Policy Responses to Climate Change

The Inflation Reduction Act: A Mixed Bag

The Inflation Reduction Act: A Mixed Bag By Adam Arnold, Environmental Counsel The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is undeniably the most substantial piece of climate legislation in US history. But is this a back-handed compliment, given the dearth of other substantial legislation on the world’s most pressing crisis? The bill is receiving praise and [...]

Successful Farming: Petition Calls for EPA Regulation of Large Dairy and Hog Farms

Petition Calls for EPA Regulation of Large Dairy and Hog Farms This article features Government Accountability Project and was originally published here. Two dozen environmental and consumer groups, including the Sierra Club and Government Accountability Project, petitioned the EPA on Tuesday to regulate large dairy and hog operations under federal air pollution laws. “The EPA has [...]

Watchdog and Advocacy Coalition Report Warns of Systemic Attacks on Science

The Report Exposes Chronic Interference With Federal Science and Public Health and Safety Measures Under the Trump Administration and Makes Critical Recommendations to Congress A report released today by a coalition of prominent watchdog and advocacy groups – including Government Accountability Project – chronicles a litany of recent attacks on federal science and scientists by [...]

Hellish Hurricanes Part One: Just the Facts on Florence, Please

Have hurricanes like Florence, Maria, and Harvey become deadlier and more destructive because of human-caused changes in Earth’s climate system? NOAA GOES satellite From September 14-18, 2018 Hurricane Florence dumped more than 19 trillion gallons of water on the Carolinas with record-breaking rainfall that flooded most highways and roads, caused 16 major rivers [...]

The “Youth v Gov” Climate Change Lawsuit: An Update and Some Insightful Perspectives

CSPW has been following with great interest the ups and downs, ins and outs of the long and arduous pathway 21 youth plaintiffs have been trekking for three years, in a sustained effort to see their legal case against the US government be tried in court. We last wrote about this in December 2016: Why Are [...]

After a 19-Month Vacancy, White House Taps an Academic Meteorologist to Head the OSTP

Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, vice president of research and professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. This week the White House formally announced the appointment of Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, PhD, a meteorologist and atmospheric research scientist at the University of Oklahoma, to direct the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). [...]

Taking Stock of Climate Change Impacts: How Many Puerto Rican Lives Did Hurricane Maria Take?

We Don’t Know for Sure, and the Death Toll is Still Climbing The 2018 hurricane season is now upon us, even while millions of people residing in hurricane alley – the large swath of ocean stretching from Africa to North America – are still recovering from the hyperactive, catastrophic 2017 hurricane season. Last year we [...]

As Fossil Fuels Melt the Planet, Could Climate Change Cause a Nuclear Meltdown?

Nearly three dozen nuclear power plants are inadequately protected against major flooding guaranteed to occur after an upstream dam failure – flooding that could easily lead to an accident or meltdown on the scale of the 2011 nuclear power disaster in Fukushima, Japan. Yet, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) – the federal agency responsible for [...]

As the Trump Administration Tries to Tamp Down Climate Change, We are Rising Up to Meet the Challenge

By Anne Polansky and Michael Termini More than one full year into a Donald Trump presidency, we are taking stock of the new political landscape, already marked by turmoil and volatility. Never before in modern US history have we seen such instability and unreliability in basic governance at the federal level. Here in the nation’s [...]

U.S. Fails to Submit Reports on 1 January as Required Under U.N. Climate Treaty

The U.S. has failed to submit by 1 January a major report required under U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Most countries have submitted their reports, while there is no publicly available information on the status of the 7th U.S. Climate Action Report and 3rd Biennial Report. Under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, drafts were made available for public review and comment. And the last reports were submitted under President Obama before the January 1, 2014 deadline.