Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 3, 2023

Most every modern public health, safety and security system we rely on also depends on the electric grid. State and federal governments have a solid foundation for a broad range of government policies that combine the public interest with electric utilities building the power grid. New funds for U.S.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

And to participate fully in today’s democracy requires being knowledgeable on certain scientific topics, and how science and policy intersect. However, through creating better communication networks between voters, policy makers, and scientists, such hurdles can be overcome.

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2024 Politics Air Pollution Government 183

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Risks from supply chain relationships may directly affect company operations, and companies can leverage their influence to promote better practices and policies. It undermines trust in government and deprives the public of needed revenues from mining projects. Ultimately, corruption is not a victimless crime.

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Electricity Government Natural Resources Law 213

Legal Planet

MARCH 25, 2024

The Court held that both provisions were incompatible with state law, which gives CalGEM (the agency tasked with permitting oil and gas operations at the state level) discretion to approve “methods and practices” of oil and gas exploration and extraction on a case-by-case basis. For instance, AB 3233 specifies that “a local entity may.

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Fossil Fuels Regulations Government Law 201

Legal Planet

APRIL 19, 2023

Wells Environmental Law Clinic and the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability have released a new report, Concentrated Overburden , that explores the connection between California’s history of racialized land use practices and environmental injustice throughout the state.

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Government Clean Air Act Law Air Pollution 212

Legal Planet

AUGUST 29, 2023

In a series of posts, I’ll be following the ongoing proceeding at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) charged with implementing this new policy. This introductory post will seek to clarify what the statute prompting the reform requires of the CPUC and explore the stakes of the new policy.

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Electricity Law 2024 Conservation 217

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 12, 2022

But its ongoing practices tell a very different story. Together with Scientists for Global Responsibility, we’ve launched a petition demanding that Elsevier and its parent company, RELX, detail their plans to align their business practices with their public commitments to address climate change. Who or what is Elsevier?

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change Clean Energy Paris Agreement 334

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

The electric vehicle (EV) market is growing rapidly, but with this growth comes public pressure to ensure supply chains for EV batteries are sustainable. The goal is to highlight areas where corporate advocacy and procurement practices can have the most impact in promoting a sustainable EV industry.

Electricity 130

Electricity Recycling Politics Greenhouse 130

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 12, 2023

This agreement emphasizes the imperative to adapt agricultural practices to a warming world. Here, I will focus on soil, particularly on regenerative practices that many small farms have adopted worldwide over time and have become part of the solution. COP28 has played host to at least 50 events dedicated to food and agriculture.

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Deforestation Climate Change Greenhouse Waste 173

Legal Planet

JANUARY 11, 2024

Often, they are a law school’s most important form of public service. Law school clinics are where the proverbial rubber meets the road. They introduce students to the realities of lawyering. Environmental law clinics have blossomed across the country. Today’s post provides a directory to the clinics.

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Natural Resources Law Conservation Environmental Protection 245

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 26, 2024

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Biden administration finalized updated procedures for conducting cost-benefit analysis and encouraging public participation in meetings about regulations. Advocates for scientific integrity commented on new draft scientific integrity policies. At the end of the year, they released final versions.

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Regulations Clean Air Act Sea Level Politics 130

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

As electric vehicle (EV) policies are implemented around the country, and sales continue to rise, a question many ask is if vehicle batteries are recycled. While this recycling market is growing, there is still no federal or state law or policy that requires it – an obligation that could ensure higher recycling rates and increased efficiency.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

However, several analyses—including a recent one by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)—have concluded that the IRA, even when coupled with the bipartisan infrastructure act and other federal and state climate policies, will not be enough to meet US carbon emission reduction goals. trillion in avoided climate change-related damages.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

California’s transportation fuel policy is knee deep in cow poop, and it’s not a good look. CARB’s use of the LCFS as a cash cow to fund manure digesters is bad transportation fuel policy and bad agricultural policy. For the last few years, I have been getting deeper into manure policy than I ever expected.

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Fossil Fuels Regulations Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 258

Law and Environment

MARCH 17, 2023

On February 10, 2023, the Public Land Preservation Act (PLPA), Chapter 274 of the Acts of 2022 , ( M.G.L. It both codifies existing practices and creates new obligations that public entities in the Commonwealth must follow to dispose or change the use of interests in land protected by Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution.

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Conservation Natural Resources Law 2024 130

Legal Planet

APRIL 16, 2024

A key part of California’s climate policy has always been its cap and trade system. For instance, the primary pressure on electric utilities to cut emissions comes from regulations issued by the California Public Utility Commission , not CARB. In practice, the cap and trade system is just a carbon tax.” Half-truth.

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Regulations Electricity Law Climate Change 130

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 19, 2022

Our study also conducted a detailed analysis of three USCA member states— Massachusetts , Michigan , and Minnesota —to further highlight the public health, economic, and energy affordability considerations of moving toward 100 percent renewable energy. The value of the public health benefits totals almost $280 billion over the two decades.

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Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Clean Energy 361

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 14, 2023

Late last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked the public to provide oral comments on a major rule that will determine how much soot pollution you are exposed to. It is especially linked to harm in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, but it also has the ability to damage practically every organ in the body.

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Clean Air Act Fossil Fuels Air Pollution 2001 218

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 28, 2021

There’s actually a monument in Reykjavík, Iceland to these public servants. Most bureaucrats are practically anonymous. The people making important policy decisions are rarely anonymous in any literal sense, given that they’re prominently listed on government websites, usually with their photos.

Government 221

Government Regulations Law 221

Legal Planet

MAY 16, 2023

As in the US, Australia’s climate policy was long a victim of a lengthy period of divided government and political upheaval. Little wonder that scholars in 2018 described Australian climate policy has a “festival of misadventure. The baselines for new sources will be based on “international best practice.”

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Legal Planet

MARCH 21, 2024

Specifically, cities can help coordinate stakeholders, streamline permitting processes, and elevate innovative charging models that orient electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure toward equity-centered practices. Utility leadership is vital to fast-rollout public programs. Systematic approaches can yield substantial public benefits.

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Electricity Government 100

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 30, 2022

While these reforms are open for discussion, it would be useful to take a close look at the five regional US grid operators’ recent practices to see what FERC should include in its new rules. The California ISO plans, both its annual Transmission Plan and its first 20-Year Transmission Outlook , build on state policy and procurement efforts.

Fossil Fuels 242

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity Regulations 242

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 19, 2023

Uber founded in 2009; Lyft in 2012), public micromobility systems such as scooters and bikeshares, electrification, shared automated vehicles : all came with the promise of “ faster, smarter, greener ” cities that would be “ connected, heterogenous, intelligent and personalized.” New ride hailing services (e.g., Globally, approximately 1.3

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Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 21, 2022

But as I began to work on climate change, I found it inspiring to look back at the photos from April 1970 and learn about what motivated 20 million people to action—and the impact of public mobilization on policy and practice in the years that followed.

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Earth Day Climate Change Waste Clean Energy 240

PA Environment Daily

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

They are seeking an energetic, collaborative, people-person that brings deep knowledge of community resources and counseling/casework practices with high-risk populations, including mental health treatment and the impact of trauma.

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2024 99

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 27, 2022

Advocating for transparency and strong policies against misinformation and disinformation on social media sure is a rollercoaster ride these days. The ups: on April 6 th , Pinterest announced a new policy to keep “false and misleading claims around climate change off the platform.”

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Earth Day Climate Change Fossil Fuels Law 196

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

methane released from fossil fuel systems) could entirely undermine the climate benefits of the hydrogen tax credit and, worse, drive vast amounts of public dollars to subsidize what are ultimately still heavily-polluting fossil fuel-based projects, now just greenwashed as “clean.” These are the key issues to watch in the time ahead.

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Fossil Fuels Waste Regulations Electricity 249

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 6, 2023

Raising Awareness and Public Pressure Climate litigation often generates significant news media attention, shining a spotlight on climate issues and pushing them to the forefront of public consciousness. Successful climate lawsuits provide practical insights for policymakers involved in UN negotiations.

Paris Agreement 231

Paris Agreement Climate Change Fossil Fuels Government 231

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

The farm safety net is a cornerstone of agriculture policy and is a fault line in ongoing farm bill negotiations,” said report author Billy Hackett, NSAC Policy Specialist. Ultimately, the report recommends lawmakers adopt common-sense policy reforms to build a sustainable farm safety net that is fair, functional, and informed.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 29, 2023

Some trucks will charge at shared and public chargers Some vehicles will need public charging or shared private charging at sites on the truck’s route due to lack of a home depot, the intense demands of the trucks’ duty cycle, or both. There is good news on this front, too. There is good news on this front, too.

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Electricity Environmental Protection Greenhouse 2024 233

PA Environment Daily

MAY 8, 2023

The program will explore challenges and opportunities for meaningfully sharing water quality monitoring data with municipal officials, local Environmental Advisory Councils, and the public for improved land use planning and decision-making on local policy and practice. Click Here to register and for more information.

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Conservation 2023 98

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

Still though, counties across the state have air that hasn’t met the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards for decades, causing a host of public health problems from asthma and cardiovascular issues to premature death. With COVID-19 still on our minds, I can’t stop paying attention to what it means to breathe freely.

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Air Pollution Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Climate Change 254

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 24, 2023

Workers have the public’s support This year Congress is writing (and negotiating) a new food and farm bill. There is also plenty of evidence that the public supports building stronger protections for the food and farm workforce. But that could all change with the next food and farm bill.

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2008 Law 2019 2022 193

PA Environment Daily

AUGUST 10, 2023

During this workshop, you will have the opportunity to hear from experts from the Center for Watershed Protection discuss policy and permit requirements and gain hands-on experience with practical techniques to inform your Municipal Separate Stormwater System (MS4) Operation and Maintenance and Inspection programs.

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2023 97

Legal Planet

JULY 29, 2021

Boyd will help lead the Emmett Institute’s ambitious research, teaching, and public service agenda. Both are leading scholars in their fields, exceptional classroom educators, and leaders of public interest initiatives that are shaping climate change and environmental law and policy in California, the U.S., Wang and Prof.

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Law Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Deforestation 232

Circle of Blue

APRIL 24, 2023

Forest Service begins re-examining climate resilience policies for forests and grasslands. USFS Climate Risk Map Alongside its call for public comment on revising climate resilience policies (see below), the U.S. On the Radar Climate Policy at the USFS The U.S. Public comments are being accepted through June 20, 2023.

Clean Water Act 130

Clean Water Act Air Pollution 2025 Greenhouse 130

Frontiers

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

Frontiers has today published a new author policy designed to help prevent cases of “authorship-for-sale” among its research publications, a term used throughout the industry which refers to the unethical practice of buying or selling authorship on research papers. “We

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Technology Technology 74