Blog
Waxman-Markey Strips EPA of Clean Air Act Authority to Fight Global Warming
Effectiveness of the Clean Air Act The history of the Clean Air Act has demonstrated its value in reducing air pollution and improving health and welfare in cost-effective ways. Its programs have reduced a wide variety of air pollutants -- from nitrous oxides to volative organic compounds, from sulphur to pollutants causing the ozone hole -- and have done so across a wide variety of sources, from stationary sources to motor vehicles. Read More
Senate’s Dirty Energy Bill
The American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009 (ACELA) fails to heed President Obama’s call for clean energy jobs and a green economy. Instead it takes the same past false steps and increases our reliance on failed dirty energy sources. Read More
House Green Economy Bill Falls Short
Polluting special interests have weakened bill; it now falls far short of vision for clean energy future Obama articulated during campaign A bill intended to spur the United States’ transition to a clean energy economy and reduce global warming pollution is advancing in Congress. The bill (H.R. 2454), sponsored by Representatives Henry Waxman and Ed Markey, passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 21. Read More
Video Blogging From Bonn
Friends of the Earth staff share their take on international climate negotiations International climate change negotiations are underway in Bonn, Germany. These negotiations, formally known as an "intercessional," are running from June 1 to 12 and are intended to lay the groundwork for countries to form a binding agreement to tackle the climate crisis. The agreement is expected to be finalized during further negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, later this year. Read More
Victory! Shell Pays Ogoni $15.5 Million in Settlement
On June 8, a settlement was reached shortly before Shell was due to stand trial in U.S. federal court for complicity in the executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other nonviolent Nigerian activists. Read More
Ship Shape: Celebrate World Oceans Day
This Monday, June 8 is World Oceans Day! After many years and much effort on the part of oceans advocates, the United Nations declared June 8, 2009 as the first official World Oceans Day. Read More
Waxman-Markey Gives Big Bucks to Polluters
Just when you thought that the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill couldn't get any worse, it does. According to Friends of the Earth's analysis of the bill, the bill would allocated tens of billions of dollars in permits to the industries that contribute greatest to global warming. In fact, the bill allocates pollution permits worth more than $24 billion to oil industry and more than $158 billion to the coal industry over the life-time of the bill. Read More
Safeguards in Biofuels Policy Endangered by Climate Bill Hostage Situtation
The last week’s deliberations on climate legislation in the House Energy and Commerce Committee did not leave environmental safeguards from biofuels unscathed. Read More
International Negotiations and U.S. Climate Legislation
The nations of the world expect U.S. leadership this year in international climate negotiations, which will culminate in the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark in December. These negotiations in Copenhagen will be our best opportunity to forge a strong and fair international agreement to solve the climate crisis, and what happens in the United States prior to these negotiations will influence whether such a solution can be achieved. Read More