ELI In the News
Wetlands champion: Russell Furnari
Wetlands are one of the most valuable, and least understood, of our natural resources. Wetlands clean and replenish water supplies, reduce flood risk by soaking up stormwater, provide rich wildlife habitat, and offer incredible beauty and recreational opportunities. May is American Wetlands Month, a time to celebrate their many benefits and to thank those who work tirelessly to protect and restore them. . . .
Read More >Indoor Air Pollution Fix Will Require New Laws, New Tech
In the Biden administration, environmental issues are taking center stage. President Joe Biden's U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is being reshaped and reinvigorated, prioritizing climate change and reduction of air pollution. One of Biden's first signed executive orders is telling. It discusses multiple ways to address air pollution, including reducing methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, establishing job-creating fuel economy standards, reducing air pollution from coal- and electric-fired utilities, and accounting for climate change. . . .
Read More >‘America the Beautiful’ Plan Debuts the Biden Administration’s Approach to Conserving the Environment and Habitat
The Biden administration on Thursday introduced its “America the Beautiful” plan to conserve 30 percent of the nation’s land and water by 2030, calling it the country’s first-ever national conservation goal and issuing a stark warning about the state of the country’s natural areas. “Nature in America is in trouble and Americans across the country are seeing and feeling the impact,” said Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “We need a collective, all hands on deck national effort to conserve and restore the land and water upon which we all depend.” . .
Read More >BIDEN'S FIRST 100 DAYS: US agencies 'moving with remarkable speed' on energy, climate
One hundred days into office, President Joe Biden has made rapid progress in dismantling his predecessor's energy and climate agenda and implementing his own. Biden won the election on a campaign pledge to decarbonize the US economy by midcentury, an effort he formally kicked off on Jan. 20 with a detailed executive order targeting former President Donald Trump's rollbacks of signature Obama-era climate policies. A week later, Biden signed another sweeping executive order establishing a "whole of government" approach to "tackling the climate crisis at home and abroad." . . .
Read More >New book by former Pa. state senator calls for environmental rights amendment to the Constitution
An amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing a right to a healthy environment is the call issued in a new book by Franklin Kury, who more than 50 years ago, as a newly elected Pennsylvania state senator, drafted and championed an Environmental Rights Amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution. That amendment was enacted on Earth Day 1970 and ratified by Pennsylvania’s voters one year later.
Read More >Decolonizing Sustainability: Food Sovereignty, Animal Liberation, and Land Justice
During the pandemic, sustainable food products like organic milk and cage-free eggs have continued to drive economic growth. The problem is, they’re not as sustainable as they claim to be. They are also marketed 39 percent higher than conventionally marketed products. But this shift has shown to be more than a marketing ploy. Companies have taken note of consumer’s concern for the planet, recognizing the turn towards more conscious consumerism as an opportunity to get rich at the expense of marginalized communities around the world. . . .
Read More >Brenda Mallory to take environmental policy in a new direction
Brenda Mallory’s supporters say her decades of environmental law experience qualify her as the best choice to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality. But she also brings a new perspective to the role as the first African American to hold the position, one shaped by her humble beginnings in Waterbury, Conn. “That’s really important when we’re talking about environmental justice, that we have someone whose life experiences teach her about what that means,” said Jeffrey Gleason, executive director of the Southern Environmental Law Center. . . .
Read More >'Ecocide' movement pushes for a new international crime: Environmental destruction
In 1948, after Nazi Germany exterminated millions of Jews and other minorities during World War II, the United Nations adopted a convention establishing a new crime so heinous it demanded collective action. Genocide, the nations declared, was “condemned by the civilized world” and justified intervention in the affairs of sovereign states.
Read More >Testing the waters: First-gen student prepares for a future in environmental law
Internships build the road to future careers, giving students the opportunity to try out a field and develop professional skills and relationships. But many are unpaid, which can put them out of the reach of low-income or first-generation students. Amy Liang, a senior majoring in both environmental studies and philosophy, politics and law, received the support she needed through Harpur Edge, which provided a Harpur Edge Funding Award that allowed her to participate in the Harpur Law Council Public Interest Law Internship Program last summer. . . .
Read More >David Hayes has ideas for blunting climate disasters
A top White House climate adviser denounced "fiscally irresponsible repeat spending on disaster after disaster" and said the government should improve the nation's resilience to floods and other perils. David Hayes, President Biden's special assistant for climate policy, says in a new article that the Federal Emergency Management Agency should encourage states to develop "climate resilience plans" to help them incorporate risks from warming into disaster recovery. . . .
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