• Health

EPA Dismisses Science on Pesticide Chlorpyrifos Citing Lack Of “Raw Data”

• children
• chlorpyrifos
• Earthjustice
• pesticides
• science
• transparency

The Trump Administration announced last week that it has rejected the settled scientific evidence linking the pesticide chlorpyrifos to serious health problems, particularly in children. This pesticide, which is widely used on soybeans, almonds, grapes, and other crops, has been proven to harm children’s neurological development. 

Why this matters: Under the false flag of transparency, EPA is putting children at greater risk. 

• Ocean

Peru Moves to Greater Transparency and Accountability In Its All-Important Fisheries Sector

• coronavirus
• fisheries
• IUU fishing
• rights-based management
• transparency

Peru is the second-largest fishing nation in the world after China, and home to one of the world’s largest single stock fisheries – the anchoveta. In 2018, after a shift to rights-based management, its industrial fishery was one of the first in the world to make its vessel location (VMS) data available to the public in order to root out illegal fishing and improve management.

Why This Matters:  Peru may be a small country, but its fisheries are significant globally and the introduction of greater accountability for both large and small fishing vessels is a sign that better management is possible even as the national government struggles to overcome a series of corruption scandals.

• Health

Limit Science By Requiring “Transparency” — EPA’s New Strategy

• EPA
• health
• transparency

The New York Times reported on Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing to issue a new draft of a controversial rule they floated once before, but have now expanded, that would request raw data for nearly every study the EPA considers in preparing regulatory rulemakings, including confidential medical records.

Why This Matters: Scientists and public health groups believe that this proposal will not increase the reliability and public accountability of the rulemaking process.  Instead, this rule will make it more difficult to enact new clean air and water rules because many studies linking pollution to health problems rely on patient information provided under confidentiality agreements. 

• Politics

Governor Jay Inslee Rolls Out More Climate Policy

• climate change
• climate crisis
• fossil fuels
• Infrastructure
• polluters
• subsidies
• transparency

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.