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
Understanding Challenges to Health Equity in Climate Action and Land Use Planning
Summary
Researchers investigated the challenges that stakeholders (government, community, and consultants) face while implementing a new California legislation (Senate Bill 1000) requiring environmental justice issues to be incorporated in municipal land use plans (i.e., general plans). The researchers' examination of 37 municipal and county general plans in areas identified by the state as having high levels of environmental injustice reveals that they have limited resources to implement policies and participate in significant community participation. However, one method that urban planners may use to assist overcome this difficulty is to adopt a strong public health framework. In their analysis, three of the 37 jurisdictions alluded to a prior health strategy (i.e., chapter or element) in their general plans as a significant forerunner for environmental justice issues. These communities started their outreach with a wide conversation about health as a way for locals to understand and connect to environmental justice in context. This contextual examination of current situations, as well as the identification of vulnerable people, provided as a guide for community engagement. Local public health agencies, meanwhile, aided urban planners in better understanding community and environmental health concerns. These collaborations were critical in driving community participation and obtaining, sharing, and evaluating data, as well as formulating environmental justice objectives and policies.
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