President Trump signed executive orders prioritizing fossil fuels while rolling back renewable energy efforts. These orders aim to expand oil and gas production, halt funding for
A new EPA proposal is reigniting a debate about what counts as ‘renewable’
Summary
The EPA has suggested increasing the federal Renewable Fuel Standard's mandated requirements. The 2005 program regulates how much renewable fuels including corn-based ethanol, manure-based biogas, and wood pellets are used to decrease petroleum-based transportation fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The latest EPA plan would raise renewable fuels by approximately 2 billion gallons by 2025, or 9%. Advanced biofuel comes from agricultural, animal, food, and yard waste, including biogas made from animal and human waste. The EPA's latest plan calls for a 14% rise in these fuels from 2023 to 2024 and a 12% increase in 2025. Industry producers and the federal government support these new renewable fuel rules, while environmental organizations view growing investment in ethanol, biomass, and biogas as exacerbating dirty energy. Opponents believe that increasing corn production for ethanol would prolong damaging agricultural techniques that erode soil and pour large quantities of chemicals on corn farms, causing water contamination and toxic dead zones throughout the country and the Gulf of Mexico. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported earlier this year that when corn demand rises due to RFS blending rules, prices rise and farmers apply more fossil fuel-based fertilizer to crops. The EPA's own analysis shows that the federal mandate's blending requirements will raise greenhouse gas emissions over the next three years.
January 20, 2025
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed executive orders reversing key climate policies from the Biden administration. He declared a “national energy emergency,”
January 18, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
A report by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) warns that the global economy could lose 50% of its GDP between 2070 and 2090 due to climate shocks like fires, flooding,
January 17, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Los Angeles wildfires have ravaged 40,000 acres and destroyed 12,000 structures since January 7, exposing residents to uniquely hazardous smoke. Unlike typical wildfires, these
January 17, 2025
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
California's electric truck depots are increasingly adopting microgrids powered by solar, batteries, and gas generators to address utility grid delays. Prologis’ Denker Avenue
A study in *Environmental Science & Technology* shows prioritizing the closure of coal-fired power plants in environmental justice communities could prevent up to 136 premature
January 17, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Residents of Shiloh, Alabama, a majority-Black community, are seeking federal accountability for years of severe flooding linked to a highway expansion by the Alabama Department
January 17, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
The American Conservation Coalition (ACC), a conservative climate organization, aims to influence Donald Trump’s second term with an "America-first climate strategy" focused on
January 15, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
President Biden’s American Climate Corps, aimed at creating green jobs to combat climate change, is shutting down ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration. Launched in 2023 with a
January 15, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares for a second term, state-level climate initiatives are poised to counteract federal rollbacks. States like California, bolstered by the U.
January 14, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
The Center for Microgrid Research at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, not to be confused with the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, is expanding its efforts to
January 10, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
New York City has implemented congestion pricing, making it the first U.S. city to adopt this policy, which charges vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street. The plan aims to
January 9, 2025
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
Jimmy Carter’s presidency made energy a central political issue in the U.S., emphasizing reduced oil dependency and energy conservation. As president, Carter created the Departmen
January 9, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Texas is experiencing a rapid increase in microgrid adoption as extreme weather events, such as Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and Hurricane Beryl in 2024, expose vulnerabilities in the
January 9, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
New research highlights the growing prevalence of "weather whiplash," rapid shifts between extreme rain and drought, as a hallmark of climate change. In Los Angeles, this phenomen