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 goa
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
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
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
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 9, 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
January 8, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Florida faces a looming water crisis as climate change, rapid population growth, and overuse of groundwater threaten its freshwater supply. The state relies on aquifers for 90% of
January 8, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
New Clark City, a $2.5 billion project in the Philippines, is designed to be a climate-resilient urban hub with plans for green infrastructure, renewable energy, and flood-resista
January 8, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
President Biden’s new ban on offshore oil and gas drilling excludes the western Gulf of Mexico, the area responsible for 97% of U.S. offshore oil production. The ban protects the
UN Special Rapporteur Elisa Morgera has called for fundamental reforms to the global climate regime, criticizing the current system as ineffective and dominated by misinformation
January 4, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Rising sea levels caused by climate change threaten to severely damage 13 major oil ports globally, including key facilities in Saudi Arabia, the US, China, and the Netherlands. A
January 3, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
In a landmark decision, the Montana Supreme Court ruled 6-1 in favor of 16 youth plaintiffs in *Held v. Montana*, affirming their constitutional right to a “clean and healthful en
January 3, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
AI-driven weather forecasting models are proving faster, cheaper, and more accurate than traditional numerical methods reliant on expensive supercomputers. These tools leverage ma
January 3, 2025
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
Elon Musk, alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President-elect Donald Trump. Tasked with cutting $2 trillion in federal spend