Last legislative session, Oregon’s lawmakers had the opportunity to update Oregon’s statutory climate targets. This would have been the first time that Oregon updated its outdated climate targets in 15 years and would have brought Oregon’s climate goals in line with the level of ambition of President Biden’s national climate targets and from other climate […]

Marine protected areas (MPA) are a conservation tool that sets aside part of the ocean to protect it for long-term conservation, similar to the way a state or national park functions on land. These MPAs are an effective way to preserve biodiversity by protecting ecosystems. But how are they utilized by people, and do they […]

New Mexico communities know the stakes for climate change are high — hotter and drier conditions threaten public health, livelihoods, and cultural and recreational resources, as they lead to increased drought, extended and more extreme wildfire seasons, and extreme heat. Those impacts are projected to get much worse in the coming decades, without serious and […]

Governor Lujan Grisham and state legislators have made science-based climate commitments and passed a number of important policies, but a new EDF analysis finds that the state is currently projected to fall short of achieving its 2025 and 2030 climate goals if they don’t take action.

EDF co-authored study published in the journal Environmental Health evaluated Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notices that food manufacturers voluntarily submitted to FDA and found that 1) no GRAS notices followed FDA's draft guidance, and 2) there were high risks of bias and conflicts of interest.

By Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals, Klara Matouskova, PhD, Consultant, and Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant What Happened? In our new study, we evaluated Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notices—a total of 403 between 2015-2020—that food manufacturers voluntarily submitted to FDA for review. Our goal was to determine whether industry was adhering to FDA’s Guidance on Best Practices for […] The post Broken GRAS: Companies ignore FDA draft guidance; Bias & conflicts of interest prevail in safety determinations first appeared on EDF Health.

EDF’s analysis indicates that methane emissions from gas pipeline leaks are significantly higher than current estimates by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory. This report details policy recommendations to reduce leakage from pipelines and EDF's methodology for estimating methane emissions from pipeline infrastructure. 

This report from EDF and WSP finds that the U.S. market for electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, which was turbocharged by passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) one year ago, has continued to race ahead and is not expected to slow down any time soon.

Research co-authored by EDF uses hourly weather reanalysis data to examine the evolution of ambient climate conditions in the continental United States, focusing on high social vulnerability index (SVI) regions. Study finds that there are regions that experience hundreds to thousands of hours per year that are too hot for safe fan use.

Study co-authored by EDF characterizes human engagement in California's marine protected areas (MPA) network and identifies traits associated with higher human engagement.

Report from EDF and La Isla Network details what is needed to protect farm labor from dangerous heat.

Data on the financial impacts of climate-smart practices, like cover crops, can help inform farmers’ financial decisions when considering these practices. While cover crops can help improve soil health and make farms more resilient to extreme weather, farmers continue to have questions about the types of financial impacts cover crops will have on their operations. […] The post Cover crop costs vary significantly: new data from 83 Minnesota farms shows first appeared on Growing Returns.

Study commissioned by EDF shows that fossil fuel producers in Texas are wasting energy resources in the form of methane. In doing so, they’re harming the climate, public health, and the economy.

In 2021, EDF, the University of Minnesota and other partners began a collaborative effort to gather farm-level financial data on cover crops. The project is gathering detailed financial data on cover crops between 2022-2024 from corn, soybean, and other row crop farms across Minnesota. The data and insights from this project may also provide value to federal and local cost-share programs, agricultural lending solutions, and other climate-smart initiatives.

Between 2022-2024, EDF and its' partners will collect financial data on cover crops from corn, soybean, wheat and corn silage farms across Minnesota.

By Lucy Vogt, EDF Seafood Policy Intern Last month, Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) welcomed environmental businesses, leaders, and shakers — and one brand-new intern. CHOW investigated the intersection between the ocean and the climate by facilitating conversations about ocean opportunities. Even though the ocean covers more than 70% of the earth, produces 50% of […]

This project is gathering detailed financial data on cover crops between 2022-2024 from corn, soybean, and other row crop farms across Minnesota.

A report from EDF finds climate leadership states could cut U.S. emissions gap in 2030 by nearly half, if governors fully deliver on their commitments.

Oregon’s 2023 legislative session concluded with a wide-ranging drought package passing through the House and the Senate, enabling key investments necessary to building a water-secure future for Oregon’s communities and ecosystems.   The investments come at a critical moment as climate change is impacting water resources throughout Oregon. The vast majority of the state remains […] The post Bi-partisan efforts yield important wins for water in Oregon first appeared on On the Water Front.

Study co-authored by EDF scientists distills 8 lessons from emerging climate-informed US fisheries management efforts.

This blog was authored by Environmental Defense Fund economists, Karina French and Carolyn Kousky. See their report here.  South Carolina is no stranger to the devastating effects of extreme flooding, with hurricanes like Matthew and Florence leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. As the state faces escalating flood risk due to climate changes […]

This report from EDF and partners provides a comprehensive review of the current resources available to households for post-disaster economic recovery in South Carolina and explores the extent to which innovative disaster insurance policy designs can fill these gaps and improve equity in recovery.