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If you happened to read the New York Times’ exposé this week you would have caught that among 20 of the most powerful people in government environment jobs, most have ties to the fossil fuel industry or have fought against the regulations they now are supposed to enforce. These are folks who have career-long connections […]
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Moving full speed ahead on new fossil fuel infrastructure, the Trump Administration’s federal regulators approved permits for three new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals in the Rio Grande Valley and the expansion of another in Corpus Christi, according to the Houston Chronicle. They do not have financing and final approvals yet, and a coalition of environmentalists, Native Americans, shrimpers, fishers, and communities working under the banner Save RGV From LNG are fighting the Brownsville projects due to safety and environmental concerns.
Why This Matters: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with President Trump’s appointees at the helm have sped through 11 LNG projects in the last 9 months alone.
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By Monica Medina, Founder and CEO of Our Daily Planet And now, for those of you who need a break from a long week of impeachmentpalooza, take a trip with us to Shepherdstown, West Virginia — a small town, nestled at the northeastern edge of the Shenandoah Valley, practically an exurb of Washington, D.C. It […]
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Governors on both coasts are going to battle with oil and gas companies over climate change. Continuing his strong environmental protection agenda, California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced new regulations putting in place a moratorium on fracking and curbed steam-injected oil drilling in the state, which environmentalists have long opposed. Meanwhile, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo […]
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The European Investment Bank (EIB) in what some called a “game-changer” announced at the end of last week that it will phase out funding for fossil fuel projects by the end of 2021, dealing a major blow to oil and gas companies. Instead, according to The Wall Street Journal, the bank will “use €1 trillion ($1.1 trillion) for climate-change action and environmentally sustainable investment by 2030 and help the EU reach 32% renewable energy across the bloc by 2030.”
Why This Matters: We can think of 1.1 trillion reasons. And this policy covers ALL fossil fuels including traditional natural gas projects.
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In response to widespread frustration in the Harvard community about the University’s inaction to climate change, a coalition of alumni, students and faculty have launched a campaign called Harvard Forward to elect five new members of the Board of Overseers with the goal of changing the University’s policies on divesting from fossil fuels and on committing more resources to climate initiatives.
Why This Matters: What makes this campaign interesting and different from previous ones (like South African divestiture in the ’80s) is that rather than protest the decisions of university leaders, this campaign is seeking the power to make the decisions themselves. The last time the university restructured its Board of Overseers was almost 150 years ago. It seems like its time to modernize it and addressing climate change is the perfect impetus.
Continue Reading 456 wordsWith a healthy dose of both optimism and realism, Andrew Yang rolled out an ambitious plan to spend $5T over 20 years to combat climate change and get to net-zero carbon emissions by 2049 using the slogan “Lower Emissions, Higher Ground” to sum up his approach.
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We often write about the damaging impacts of algal blooms found in the ocean and in lakes that are fouling beaches and coastal waters, not to mention drinking water in certain areas. But algae have the potential to be used as fuel for everything from delivery trucks to warplanes and ships, according to author Ruth Kassinger in an opinion piece in The Boston Globe. –
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When it comes to climate policy, Governor Jay Inslee already has a plan to address nearly every element of the climate crisis, but on Monday he rolled out a new one — this time aimed at creating “Freedom from Fossil Fuels” by ending corporate welfare, holding polluters accountable, and transitioning the U.S. economy off fossil fuels.
Continue Reading 570 wordsIn Tuscon, 90 percent of the public gets its power from coal and other fossil fuels, which degrades the air quality particularly for the Latinx community there. The south side neighborhoods are home to all the area’s major polluting sources, including a gas-burning power plant, the I-10 freeway, and a Superfund site, and not surprisingly, […]
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by Yoel Fessahaye A nightmare is unraveling in the jewel-toned waters of the Solomon Islands. According to CNN and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, a ship carrying 700 metric tons of heavy oil ran aground in Solomon Islands’ Kangava Bay, near East Rennell — the only natural UNESCO World Heritage site in […]
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An activist group, Climate Action 100+ along with the Anglican Church, successfully urged the multinational commodities firm Glencore to cap at current levels the amount of coal it extracts, which is projected to be 145 million metric tons. The Company made the announcement saying, “As one of the world’s largest diversified mining companies, we have a key role in enabling the transition to a low carbon economy.”
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