Media Releases

Logging mature and old trees threatens U.S. climate goals

Forests

Logging mature and old trees threatens U.S. climate goals

 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday signed a memorandum to clarify the U.S. Forest Service’s direction on climate policy. The memo, "Climate Resilience and Carbon Stewardship of America's National Forests and Grasslands," follows a recent White House executive order highlighting the importance of conserving mature and old-growth forests on federal lands as a climate solution. The memo, which lays out “actions to restore forests, improve resilience, and address the climate crisis”, falls short in meeting the ambition outlined in President Joe Biden’s order on old forests and trees. Secretary Vilsack acknowledges the role that older trees play in absorbing and storing carbon and supporting biodiversity. But he fails to outline a plan for his agency to protect mature and old-growth forests and trees from commercial logging. 

Media Releases ●  June 23, 2022

In a victory for marine life, climate, Biden administration cancels three oil leases in ocean waters

Oceans

In a victory for marine life, climate, Biden administration cancels three oil leases in ocean waters

WASHINGTON – Taking action to protect ocean wildlife and U.S. coasts, the Biden administration on Wednesday ditched plans for three offshore oil and gas lease sales.

Media Releases ●  May 13, 2022

Florida Gov. DeSantis’s veto saves rooftop solar in Sunshine State

Solar power

Florida Gov. DeSantis’s veto saves rooftop solar in Sunshine State

Exercising his first veto of the 2022 legislative session, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday vetoed HB 741, a bill that would have gutted net metering in Florida. Net metering is the policy which compensates solar owners for the excess electricity they generate and then sell back to the grid. 

Media Releases ●  April 28, 2022

University of Massachusetts Amherst commits to 100 percent renewable energy

Clean energy

University of Massachusetts Amherst commits to 100 percent renewable energy

The University of Massachusetts added to the Earth Day festivities Friday when Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy announced that the state’s flagship public university will power its campus entirely with renewable energy by 2032.

Media Releases ●  April 22, 2022

Interactive map shows widespread lead contamination in schools drinking water

Toxic threats

Interactive map shows widespread lead contamination in schools drinking water

BOSTON -- Lead contamination of school drinking water is more pervasive than previously thought, according to testing data from across the nation published on Thursday by Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund on a new interactive map. The groups urged public officials to take swift action to “get the lead out” of schools’ drinking water.

Media Releases ●  April 14, 2022

Thousands call on EPA to get the lead out of drinking water

Clean water

Thousands call on EPA to get the lead out of drinking water

Nearly 15,000 people are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to not only set a 10-year deadline for removing lead pipes but also take decisive action to ensure safe drinking water at schools and child care centers. Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund submitted comments Wednesday from these individuals on the EPA’s Draft Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities.

Media Releases ●  March 16, 2022

Illinois school district approves contract to transition 64 buses to zero-emission electric models

Electric vehicles

Illinois school district approves contract to transition 64 buses to zero-emission electric models

Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C announced Thursday that it had awarded a new 10-year contract to Levo Mobility LLC to manage the transition of the district’s 64 school buses to zero-emission electric models. The initiative will make the school district based in Plainfield, Ill., the operator of the largest zero-emission school bus fleet in the state.

Media Releases ●  March 3, 2022

Groups urge EPA and Army Corps to restore nation’s clean water protections

Clean water

Groups urge EPA and Army Corps to restore nation’s clean water protections

Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Clean Water Network delivered support from nearly 100 groups Monday to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers urging federal policymakers to officiallyrescind the Trump administration's Navigable Waters Protection Rule (also known as the ‘Dirty Water Rule’) and restore protections for our nation’s waterways. In addition, Environment America Research & Policy Center and Environmental Action submitted 18,316 comments from their individual members on this issue.

Media Releases ●  February 7, 2022

Nation’s environmental leaders urge Governor Newsom to save solar

Solar power

Nation’s environmental leaders urge Governor Newsom to save solar

SAN FRANCISCO – As the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) considers gutting the state’s bedrock solar program, a broad coalition of national and state environmental organizations delivered a letter Wednesday to CPUC commissioners and Gov. Gavin Newsom urging them to immediately issue an alternative that allows rooftop solar and battery storage to continue to grow. The letter was delivered by 70 organizations, including Environment America, Environment California, Greenpeace, The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, Environmental Working Group and the Center for Biological Diversity.

Media Releases ●  January 26, 2022

Shareholders call on Whole Foods to eliminate single-use plastic packaging

Beyond plastic

Shareholders call on Whole Foods to eliminate single-use plastic packaging

Grocery stores like Whole Foods have a major part to play in the fight against plastic pollution.

Media Releases ●  January 24, 2022

Show More