ENVIRONMENT POLICIES, ANALYSIS, AND RESOURCES
Latest Environment Posts
Will This Summer’s Extreme Weather Affect the World’s Resolve to Tackle Climate Change?
Brief #123 – Environmental Policy
By Adrian Cole
COP 26 is the latest climate gathering in a process which began with the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The United Nations Framework Convention (UNFCCC), established then, is comprised of 200 members who commit to meeting annually in a Conference of the Parties (COP). This year the UK will host, and has the presidency. The meeting has been billed as the “last, best chance” to deal with climate change. What are its goals?
The Need To Overhaul the Nation’s Aging Electric Grid Is Urgent But Challenging
Brief #122 – Environment Policy
By Todd J. Broadman
Biden’s foundational policy objectives of carbon-free power by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050 serve as the basis for his $2.25 trillion green infrastructure plan. The overarching question is “how” – particularly when nationwide carbon-free power effectively means tripling the size of the U.S. transmission system.
Biden Ups The Ante on Car Fuel Standards
Brief #121 – Environment Policy
By Katelyn Lewis
President Joe Biden’s team is working on a vehicle emissions rule that will not only restore aggressive vehicle mileage standards set under then-President Barack Obama, but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and significantly increase electric vehicle drivers in the U.S. by the end of the decade.
Colorado Takes Big Action Against Single-Use Plastics
Brief # 120 – Environment
By Katelyn Lewis
In a sweeping effort against plastic, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a bill enabling municipalities to enforce local plastic bag and packaging ordinances as well as implementing a ban against the use of single-use plastic bags, polystyrene cups and containers statewide.
Fishing Boat Dispatch # 6: What Have Subsidies Got To Do With It
Brief # 119 – Environmental Policy
By Katherine Cart
Corporate wealth towers like megalithic fungi about the globe. Imagine the coagulated money of the world sprouting graphically in the areas in which the owners of that money are housed, bedded, fed. This should appear rather like a globular histogram, with, say, Beijing, New York City, Hong Kong, Moscow, Shenzhen, San Francisco etc. etc. sprouting great swaying money towers. Now, conversely, consider a similar globular graph that depicts where the physical goods powering wealth are sourced from.
Maine Becomes the First State To Commit to Fossil Fuel Divestment Through Legislation
Brief # 118 – Environmental Policy
By Jacob Morton
The state of Maine has passed a law forbidding any state pension fund or other public savings funds from making new investments in stocks or securities of fossil fuel companies. As other states and organizations follow suit, divestment could spell trouble for the fossil fuel industry.
Court Blocks Biden Administration Efforts to Suspend Oil and Gas Leases on Federal Lands
Brief # 117 – Environment Policy
By Jacob Morton
On Tuesday June 1, the Biden administration temporarily suspended all oil and gas drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), reversing one of former President Donald Trump’s most sought after and last-minute environmental policy changes.
The suspension comes after President Joe Biden’s executive order, given on his first day in office, placed a moratorium on drilling in the ANWR and requested a new environmental review “to examine possible legal flaws in the program approved by the Trump administration.”
Drought and Plans to Deal with Running Dry
Brief # 116 – Environmental Policy
By Todd J. Broadman
A prolonged period with little or no precipitation combined with an extended period of abnormally high temperatures has created “extreme” drought conditions in much of the western half of the U. S. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has placed 41 counties under a state of drought emergency. In some areas of Oregon and California, scientists conclude the drought is the most severe it has been in centuries.
Aid to Black Farmers Sparks Backlash
Brief #117—The Environment
By Katherine Cart
Intentional social inclusivity is, once again, generating backlash and the vexed use of the word “all” is causing reaction to a highlighting and attempted remediation of historical discrimination. The March 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARPA) released by the Biden Administration included a $5 billion dollar package designated for the support of “socially disadvantaged farmers.” In the bill’s language these include Black, hispanic, indiginous and other nonwhite farmers.