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In Iowa, a Tale of Politics, Power, and Contaminated Water

Circle of Blue

In Iowa, a Tale of Politics, Power, and Contaminated Water Lawmakers silence Chris Jones, a prominent University of Iowa water quality researcher. The political pressure came with a personal connection: Sen. Jones warned in his blog that strategies to reduce harmful run-off of farm fertilizers and other nutrients were not effective.

Politics 364
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The Speaker Race and the Environment

Legal Planet

In what felt like one of the few times I’ve actually been right about a political prediction, I told my wife that Steve Scalise would probably be the GOP’s pick to replace Kevin McCarthy. I had to go back to 2015 to find another “pro-environmental” vote, which was against a trade agreement. That left Jim Jordan.

2015 224
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New UCS Survey Asks Federal Scientists: How are You Faring in the Biden Administration?

Union of Concerned Scientists

In 2020, we presented the results of our 2018 survey to a team at the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigating scientific integrity violations and political interference at public health agencies. We also published the results of our 2018 survey in the journal PLoS One in 2020.

2018 204
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California’s Climate Leadership: A Timeline

Legal Planet

2015 SB350. 2018 SB100. Effectively prohibited California utilities from using electricity from coal-fired generation. 2009 CARB established Low Carbon Fuel Standard for vehicles. 2011 CARB adopted cap and trade system. Renewable energy target raised to 50% by 2030. 2016 SB 32. 2022 AB 1279.

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Germany’s Role in Climate Policy

Legal Planet

My foray into Germany climate policy left me with unanswered questions: What was the politics behind Germany’s history of climate action? Germany decides to phase out nuclear power, complicating efforts to decarbonize the power sector. Renewables are a third of electricity consumption. Feed-in tariffs are replaced by auctions for renewables.

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US Elections Aren’t as Free and Fair as They Should Be. Here’s How Science Can Help  

Union of Concerned Scientists

Freedom House lowered the United States’s score by nearly 10 points between 2015 and 2023. “The State Democracy Index” , created by political scientist Jacob Grumbach, draws upon more than 50 indicators to assess the quality of state democracies.

2024 222
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HotSpots H2O: In Madagascar, Droughts Caused by Climate Change Contribute to Famine

Circle of Blue

As famines historically are caused by conflict or political issues, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities, the famine in Madagascar–one of the lowest emitters of carbon and greenhouse gasses in the world–stands out as being heavily influenced by climate change. The last public records, from 2018, show the purse at $20 billion short.