December 5, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change
President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees signal a sharp turn toward fossil fuel expansion and climate deregulation. Key figures, including fracking executive Chris Wright f
Q&A: Cancer Alley Is Real, And Louisiana Officials Helped Create It, Researchers Find
Summary
For years, environmental organizations have nicknamed the 130-mile industrial corridor along the lower Mississippi River between here and Baton Rouge "cancer alley," a twisting stretch with more than 200 companies, including oil refineries, plastics manufacturers, chemical plants, and other polluting enterprises. State environmental authorities and business representatives have long challenged the phrase, even though U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mapping indicates the region's population suffer some of the nation's greatest health risks from inhaling harmful chemicals. Public authorities have maintained that the state's cancer registry reveals cancer incidences in industrial corridor parishes do not surpass statewide rates. But two studies published in peer-reviewed publications in the past 13 months support the idea that cancer alley is real and that state environmental officials have helped create it with inequitable air quality laws. A January 2022 Environmental Research Letters study indicated air pollution increased cancer rates in Black and disadvantaged populations. Last month, a second study in Environmental Challenges found that industrial emissions in Louisiana's minority communities are seven to 21 times higher than in white ones, blaming state regulators' permitting methods. The investigations come amid continuing environmental justice fights against new or expanded petrochemical facilities, notably the $9.4 billion Formosa plastics manufacturing complex planned for St. James Parish, which has been stalled by the courts, and the EPA's vow to better monitor pollution in t
A $200 billion surge in liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects could release greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of all global coal plants, raising significa
December 4, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
During his final overseas trip as president, Joe Biden highlighted the Lobito Corridor, an 800-mile U.S.-funded railway project in Angola connecting critical mineral-rich regions
December 3, 2024
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
Startups like Still Bright, Ceibo, and Jetti Resources are developing cleaner copper extraction technologies to meet surging demand driven by the energy transition. Innovations in
December 2, 2024
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
Long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies, such as pumped hydropower and underground compressed air storage, are emerging as solutions to store renewable energy for extende
December 2, 2024
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
The Midwest Hydrogen Hub, spanning Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan, has received $22.2 million as part of a $1 billion federal investment to expand clean hydrogen production
November 29, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change
A new study reveals that air pollution from wildfires causes 1.5 million deaths annually, with over 90% of fatalities occurring in low- and middle-income countries, particularly i
November 28, 2024
Economic Justice
Economic Justice
A report from the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) reveals systemic racial bias in home appraisals has cost Black Americans $150 billion in home equity. Homes i
November 27, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change
Community Church Atlanta transformed its Vicars Community Center into the city's first community-owned resilience hub, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Equipped with
November 27, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Michigan's Public Service Commission faces a lawsuit from about 80 townships and counties challenging its implementation of a new law, Public Act 233, which expedites permitting f
November 27, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
The fifth and potentially final round of U.N. plastic treaty negotiations (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea, centers on whether to impose global caps on plastic production. Advocates,
November 26, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Highways in the Twin Cities have perpetuated environmental and social inequities, disproportionately affecting urban communities. Black residents were displaced during their const
November 26, 2024
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
Ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, the Biden administration is fast-tracking clean energy investments. The Department of Energy announced nearly $12 billion in loans,
November 26, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change
COP29 approved controversial rules for international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, enabling countries to trade emissions reductions. Critics argue the gui
December 25, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change
COP29 concluded in Baku with a contentious climate finance agreement that left many nations dissatisfied. The deal commits wealthy countries to lead efforts to triple climate aid