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Among food shortages and an escalating hunger crisis, a new problem has arisen: the skyrocketing prices of vegetable oils used in everyday cooking.

Jennifer Ortega, Research Analyst, Environmental Health Environmental racism is everywhere. At the neighborhood level, communities of color often experience worse air quality, fewer green spaces, or face more extreme temperatures. At the household level, families of color and low-income families experience a higher risk of lead in their drinking water and higher utility debt and …

Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals and Maricel Maffini, consultant A powerful investigative article by Politico’s Helena Bottemiller Evich revealed significant structural and leadership problems at the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food program. The article articulated what has been implicitly understood by the food safety community. It led to demands from Congress for Commissioner …

Joanna Slaney, Sr. Director, Federal Affairs; and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative For the first time in recent memory Congress approved funds for FDA specifically to address food safety from potentially dangerous chemicals that may present health hazards. Now it’s time for the agency to get to work. Congress appropriated $7 million for …

Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative; and Jennifer Ortega, Research Analyst Providence Water, Rhode Island’s largest water utility, has applied for state funds to rehabilitate drinking water mains in its service area. Lead service lines (LSLs) are often attached to the mains and carry drinking water to customer’s homes. The utility has requested a …

Maria Doa, Ph.D., Senior Director, Chemicals Policy  The EPA will release a draft Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment of formaldehyde, a key scientific review that identifies and characterizes the hazards from chronic exposure to this known carcinogen. The draft assessment, due to be published tomorrow, will be reviewed by the National Academies of Science,

By Eric Schwaab, Rod Fujita and Jacqui Vogel Climate change is already transforming the distribution and abundance of fish stocks around the world. Warming temperatures, lower pH levels and many other factors are causing many fish species to shift to better habitats and others to shrink in abundance. This is problematic for the communities that …

By: Kristin M. Kleisner and Jamie Collins As we embark this year on the United Nations Ocean Decade, you may be hearing quite a bit about blue carbon. But what is it, and why is it so important for the future of our planet?  Well, the oceans play a critical role in trapping carbon, and they …

This post is the fourth in a series dedicated to the future of the electricity sector and new scholarship supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Each post is based on a discussion between select researchers and experts working on relevant policy. To learn more and join one of our upcoming conversations, visit the series website.

Big Gaps in Air Monitoring  Air quality in the U.S. has improved tremendously over the last 50 years thanks to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970, but not all neighborhoods have benefited from these improvements. The law mandated the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and to determine …

A major international study shows that tropical forests, once destroyed, have the capacity to restore themselves over a period of decades, offering hope that they can play an important role in the fight against climate change.

In a groundbreaking decision, the EPA questioned air pollution permits for one of the largest oil refineries in the Rocky Mountain region. The state of Colorado must now reconsider the permit issued to Suncor Oil Refinery which has been spewing toxic pollution in excess of permitted levels for years. Environmental justice advocates and local communities welcomed the move and are stepping up their fight for change.

Our oceans face increasing threats. EDF is helping fishers fight climate change and preserve vital food supplies for billions.

Early this January, a geyser in West Texas started spewing tens of thousands of barrels of salty water a hundred feet into the air and coating the nearby land with salt deposits. It took about 10 days to discover the culprit was an old, dry oil well plugged in 1957 by Gulf Oil. By the …

The Bond Act would fund $1.1 billion in restoration and flood risk reduction projects, such as restoring wetlands, benefitting both communities and nature. The post Environmental bond gives New York a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fund a more climate resilient future. first appeared on Growing Returns.

What this Water Leadership Institute graduate is doing to move water innovation forward. The post This Leadership Institute graduate sees a path to water security through an often overlooked strategy: innovation. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Last week, EDF and the North Central Texas Council of Governments hosted a daylong workshop on the state of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles in Texas. Over 100 fleet owners, managers, industry experts and government officials came together to discuss the latest technology for hydrogen and electric trucks, the state of the Texas grid and go along …

Is climate change real? Explore seven robust facts, human‑driven causes, proven impacts on our climate and why immediate global action is critical now.

Supreme Court Should Deny Request to Reinstate a Ban on Use of the Best Available Science about the Costs of Climate Damage

What this Water Leadership Institute graduate is doing to move water innovation forward. The post This Leadership Institute graduate sees a path to water security through an often overlooked strategy: innovation. first appeared on On the Water Front.

Flyer advertising Water Leadership Institute 2022 in Spanish.

Flyer advertising Water Leadership Institute 2022 Session

The West has to come together to break the cycle of depletion for the sake of the Colorado River. The post The Colorado River is getting closer to tanking. Can we free ourselves from the long arc of depletion? first appeared on Growing Returns.

The West has to come together to break the cycle of depletion for the sake of the Colorado River. The post The Colorado River is getting closer to tanking. Can we free ourselves from the long arc of depletion? first appeared on On the Water Front.

The global population is expected to exceed 10 billion people in our grandchildren’s lifetimes. That’s a lot of people to feed. Traditional, land-based means of meat production are facing hard limits for expansion and challenges brought on by climate change, making the ocean an important source of protein as we strive to feed three billion more people than we have today.