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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.

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69.9% of Costco’s shareholders vote to reduce carbon pollution and deforestation

Clean energy

69.9% of Costco’s shareholders vote to reduce carbon pollution and deforestation

As Americans experience the consequences of climate change — droughts, wildfires, hurricanes and record heat waves —a majority of the shareholders in Costco*, one of the largest retailers in the world, voted yes on a shareholder proposal that calls on Costco to set “short, medium, and long-term science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets” to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.  

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New Report: President Biden’s first year in office marks progress on numerous environmental fronts

Wildlife & wild places

New Report: President Biden’s first year in office marks progress on numerous environmental fronts

Following years of rollbacks, President Joe Biden began his term nearly a year ago amidst unprecedented environmental and public health challenges. Despite these obstacles, his administration has made significant strides toward restoring lost environmental protections and confronting daunting threats to our climate and public health, according to a new report by Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund.

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New report: Reinstated ‘polluter pays’ taxes should speed up lagging toxic waste cleanup

Toxic threats

New report: Reinstated ‘polluter pays’ taxes should speed up lagging toxic waste cleanup

WASHINGTON -- For more than 20 years, the federal government’s “Superfund” program aimed at cleaning up toxic waste sites has languished for lack of funding. The program was originally funded by a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries, but those “polluter pays” taxes expired in 1995. When President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure package (BIF) into law last month, a polluter pays tax was finally reinstated on chemical industries.

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Groups issue new toolkit on lead in school’s drinking water

Clean water

Groups issue new toolkit on lead in school’s drinking water

With the bipartisan infrastructure bill now signed into law, Environment America Research & Policy Center (Environment America's research partner) and U.S. PIRG Education Fund (PIRG's research partner) released a new toolkit for parents and community leaders on Tuesday on how to get the lead out of schools’ drinking water. The infrastructure bill includes $200 million for schools to conduct lead reduction efforts.

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Thousands urge EPA to protect waterways from pollution

Clean water

Thousands urge EPA to protect waterways from pollution

Nearly 30,000 people are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to end the dumping of PFAS chemicals, and thousands more are telling the agency to dramatically reduce pollution from slaughterhouses. Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund submitted comments from these individuals to the EPA Thursday as the agency considers updating pollution control standards, which is required by the Clean Water Act.  The groups are also calling on the EPA to strengthen standards for other industrial sources -- including power plants and refineries.

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Recharge Where You Recharge: Environment Maine launches campaign for EV chargers on public lands

Electric vehicles

Recharge Where You Recharge: Environment Maine launches campaign for EV chargers on public lands

Environment Maine launched a new campaign Thursday calling for state and federal lawmakers to expand electric vehicle infrastructure on Maine’s state parks and public lands. With transportation emissions as the top polluting sector of our economy, the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) is critical for protecting public health and the environment from global warming pollution. Specifically, the Recharge Where You Recharge campaign is calling for the installation of at least two EV chargers in each of Maine’s state parks.

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