If the U.S. drops out of the innovation race, we’ll be turning our backs on the most important challenge of our lifetime — climate change.

Fred Krupp, EDF President

Also on the chopping block was the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, slated for an 86% cut, from $2.4 billion to $343 million. A July budget deal between the administration and Congress backed away from these cuts.

The budget proposal is simply the latest salvo in the administration’s ideologically driven war on science. In June, the administration blocked submission of congressional testimony by a government scientist whose research revealed how climate change will undermine U.S. national security in the next 20 years.

The scientist, Rod Schoonover, resigned his post and went public with the story of being muzzled. The president’s acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, has said, “Do we really need government-funded research at all?” The answer is yes.

Government-funded research was crucial to the development of the internet, hydraulic fracturing and other breakthrough technologies. Cuts to renewable energy and energy efficiency programs are particularly unwise, since the world is racing to bring to market green technologies that combat climate change.

Renewable energy, including solar, wind, liquid biofuels and hydropower among others, is now a fast-growing $1.5 trillion global industry that employs more than 11 million people, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The race is on

As the U.S. stalls, China, Germany and other countries are moving ahead. China is expected to surpass the U.S. in funding for research and development as early as next year. China’s latest five-year plan offers specific targets to reduce costs, increase growth and improve efficiency in the solar sector.

In 2017, China spent $133 billion on clean-energy technologies, more than twice the amount spent in the U.S. Beijing has said it will spend another $360 billion by 2020. China is already the world’s largest electric vehicle market. Norway has set a goal for all new cars to have zero emissions by 2025, and other countries are close behind.

Sign up for updates on innovations that will get us to 100% clean:

Meanwhile, President Trump is trying to roll back the U.S. clean car program with new rules, using flawed science to justify his decision. The move will only hinder electric vehicle research here at home.

Solar technology, first developed in the U.S., has made tremendous strides over recent years under U.S. leadership. But other countries are now leapfrogging ahead.

A key component of solar power is the inverter, which converts solar energy to alternating current. China’s Huawei Technologies, the telecommunications giant caught up in U.S. national security concerns, also dominates the market for inverters.

Environmental technologies aren’t the only areas where China is taking the lead. In 2017 Beijing announced a new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy that aims to rival U.S. efforts by 2020. The latest data suggest China is on track.

Chinese researchers have published more AI research papers than the U.S. for several years. AI has enormous implications for the environment, from climate modelling to managing water use, as detailed in a January 2018 WEF report, Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for the Earth [PDF].

Going 100% Clean Learn why a 100% clean economy is both achievable and necessary The challenge of our lifetime

If the U.S. drops out of the innovation race, we’ll be turning our backs on the most important challenge of our lifetime — climate change. Scientists say the world needs to achieve net zero emissions — releasing no more climate pollution into the atmosphere than we can remove — early in the second half of this century if we are to avoid its worst impacts.

That means the U.S. and the rest of the developed world must decarbonize by midcentury. Although some U.S. states and corporations are stepping up, only the federal government can provide the economic and technical leadership we need to reach a 100% clean economy that quickly.

We’re in the race of our lives. Science and innovation are what will make us run faster.

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tmoran September 6, 2019 - 12:33

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By mapping its own air pollution, London can help cities worldwide

We do not all breathe the same air.

In fact, varying levels of pollution mean the quality of the air we breathe differs sharply from country to country, from state to state – even street to street. In West Oakland, California, for example, researchers have shown that air pollution levels can vary by up to eight-fold within a single city block.

Those differences in air quality have enormous public health impacts. Globally, air pollution is responsible for some 7 million premature deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization – more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

Since the most pervasive air pollutants are invisible to the eye, the risk and the inequity are invisible. But now, a new initiative is making these invisible threats visible, and setting an example for cities around the globe.

The Mayor of London, Environmental Defense Fund, the C40 consortium of 90 cities tackling climate change, and a host of other partners last week launched Breathe London, an ambitious project that will measure and map Londoners’ daily exposure to air pollution using a network of advanced air pollution sensors deployed across the city.

Breathe London will shine a light on air pollution at a hyper-local level and provide data that lets us not only see the problem, but take action to solve it. Armed with hyper-local data, communities, researchers, innovators and policy makers will be empowered to turn the data into solutions that create healthier air.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan was not exaggerating when he declared that his city’s air quality problem “is now a matter of life and death,” with children in particular having severe reactions. A recent five-year study of central London children confirmed that long-term exposure to urban air pollution is related to smaller lung volumes.

Thanks to advances in mobile sensor technology, researchers have shown that air pollution levels in Oakland, California can vary by up to eight-fold within just one city block. Living in areas with the most elevated levels of air pollution increases heart attack risk in the elderly by up to 40 percent, a level similar to a history of smoking.

Making the invisible visible

A new generation of mobile sensors and other precise, affordable monitoring technology will greatly expand London’s air quality monitoring network and deliver much richer, more detailed data than currently available.

This information will give Londoners a real-time picture of the air they’re breathing as they move around the city. By visualizing the existing threat – and documenting the benefits of policy interventions – more and better data will lead to more effective policies and ultimately, healthier air.

London is just the beginning. This new model can be adapted and replicated in cities around the world.

Mapping of London air quality

Breathe London is using new technology to make the air pollution problem actionable.

It started with the deployment of 100 low-cost air quality monitors, each equipped with up to 10 separate sensor types, in a flexible network throughout London. Thirty of these sensor pods will be moved as needed to react to pollution hotspots identified by mobile monitoring.

Next, Google Street View cars equipped with state-of-the-art sensor technology will repeatedly sample the air over a thousand miles of London roads. This mobile mapping strategy has been used effectively in Houston, TX and West Oakland, CA. EDF is expanding this work to include commercial and municipal fleets as well.

Together, this network of stationary and mobile air quality sensors will provide an unprecedented amount of data that will be used by Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants, another partner in the project, to improve the air pollution modelling and forecasting system for London.

Data drives action

Identifying pollution hotspots helps bolster and focus public demand for action, and gives policy makers the scientific evidence needed to identify solutions. Businesses, policy makers and city planners will know where to best focus the development of green infrastructure, schools and playgrounds, and how to take steps to reduce harmful emissions from buildings and transportation.

These are just some important steps that can be taken to help improve air quality and reduce the risks of pollution for some of the most sensitive communities.

For example, localized air quality data could lead to the deployment of electric and low emission municipal vehicles in the most polluted neighborhoods. Under a new California law, citizens armed with local air quality data in West Oakland are pushing for cleaner air.

Taking the model to cities worldwide

We look to the day when detailed, street-by-street maps of air pollution are available for almost any city. But maps alone don’t save lives: effective, sometimes unlikely partnerships are essential to unlocking the power of these new data.

In 2018, for example, C40 launched an Air Quality Network to help cities identify and advocate for actions that reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. EDF is committed to working with this network to provide best practices for using new technologies to diagnose a city’s air pollution problem, design solutions and share results.

Unprecedented innovation is driving accelerated action. Data-driven solutions that clear the air for communities across London should inspire other cities to take similar action to improve air quality, protect public health and slow climate change.

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krives January 18, 2019 - 09:55

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China needs to join ASAP. Can the acidity and other polution in the rivers, streams, lakes and oceans be tested as well?

Louise Wallace March 4, 2019 at 2:11 pm Add new comment

George H.W. Bush, environmental hero: He exemplified the real art of the deal

This was first published in the New York Daily News.

It will seem like an impossible fantasy to those who only know the politics of today: A Republican President signing a major environmental bill, in the East Room of the White House, and receiving a standing ovation from the leaders of green groups. But it happened – I was there.

President George H.W. Bush knew the art of the deal. The solution he hammered out with Congress and environmental leaders in 1990 gave key interests what they needed to solve the contentious problem of acid rain pollution, which was devastating the lakes and forests of the northeast.

Environmentalists would see sulfur dioxide pollution from power plants cut in half and capped. And power plant owners would win flexibility to make the necessary cuts in the most economical ways they could find.

Acid rain program saved thousands of lives

Soon, the built-in flexibility of the acid rain cap-and-trade program spurred innovations that produced the needed reductions ahead of schedule, at a fraction of the expected cost. Along with later steps, cap-and-trade has reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 85 percent, saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the benefits outweigh the costs 40 to 1. It is one of President Bush’s great legacies, demonstrating what he said back in 1989: “A sound ecology and a strong economy are not mutually exclusive. They go hand in hand.”

I had an opportunity to thank President Bush in person.

One of my proudest moments in decades of environmental work was to watch Bush sign the 1990 Clean Air Act and hear him commend Environmental Defense Fund and other groups “for bringing creativity to the table to end what could have been a hopeless stalemate.”

And that’s exactly what the President himself had done.

President Bush’s prudent approach needed today

Two years later, he attended the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, signing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and getting that treaty ratified by Congress. With those actions, he helped the world take the initial steps to stabilize the climate.

Now, when we must find ways to reduce climate pollution dramatically and without needlessly burdensome costs, we would be wise to look to Bush’s prudent approach: choose flexible, performance-based policies that trigger a hunt for the lowest-cost solutions, both low-tech and high-tech.

Even today, the art of consensus has not been entirely lost. Just two years ago, almost every Republican in Congress voted for the Lautenberg bill, a strong new chemical safety act that was thoroughly bipartisan.

“All of us have been given a trust”

There’s a role for voluntary action, too, by individuals and companies and groups. President Bush often acknowledged and expressed gratitude for the many selfless contributions to our overall well-being, those unforgettable “thousand points of light.”

Yet he recognized that voluntary action alone is not sufficient. Only government can set the performance standards that harness the power of the market to drive progress. George H.W. Bush knew the difficulty of the environmental issues facing America and the world, but he was undaunted.

“We can reverse the errors of this generation,” he said, “mindful of the next. All of us have been given a trust, a trust that lies in the stewardship of our planet. In this, we must not fail.”

A surprising paradox How stereotypes hamper the environmental movement krives December 4, 2018 - 01:32

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Great article, and great point. Thanks for sharing this memory of Bush, and keep up the good work!

Conor Flynn December 7, 2018 at 12:06 pm

Thank you for your comments and for your memories of President H. W. Bush. We need more leaders like him, and fewer leaders with self-serving, clandestine agenda’s.

Eric Gribin December 17, 2018 at 9:52 pm

...and yet I remember many environmentally-minded folks voting for Clinton in 92. What we could have avoided....

David Henderson December 19, 2018 at 9:18 pm Add new comment

Voters put a check on the Trump administration's reckless environmental policies

On Nov. 6, the American people voted to put a check on the excesses of the Trump administration. The voters are clearly demanding changes in Washington, a return to common sense policies, and greater accountability from their elected leaders.

The midterm election results were also a rebuke to the current leadership of the House of Representatives, which has voted repeatedly to undermine science, roll back environmental safeguards and allow more pollution.

Pro-environmental candidates and climate champions were on the ballot in hundreds of elections at the federal, state and local levels. Many winning candidates made environmental protection central to their campaigns; and many who reject climate science were defeated.

Even in races where pro-environment candidates did not prevail, clean air, clean water and climate change were issues both sides attempted to claim.

The election results will bring welcome oversight and accountability to the Trump administration. We will continue to work with members of both parties to make progress toward climate solutions, defend the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget, protect American families from dangerous chemicals, and strengthen our core environmental laws and regulations.

Beginning in January, Washington – and state houses around the country – will see a growing chorus of new young leaders demanding action on climate change and adequate protections from pollution. The House of Representatives will see a record number of women, many strongly pro-environment.

As a result, this election gives us an opportunity to check the excesses of this administration, and hold it accountable for undermining health and environmental safeguards. Everyone who voted for a cleaner, healthier, more prosperous future must now join together to make it happen.

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Donate to support this work $35 $50 krives November 7, 2018 - 01:10

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The most powerful force for fighting climate change – now

This was first published by the Wall Street Journal.

Last week gave the world a ghastly climate show-and-tell.

First came the new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, confirming that our climate is already changing rapidly and telling us we have a dozen years to act if we are to manage the risk of ecological and economic devastation. Then Hurricane Michael came ashore in Florida after growing from Category 2 to Category 4 in less than 24 hours – showing one reason scientists are so concerned.

Because of the problem’s severity, some say we need a command-and-control solution, with governments telling companies how to retool. Climate change is an urgent problem, but that’s not the right approach. The world instead should harness the marketplace – the most powerful force available.

Here are three policies that would help.

Slow deforestation and restore damaged forests. Properly managed woodlands help avoid emissions by not burning the trees and also draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Forests could deliver a quarter or more of the carbon emissions reductions needed by 2030 – but only if rain forests are more valuable alive than dead.

California is considering a proposal to create incentives that enable this while setting the global standard for social and environmental safeguards. My organization, Environmental Defense Fund, is also working with landowners on strategies that allow them to contribute to the solution and profit from it.

Cut short-term climate pollutants such as methane. These gases stay in the atmosphere for less time than carbon dioxide but trap far more heat while there. Methane, the chief component of natural gas, is responsible for a quarter of all current warming.

The largest industrial source of methane pollution is the global oil-and-gas industry, so EDF is launching a satellite to measure and map these emissions world-wide. Our goal is a 45 percent reduction in methane pollution from oil and gas by 2025.

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This would deliver the same climate benefit over the next 20 years as closing about one-third of the world’s coal-fired power plants.

Stop letting companies pollute for free. In most of the world, there is no economic incentive for corporations to reduce pollution. But if they had to pay every time they put a ton of emissions into the atmosphere, they’d find creative ways to reduce pollution

By itself, a tax on pollution doesn’t guarantee reductions, so any carbon pricing policy must include enforceable limits to ensure emissions are cut as much as the science demands. As the work of the Nobel Prize-winning economist William Nordhaus makes clear, pricing carbon is a much cheaper way of hitting climate goals than command-and-control regulations.

Scientists, investors and philanthropists also are exploring ways to remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. It’s a challenge, but a system that pays a bounty for carbon soaked out of the sky would spur a race to develop and commercialize this promising concept.

Some people would get rich, and that’s OK. If videogames and iPhone apps can create wealth, so can saving the world.

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krives October 16, 2018 - 10:02

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These technology trends can pave way for global climate action

This was first published by World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda.

A fresh wave of technological innovation is deepening our understanding of tough environmental challenges – and also giving us new ways to solve them. As thousands of business leaders and policymakers gather in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit, these game-changing innovations will be showing up all over town.

One example will be new approaches for measuring and reducing emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that has pound for pound more than 80 times the near-term warming power of carbon dioxide.

Human-made methane emissions are responsible for a quarter of all the warming we’re experiencing today. That’s a problem, but it’s also an enormous opportunity.

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One of the largest sources of methane is the oil and gas industry. Indeed, natural gas is mostly methane. And it turns out that reducing these industrial methane emissions is the fastest, most cost-effective way to slow the rate of warming, even as we continue working hard to decarbonize our energy system.

But we didn’t know that until recently – or at least we couldn’t prove it – because nobody knew how much methane was coming from the oil and gas sector.

Data shines spotlight on methane problem at a critical time

Five years ago, Environmental Defense Fund set out to measure methane emissions from the United States oil and gas sector. We launched an unprecedented scientific research effort involving more than 140 researchers from 40 institutions, along with four dozen oil and gas companies that provided site access and technical advice.

Researchers used a range of technologies – including sensors mounted on drones, airplanes and even Google Street View cars – to measure emissions at every link of the supply chain, from remote well heads to pipes under your local street.

Results were published in over 30 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. A synthesis paper published this summer in Science concluded that the U.S. oil and gas industry emits 13 million metric tons of methane each year– nearly 60 percent more than current Environmental Protection Agency estimates. But these emissions can be controlled, often through simple maintenance.

Data from the project has been instrumental in convincing both industry leaders and policymakers that they have a serious methane challenge. The findings helped shape new regulations in states such as Colorado, Wyoming, California and Pennsylvania; along with national policies to reduce emission from oil and gas production on federal and tribal land.

Now, we’re using the data to hold the line against misguided attempts by the current administration to roll back those standards.

Digitization of oil and gas industry can help cut emissions by 45%

Worldwide, the International Energy Agency reckons that oil and gas methane emissions are about 75 million metric tons – enough to generate all of Africa’s electricity twice over. The IEA estimates that industry could reduce those emissions 75 percent using existing technologies, two-thirds of that at no net cost.

We at EDF are calling for a 45 percent reduction in global oil and gas methane emissions by 2025. That would have the same 20-year climate benefit as closing one-third of the world’s coal plants. Results on such a scale are conceivable thanks to growing digitization in the industry. For example, reliable, low-cost sensors, remote monitoring and oilfield internet-of-things can help energy companies reduce emissions and eliminate waste of saleable gas at the same time.

To help realize these prospects, EDF is working with Shell to test continuous monitoring technologies developed by entrepreneurs who took part in our Mobile Monitoring Challenge. We’ve also partnered with Stanford University and ExxonMobil to look at mobile detection technologies, using aircraft and drones.

Data-driven transparency is sparking competition within the industry itself. In April, BP set its first quantitative methane target. The following month, ExxonMobil committed to cut emissions and flared gas volumes. Shell, Qatar Petroleum and other producers have also committed to reduce methane emissions across the natural gas supply chain.

We’re taking the methane mission into space

Now we’re pushing the technological envelope even farther by developing MethaneSAT – a satellite mission due to launch in 2021, and designed to continuously map and measure methane emissions with exacting precision almost anywhere on the planet. MethaneSAT will make it possible to “see” emissions in places where they’re difficult to track today.

Data from MethaneSAT will be available for free to anyone. It will help countries, companies and citizens spot problems, identify reduction opportunities and measure progress over time. It’s just one of several space-based methane monitoring tools now in the works.

The European Space Agency, for example, launched its TROPOMI satellite in 2017. And a private company called GHGSAT has one satellite in orbit and another due to launch within the year.

Some have likened this to a new space race. But I see it as a wave of transformational change emerging from multiple nodes across an innovation ecosystem. Each has different, but complimentary, capabilities, together offering multiple streams of data to paint an unassailable picture of the problem.

Just as we have used the U.S. methane data to spur new policies and better business practices, we will use data from MethaneSAT and from our allies to help reach our 45 percent reduction goal by 2025. Our aim to virtually eliminate the industry’s methane emissions by 2050.

Sensors manage supply chains and make fishing vessels “smart”

We’re deploying advanced sensor technologies to help create a healthier environment in other ways, too – from Google cars mapping air pollution and its health effects to wearable bracelets that track your daily chemical exposure.

Elsewhere, retailers and consumer brands are using blockchain to improve accountability and sustainability across far-flung supply chains. Sensors can help farmers reduce the amount of chemicals on their fields, and “smart boats” can help fishermen manage their catch effectively, increasing profits and fish in the sea.

It’s no coincidence the Global Climate Action Summit is happening in California, the heart of America’s most innovative sector and the state that has led the nation in environmental stewardship. California has proven time and again that a strong economy and healthy environment go hand in hand. Now more than ever, technology is the key to making this a worldwide success story.

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krives September 6, 2018 - 08:13

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Oil and gas meet Silicon Valley

There’s a digital revolution coursing through the world’s oil and natural gas industry today. The same tools that have disrupted every sector from manufacturing to finance – cloud computing, predictive analytics, remote sensing and controls – are transforming this one, too. Suddenly, there’s a lot more silicon involved in the oil and gas business.

If all these technologies did was make it cheaper to get oil and gas out of the ground, it would be a cause for concern. But for those of us working to decarbonize the energy system as fast as possible the trend is also opening up crucial new opportunities to protect our climate, by reducing emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas with over 80 times the 20-year warming power of carbon dioxide.

Game-changing technology raises the bar

Reliable, low-cost sensors and the data they generate are enabling companies to monitor facilities of all kinds for leaks, malfunctions and other wasteful emissions around the clock, instead of every now and then. As this technology continues to emerge, it raises the bar for everybody. In the face of rising expectations about corporate responsibility on climate, best practices should soon become standard practice, and doing nothing simply won’t be an option anymore.

It’s all part of an incredibly powerful wave of innovation changing the way we solve environmental problems, giving both business and advocates like us new ways to drive progress. We call this Fourth Wave environmentalism – it supercharges the kind of partnerships Environmental Defense Fund is known for.

Understanding the true scale of the problem

For industry, the incentive is competition. Big energy companies today are betting heavily on natural gas, promoting it as a clean alternative to coal and oil. But stiff competition from increasingly inexpensive renewable energy means companies need to step up their environmental game.

Worldwide, annual oil and gas methane emissions are about 75 million metric tons, according to the International Energy Agency.

Last week, the journal Science published the latest in the pioneering series of methane studies organized by EDF, showing U.S. oil and gas methane emissions are 60% higher than current EPA estimates. Unchecked, those emissions effectively double the 20-year climate impact of gas-fired electricity.

EDF has done a lot to document the scope of this challenge through our methane studies. But we’re not just looking for problems; we’re looking for solutions. As countries and companies work to cut greenhouse gases, oil and gas methane emissions offer the fastest and most cost-effective steps we can take to slow the rate of warming.

Partnering for cost-effective solutions

Digitization of the oil and gas industry greatly amplifies the potential synergy between environmental and business goals. Technology used to prevent accidents, improve efficiency and cut costs can also reduce methane emissions. Remote monitoring of well pads, processing plants and distribution systems can help energy companies recover – and sell – much of the methane they waste every year.

That’s why we’re working with companies across the industry to document, demonstrate and deploy effective, efficient ways to reduce methane emissions faster, for less money. Today, Shell and Equinor (formerly Statoil) are testing continuous digital monitoring technologies created by independent developers in response to the EDF Methane Detectors Challenge.

Next-level methane mapping, from space

EDF recently announced MethaneSAT, a satellite built specifically to map and measure methane emissions almost anywhere on the planet, including all the major oil and gas basins. We’ll make the findings available for free, giving both countries and companies a new way to spot problems, identify solutions, and measure their progress over time. MethaneSAT is a prime example of the Fourth Wave accelerating our ability to address environmental challenges and scaling the impact of our corporate partnerships.

Since we began our methane work six years ago, we’ve seen the whole suite of industry stakeholders sit up and take notice – from investors to regulators to the communities where oil and gas companies operate. Gatekeepers to lucrative markets in Asia and Europe, where climate concerns are front and center, are also watching.

Whatever you think about the role of oil and gas in the global energy future, reducing these emissions is a both a major challenge and a huge opportunity to reduce the rate of warming we’re experiencing right now. The solutions are simple and straightforward. The International Energy Agency says 75% if the world’s oil and gas methane emissions can be eliminated cost-effectively. To be viewed as responsible corporations, oil and gas companies will have to do just that.

jkornegay June 26, 2018 - 09:45

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Welcome to the Fourth Wave: A new era of environmental progress

Since November, the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite has been in orbit 500 miles above Earth, capturing and measuring bright red and orange air pollution “hot spots” on the continents below.

Soon, the imaging spectrometer aboard this satellite will also visualize methane gas leaking from oil and gas production areas worldwide, helping our scientists and their international research partners pinpoint sources of this powerful greenhouse gas.

The satellite is just one example of how innovation is unleashing a new era of environmental progress, an emerging megatrend I just described in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. I call it the Fourth Wave of environmentalism – an era when people will have the power to scale solutions as never before.

It will transform and supercharge our work

Environmental progress doesn’t just happen; it has been propelled by successive waves of human ingenuity: first, the land conservation movement led by President Teddy Roosevelt; second, the anti-pollution laws of the 1960s and 1970s; and finally, the rise of powerful market-based solutions and corporate partnerships in the 1990s, widely known as the Third Wave.

The Fourth Wave will fundamentally transform how we solve environmental problems, supercharging previous approaches. And at this moment of widespread frustration with our government’s inability to address those problems, it can provide momentum outside the political arena.

Innovation, people and action

Fourth Wave solutions are driven by innovation – technological breakthroughs, new public policy ideas, and new ways to collaborate and communicate – that gives people the power to take action.

Fourth Wave tools are leveling the playing field by giving groups such as Environmental Defense Fund capabilities once reserved for governments. And in the world of business sustainability, these tools are making environmental partnerships more productive and measurable. Here are three recent examples:

• Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, is using precision agriculture tools to reduce fertilizer waste on the vast network of farms that supplies the company with corn. It’s part of Smithfield’s goal of cutting supply-chain greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025.
• Sensors on Google Street View cars have mapped methane leaks in Boston, Chicago, Dallas and other cities. Google Earth Outreach has also mapped air pollution threats in West Oakland on a block-by-block basis, giving local citizens high-resolution data that bolsters their case for emissions cuts under the state’s new air quality law.
• Oil and gas facilities owned by Statoil, PG&E and Shell are piloting methane detection units after we challenged entrepreneurs to come up with affordable and effective solutions to help operators catch leaks.

This disruptive change is bringing progress

Fourth Wave work is taking hold across the environmental community today.

World Resources Institute is using satellites to track Amazon deforestation on a website that can alert local authorities and the public to fires. Blockchain technology is being used to verify sustainability claims of tuna supply chains and manage energy trading across a solar-powered microgrid.

The Nature Conservancy is even developing facial recognition technology for fish to help fishermen identify and track their catch. “The solutions are out there,” says the group’s chief executive, Mark Tercek. “And these innovative technologies are helping us find them, deploy them, and scale them up.”

The Fourth Wave of environmental innovation is unleashing the power of human ingenuity to help drive transparency, responsibility and problem-solving. This megatrend will help people and nature prosper – no matter who happens to be living in the White House.

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krives March 21, 2018 - 08:35

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Climate action today: Where we're going and how we reach results – despite current roadblocks

Not long ago, I attended a briefing about some of the ways innovation is driving environmental progress. It came during a visit to Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, where I heard from scientists who are developing fast-charging electric vehicle batteries that will help overcome range anxiety.

Breakthroughs like these will help scale the solutions we need to turn the corner toward a safer and more stable climate.

New technologies are empowering people to protect the environment in other ways. Cheap pollution sensors and data analytics can make hidden health threats visible – and actionable.

Times are tough, but there’s still progress

In Oakland and Houston, we’re working with Google Earth Outreach to map air pollution block by block. No longer can governments or big businesses choose to conceal pollution from people; we can measure it ourselves, and use social media to make it public.

Transparent environmental data allow us to hold laggard companies accountable and celebrate the stewardship of corporate environmental leaders.

This wave of innovation is just one of the trends that makes me hopeful about our environmental future, even at a time when America’s bipartisan legacy of environmental safeguards is under assault. I also draw hope from the progress we’re making with states, corporations and other countries.

We worked with California this year as the state extended and deepened the ambition of its groundbreaking cap-and-trade program, which Environmental Defense Fund cosponsored.

We’re also helping Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, achieve an extraordinary commitment: removing 1 gigaton of climate pollution from its global supply chain. That’s more than Germany emits annually.

And in China, we are working with the government as it phases in what will become the world’s biggest emissions trading system for carbon.

As we approach the end of President Trump’s first year in office, it’s worth taking stock of how much has changed, and where leadership can still be found. My colleagues at EDF have been doing just that – adapting to a changing landscape by drafting a new strategic plan called Pathways 2025.

Here are a few of the conclusions we’ve reached.

Trump’s policies hurt his own voters

Among the many factors driving the 2016 election outcome was a profound sense of voter pessimism – a rejection of elites and mistrust of expertise driven by the sense that the rules of the game have been rigged.

There are valid reasons for people to feel this way, but the populist wave only succeeded in electing a president who is making the problem worse. With his administration’s attacks on clean air and public health standards, regular people are getting hit harder than ever.

A price on carbon: Still a key priority

Fairer and more transparent rules of the road can help restore public trust. When it comes to climate change, for example, United States markets are badly broken. They let corporations pollute our common atmosphere for free.

The way to fix them is by putting in place a price and limit on carbon pollution – and this remains EDF’s No. 1 climate policy objective.

This may seem like a dark time to talk about climate progress in Washington. But the Trump administration has inspired a rebirth of environmental activism, with support for EDF and other groups at an all-time high. Hundreds of thousands marched on behalf of climate action and sound science this year.

Polls show Trump’s environmental agenda is deeply unpopular.

Note to Congress: Citizen action soars 

Together with our allies, we help amplify this upwelling of citizen action by giving voice to our two million members and activists, our Moms Clean Air Force affiliate with more than a million members; and Defend Our Future, a burgeoning initiative to engage millennials.

We want Congress and the administration to understand that attacking bedrock environmental standards carries the same political risk as cutting Social Security. 

Even as the impacts of climate change become more damaging, we remain confident that our solutions, if scaled in time, can help turn the corner to a safer climate, cleaner air and healthier communities.

A new focus: Resilience in a warming world

However, even with ambitious greenhouse gas reductions, considerable warming is inevitable. That’s why a new focus of our work is helping people and natural systems become more resilient in the face of the changes we cannot avoid.

Our Oceans, Ecosystems and Health programs are pursuing several climate resilience initiatives:

• Oceans: Well-managed fisheries are better able to withstand the stress of climate change, improving the fortunes of people everywhere.
• Health: Climate and human health will benefit from our work to reduce conventional air pollution.
• Ecosystems: The climate will benefit from work to reduce fertilizer overuse, curbing the amount of nitrous oxide entering the atmosphere. And building natural infrastructure, such as wetlands and barrier islands, helps make coastal communities more secure in the face of change.

EDF has also embraced an important new goal known as “net-zero emissions.”

It means not just reducing emissions, but eventually reaching a point of balance when the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases we’re putting into the atmosphere are matched by those we’re taking out through measures such as reforestation and agricultural practices that increase carbon in soils.

Technologies that pull carbon from the atmosphere are also promising and may become economically viable in years to come. A carbon recovery pilot project called Climeworks is up and running in Iceland, but remains too expensive to scale.

The net-zero point of balance is the place where we stop doing more harm to the climate, and begin to heal it. It’s a long way off, but it’s critical that we have a strategy for both where we’re going, and – despite the current politics – how we will get there.

5 reasons Election Day 2017 was a win for climate action Get innovation updates

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krives November 28, 2017 - 03:03

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I am a monthly donor, and will continue to be one for a few more months while I am searching for a credible organization that is more outspoken about the need to support nuclear energy to achieve the goals you clearly articulate. The only way to achieve zero carbon emissions in a rapidly developing world that needs more energy is to embrace nuclear. EDF needs to say so -- clearly.

Kathy Kenyon December 13, 2017 at 10:24 am

Thanks for your comment, Kathy. EDF cares deeply about reducing our CO2 emissions in a rapidly developing world, and we have been outspoken about supporting struggling nuclear plants in specific regions where nuclear may be replaced with dirtier alternatives. We have also supported subsidies for nuclear as part of larger deals to adopt more clean energy solutions, as was the case in Illinois.

However, there are economic and environmental considerations that argue against blanket support for all nuclear power. Nuclear is one of the thirstiest and most expensive energy sources, and isn’t competitive against cheap, abundant renewable energy. Rather than picking winners and losers, EDF supports a well-designed carbon limit or tax that improves the economics of all zero- or low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear. Thanks again for your support.

Here’s a recent blog post on this issue: Why We Still Need America’s Nuclear Power Plants — At Least for Now

Eric Pooley December 14, 2017 at 11:00 pm

In reply to I am a monthly donor, and… by Kathy Kenyon

Renewables deserve support, but they will never provide reliable energy at the levels needed to help much of the world grow out of poverty. While the most obvious need in the US right now is to keep existing sources of clean nuclear energy, it also seems clear as a policy matter that nuclear energy needs to grow, especially in the Third World (where the Russians and Chinese will meet the demand, probably less safely, if the US does not). The science and evidence, as I understand it, would not support your statement that nuclear is more expensive than renewables, which have enjoyed subsidies and favorable policies not available to nuclear. EDF should consider supporting a technology-neutral policy that supports the end goal of clean energy in the US and the developing world.

Kathy Kenyon December 15, 2017 at 12:39 pm

In reply to Thanks for your comment,… by epooley

I think what everyone is doing to help the environment is wonderful and we should all do our part. What l don’t like is all the Trump bashing, which makes a lot of people turn off. President Trump is not against our environment; he lives on this same Earth as well as his family, too. What he is against is the US footing the majority of the bill and having to immediately implement most of the restrictions on the good citizens of our country without other countries having to follow the same protocol immediately. I know we produce a lot of impact but when you flew to your conferences, did you consider telecommuting or any other media available to your groups to help reduce your emissions? Anyone talking about population control for all countries? Anyone addressing the lack of clean water for all? Let’s hear about all the good that everyone is doing and stop pushing a political agenda. I think you would get more cooperation and less pushback [that way].

Norma Lewis December 30, 2017 at 12:45 pm

Nuclear has never met its price targets. Ever. And even when it’s decommissioned, like the San Onofre nuclear power plant, it will cost $4.1 billion dollars and take 15 years. The cost of that one plant represents a lot of solar and wind that could have been built instead. Plus, what are you doing with the 500-plus pounds of nuclear waste produced by each plant per year?

John Michael December 31, 2017 at 8:52 am Add new comment

Scott Pruitt's anti-environmental agenda hits a snag: The courts

It looks like Scott Pruitt – one of the Trump administration’s most adept operators – may have finally met his match: the law.

With the White House mired in dysfunction, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief has spent the past six months trying to systematically tear down America’s clean air and water safeguards.

But now – thanks to states, the judiciary and the growing voice of the American people – Pruitt’s easy ride may be over. EPA chief suffers 3 court losses in 2 months

Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, with all 11 active judges participating, dealt Pruitt a setback in his attempt to loosen limits on methane pollution for thousands of oil and gas facilities. That makes a hat trick of Pruitt’s recent losses.

Shortly before this setback, Pruitt withdrew an attempt to delay important actions on smog pollution after coming under legal pressure from states and community groups.

Those defeats followed a decision in early July in which a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit denied Pruitt’s attempt to suspend the methane pollution limits. The full court affirmed that panel’s decision in the August 10 ruling.

Pruitt carries industry’s baggage

Pruitt worked closely with industry lobbyists to block more than 30 environmental rules during his first few months in office, and his attempt to set aside the pollution reductions for oil and gas wells came as no surprise. He has a well-documented history carrying industry’s baggage that dates back to his days as Oklahoma’s Attorney General.

EPA staff picks continue alarming trend

Pruitt announced his initial attempt to postpone methane rules shortly after a closed-door meeting in March with the board of the oil industry’s largest trade association, which had been urging him to delay these protections.

The standards cover facilities built or heavily modified since September 2015 – more than 18,000 wells nationwide, and counting. They sensibly require companies to check sites for leaks of dangerous air pollutants, and to repair them promptly.

Suspending the methane rules, even for a few months, would expose communities across the country to tons of additional pollution at the peak of summer when air quality is at its worst.

Court: EPA’s lawsuit “inaccurate”

The EPA failed to even mention – much less consider – these impacts before trying to suspend the methane rules. In fact, the record shows Pruitt’s justification for halting the methane standards was seriously misleading. The court methodically rejected the agency’s arguments, concluding they were “inaccurate and thus unreasonable.”

The August 10 ruling is a strong reminder that the Clean Air Act and other laws cannot simply be swept aside, and it makes clear that facts and an open process matter.

Pruitt is now trying to delay compliance with the same methane pollution limits by two full years – even though he conceded publicly that doing so would likely harm children’s health.

As public pressure mounts, Congress wavers

At a public hearing this summer, citizens opposing the roll-back outnumbered supporters 116 to 2 – another clear sign that Americans want the EPA to maintain public health protections, not demolish them.

It serves as fair warning to Pruitt that he needs to comply with the law and give the public a voice in the process. 

Even in Congress, there are signs that the administration has gone too far.

In May, for example, the White House suffered its first direct legislative defeat on any issue. Three Republican senators crossed party lines to vote down a measure to kill Bureau of Land Management methane waste rules for oil and gas operations on public and tribal lands.

None of this means Congress or the courts will put a complete stop to the Trump administration’s attacks on clean air and water. It’s going to continue to be a tough fight.

But it does serve as fair warning to Pruitt that he needs to comply with the law and give the public a voice in the process.

Pruitt is accountable to the law

As our EPA chief continues his campaign to roll back safeguards, there will surely be additional court challenges. And if he continues his track record of excluding the public and making inaccurate arguments, we will hold him accountable to the law.

Ultimately, however, what will keep these safeguards in place is what made them happen in the first place – the American people demanding responsible development and a better world for their children.

Cities and states are declaring climate independence – from Trump krives August 23, 2017 - 04:33

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Can anyone at EDF answer this question? If God permitting some person on this planet invented a completely green free-energy device that powered the world and reversed global warming, what would happen to the global economy and Big Energy including OPEC? What about the inventor?

Dave Koehler August 24, 2017 at 7:33 pm

My answer to Dave Koehler's question: They all would need to adapt to life's ever-changing circumstances just as we all must do. This would be a change for the better in every way! Let us hope a miracle happens before all of Earth's natural resources are depleted -- before our planet becomes an empty shell under able to sustain life!

Creative inventors are always needed with an unending plethora of possibilities so long as we have gifted critically thinking people. Present status quo is unsustainable and inferior to better ways to come!

Barbara Pinson August 29, 2017 at 1:31 am

In reply to Can anyone at EDF answer this by Dave Koehler

He needs to be placed in a sealed chamber filled with the air his regualion would produce. See how he feels after breathing it for 48 to 96 hours. He can be our test subject.

John Livengood August 28, 2017 at 12:49 am

Was an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) done by the EPA for the Clean Air and the Clean Water Act? If not, it should have been for any major federal action.

All info is taken from industry and the states and sent to the EPA. The states don't check industry either, so reports are one-sided in industries' favor. Did the EPA investigate the reports from industry, or accept the reports without investigating them 'as is'? If the EPA didn't fact-check themselves on site, a FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) would be issued. If the EPA didn't check on-site themselves, their report should be considered a falsification of documentation.

Every Industry releases tons of chemicals daily, but in some states chemical releases are not required to be told to the public and are sent to the state and the EPA from industry, which self-polices themselves. Regulations should be put back in place on all industry for the protection of air, water, and the environment.

Children, the sick and elderly are most vulnerable to any releases. It's too late when everyone needs to wear gas masks to breathe, and when all water is so polluted it can never be used again. The bottom line for all industry is money. We only have one planet and need to protect it fiercely. It's our planet and home, and doesn't belong to industries, but to all people. We have to put people over profit first. We only have our lives to lose if we don't! That's too high a price to pay and no one should be considered "expendable," or "collateral damage."

Wanda August 28, 2017 at 9:12 am Add new comment

What you need to know about Trump's retreat from the Paris climate agreement

This post was first published by New York Daily News.

President Trump’s reckless decision to leave the Paris climate agreement will live in infamy.

This is a retreat from America’s role as world leader – one that ignores overwhelming scientific evidence and the advice of more than 1,000 business leaders who urged him stand up for our clean energy economy.

It will hurt the United States far more than it hurts the rest of the world. And that’s saying a lot, because the global damage will indeed be considerable.

The most obvious consequence, for people everywhere, will be a slowdown in the fight to reduce the pollution that causes climate change – at the very moment we need to step up. That will mean more deaths from heat waves, extreme weather and disease; a deepening refugee crisis as populations shift in reaction to weather and agricultural changes, and an increase in the price we must pay to solve this problem.

Such pollution already takes a toll on public health. The president’s retreat in the face of climate change means Americans must now continue to breathe dirty emissions from power plants and cars.

What will we say to our children and grandchildren when they ask: “Why did you do so little to avert a crisis you could have prevented?”

Dire consequences for U.S. businesses and workers

Trump’s misguided decision will also fuel resentment toward the U.S. and make things more difficult for American business.

Businesses want to locate where their markets are. By pulling out of the Paris climate accord, Trump sends them a clear signal that clean energy companies should look elsewhere.

We’ll be hobbled in the global race for clean energy businesses and jobs, potentially the most important economic prize of the 21st century. China and Europe are already vying for the leadership role on clean energy that the president just ceded.

Trump’s first 100 days: 4 worst and 1 good action

That’s why so many investors and CEOs were urging the president to stay in.Fortunately, the Paris Agreement is strong enough to withstand this blow. Other world leaders have made it clear they will move ahead on their Paris commitments with our without the U.S.

The European Union and China are reportedly preparing to announce new joint climate actions as I write. By pulling out of the deal, we are isolating ourselves diplomatically and economically while siding with the only two outlier nations – Syria and Nicaragua – that refused to sign the climate pact. 

It did not have to be this way.

Why the Paris climate agreement really matters

For decades, the world struggled to come together to face the threat of climate change.

Nations argued over who was responsible and who should contribute to the solution. Developing nations pointed the finger at the advanced economies that had already emitted so much. Those countries, in turn, demanded that the fastest-growing developing countries also do their part.

Finally, in 2015, virtually every country in the world – big and small, rich and poor – came together in an unprecedented show of global unity and made a deal that allowed each country to make its own plan, but also held them accountable for reducing pollution.

This historic breakthrough brought tremendous international credit to the country that helped pull the world together: the United States.

Now that Trump has turned his back on all of that, his decision to shirk U.S. leadership responsibilities will hover over diplomatic discussions, trade negotiations and major business deals. We will be the only major nation dodging our duties, something other countries won’t forget.

Our president has made a reckless, unforced error.

America is making giant leaps – backward

This is the latest in a series of administration decisions that move us backward on climate, public health and the environment.

The president wants to slash the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration’s budget by almost one third, and his EPA chief – who advocated for withdrawal from Paris – is busy dismantling the environmental standards that keep our air and water clean and safe.

But the president’s announcement must not – and will not – be the last word on whether America leads or retreats on climate change.

Join us as we fight back

Trump’s announcement must not – and will not – be the last word on whether America leads or retreats on climate change.

Companies such as Citigroup are already saying the private sector should be able to participate in the Paris climate deal. Many of them have emissions reductions targets similar to the Paris commitments made by nations.

Businesses, engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists – indeed, all of us – must continue to pursue practical solutions to reduce the pollution that is driving climate change at such a dangerous pace.

If there can be a silver lining to this day, it will be that Trump’s retreat from the Paris climate accord becomes a galvanizing moment for the majority of Americans who support clean energy and climate action.

As these women and men stand up for their children and adopt clean energy in their own lives, they will join the myriad cities, states, companies and nations around the world who are leading the way to a cleaner, healthier future – even as the president tries to go backward.

EDF Action Tell Congress to step up and act on climate change Anonymous June 1, 2017 - 03:53

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I am so upset with this man who cares nothing about Earth and the natural world, and who wants to undo 40+ years of environmental progress. Hopefully, other countries, individual businesses and states will continue to move forward with the policies set forth by the Paris agreement.

Margaret McGinnis June 1, 2017 at 4:26 pm

This is appalling and unconscionable! We can only hope the state and city governments, and our citizenry, will do all they/we can do to combat his ignorance and irresponsibility!

Marilyn Nall June 1, 2017 at 5:15 pm

It's already happening - the real of the world is moving on without us. We've stepped down from a position of global leadership.

Anne Brown June 1, 2017 at 6:41 pm

IDIOT !!!!!

wayne wall June 2, 2017 at 11:28 am

Trump is absolutely an idiot. His rambling speech about pulling out of the Paris accord was alarming evidence that he can't even read a prepared speech and stay on topic. Not only is he wrong he is truly an idiot. From the hundred of people in the Rose Garden the only applause he received was from his staff. The rest sat there in disbelief of the withdrawal and his inability to even read. What an idiot.

John Wayne June 2, 2017 at 11:39 am

I fear it will require an in-your-face disaster to get the world's attention enough to take substantial action.

Cathy Pohlman June 2, 2017 at 3:47 pm

What, with Donald John Trump's retreat from the Paris climate agreement -- is it now time to start the impeachment process?

AUSTIN WESLEY … June 2, 2017 at 6:32 pm

45th is owned by the Koch Brothers and their cabal as well as by Russia. This group is owned by oil. To pledge to the Paris Agreement is to go against oil, gas, and coal.

45th fights clean air as though he can't breathe it. There is nothing hidden here. All he cares about is his own wealth, which I think is dwindling. He cares nothing about this country. He needs to be impeached yesterday!

Hopefully this country will come to its senses and we will be welcomed back into the world community. Meanwhile, he will boast about all of the money he saved us by not having to subsidize poorer countries for decreasing their pollution.

S. Dwyer June 6, 2017 at 5:56 pm

In reply to WHAT WITH DONALD JOHN TRUMPS by AUSTIN WESLEY …

The article says nothing except ranting against Trump. No details whatsoever. Specifically it does not mention that the majority of principles are already present in U.S. federal and state legislation

roberto tassi June 3, 2017 at 9:46 am

Thank you for reading Fred's blog post and for your comment, Roberto. Which federal and state laws, specifically, are you referring to?

Karin Rives
EDF Voices editor

Karin Rives June 5, 2017 at 11:24 am

In reply to The article says nothing by roberto tassi

Early on in this article it is mentioned that one aspect of not honoring our agreement to the Paris accords is that America will no longer be the world's leader in . . .

I hope in the deepest part of my soul that America is no longer the world's leader in any sense of the word. For America has lost its heart. It is a fractured country with cultural of values that are neither civil nor decent.

The often quoted statement or facsimile, of Nelson Mandala surely applies here: “A Nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but it's lowest ones.” That is, the most vulnerable citizens: its poor, its disabled, its sick and its elderly. None of these groups are on any high-priority list that I see coming from our federal administration. Not only are they not being treated with dignity, but they are being made to shoulder the burden of the making of further wealth by those who are disgustingly wealthy.

Are we serfs to the billionaires or even the millionaires? Why in heaven's good name would any right-minded person want to claim that exalted status as ours. Please, let another nation with higher-minded goals and with some integrity please take the lead or at least serve with guidance from the rest of the world.

Jill Sarkady June 3, 2017 at 5:50 pm Add new comment

Methane rule endures, common sense prevails

When they tell the story of environmental protection in the early days of President Trump’s administration, today’s Senate vote upholding rules to reduce natural gas waste on federal lands will stand out as a breathtaking and much-needed win for activism, civic engagement and common sense.

The Senate turned back, for now, a disturbing push to ignore basic science and common-sense economics.

It rejected an attempt by the Trump administration and Senate Republicans to overturn the Bureau of Land Management’s methane pollution rule, a resounding triumph of cooler heads over rank ideology and special interests. The oil and gas industry and the administration fundamentally misread the mood of the American people.

It is the first big win this year for the environmental community – and a clear sign that when we fight back, we can still protect American families and defend our natural heritage.

We won’t win them all. But we won today, and we should allow ourselves to feel good about that.

Incredible waste avoided 

What might at first appear like an issue reserved for energy policy wonks – oil and gas producers squandering natural gas on federal and tribal lands via widespread leaks, intentional venting or flaring – resonated with broad swaths of the American public. Across party lines, 73 percent of Americans support laws that stop gas leaks, and two out of three oppose rollbacks of current oil and gas laws.

They have good reason: Taxpayers dislike government waste, and overturning the methane rule would have resulted in more than $300 million in wasted natural gas over the next decade. By volume, we’re talking about enough gas to heat every home in Chicago for a year.

And this is to say nothing of the health and economic dangers methane poses as a short-term forcer of global warming.

CRA sledgehammer misses its mark

The rule nearly fell victim to a formerly obscure legislative tool called the Congressional Review Act, which not only kills the reform but bars any rules that are “substantially the same” from being passed in the future.

This is the worst kind of policy making. So far this year, it’s been used to allow coal companies to pollute local waterways with industrial wastewater, and to make it easier for mentally ill people to buy guns.

EDF Action: Tell your senators to protect our health

Yet, while other objectionable legislation sailed through the congressional review process, the administration was unable to muster votes for this rollback. No one who voted in November wanted public lands plundered, our energy resources squandered, or our health put at risk. A majority of senators understood that.

Among many others, I particularly thank Senators Cantwell, Carper, Collins, Graham, Heitkamp, Manchin, McCain and Udall for listening to their constituents and standing up against unchecked waste of our national energy resources.

Support from all corners

This attack failed because communities most affected by this decision spoke up. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets to support science and to demonstrate their belief in global climate action, including methane policies that favor voters, rather than special interests.

A broad spectrum of Americans – from farmers and ranchers to tribal and community leaders to families - are willing to make their voices heard, and are effective when they do. This sends an important signal to state leaders and officials in other parts of the world that the United States is not abandoning its environmental values.

No agency has ever reissued a rule to replace one rescinded under the Congressional Review Act, and no court has ever addressed whether such a rule is valid. This is why former officials of the U.S. Department of the Interior and 40 law professors wrote to Congress to oppose the process.

If the oil and gas sector wants to be seen as a responsible player on the energy scene, they must take an active role in preventing methane leaks. It’s also good business.

“Repeal would be a costly and wasteful mistake,” noted Todd Mitchell, a former oil and gas industry official.

Far outside the beltway, Westerners were among the most vocal supporters of the common sense regulations to reduce methane waste.

“The thought of a bunch of disconnected lawmakers who don’t live next to leaking gas wells deciding to vote to take this protection away from us just leaves me speechless,” New Mexico cattleman Don Schreiber told the Los Angeles Times.

As we savor a hard-earned victory, we can’t turn a blind eye to the challenges yet to come. 

The threat isn’t hypothetical, or over 

The fight to protect and defend bedrock health and environmental protections and progress is far from over.

Methane leaks are a national problem

While industry and Congress expected to win easily, their loss today is the consequence of extreme overreach. A broad range of communities will note who stood with us and who stood against us.

If oil and gas industry ideologues continue to try to undermine the basic protections through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and BLM agency reviews, today has demonstrated the tenacious, unyielding resistance they will face.

EDF Action: Tell your senators to protect our health Anonymous May 10, 2017 - 12:52

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We need to hold the 49 Republican senators [who voted in favor of overturning the methane rule] accountable.

Fracking: On a 20-year timescale, methane (which is the principal component of natural gas) has 84 times the global warming potential of CO2. That’s important, because on our current global emissions pathway, we only have about 27 years left before we lock in levels of warming that scientists and governments classify as “dangerous.”

Simply put, cutting methane immediately is the biggest bang for our apocalypse-prevention buck.

Methane clouds: NASA now says a vast methane cloud over America's Southwest is for real: http://www.digitaljournal.com/science/nasa-now-says-vast-methane-cloud-…

Fracking over the next 40 years shows levels of methane gas that will kill the world before global warming: http://www.vox.com/2014/10/7/6934819/oil-prices-falling-russia-OPEC-sha…

Ronda Evans May 10, 2017 at 5:17 pm

When lawmakers put money ahead of the health of the citizens and the protection of our planet's resources, they deserve to be given the boot. Thank you to those Republicans who broke rank and voted for clean air and a promise for our future.

Norma May 13, 2017 at 8:31 am

Thank all of you who decidedly voted to save our planet and promote health, humankind and save our cherished natural habitats!

Betty Hatfield May 16, 2017 at 10:02 pm Add new comment

Pruitt's confirmation was just one battle. Here's why we'll win the war.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who built his political career by trying to tear down clean air and water safeguards, has just been confirmed to lead the agency that’s supposed to enforce them.

This after the Senate rammed through his nomination before its members had a chance to review thousands of emails related to this secretive alliance with oil and gas interests – emails that an Oklahoma judge yesterday ordered Pruitt to release.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who joined the opposition to this dangerous appointment, thank you for your activism. Your support made this vote much closer than many expected, convincing senators such as Republican Susan Collins of Maine to oppose Pruitt, and putting us in a much stronger position for the fights ahead.

The confirmation process has demonstrated our ability to mobilize and fight back. It helped us build a vibrant community of environmental watchdogs and active citizens who will now follow every move Administrator Pruitt makes.

What we’ve accomplished together since this nomination was first announced gives me hope for the days ahead. 

Together, we unmasked Scott Pruitt

Thanks to efforts of activists, the press and many other organizations, every senator was made aware of Scott Pruitt’s disturbing past. Although he tried, he could not obscure his long record of attacking EPA’s mission to keep our air and water clean. Or the fact that he took money from the big energy interests who would benefit from weaker pollution rules.

Activists were able to force the release of the trove of emails between Pruitt and big energy interests. Enterprising advocates and journalists uncovered proof that he dismantled Oklahoma’s environmental enforcement unit in 2011 and raised millions in political cash from the very companies he will now oversee – companies that have violated EPA standards hundreds of times in recent years.

His credibility is now in serious question, which will constrain his ability to move his risky agenda.

This administration may have assumed an easy confirmation process, but we made sure it was a thorough vetting. That will be critically important in our efforts to hold the senators who voted for him responsible for the actions he will take while in office. 

We forced him to change publicly held positions

After a career that included suing EPA at least 14 times, Pruitt attempted a confirmation conversion, suddenly claiming a raft of new, environmentally friendly positions on key issues. He claims to have come around on:

• Methane: “I am concerned” about the impacts of methane in driving global warming.
• Ozone: “I agree that ground-level ozone is a dangerous pollutant that can cause respiratory and cardiovascular harm. … I believe EPA should focus on helping [non-attainment] areas meet that standard.”
• Mercury: “I agree … that mercury is something that is very dangerous to the environment and should be regulated….As Administrator, I will enforce the Mercury Air Toxics Rule so long as that Rule remains in force.”
• Cross-State Air Pollution: “I believe the Cross State Air Pollution Rule is important and should be enforced by the EPA. An upwind state that contributes to a downwind state’s nonattainment should take responsibility for that contribution.”

The senators who accepted these statements – despite all the evidence to the contrary from his long record – have an obligation to hold Administrator Pruitt to these newly developed views. Environmental Defense Fund, our allies, and the public will hold him accountable, too.

We are winning at the state level

At times like these state action becomes absolutely critical. And in December came an unexpected breakthrough: The state of Illinois stepped up with the most significant climate and energy bill in the state’s history.

The Future Energy Jobs Bill [PDF] will cut Illinois’ carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector almost 56 percent by 2030, far more than the 34 percent goal under the Clean Power Plan, which the Trump administration is threatening to dismantle.

Ohio and Michigan, which like Illinois have Republican governors, are making similar plays.

The lesson? Those playing climate defense in Washington can also play offense at state level, and win. 

We can still protect sensible methane regulations

Vital rules limiting methane pollution on federal and tribal lands, which wastes more than $330 million worth of taxpayer natural gas every year, are now under attack in Congress.

Using a little-known legislative procedure, the Congressional Review Act, the House has already voted to block these pollution limits. But we are heartened that the vote was closer than on any oil and gas pollution issue in years.

Members of both parties favor federal standards to limit oil and gas methane leaks, according to results of a recent survey [PDF], and by large margins. Senators who vote to roll back the BLM methane waste rules do so against the will of the vast majority of their constituents.

We were relentless in our efforts to protect and defend our air and water, and the health and safety of our children – long before Administrator Pruitt was confirmed – and we’ll remain relentless in those efforts in the days ahead.

There’s simply too much at stake to do anything less. 

EDF Action: Support limits on methane pollution Anonymous February 17, 2017 - 01:36 Comments

Thank you for posting this, it's giving me a bit of hope on a dark day.

Nancy Andon February 17, 2017 at 4:39 pm

EDF, NRDC, Sierra Club or all of you together should start a "Pruitt Watch" to inform your members of actions Pruitt is taking or threatening to take so that we can weigh in on them by comments in rulemakings, contacting our senators and reps. and otherwise. There are thousands upon thousands of us outside the Beltway who want to help push back on Pruitt, but we need information to do so. Thus, my request. BD

bruce driver February 17, 2017 at 6:28 pm

We need the names of all [members of] Congress who support Trump's administrative moves. We can vote many out at the mid-term elections.

Mary Ann Pastore February 23, 2017 at 8:45 pm

In reply to EDF, NRDC, Sierra Club or all by bruce driver

Trumps gonna eliminate the EPA, anyhow.

Matthew Van Camp February 17, 2017 at 8:49 pm

Thank goodness the people who love the Earth are standing up to protecting our planet. I realize that change comes slowly and not all are aware of the environmental destruction that has been happening for so many years, and we may have few years to right some of the mistakes we have made.

Here in the USA, 2017 has been a particularly hard year for me. I live in a senior residence and when I talk to people about my environmental concerns they do not seem to understand. Many have not studied science. It gives me hope and strength to see that people are taking personal action. Thank you all so very much.

melissa845 February 20, 2017 at 9:46 am

Thank you, Melissa for talking to your neighbors and friends about your concerns for the environment. Don't give up, and nor will we here at EDF!

I'm glad you're following our blog.

Karin (Voices editor)

Karin Rives February 20, 2017 at 12:27 pm

The fate of the Illinois bill that added renewables to a nuke bailout bill is kind of stuck. Gas and coal are suing the state.

http://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2017/02/lawsuit-challenges-illinois-fu…

The state is completely broke and can't even pull together a budget. Schools from elementary to universities are cutting staff. State services aren't providing any services. There's little patience for chicanery whether it's about right-to-work obsessed billionaire businessmen or environmental groups promoting renewables to sweeten a nuke deal, all to fight climate change. More importantly, gas and coal could put the blame on environmentalists as to why rates are going to go up. Illinois isn't really a green state.

Michael Berndtson February 20, 2017 at 3:06 pm

I know the initial investment is great, but it is possible to reduce demand for hydrocarbon fuels by using solar energy to supply heat and other electrical needs for our homes. We have done it and have a net electric bill of zero. The solar output also keeps our Chevy Volt charged, with 6,465 miles using only 6 gallons of gas. The savings continues into the future and the cash flow is positive.

THOMAS LEACH February 22, 2017 at 10:46 am

No offense, but this doesn't give me much hope. From what I see, the environmental movement has had a relatively weak response to the Trump and Bannon onslaught. This is THE BIGGEST THREAT to environmental law since the laws were implemented in the late 1960s! Did you hear Bannon say he wants to do away with the "administrative state?" That means he does not want federal regulations! I'm sure they'll keep the ones they like, but they'll absolutely gut the rest unless we stand up! And not only environmental ones, but also [regulations for] food safety, health, workers safety and comp, drug safety, basically ANYTHING that costs the fat cat money! We need to get the word out pronto, a lukewarm response will only embolden them.

Kathy Spencer February 24, 2017 at 10:48 am Add new comment

Face to face with Pope Francis: A reminder of why we must fight inequality and injustice everywhere

It was one of those rare moments in life that crystallize your sense of purpose, at a most critical time.

We were in Rome at the Fortune-Time Global Forum, a gathering of business leaders tasked with brainstorming ways to help the world’s poor. My job had been to lead a discussion about concrete actions companies can take to expand affordable clean energy and to shield impoverished communities from the worst impacts of climate change – and now I was in the Vatican, in line to meet with Pope Francis himself.

I felt humbled to be in his presence. People greeted him in different ways; I just clasped his hand with both of mine and thanked him for his leadership on climate change. It’s clear the issue moves him greatly, and his global platform championing solutions has been invaluable.

I had seen from afar how the pope is able to move people toward a greater awareness of our common bonds, and toward a deeper resolve to confront inequality, injustice and suffering. Now, in his presence, that is exactly where he moved me.

The human dimension of clean air and water

Our presence in the room was a sign of hope, he told forum participants, because “it shows that you recognize the issues before us and the imperative to act decisively.”

In the context of my work at Environmental Defense Fund, this means trying to improve the human condition by standing up for cleaner air and water, public health, a stable climate, and sustainable stewardship of the resources on which all life depends.

At a time when a new White House administration is threatening to withdraw from global climate action and dismantle environmental protections that benefit all lives, including the poor, we will approach the human dimension and moral underpinning of our work with renewed purpose.

We have an obligation, as human beings, to meet the challenge of climate change and avert catastrophic impacts that will disproportionately affect those least able to protect themselves.

It’s why we’re:

• fighting to replace the lead pipes in Flint and beyond that deliver water and pose potential health risks to up to 10 million homes nationwide.
• pushing sharp reductions in dangerous pollution around our nation’s ports.
• creating innovative solutions to bring new, cleaner equipment and smarter technologies to the Port of Houston and other ports around the country.
• using cutting-edge sensor technology to measure and address localized air pollution.

These and other efforts are focused on communities that have suffered painful legacies of environmental injustice, a reality that is unacceptable regardless of where one lives. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

How we get results

At EDF, we’re committed to being as diverse and vibrant – in our people, our values and our work – as the communities we serve. We must recognize that being a force for good in the world also means heeding the pope’s admonition to listen to, learn from and include the people we seek to help.

Regardless of background or belief, we need to find a way to look people in the eye, to recognize their true needs and priorities, and to roll up our sleeves and collaborate. This ethic guides EDF towards enduring bipartisan alliances and unique partnerships with diverse organizations, some of which don’t fit the conventional mold of an environmental partner. It’s how we get results and broaden the conversation.

As I stood facing Pope Francis on that early December morning, I thought of how critical it is that those who seek solutions and a path forward stand together resolutely. 

Listening to the pope, it struck me that his diagnosis of the unrest and inequality in the world comes with a hopeful plea that humans be guided by the better angels of our nature – not by the dark forces of hatred, discrimination and exclusion. 

His prescription is exactly what the United States and the world needs now: a call for benevolence and compassion, and for lifting people up rather than tearing them down.

It’s why millions of people around the world, including non-Catholics like myself, are drawn to and get inspiration from this humble man who is a leader because he’s able to connect the dots between economic prosperity and environmental stewardship – and to propel us to act.

A moment of great peril How we’ll protect and defend the environment under Trump Anonymous January 10, 2017 - 08:44 Add new comment

We'll protect and defend the environment in 2017 – with or without President Trump

For more than 30 years, Environmental Defense Fund has been committed to bipartisan environmental progress, and the results have been incontestable. Every major environmental law since the early 1970s has been passed with overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans.

We’ve worked closely with presidents from both parties and believe this approach remains the best way to achieve positive results for the environment in the long run. But we also believe in fighting when it’s necessary.

This is one of those times.

On January 20, Donald Trump will take a sacred oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. It’s every president’s duty to protect and defend America’s people, land and precious resources.

But the president-elect campaigned saying he would dismantle our bedrock environmental protections, and his nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is a clear signal that he’s preparing to do just that.

So if Trump and his team of insiders won’t protect and defend our natural heritage – we, the people, will do it ourselves.

That’s why EDF is working with our allies to chart a path for progress while defending our nation’s bipartisan environmental legacy.

A moment of great peril

Following a campaign in which he declared himself “not a big believer in global warming” and said he would “cancel” the international Paris climate agreement, Trump also reiterated that he wants to return us to the era of unlimited carbon pollution by attempting to cancel the Clean Power Plan.

His cabinet nominations reflect a dangerous imbalance in favor of oil and gas interests, with no one to speak up on behalf of human health or a healthy natural world.

NASA’s climate science on the cutting block?

The men nominated for his top positions include ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, Rep. Ryan Zinke for interior secretary, and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry – who has called climate action “nonsense” – for energy secretary.

Trump’s most unsettling action to date, however, has been his nomination for the top job at the EPA. Since becoming Oklahoma’s top lawyer in 2011, Pruitt has repeatedly sued the agency to block important public health standards for mercury, ozone and climate pollution.

But there are also powerful trends pointing in a positive direction – over which a president has little control.

Americans want a clean environment

The American people did not vote for more pollution. In fact, the vast majority of Americans – in red and blue states alike – support clean air, clean energy and climate progress.

They stand with the more than 2,300 scientists who sent an open letter to the incoming administration and 115th Congress, insisting that public policy be “informed by science unfettered by inappropriate political or corporate influence.”

Given the political shifts on both sides of the Atlantic, we may not be able to count on near-term policy to provide the stable playing field we need. That makes corporate leadership more important than ever.

Corporations demand climate action

In November 2016, Doug McMillon of Walmart announced a goal of reducing supply chain emissions by 1 gigaton by 2030 – more than the annual emissions of Germany, the world’s fourth largest economy.

The following month, Smithfield Foods became the first livestock producer to make a commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions by 25 percent from their operations, from feed lots to packaged bacon.

Why big brands want to stay the course on climate

There are many other voices in this mighty choir. More than 600 businesses and investors recently called on the U.S. to support the agreement, and a survey found that “across party lines, 69 percent of registered voters say the U.S. should participate in the international agreement to limit global warming.”

We know that abandoning our international climate commitments – to which the Clean Power Plan and our new methane regulations contribute since they reduce greenhouse gas emissions – would hurt America.

Already, Europeans are threatening to tax American goods if we renounce our international climate commitment, while China is looking to out-compete us in the race to a clean energy future.

We will work to help the president-elect – who has said he is studying the issue – see that our national interests will be better served if we keep our climate promises.

Clean energy is winning the race

We need to continue to invest in the economy of the future. The new administration shouldn’t turn back the clock to last century’s dirty energy jobs.

The solar industry is now creating more new jobs than oil and gas extraction and pipeline construction combined. In 2015, it employed 209,000, a number that is expected to double by 2020.

Where are the clean energy jobs? You’d be surprised.

Every big advance in the deployment of energy efficiency is another reduction in carbon emissions.

As the economy shifts, we need to address the impact on coal miners and workers in other declining industries and provide assistance so they’re not left behind. But there’s no question that the jobs of the future will be found in clean energy and energy efficiency.

I look to states such as California, a world leader in clean energy innovation; and to Illinois, where the legislature just approved a law that will help reduce the state’s power plant emissions by more than 50 percent from 2012 levels, and I see templates for success across the country.

Will you help?

In 2017 and in coming years, we will join forces with members in Congress from both parties who are working to defeat attacks against America’s bedrock environmental laws. 

Getting Congress to move is hard, but it’s the best path to a sustainable, comprehensive solution. We must all hold our elected officials accountable by calling for action, win or lose, that will build political power for our cause.

We’ll unite with business leaders, working men and women, young people, and parents from all communities to safeguard the laws that have protected our families and our health for years.

I hope you’ll join me as we defend the environmental standards that are the bipartisan legacy of the past decades.

Tell President-elect Trump to protect nature Anonymous December 22, 2016 - 12:25 Comments

Yes, we are looking at an unfortunately difficult four years ahead of us when it comes to environmental legislation. But the power of the dollar has remained the same. Conscious consumers should be mindful of the vote they cast every time they purchase something. Support responsible business so we can push the private sector to be environmental leaders.

David December 27, 2016 at 6:53 am

I have traveled to countries where you cannot drink the water or breath the air. I don't want our great nation to become one of them. Keep pollutants out of our water and air. It is not only a matter of national security but of human survival. Destroying the natural resources that sustain life and make it worth living is simply not an option.

Marilyn Wasinger December 28, 2016 at 2:56 pm

It is in everybody's best interest that we continue to combat the effects of climate change that will appear if we choose to disregard all of the science that has been provided by scholars around the world. The time to stop and reign in the possible effects of climate change is now!!!

Olga Gonzalez December 28, 2016 at 3:05 pm Add new comment

Donald Trump elected, but our resolve is unbroken

The election of Donald Trump has profoundly altered the landscape in which environmentalists work. While environmental issues weren’t central to the campaign, President-elect Trump took positions during the campaign that were directly counter to ours — and contradicted by science. What didn’t change last night is our commitment to fight for a cleaner, healthier world. Our resolve is unshaken.

We are still assessing the challenges that lie ahead, but this much is clear: The next few years will bring some big fights and also some unpredictable fluidity. We will ferociously defend America’s bedrock environmental protections, both in Congress and the courts, and we are secure in the knowledge that a large majority of Americans supports those protections. We plan to focus significant legal resources on the battles that are coming.

Though much changed this week, EDF’s core approach remains unchanged. Our work has always been driven by the best science, and we will continue to stand up for scientific reality, including the reality and urgency of climate change. And by using the insights of economics, we create solutions that help people and nature to thrive — an approach that becomes all the more important with so many Americans on the left and right crying out for a brighter economic future.

Our ability to work with a broad range of interests in society is another strength we will build on. As we continue ramping up our work at the state level we will be alert to unexpected opportunities that may emerge to make progress. One of our political strengths has been finding opportunity where others see impasse — and that gift will be sorely needed in the days ahead – while always sticking to our core principles.

Above all, we’re ready to protect the climate progress of recent years. Defense, as I tweeted this morning, is our middle name. We will continue to find the ways that work. 

Defending the Clean Power Plan Anonymous November 9, 2016 - 05:11 Comments

Protecting the environment by lobbying conservative representatives will do little in the long run because they are stubborn and in denial. It is critically important we elect environmentally aware congressmen and senators. The election is not over. It is now time to start to elect environmentally aware legislators at all levels.

EtC November 9, 2016 at 11:19 pm

We can do nothing. All four branches are #withhim

Bill November 10, 2016 at 2:08 am

So we roll over and do nothing? I'm not ok with that. If we're going down it's not going to be without a fight.

Erika November 11, 2016 at 1:02 am

In reply to We can do nothing. All four by Bill

Don't forget the federal judiciary – they serve for life and many pride themselves on being "above politics." Really, they are our only hope at this horribly dark time...

Bill Miller November 12, 2016 at 9:16 pm

In reply to We can do nothing. All four by Bill

Bill I understand how discouraged you are. But while we have Trump in office for four years we need to make sure the elections in that time will change the other branches. Don't give up - we need you and your energy.

Linda November 15, 2016 at 11:42 am

In reply to We can do nothing. All four by Bill

I would love to share this post, but can the headline be changed? We need to acknowledge as you do in the first paragraph that Trump has outlined plans that significantly derail work to stop climate change, but this headline is not unifying. Many who voted for Trump want to continue to see action on climate change and even more want to see growth in renewable energy solutions.

Jessica November 10, 2016 at 1:12 pm

Hi Jessica,

No the headline cannot be changed for technical reasons, but also because it refers to Trump's climate policies rather than to voters who support climate action. To your point: https://www.edf.org/blog/2016/11/11/these-numbers-prove-americans-did-n…

Karin Rives November 14, 2016 at 5:23 pm

In reply to I would love to share this by Jessica

"The future will not belong to those who sit on the sidelines. The future will not belong to the cynics. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." (Paul Wellstone) I'm a proud supporter of EDF.

Liz November 11, 2016 at 9:00 am

It is so good to know that EDF's brilliant, creative, and tenacious staff is persevering. I never doubted that it would, and on Wednesday I doubled the check I mailed, regretting that I can't give more.

Margaret McMillan November 11, 2016 at 9:39 am

Now I get to vote with my money. On inauguration day, I will be donating to several organizations that will work to fight the extreme policies of the incoming administration, EDF among them.

I have also asked my family to donate, in lieu of Christmas gifts this year. I would rather my daughter have clean air and water than trinkets. Keep fighting the fight, all. The only way he truly wins is if those of us that disagree stop engaging in our government.

Volunteer, donate, protest, call and write to your representatives. Really talk and listen to your friends and family, open the lines of communication. I will be putting my money where my mouth is on Jan 20 and that will be right here. I encourage everyone to do the same. Thank you EDF.

Jessie November 11, 2016 at 11:58 am

I respectfully disagree with Bill. Climate change is an issue that affects every community in the U.S., and our political activism does not end at the polling booth.

We must call our local representatives and state congressmen to push forth with environmentally sustainable policies and legislatures.

Push for CEOs and businesses to commit to climate action. If you think this isn't possible, consider that Apple has already reached 93% renewable energy in 2015, and Google/Microsoft/Facebook have committed to hitting 100%.

See what you can do in your local environment to support climate change research. We have to act now and vigorously oppose Trump's environmental policies. One man does not rule the entirety of the government.

Crystal November 11, 2016 at 7:27 pm

We heard Trump wants to bring back the steel and possibly coal industries. We must not let that happen. Too much pollution to the air and water are caused by those industries. Instead, we must fight for clean energy development, which will also bring many new jobs.

Arnie November 12, 2016 at 9:04 am

We can continue to stay informed and make sure our legislators are aware of our plight.

Mary Ann November 12, 2016 at 9:52 am

I support you 100%. I am curious if you could alert us on what Trump can do – what powers does he have as the president to impact the fight. Is it through nominations etc? We all feel a sense of doom but how do you think it will play out so I can have a better feel for where my energies should go. Thanks!

Linda Doyle November 13, 2016 at 11:57 am

Hi Linda! Please continue to follow EDF Voices as we're planning a number of blog posts in coming weeks that should answer some of the questions you have. Also go to this page to stay informed: https://www.edf.org/how-you-can-help

Karin Rives November 14, 2016 at 5:29 pm

In reply to I support you 100%. I am by Linda Doyle

Fighting on local levels is good. Convince people to switch their energy companies to clean/wind energy, like Breeze or Green Mountain. I'm sure there are other clean energy companies. Make calls to people, email, text or go door-to-door to try to get people off their dirty energy providers.

Adam Hudson November 13, 2016 at 10:52 pm Add new comment