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Right Whales Uplisted to Critically Endangered by IUCN

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogDr. Francine Kershaw

North Atlantic right whales have been uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), sounding the alarm that the species is only one step away from extinction.

Cities Respond to COVID Needs by Rescuing Surplus Food

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogMadeline Keating, Andrea Collins

When businesses closed to help control the spread of the pandemic and millions of people flocked to food pantries and emergency food distributors, Baltimore, Denver, and several cities across the country were well-prepared to respond to the needs of their…

Health on Center Stage in House Climate Crisis Action Plan

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesJuanita Constible

The House Climate Crisis Action Plan is a clear-eyed recognition of the need to address the present-day health harms of climate change.

Federal Energy Efficiency: Promoting Equity and the Planet

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesKhalil Shahyd, Lara Ettenson

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately affect low-income communities of color and threatens to plunge our economy deeper into a recession at a time when many families and communities are already struggling to meet basic needs. The federal government should…

House Climate Crisis Action Plan Gets a Lot Right on Biomass

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaSasha Stashwick

Established science now shows that burning biomass from forests for electricity is not a climate solution within timeframes relevant to addressing climate change. The Select Committee’s plan recognizes this science and squarely positions its policies in contrast to those of…

GAO: Flood Mitigation Isn’t Keeping Up with Climate Change

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesAnna Weber

The federal government has paid to reduce the flood risk of tens of thousands of homes in the past 30 years—but it hasn’t been enough.

New Analysis Shows Momentum Building to Decarbonize the Power Sector

July 8, 2020 Press ReleaseUnited States

Before the pandemic, power sector emissions fell eight percent as the economy grew. Coal generation continued to decline as renewable energy expanded and more corporations committed to net-zero carbon emission goals.

Pritzker, Lightfoot: Stop Passing the Buck on Enviro Justice

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogChicagoMeleah Geertsma

On June 25, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (“IEPA”) granted an air permit that will enable the relocation of a notorious metal shredding operation from Chicago’s wealthy and largely white Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side environmental justice community. In…

Why Illinois Needs a New “Normal”

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey

Illinois can’t go back to the old “normal,” but as we recover from coronavirus, we can chart a new path forward that centers equity and sustainability.

NRDC et al. v. EPA (COVID-19 Nonenforcement Policy)

July 8, 2020 Court CaseUnited StatesClosed

The EPA issued a policy allowing companies to stop monitoring and reporting their compliance with pollution rules during the pandemic. So we sued.

Clean Energy Standards: Why We Like Them & What to Look For

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesDerek Murrow, Ben Longstreth, Sam Krasnow

The power sector has the potential to deliver much of the solution to the climate crisis if we can clean the grid and electrify many other sources of emissions.

2020 Benchmarking: Progress and Opportunity

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesStarla Yeh

The trends show that, as the U.S. economy recovers, there are significant opportunities ahead to push for a more prosperous clean energy future that prioritizes emission reductions and investments in the communities that have borne disproportionate pollution burdens.

PA House Passes Legislation to Block Climate Action

July 8, 2020 Press ReleasePennsylvania

Pennsylvania lawmakers today voted to approve House Bill 2025, the “Pennsylvania Carbon Dioxide Cap and Trade Authorization Act.”

California Moves Toward Smart and Efficient Water Heating

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogCalifornia, United StatesPierre Delforge

California has just adopted an energy code specification for grid-friendly and super-efficient water heaters that will help decarbonize buildings and the electric grid while saving Californians money on their utility bills.

In Landmark Victory for Indigenous Communities, Dakota Access Pipeline Ordered to Shut Down

July 7, 2020 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South Dakota, IowaNRDC

The dangerous crude oil pipeline threatened the water supplies and ways of life for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. The win underscores the power of dogged defense by Indigenous groups and conservationists, as well as the importance of the National…