Back

Director's Picks

Republicans once embraced ‘green banks.’ Trump is trying to raid them

Summary

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is attempting to seize $20 billion allocated for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a Biden-era clean energy loan program designed to finance renewable energy projects in under served communities. Zeldin claims the funds, held by Citibank, were improperly distributed before Biden left office. However, green banks have historically received bipartisan support, with similar programs operating in states like Connecticut and Nevada. The Trump administration’s attempt to claw back the funds has sparked legal uncertainty, with a top Justice Department prosecutor resigning rather than ordering a freeze. Critics argue the move threatens clean energy investments, including solar farms and efficiency upgrades, particularly in low-income and rural areas. The administration’s actions align with broader Republican efforts to dismantle federal climate initiatives, despite evidence that these funds attract private investment and reduce the need for future government spending on climate mitigation.

discover more

June 12, 2026

Federal grant cuts are significantly impacting environmental justice and public health efforts in Houston, with tens of millions of dollars eliminated from local programs...

June 5, 2026

Representative Christian Menefee is working to elevate environmental justice as a key priority within the Democratic Party, emphasizing the need to address pollution and climate..

May 29, 2026

America’s rapidly expanding data center industry is carrying a steep hidden environmental and public health cost, estimated at nearly $25 billion annually...

May 22, 2026

A recent Newsweek analysis highlights how accelerating sea level rise, driven in part by the potential collapse of Antarctica’s Thwaites “doomsday” glacier, could reshape U.S...

May 15, 2026
Human Health
Human Health

A new study found that "forever chemicals" (PFAS) are present in 98.8% of over 10,000 human blood samples tested. Most individuals carry a complex mixture of at least five...

May 8, 2026
Climate Change
Climate Change

A new study warns that Louisiana’s rapidly disappearing coastline may have crossed a tipping point, with land loss accelerating beyond the reach of traditional restoration...

May 4, 2026
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

A unanimous Supreme Court ruled that multiple oil and gas companies can pursue lawsuits brought by Louisiana parishes over coastal land loss in federal court, overturning...

April 23, 2026
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

A federal judge has ruled that the government is liable for the damage inflicted on downstream homeowners during Hurricane Harvey, marking a significant shift in the long-standing

April 10, 2026
Climate Change
Climate Change

New federal weather data shows that March was the hottest and most abnormally warm month ever recorded in the continental United States, shattering records that date back more...

April 2, 2026

A new global analysis shows that large AI data centers are creating significant “heat islands,” raising surrounding land temperatures by an average of 3.6°F...

March 27, 2026
Civil Rights & Human Rights
Civil Rights & Human Rights

United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the "gravest crime against humanity" and calling for reparatory...

March 13, 2026
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

Skyrocketing premiums and climate-driven risks are disproportionately affecting Black homeowners, who often reside in vulnerable areas due to the lasting effects of historical...

March 6, 2026
Climate Change
Climate Change

A new study published in Nature reveals that current sea levels are an average of 20 to 30 centimeters higher than previously assumed in over 90% of coastal hazard assessments...

February 25, 2026
Climate Change
Climate Change

According to a study published in Communications Earth & Environment, climate change is making access to drinkable water more difficult and less reliable in the United States.

February 20, 2026
Climate Justice
Climate Justice

Growing evidence shows that poor and Black, Latino and other racial and ethnic groups are typically more vulnerable than white people to pollution and climate-driven floods...