This Earth Day, elected officials promote CA bill to ‘make polluters pay’
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April 22, 2025
As of today, Earth Day, more than 50 elected officials have signed a letter urging lawmakers to make oil and gas companies bear the cost of climate change.
The California Polluters Pay Superfund, which goes before the state Senate Judiciary Committee today, would assess a fee on large oil and gas companies to pay for programs that mitigate damage from climate change.
Ahmad Zahra, a council member in Fullerton, signed onto the letter sponsored by the group Elected Officials to Protect America.
“Throughout the years, these large oil companies were really not necessarily telling the truth about air pollution,” Zahra pointed out. “Just like we’ve seen in oil spills and ground pollution, the responsible party has to pay for it.”
President could ‘target’ climate nonprofits
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April 22, 2025
Earth Day is usually cause for celebration by nonprofit groups working to reduce the effects of climate change but this year, they are speaking out about the possibility President Donald Trump could try to revoke their tax-exempt status.
One change could include removing “climate change” as a qualifying topic for being nonprofit. Late last week in the Oval Office, Trump hinted the administration might scrutinize the tax status of environmental organizations, although federal law currently bars a president from directly or indirectly ordering the Internal Revenue Service to investigate specific tax-exempt groups.
Joelle Novey, director of the nonprofit Interfaith Power and Light in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia, said people should be alarmed at the prospect.
“The very idea that the president could interfere with the (c)3 status of any group is an insult we should all take personally,” Novey contended. “It’s an insult to our freedom as Americans to come together through organizations to be who we are.”
CA lawmakers consider charging oil companies for climate-related damage
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April 21, 2025
The “Make Polluters Pay Superfund” bill goes before the California Assembly Natural Resources Committee Monday.
The bill would direct the California Environmental Protection Agency to study how much climate change has cost the state between 1990 and 2024, and assess a one-time fee on oil and gas companies emitting more than 1 billion metric tons of emissions.
Maya Golden-Krasner, deputy director of the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity in Los Angeles, explained the goal of the bill.
“These are companies that make billions of dollars in profits per day,” Golden-Krasner pointed out. “This bill would take some of the burden off of taxpayers, and put it onto the people who caused the crisis.”
Manure runoff disinfectant impacts drinking water of 4 million in NC
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Apr 17, 2025
The treatment of manure runoff in drinking water sources is a health threat in North Carolina and across the country, according to a new report. A disinfectant byproduct from treating water is trihalomethane, which can be toxic at high levels. The Environmental Working Group’s report on the chemical ranked North Carolina seventh for most water systems testing at or above the U-S Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum standard.
Anne Schechinger, Midwest director of Environmental Working Group , said manure applied to hog and poultry farm fields in North Carolina runs off to bodies of water used for drinking water, which utilities clean.
“Then, the chlorine or other disinfectants react with the organic matter that’s in the manure that washed off farm fields, and so then this can trigger the production of these disinfection byproduct chemicals,” she explained.
ME high school students advance local climate related projects
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Apr 9, 2025
Despite federal uncertainty regarding climate related programs, high school students across Maine are focusing on the local actions they can take. About 250 students and teachers from more than two-dozen schools recently gathered to learn about weatherization, composting and recycling projects, and how to implement them in their own communities.
Abigail Hayne, youth climate engagement coordinator, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, said it was a chance for students to connect with other emerging climate leaders.
“We just keep emphasizing that there’s so many ways to get involved really at a local and state level and for students it’s all about letting them know where those opportunities are,” she said.
Hopeful signs in New Mexico’s climate crisis bills that passed
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April 3, 2025
New Mexico conservation advocates say the state’s budget awaiting the governor’s signature would make great strides in addressing climate change and protecting public health.
Justin Garoutte, advocate, climate and energy with the group Conservation Voters New Mexico, highlighted 21 bills awaiting the governor’s signature that will protect air, land, water and wildlife resources. He said Senate Bill 48, known as the Community Benefit Fund, would be a groundbreaking investment in adapting to climate change through locally driven projects that strengthen communities and create jobs, including jobs for those employed in the extraction industry. “So, helping workers in the oil and gas industry or other industries transition to more clean jobs – there’s 17-million that’s going to the workforce solutions department for clean-energy worker training,” he explained.
SB 48, which passed by a vote of 39 to 26, would provide grants for infrastructure and clean energy projects that reduce pollution, improve resiliency against extreme weather, and enhance grid reliability in cities and towns across the state. The governor has until April 11th to approve spending for fiscal year 2026, which begins on July 1st and ends on June 30th next year.
Local officials reaffirm support for offshore wind in Humboldt
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April 3, 2025
A huge offshore wind project is forging ahead off Humboldt Bay in Northern California – and Saturday, elected officials will tour the deepwater port in Eureka. The port will be expanded to deploy commercial offshore wind turbines – and later, to transmit power to the grid.
Benjamin Collings, offshore wind advisor to the nonprofit Elected Officials to Protect America, which organized the tour, urged people to be patient.
“So, we just want to encourage people to stay the course and not have any delays,” he explained. “Because it could be a 10- or 15-year timeline for some of these projects, and it’s so critical that we do everything possible to mitigate climate change.”
Report: IRA repeal could raise Pennsylvania energy costs, threaten jobs
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March 25, 2025
Pennsylvania is among the five states projected to be hit hardest if the Inflation Reduction Act is repealed.
A report from the think tank Energy Innovation showed the law has brought more than $1.33 billion dollars in clean energy and transportation investments, creating nearly 4,700 jobs.
Megan Ziegler, CEO of the Southwest Pennsylvania Municipal Project Hub, said the Inflation Reduction Act helps modernize infrastructure and supports local governments and schools in upgrading outdated facilities. She added reducing tax credits and clean energy projects would negatively affect the Pennsylvania economy and environment.
“These are called direct pay or elective pay,” Ziegler explained. “This was a great tool because this was the first time that local governments, nonprofits and schools, because of their tax-exemption status, were able to offset these investments in their buildings and their systems the way that private industry has been leveraging those for years.”
The report revealed repealing existing federal clean energy tax credits and funding programs would increase average annual household energy costs in Pennsylvania by nearly $60 per year in 2030 and more than $80 per year in 2035.
Two CA bills seek to charge oil and gas companies for climate crisis damage
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March 25, 2025
Insurance rates are rising quickly in California because of fires and floods linked to climate change and now, two new bills in Sacramento seek to make oil and gas companies pay.
The Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act would create legal pathways for homeowners, insurance companies and the state insurance plan to sue and recover losses from oil and gas companies.
Melissa Romero, policy advocacy director for the nonprofit California Environmental Voters, said the companies misled lawmakers and the public.
“The one group that hasn’t paid their fair share in all of this is oil and gas companies,” Romero contended. “They knew since the ’70s and the ’80s that their products were creating runaway climate change. They hid the science, they did nothing about it, and they continued to push an agenda that stymied a lot of efforts to switch over to clean energy.”
Maryland doubles down on clean energy, despite Trump policies
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March 24, 2025
As President Donald Trump rolls back clean energy initiatives at the federal level, states like Maryland are pushing ahead with their own energy transitions.
Legislation moving through the Maryland General Assembly includes a bill to codify Gov. Wes Moore’s campaign pledge, to transition the state to 100% clean energy by 2035. Another bill, known as the Abundant Affordable Clean Energy Act, would expand battery storage to the regional grid.
Rebecca Rehr, director of climate policy and justice for the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, said clean energy investments can also help the economy and combat rising energy costs.
“We can create a model of economic growth and clean energy adoption that other states can follow,” Rehr contended. “We can really lead here, especially in the face of federal rollbacks. You can have economic growth and a growth of the clean energy industry here in Maryland at the same time. These go hand in glove.”
Repealing Inflation Reduction Act would raise CA energy bills, report says
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March 25, 2025
A new report from the think tank Energy Innovation showed if the Inflation Reduction Act is repealed, Californians would pay $60 more a year for household energy bills by 2030 and $180 more by 2035.
The Trump administration has already paused funding for IRA projects and called for a repeal of its climate provisions.
Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis at Energy Innovation, said the clean energy tax breaks and grants have spurred $600 billion in new private investment and created more than 400,000 jobs nationally since 2022.
“The IRA creates an incentive for developers to build even more clean electricity,” Orvis contended. “And when those clean electricity plants come online, they help to lower the cost of electricity and bring down rates for the average American household.”
Cuts to Inflation Reduction Act would impact TX economy
Cuts to Inflation Reduction Act would impact TX economy
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March 24, 2025
Texas would be one of five states to suffer the most if the Trump administration repeals the Inflation Reduction Act, according to a report from the think tank Energy Innovation.
Since the legislation was enacted in 2022, more than $17 billion in clean energy and transportation projects have been announced statewide.
Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis at Energy Innovation, said ending the tax credits and reducing clean energy projects would negatively affect the Texas economy and environment.
“What the IRA does is, it creates an incentive for developers to build even more clean electricity,” Orvis explained. “When those clean electricity plants come online, they help to lower the cost of electricity and bring down rates. That means that Americans pay less for their electricity every year.”
The report showed ending the programs would increase the average annual household energy costs in Texas by more than $90 a year in 2030, and more than $370 a year by 2035. Some Republican lawmakers support keeping the IRA tax credits in place but the Trump administration said renewables make energy more expensive.
Orvis noted the nationwide study showed what would happen to energy projects and jobs between 2025 and 2035 if cuts are made.
CA local leaders protest massive rollback of federal environmental protections
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March 17, 2025
Local leaders in California are slamming the Trump administration’s moves to gut dozens of environmental policies on climate change and pollution in low-income communities.
Last week Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency will loosen restrictions on oil and gas and reconsider the “endangerment finding” underpinning regulations on greenhouse gases.
Felipe Perez, city council member and former mayor of Firebaugh, said farmworkers in the Central Valley rely on the feds to limit air pollution from nearby oil rigs.
“The people that work in the field, we have to go to work even though the pollution is too high,” Perez pointed out. “We have to go because we have to feed our families.”
Legislation could hinder TX wind, solar projects
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March 17, 2025
Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, said they’re hosting a meeting tonight to better explain Senate Bill 819 – which could hinder further expansion. The demand for electricity in the State is projected to double over the next five years.
Problems with the Texas grid have more people turning to clean energy to cool and heat their homes and businesses.
Metzger said it’s estimated that Texans save $1 billion each month because of wind and solar.
“As renewables have grown – as of just last year producing almost one third of the electricity in the state of Texas,” said Metzger, “we’re starting to see some pushback from fossil-fuel companies and others that are threatened by the growth in clean energy.”
He said Senate Bill 819 includes discriminatory permitting requirements, setbacks for wind and solar facilities, and new taxes and fees targeting renewable energy.
Funding freeze, chaos at USDA impacts NC farmers
Mar 10, 2025
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Chaos in the U.S. Department of Agriculture is creating stress for farmers in North Carolina and across the country.
A funding freeze by the Trump administration has left many farmers in precarious positions as they prepare their next crop.
Patrick Brown is a fourth-generation farmer in Warren County who grows corn, wheat, soybeans and other crops.
He’s enrolled in the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, but said he is unsure what the future looks like with the current turmoil.
“It’s really terrifying going to this year, faced with this level of financial uncertainty,” said Brown, “but also the markets and the tariffs that are being announced daily, and the mental-health aspect of farming as well.
Rural AZ solar installations in limbo after IRA federal funding freeze
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March 4, 2025
Small businesses in Arizona are feeling the impact of the sudden federal pause on clean-energy grants.
One of those businesses is the Pines Inn and Suites in Cottonwood.
The business was able to cover a hefty chunk of the first phase of its solar-installation cost with help from the Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP.
It also received assistance from the renewable-energy Investment Tax Credit thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.
Corey Bruening and his wife are part owners and general managers at the hotel. Bruening said they haven’t been able to move forward with the second phase of the project. “Our plans for what we would improve on our property have halted,” said Bruening, “because we were kind of hoping that we would still have the budget to do those things.”
Poll: MAGA voters oppose cuts to parks, forest, wildlife agencies
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People in Colorado and seven other Mountain West states may want to see changes in the federal government writ large but they oppose cuts to agencies charged with protecting public lands, wildlife and other natural resources, according to the latest Conservation in the West poll by Colorado College.
Dave Metz, partner and president of FM3 Research, said vast majorities support agencies including the National Parks, Forest Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service. “When we ask people whether they would support or oppose reducing funding to these agencies, the answers are overwhelming, they would oppose such cuts,” Metz reported. “Three quarters of Western voters overall express opposition and that sentiment is thoroughly bipartisan.” . . .
More than seven in 10 people surveyed do not want additional public lands opened up for drilling and mining, and 63% oppose reducing Endangered Species Act protections. Metz added awareness on the threats posed by climate change has increased by 22 points since the first poll 15 years ago. “We now have more than three quarters of Western voters who are telling us they view climate change as a serious problem,” Metz observed. “When you look at Gen Z voters, 90% of them tell us they view it as a serious problem.”
CA towns, cities must adapt as dangers of bigger wildfires loom
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February 17, 2025
One glimpse at the devastation in the Los Angeles area, and it’s hard to imagine a complete rebuild. But look at the town of Paradise in northern California today, and you’d never know that the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history leveled Paradise a few short years ago. On November 8, 2018, a downed power line sparked the Camp Fire. It began 12 miles outside the city and, fueled by high winds like the recent Los Angeles fires, rammed into Paradise, claiming 85 lives and 95% of the town’s structures. Six years on, new residents have moved in, old residents have rebuilt, and new development has sprung up. But the legacy of that windy Thursday morning still haunts rebuilding efforts—inspiring fear that it could happen again.
Another fire almost certainly will come to this far-northern California landscape and to the dry scrub habitats further south in the state. Flames have been jumping Paradise’s forested hillsides for millennia—some trees evolved to require fire to open their resinous cones. But humans are making natural fires much worse through climate change and poor management. So the question has become how to prevent fire, when it does come, from becoming a major disaster.