Statement: Interior Department proposes first offshore California wind lease sales
The Department of the Interior has announced the first proposed lease sales for wind power off the shore of California and the United States’ West Coast.
Media Statements
Statement: The Home Depot shareholders take first step to protect forests
Sixty-five percent of The Home Depot shareholders voted on Thursday to take a first step toward reducing the hardware giant's forest footprint. The proposal that passed directs the company to produce a report disclosing the company’s current impact on primary forests. The proposal also asks The Home Depot to determine steps it can take to eliminate both deforestation and degradation of primary forests from its supply chains. This action comes a month after The Home Depot’s chief rival, Lowe’s, voluntarily committed to undertaking similar measures.
Statement: Kroger commits to comprehensive climate action plan
In response to a shareholder proposal filed by Green Century Capital Management°, Environment America and PIRG’s affiliated socially responsible mutual fund company, the grocery retailer Kroger* has committed to setting science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its full value chain, including its operations and its supply chains.
Statement: Colorado Legislature passes bill to reduce plastic packaging, boost recycling
Building on successful programs in dozens of countries and recent action taken by Maine and Oregon, the Colorado Senate passed on Wednesday a bipartisan producer responsibility bill.
Statement: Cost overruns at Georgia nuclear reactors offer cautionary tale
The only nuclear reactors under construction in the United States are now projected to cost more than $30 billion, more than double the original cost estimate of $14 billion.
Statement: Colorado Legislature passes building codes legislation that reduces pollution, lowers global warming emissions
The Colorado Legislature passed a bill on Wednesday that requires cities and counties to update their building energy codes, ensuring that new buildings are ready for renewable energy installations, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and all-electric heating and cooling systems.
Statement: Congress should pass legislation to protect drinking water from PFAS contamination
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire introduced the Clean Water Standards for PFAS 2.0 Act into the Senate and the House this week. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish limits on how much PFAS chemicals producers can dump into waterways and to set water quality criteria to protect human health. There are currently no federal regulations that address industrial releases of PFAS into America’s waterways. Already, millions of Americans’ drinking water is contaminated with PFAS.
Statement: Shareholders push UPS* to reduce carbon pollution
Twenty-eight percent of the United Parcel Service’s (UPS) voting shareholders voted “yes” on a proposal urging the Atlanta-based package delivery company to reduce its significant carbon footprint.
Statement: California Energy Commission releases big offshore wind target
As California seeks to secure a 100% renewable electricity grid to address the climate crisis, the California Energy Commission (CEC) has released their initial Offshore Wind report with goals of 3,000 MW of offshore wind energy by 2030 and 10,000 to 15,000 MW by 2045 with a potential of 20,000 MW by 2050, with sufficient technological improvements.
Statement: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation opens applications for ‘America the Beautiful Challenge’ grants
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Biden administration announced on Wednesday a request for proposals for a grant program aimed at funding critical conservation and recreation projects across the country. The “America the Beautiful Challenge” grants will fund conservation and restoration projects for rivers, coasts, wetlands, grasslands and forests, among other critical ecosystems. In line with President Joe Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative, grants will also help connect wildlife habitats through land and water corridors. A wide range of entities, including state and tribal authorities, territories, local groups and non-governmental organizations, will be eligible for the grant program, which is largely funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted in late 2021.