News & Commentary

Water Is Life—from Standing Rock to Oaxaca’s Mixtecan Highlands

September 18, 2023 PerspectivesMexico, West, South DakotaElybeth Sofia Alcantar

A geographer sees a familiar pattern of government-backed energy projects devastating Indigenous communities and violating tribal sovereignty.  

How Missing Water System Boundaries Affect Our Communities

September 15, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaSusan Lee

The lack of public water system boundary information in the United States puts public health at risk.

AB 1373: Vital to Meeting CA’s Energy Goals Reliably and Affordably

September 6, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaMohit Chhabra, Merrian Borgeson

AB 1373 includes important tools to bring new and diverse energy resources online and keep California’s energy transition on track.  

Mapping Clean Energy in the West

August 31, 2023 Expert BlogColorado, New MexicoClaire Lang-Ree

Colorado and New Mexico can take advantage of Energy Community tax credits to build renewable energy and jumpstart an equitable workforce transition.

Can the Shift to Clean Energy Be Both Fast and Fair?

August 30, 2023 Expert BlogArizonaClaudia Blanco Nuñez, Josh Axelrod

A look at the promise and principles of a just transition and the impact of the recent debt ceiling deal and FAST-41.

Washington State Acts on Snake River Restoration

August 30, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, WashingtonGiulia C.S. Good Stefani

If the federal government proposes a pathway to comprehensive Snake River restoration, we will all benefit from the important planning and progress underway in Washington State.

CARB Must Reform LCFS Program

August 23, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaKiki Velez

Will CARB listen to the community voices calling for change to the LCFS Program?

Breathing Easy: Truckers’ Health and the Rise of Zero-Emission Trucks

August 18, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaGuillermo A. Ortiz

Truck drivers face a hidden health crisis due to diesel exhaust emissions. Zero-emission trucks can safeguard drivers’ well-being while bringing positive changes to the industry and the planet.

Dirty Energy Is Not in the Public Interest

August 9, 2023 Expert BlogNew MexicoClaire Lang-Ree

It's time for a New Mexico utility to invest in clean energy over dirty coal and gas.

California Walks Away from Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for Safe Drinking Water

July 28, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaCorinne Bell

The federal government has dedicated $15 billion to removing lead from our drinking water systems, but California is leaving funds on the table.

California Climate & Energy Policy Update: Summer 2023

July 27, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaMerrian Borgeson, Michele Knab Hasson

California has made strides in reducing emissions, spurred by the increasingly devastating impacts of climate disruption communities across the globe.

Winter Storm Elliott Report Highlights the Risk of Natural Gas Failures

July 20, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, East, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, TexasDana Ammann

PJM’s report on Winter Storm Elliott found that gas generators were responsible for 70 percent of forced outages during December 2022. Climate change will only intensify future severe weather. 

Golden State Natural Resources’ Biomass Boondoggle

July 19, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaRita Frost

Community leaders, environmental groups, and residents oppose greenwashed biomass production and export scheme in California.

Campaign Pushes Local Food & Safe Products at Dollar General

July 17, 2023 Expert BlogAlbuquerque, New MexicoSara Imperiale, Margaret Brown

A delegation from the Campaign for Healthier Solutions attended the 2023 Dollar General shareholder meeting in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As shareholders, we urged the corporation to phase out toxic chemicals from its consumer products and move forward with sourcing nutritious, locally…

Organic Needs a Boost in the Farm Bill

July 12, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, California, Iowa, Washington, D.C.Allison Johnson

Our public investments in organic food production have not kept pace with the organic sector’s growth – and that’s a missed opportunity for domestic economic development. The Opportunities in Organic Act would help U.S. farms meet consumer demand by reducing…

Renewables and Storage Hold Their Own in the Texas Heat Dome

July 5, 2023 Expert BlogTexasJohn Moore

No fossil fuels, no problem? Texas investments in wind and solar pay off, generating record-breaking renewable power to meet all-time high electricity demand during nearly 10-day heat dome—despite fossil fuel plant failures.

Equitable Rate Reform FAQ

June 30, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaMohit Chhabra, Sylvie Ashford

Improving how we pay for shared electric system costs in California

How New Mexico Can Move Forward on Climate and a Just Transition

June 21, 2023 Expert BlogNew MexicoNoah Long, Alexis Mena

The bottom line is that, without significant new action, the state will not meet its targets to cut emissions and will not protect New Mexican communities from the clear, present, and increasing consequences of climate change.

Questions Answered on Canadian Wildfires—a Public Health Threat Linked to Climate Change

June 12, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CanadaDr. Vijay Limaye

Here is some key information that may help us prepare for the future and address the fossil fuels at the root of the problem.

Nevada Bill to Protect Bees Passes with Broad Bipartisan Support

June 6, 2023 Expert BlogNevadaLucas Rhoads

With broad bi-partisan support, Nevada enacted legislation to make it the third state to ban outdoor, non-agricultural uses of neurotoxic neonic pesticides.