Blog
Ending federal fossil fuel leasing could keep 450 billion tons of carbon pollution in the ground
Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to our future and future generations. In the U.S., federal leasing of publicly owned fossil fuels contributes significantly to domestic and global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for nearly a quarter of U.S. energy-related emissions and nearly 4 percent of global emissions over the… Read More
Obama methane rule is first step but downplays problem, say green groups
The Environmental Protection Agency announced proposed regulations Tuesday targeting oil and gas industry methane emissions. The EPA says the new rules, billed as part of the White House’s climate action plan, would cut the release of methane, a volatile greenhouse gas, by 40 to 45 percent from 2012 levels over the next decade. The plan,… Read More
The EPA’s New Methane Rules for the Oil and Gas Industry
The Environment Protection Agency is proposing a new rule that would reduce methane emissions from oil and natural-gas drilling by 40 to 45 percent of 2012 levels by 2025. The rules would also amend existing regulations and be applicable throughout the oil and natural gas industry, including in production, processing, transmission… Read More
Hidden abuse: The persistence of slave labor within Southeast Asia’s palm oil industry
Lucrative as it is for multi-national corporations, the palm oil industry has incited numerous humanitarian concerns in recent years. Palm oil giants have increasingly acted at the expense of those employed on their plantations for the sake of satisfying a rising global demand for oil palm – the same fruit… Read More
Obama To Visit Alaska, But Enviros Cry Foul Over Arctic Drilling
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is traveling to Alaska later this month to visit the front lines of climate change, which he called “one of the greatest challenges we face this century” in a video posted Thursday. The effects of climate change in Alaska are “our wake up call,” the… Read More
It’s not just Coke: Big Food and the new astroturf
Coca-Cola is fighting the rapid drop in soda sales by going beyond marketing and co-opting science. As the New York Times reported on Monday, the company is backing a new scientific research group centered on the idea that lack of exercise — not sweet beverages — is making people unhealthy. The Coke-supported… Read More
Obama Administration Accused of Giving Human Trafficking Status Upgrade to ‘Further Corporate Trade Agenda’
Controversy over the State Department’s upgrading of Malaysia in its annual human trafficking report continues to swirl, with one organization charging that it shows the administration watering down human rights abuses in an effort to “further its corporate trade agenda.” The latest Trafficking in Persons Report, released last month, has… Read More
The Obama Administration Just Blew Off Human Trafficking Concerns to Pass the TPP
This spring, investigators discovered mass graves of human trafficking victims in Malaysia. How did the U.S. State Department respond? By upgrading its assessment of Malaysia’s human rights efforts. According to Reuters, trafficking experts in the department had given the country a poor rating, but political appointees … Read More
The humble bumble gets its own day of gratitude
Lisa Arkin is the executive director of Beyond Toxics, a Eugene, Ore.-based non-profit that works to protect communities and the environment from toxic pollution. Have you been enjoying watching the furry bumble bees visiting your garden flowers? They seem to be out and about, buzzing the blossoms just at dawn,… Read More
Dirty tax break, dirtier fuel
The U.S.’s operable refinery capacity — that is, the amount of crude oil that can be processed and sold to consumers as liquid fuel — is a whopping 18 million barrels per day. The United States is home to 140 oil refineries, all but six of which were… Read More