October 22, 2013
By Jim Marston Last week, San Antonio Congressman Lamar Smith took a break from Washington’s budget battles to weigh in on the latest assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In his Texas Weekly guest column , Congressman Smith cast doubt on the link between…
NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, which creates and maintains the nation’s suite of over a thousand nautical charts of U.S. coastal waters, today announced major changes ahead for mariners and others who use nautical charts. Starting April 13, the federal government will no longer print traditional…
Bygone barriers: Preserving barrier islands proving difficult By Jeremy Alford, Louisiana Sportsman Magazine. Oct. 15, 2013. “It’s a rather simple matter to underestimate the worth of Louisiana’s barrier islands. When the freshwater river flow slacks off a bit and shrimp are able inch closer…
(Boston, Mass. – Oct. 21, 2013) – Matching a long-term trend that air quality is improving, New Englanders experienced a decrease in the number of unhealthy air quality days this year, compared to 2012. The findings are based on preliminary data collected between April and Sept. 2013. Air…
October 21, 2013
What BP owes America By David Yarnold, Politico. Oct. 18, 2013. “The BP oil spill civil trial in U.S. district court in New Orleans is an important moment for the future of the Gulf Coast, the efficacy of U.S. environmental protections and the accountability of corporations under the rule of…
By Larissa Koehler After months of surveys, analysis and preparation, the California Energy Commission’s draft 2013 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) is out – and it shows that dramatic progress is underway in the state’s transportation fuels market. Not only has the state made measured…
By Whit Remer, Policy Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund Start of phase two of trial. Sept. 30, 2013. Expert testimony on how much oil flowed into the Gulf of Mexico during the 2010 oil disaster is expected to wrap up today in a New Orleans federal courtroom. This testimony is part of the…
Four federal and state trustee agencies have announced $3.7 million in funds following a natural resource damages settlement to restore natural resources and habitats harmed by hazardous substances released from a manufacturing site in McIntosh, Ala.
Environmental News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Lenexa, Kan., Oct. 18, 2013) - Dyno Nobel Inc., has agreed to pay a $257,167 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA), Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response,…
WASHINGTON – Following through on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold 11 public listening sessions across the country to solicit ideas and input from the public and stakeholders about the best Clean Air Act approaches to reducing carbon…
By MM Harvey Regrettable substitution. Informed substitution. The first sounds like a problem – and it is. The second is the way you avoid the first. In the world of consumer products made from mixtures of chemicals – baby lotion, shampoo, cleaners, laundry soap – chemists seek ingredients…
Louisiana outdoor industries recovering from storms, oil spills By Tony Garitta, The Dispatch (Lexington, N.C.). Oct. 18, 2013. “… David Muth of the National Wildlife Federation and director of the Mississippi River Delta Restoration program spoke of the group's efforts to restore the flow…
By Megan Ceronsky This week the Supreme Court denied numerous legal attacks seeking further judicial review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) determination that greenhouse gas emissions are dangerous to human health and welfare, and of other key aspects of EPA’s first generation of…
* It is virtually certain that near-surface permafrost extent at high northern latitudes will be reduced as global mean surface temperature increases. By the end of the 21st century, the area of permafrost near the surface (upper 3.5 m) is projected to decrease by between 37% (RCP2.6) to 81%…
By EDF Blogs Michelle Harvey is a Senior Project Manager in EDF's Corporate Partnership Program. Regrettable substitution. Informed substitution. The first sounds like a problem – and it is. The second is the way you avoid the first. In the world of consumer products made from mixtures of…
By Alisha Renfro, Coastal Scientist, National Wildlife Federation A "vessel of opportunity" skims oil spilled after the Deepwater Horizon/BP well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. Photo: NOAA. The unprecedented scale of the 2010 BP oil spill and the further complexity…
By Mary Barber When Hurricane Sandy barreled through our country’s Northeast nearly a year ago, ravaging coastlines and submerging entire neighborhoods, New Jersey suffered catastrophic effects. The state suffered more than $30 billion in damage, most of it along the Jersey shore, while an…
By Jessica Orquina Life changes often lead to new habits or concerns. I have always been concerned about the environment and prefer to purchase products that are not toxic to me, my family, or the planet. For example, I recycle whenever I’m able and I prefer walking or public transportation over…