CHICAGO (September 3, 2013) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a settlement with HA International LLC, a producer of resin-coated sand for the foundry and hydraulic fracturing industries, to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at the company’s Oregon,…
By Brad Copithorne This commentary originally appeared on EDF's California Dream 2.0 blog . For over two years, EDF has been working to establish an On-Bill Repayment program in California that would allow property owners to finance energy efficiency or renewable generation projects and…
By Brad Copithorne For over two years, EDF has been working to establish an On-Bill Repayment program in California that would allow property owners to finance energy efficiency or renewable generation projects and repay the obligation through their utility bill. Since utility bills tend to get…
By Elena Craft, PhD Last month, I highlighted some Texas cities working to educate their citizens on the importance of air quality. Because air pollution is a persistent problem throughout Texas , the state’s largest cities all maintain websites focusing on ways to mitigate emissions and take…
By Katie Hsia-Kiung After almost seven years since California’s landmark global warming law was passed, and after nearly a full year of implementation of the nation’s most comprehensive cap-and-trade regulation , it is apparent that major companies have begun making significant investments to…
By Jon Goldstein The Latin phrase “ Scientia potentia est” may not ring a bell, but its translation should: knowledge is power. The oil and gas industry spends millions every year to expand its knowledge of underground energy reserves. That is because better geologic knowledge is powerful…
BP: Jindal admin ‘misrepresents’ company’s record By Associated Press. Sept. 2, 2013. "BP PLC says the Jindal administration has misrepresented its record in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, including how much it has spent on cleanup…" ( read more ). Farmer-fisherman exchange…
By Alisha Renfro, Coastal Scientist, National Wildlife Federation Coastal communities throughout the U.S. are increasingly threatened by rising sea levels and extreme weather events. The conventional approach for protecting people and property along the coast has relied on engineering solutions…
By Mark Kasman The realities of reaching middle age have included watching my hair go grey, my middle thicken, and my back become less forgiving. The advantages, however, have included gaining life experiences, making wonderful friends and partners, and building strong programs that have led to…
By Guest Author By: Hana Kajimura The buzz of your alarm against the bedside table jolts you into consciousness. You rise, shower and dress. Habitually, you squirt some Olay into your palm and Crest onto your toothbrush. A few minutes later, you shove a pair of heels in your bag and strap your…
Lawyers v drillers By The Economist. Aug. 31, 2013. "Over the past century Louisiana has lost nearly 2,000 square miles of coastal wetlands, an area the size of Delaware. This not only leaves the state denuded—with less than 75% of the wetlands it used to have—but also makes New Orleans,…
Oil spill restoration overseers approve 1st plan By Janet McConnaughey, The Associated Press. Aug. 28, 2013. "NEW ORLEANS — The committee that will oversee some of BP PLC's oil spill fines hopes to put money into restoration projects within 12 months, U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny…
By Marcelo Norsworthy Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí . Improving Texas air quality requires a broad coalition. How broad? Well, we know that much of the commerce that is transported through the state either has a foreign origin or destination. Although the delivery takes…
By Brad Copithorne This commentary originally appeared on EDF's Voices blog . Source: jurvetson/Flickr The European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia and the State of California have all set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. Given that a large share of global…
By Kate Zerrenner Source: Winning Communities Around 20% of the US population lives in an area that is classified as “rural.” The US Census Bureau defines an urban area as a territory with a population of at least 50,000, or a cluster of 2,500 to 50,000 people. Rural is then defined as anything…
By Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation This week marks the anniversaries of Hurricanes Katrina and Isaac. As we take time to remember and commemorate, we must also look to the future and commit to preparing for the next storm and protecting our communities. Even eight years after Katrina,…
By Lina Younes I’ve always encouraged my family to abide by the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Personally, I’ve always made an effort to recycle while I’m at home, at work or on the road. If I don’t find a recycling bin readily available, I’ll hold on to the soda can or bottle and…
(Dallas – August 28, 2013) Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to find the Houston metro area is on track to attain an important milestone in ozone-pollution reduction. This follows a nearly 25-year trend of decreasing ozone readings for the area, despite significant…
By Greg Andeck Environmental Defense Fund and the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association recently joined the North Carolina Utilities Commission Public Staff and environmental colleagues in reaching an agreement with Duke Energy on its new incentive mechanism for energy efficiency…
Many observers are providing evidence that the fallout form Japan’s nuclear disaster is effecting Hawaii. Early reports indicate the impact on prenatal and young children. The latest reports warn not to eat Pacific fish. “It now appears that anywhere from 300 to possibly over 450 tons of…