As preparations for COP29 ramp up, the debate over the financial commitments of wealthy nations to support developing countries in decarbonization and disaster recovery intensifie
A new EPA proposal is reigniting a debate about what counts as ‘renewable’
The EPA has suggested increasing the federal Renewable Fuel Standard's mandated requirements. The 2005 program regulates how much renewable fuels including corn-based ethanol, manure-based biogas, and wood pellets are used to decrease petroleum-based transportation fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The latest EPA plan would raise renewable fuels by approximately 2 billion gallons by 2025, or 9%. Advanced biofuel comes from agricultural, animal, food, and yard waste, including biogas made from animal and human waste. The EPA's latest plan calls for a 14% rise in these fuels from 2023 to 2024 and a 12% increase in 2025. Industry producers and the federal government support these new renewable fuel rules, while environmental organizations view growing investment in ethanol, biomass, and biogas as exacerbating dirty energy. Opponents believe that increasing corn production for ethanol would prolong damaging agricultural techniques that erode soil and pour large quantities of chemicals on corn farms, causing water contamination and toxic dead zones throughout the country and the Gulf of Mexico. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported earlier this year that when corn demand rises due to RFS blending rules, prices rise and farmers apply more fossil fuel-based fertilizer to crops. The EPA's own analysis shows that the federal mandate's blending requirements will raise greenhouse gas emissions over the next three years.
The United States Department of Justice issued an amicus brief supporting claims from a Wisconsin tribe that Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline is trespassing on tribal lands.
The Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a key organization setting standards for corporate emissions reduction, is in turmoil following its decision to allow carbon offsets t
Grist’s examines President Biden’s ambitious environmental justice initiative, Justice40, aimed at directing 40 percent of certain federal climate and environmental
The Biden administration's allocation of $830 million in grants to fund 80 projects aimed at strengthening the nation's infrastructure against the impacts of climate change.
The importance of more than just financial support for Indigenous communities in transitioning to green energy.
a recent study suggesting that installing solar panels on nonresidential buildings like schools and stores could substantially reduce the energy equity gap in marginalized neighbo
Geothermal energy, long considered a niche player in the U.S. energy landscape, is now poised for significant growth thanks to a confluence of factors including technological adva
Walter Moorer and other residents of Chin Street in Africatown, Alabama, have long protested against the environmental hazards posed by the Hosea Weaver asphalt plant, which emits
The Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice released a comprehensive report unveiling the profound social inequities exacerbating environmental issues in New York City
A biomass and carbon capture project slated for California’s Central Valley came to an abrupt halt after San Joaquin Renewables withdrew federal and local permits under scrutiny f
The Biden-Harris Administration, as part of its ambitious climate agenda, announced a $20 billion investment in clean energy and climate solutions, aimed at reducing energy costs
The imminent groundbreaking of the largest urban solar farm in the United States, located in Houston's Sunnyside neighborhood.
A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives investigated the link between long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker
City of Houston is obligated to return at least $45 million in federal funding to the state after failing to fulfill its commitment to construct affordable housing.