[Source: The New York Times] America’s greenhouse gas emissions from energy and industry plummeted more than 10 percent in 2020, reaching their lowest levels in at least three decades as the coronavirus pandemic slammed the brakes on the nation’s economy, according to an estimate published Tuesday (Preliminary US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimates for 2020 | Read More…
Newsroom
Cutting concrete’s carbon footprint
[Source: GTM GreenTech Media] After years of slow headway, building design and industry professionals say sharp reductions in the climate impact of concrete are possible now. That is significant because cement, the critical glue that holds concrete together, is so carbon-intensive that if it were a country, it would rank fourth in the world as Read More…
A final EPA rollback under Trump curbs use of health studies
[Source: Associated Press] The Environmental Protection Agency released one of its last major rollbacks under the Trump administration on Tuesday, limiting what evidence it will consider about risks of pollutants in a way that opponents say could cripple future public health regulation. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the new rule, which restricts what findings from Read More…
Enjoying new clout, environmental justice groups may press Biden
[Source: KQED] Though it may have been eclipsed in headlines and worrying by the coronavirus pandemic, the climate crisis has not gone away. As new President Joe Biden tries to implement policies with the goal of redirecting economic development toward greenhouse gas reduction, he’ll have to contend with pressure not only from groups on the Read More…
Now is not the time for tax increases
[Source: CalChamber] When Governor Newsom endorsed Prop 15 in September – which voters soundly rejected in November – he specifically said “In a global, mobile economy, now is not the time for the kind of state tax increases on income we saw proposed at the end of this legislative session and I will not sign Read More…
After a century of growth, have carbon emissions reached their peak?
[Source: GRIST] In late March, approximately a third of the world’s population found themselves under some kind of stay-at-home order due to COVID-19. The effects were dramatic: Virtually overnight, bumper-to-bumper traffic gave way to empty roads; bustling airports became echoing ghost towns; retail stores and restaurants closed their doors and turned off the lights. And Read More…
California’s new series of COVID-19 reporting requirements
[Source: CalChamber] During the 2020 California legislative session, COVID-19 forced lawmakers to pivot from their routine business to addressing the growing pandemic. In response, the Legislature enacted SB 1159 and AB 685 that created certain reporting requirements for employers when learning of a positive case. Following up, Cal/OSHA recently approved and implemented COVID-19 emergency regulations Read More…
Environmental justice groups block Mary Nichols’ path to EPA
[Source: Los Angeles Times] Through four governors, two Obama terms and the Trump administration, Mary Nichols has led the charge to clean up California’s smog and fight climate change. In the process, she has earned herself a reputation as one of the most influential environmental regulators in the country. So with Joe Biden headed to Read More…
Biden picks Michael Regan to head Environmental Protection Agency
[Source: FOX News] President-elect Joe Biden tapped Michael Regan to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, Fox News has confirmed. Regan has served as head of North Carolina’s environmental agency since 2017. A longtime air quality specialist at the EPA, Regan has served under both the Clinton and George W. Bush Read More…