Latest News
Volkswagen cars aren't the only ones polluting more than we thought. -
A European auto organization tested diesel cars with a system developed by the United Nations to provide more realistic driving conditions and found that some emitted over 10 times more NOx than current regulatory standards show. The EU hopes to introduce the new test in 2017—it can't come soon enough. The Guardian
Health environmentalist Gary Cohen wins a MacArthur Genius Prize. -
Mixing healthcare and environmentalism has its rewards. Cohen is the cofounder and president of Health Care Without Harm, a nonprofit that works to reduce the pollution that hospitals produce, and as a new MacArthur fellow, he'll have $625,000 to spend however he chooses. Washington Post
The EPA has finalized new emissions rules for oil refineries. -
Refineries now must monitor toxic benzene levels at their border fences and implement new technologies to cut down on smoking flare pollution. The agency estimates the rules could lower associated cancer rates by 15 percent to 20 percent and provide cleaner air for about 1.4 million people living nearby, many of whom are minorities. The Hill
The majority of conservative Republicans believe in climate change. -
The deniers may be louder, but a new survey conducted by Republican pollsters finds 54 percent of self-described conservative Republicans accept that the global climate is changing and think humans are playing a role. New York Times
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalizes new rules to protect farmworkers from pesticides. -
The agency estimates that pesticide exposure poisons between 10,000 and 20,000 farmworkers each year. Last updated in 1992, the new standards require annual pesticide risk training and prohibit children under 18 from handling the chemicals. Still, some say they don't go far enough to protect those who put food on our tables. NPR
The world is making progress on climate change...but not enough. -
A new analysis finds the planet will warm by 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit by the century's end under business-as-usual conditions. Current pledges to cut carbon pollution, submitted ahead of the Paris climate conference, get us down to 6.3 degrees—which even falls far short of the world leaders' own 3.6-degree target. New York Times