December, 28 2017, 08:15am EDT
Top 10 Environmental Stories in a Difficult Climate
WASHINGTON
Cities and states around the country made substantial progress in 2017 to help us create the clean, green, healthy planet we deserve -- in sharp contrast to the federal government, which spent the year rolling back protections for our air, water, land and health.
After President Trump announced his intention to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate agreement, more than 2,500 governors, mayors and business leaders from across the country signed onto the "We are still in" statement to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions on their own. This bipartisan group, which represents more than 127 million Americans, signaled to the rest of the world that the American people would uphold their commitment to the goals set by the Paris Climate agreement.
We have the power to harness clean, abundant energy from the sun and the wind, and we can do it more efficiently and cheaply than ever before. In March, for the first time ever, renewable energy accounted for 10 percent of total U.S. electricity generation and continued to expand. The U.S. is now the second-fastest growing market for solar energy, which is the fastest growing source of new energy in the world. The cost of solar is down more than 60 percent in the past decade. While some major utility companies pressured lawmakers to stifle the growth of rooftop solar, forward-looking legislators in Nevada changed course in 2017, largely reversing their state's anti-solar policies and bringing rooftop solar back to one of the nation's sunniest states.
Environment Massachusetts, Environment California, PennEnvironment and others helped introduce legislation to move their states toward 100 percent renewable energy and electricity, respectively, in the coming decades. 2017 saw a tidal wave of 50 cities, including Atlanta, plus dozens of business leaders and institutions, making commitments to transition to the use of 100 percent renewables. Many of the institutions leading this shift to clean energy are in higher education. Environment America and our allies have helped college campuses across the U.S., notably Cornell University and Boston University, to pass student government or administrative resolutions to move towards 100 percent renewable energy.
In California, both Los Angeles County and Los Angeles City adopted proposals for an all-electric bus fleet by 2030 or sooner. Together, these two commitments represent one-fourth of all transit buses in California. The Los Angeles Metro plans on spending $1 billion on new bus purchases over the next 10 years and has already entered into contracts for 95 electric buses in the next four years.
Nine Northeastern states strengthened a bipartisan partnership, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which has cut global warming pollution in half since 2005. The new rules will cut pollution by another 30 percent by 2030. The governor-elect of New Jersey pledged that his state will rejoin the partnership in early 2018, and leaders in Virginia are positioning their state to join as well. Congratulations to the governors for transcending partisan politics and making the nation's best regional climate program even better!
After seven years of litigation, a federal judge ordered ExxonMobil to pay a $19.95 million penalty in a Clean Air Act lawsuit brought by Environment Texas and the Sierra Club. The judge found that the company's Houston-area petrochemical complex had unlawfully emitted more than 10 million pounds of hazardous chemicals, defying clean air permits and state and federal law. If upheld on appeal, this would be the largest civil penalty resulting from a citizen suit in U.S. history.
PennEnvironment Director David Masur announces settlement against ArcelorMittal. Photo by Maranie StaabPennEnvironment settled a federal lawsuit against the world's largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, securing the largest penalty of its kind under the Clean Air Act in Pennsylvania and obligating the company to make major upgrades to its operations. ArcelorMittal was accused of hundreds of pollution violations of the federal Clean Air Act, many of which involved violations up to eight times higher than the legal limit.
Suwannee River, Florida. Source: U.S. Geological SurveySecuring what is believed to be the largest Clean Water Act penalty in a citizen enforcement suit in Florida history, Environment Florida and co-plaintiff Sierra Club reached a settlement with poultry giant Pilgrim's Pride Corporation over hundreds of alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act. As part of the settlement, Pilgrim's has agreed to end, or dramatically reduce, its discharge of pollutants to the Suwannee River.
One of the graphics from Environment America Research & Policy Center's 'Get the Lead Out' reportStates and communities took action to protect drinking water from lead contamination. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has ordered new rules to address lead at child care centers; Maryland and Alabama joined a growing number of states that require testing of water at schools; and cities from San Diego to Austin to Washington, D.C., have set strict, new standards for the amount of lead contamination allowable in drinking water at schools. While much more work is needed, these are steps in the right direction for public health efforts after the issue entered the national spotlight with the Flint Water Crisis in 2014.
Delaware Estuary. Source: Partnership for the Delaware EstuaryEarlier this year, Maryland governor Larry Hogan signed into law a fracking ban, joining Vermont and New York as the only three states in the U.S. to ban fracking altogether. More recently, the Delaware River Basin Commission issued draft rules prohibiting fracking in the Delaware River watershed, which provides drinking water to 15 million people in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
With Environment America, you protect the places that all of us love and promote core environmental values, such as clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and clean energy to power our lives. We're a national network of 29 state environmental groups with members and supporters in every state. Together, we focus on timely, targeted action that wins tangible improvements in the quality of our environment and our lives.
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Sanders, Booker, and Welch Unveil Ban on Junk Food Ads Targeting Kids
"We cannot continue to allow large corporations in the food and beverage industry to put their profits over the health and wellbeing of our children," said Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Apr 19, 2024
A trio of U.S. senators on Friday introduced what's being billed as first-of-its-kind legislation sponsors say will "take on the greed of the food and beverage industry and address the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics" with a federal ban on junk food ads targeting children.
The Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act—introduced by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.)—would also require warning labels "on sugar-sweetened foods and beverages; foods and beverages containing non-sugar sweeteners; ultra-processed foods; and foods high in nutrients of concern, such as added sugar, saturated fat, or sodium."
"Let's be clear: The twin crises of type 2 diabetes and obesity in America are being fueled by the food and beverage industry that, for decades, has been making massive profits by enticing children to consume unhealthy products purposely designed to be overeaten," Sanders—who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee—said in a statement. "We cannot continue to allow large corporations in the food and beverage industry to put their profits over the health and wellbeing of our children."
"Nearly 30 years ago, Congress had the courage to take on the tobacco industry, whose products killed more than 400,000 Americans every year," Sanders added. "Now is the time for Congress to act with the same sense of urgency to combat these diabetes and obesity epidemics. That means banning junk food ads targeted to kids and putting strong warning labels on food and beverages with unacceptably high levels of sugar, salt, and saturated fat."
Booker said that "the future of our nation depends on a continued investment in the health and wellbeing of our children," adding that "more and more of our children are developing diabetes and obesity primarily because a handful of corporate food giants push addictive, ultra-processed foods to drive up their profits."
"By banning junk food advertising to children, implementing front-of-package warning labels, and funding research on the dangers of ultra-processed foods, we can rein in the predatory behavior of big food companies and ensure a healthier future for generations to come," he added.
As the senators noted:
Today, more than 35 million Americans are struggling with type 2 diabetes—90% of whom are overweight or obese. These crises go hand-in-hand and children are severely impacted. Today, 1 out of 5 five kids are living with obesity. A serious illness unto itself, diabetes is also a contributing factor to heart disease, stroke, amputations, blindness, and kidney failure. Unless the U.S. dramatically changes course, these numbers will continue to grow exponentially.
The impact on the economy is enormous: Last year, the total cost of diabetes exceeded $400 billion, approximately 10% of overall U.S. healthcare expenditures.
Meanwhile, the U.S. food and beverage industry spends about $14 billion annually on marketing unhealthy products, with $2 billion of that spent on advertising these products to children.
"Our food environment has become dominated by ultra-processed foods that have more in common with a cigarette than a fruit or vegetable," said Ashley Gearhardt, director of the Food and Addiction Science & Treatment Lab at the University of Michigan. "Many ultra-processed foods are hyperpalatable and trigger the core signs of addiction, like intense cravings and a loss of control over intake."
"The American public is not adequately warned about the risks associated with these products and children are a key marketing demographic for ultra-processed foods with unhealthy nutrient profiles," Gearhardt added. "The Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act is a courageous step towards promoting the physical and mental health of American children."
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Complaints of Pregnant Patients Denied Emergency Care Surged After Dobbs
"MAGA abortion bans deny women lifesaving care," one critic said in response to reporting on patient stories.
Apr 19, 2024
New reporting from The Associated Press that complaints of pregnant patients turned away from emergency departments "spiked" after the reversal of Roe v. Wade sparked fresh condemnation of efforts to restrict abortion rights on Friday.
Since the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court ended nearly half a century of nationwide abortion rights with Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in June 2022, over 20 states have enacted new restrictions on reproductive healthcare, creating a culture of confusion and fear at many medical facilities.
Early last year, the AP submitted a public records request for 2022 complaints filed under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), a federal law that requires hospitals and emergency departments that accept Medicare to provide screenings to patients who request them and prohibits refusing to treat individuals with an emergency medical condition.
"This is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life.'"
"One year after submitting the request, the federal government agreed to release only some complaints and investigative documents filed across just 19 states," the AP's Amanda Seitz reported. "The names of patients, doctors, and medical staff were redacted from the documents."
"One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to admit her," the journalist detailed. "Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina, a woman gave birth in a car after an emergency room couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died."
According to Seitz:
Emergency rooms are subject to hefty fines when they turn away patients, fail to stabilize them, or transfer them to another hospital for treatment. Violations can also put hospitals' Medicare funding at risk.
But it's unclear what fines might be imposed on more than a dozen hospitals that the Biden administration says failed to properly treat pregnant patients in 2022.
It can take years for fines to be levied in these cases. The Health and Human Services agency, which enforces the law, declined to share if the hospitals have been referred to the agency's Office of Inspector General for penalties.
Responding to the reporting on social media, journalist Jane Mayer declared, "This is barbaric."
Texas Poor People's Campaign said that women in the state "are being left to die in ER waiting rooms. We cannot let this policy violence against women continue. Please join us as we mobilize voters for the '24 election."
Going into November, abortion has been a key issue at the state and federal level. Supporters of reproductive freedom are working to advance various ballot measures while Democratic President Joe Biden's campaign has highlighted his support for abortion rights and the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, has bragged about his role in reversing Roe—he appointed three of the six justices behind the majority opinion.
"MAGA abortion bans deny women lifesaving care," stressed Alex Wall, senior vice president for digital advocacy at the Center for American Progress. Citing examples from Texas and Florida in the AP report, he reiterated, "MAGA Republicans did this."
Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said that "this is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life'—pregnant women being turned away at hospitals and emergency centers. Absolutely disgraceful. No woman should ever be denied emergency care."
Slate's Mark Joseph Stern, who covers U.S. legal battles, noted that this "devastating and timely story" from Seitz comes "just days before the Supreme Court considers whether emergency rooms can legally force patients to the brink of death before terminating a failing pregnancy."
The high court is set to hear arguments in that case Wednesday. The Biden administration is challenging Idaho's near-total ban on abortion, which "would make it a criminal offense for doctors to comply with EMTALA's requirement to provide stabilizing treatment, even where a doctor determines that abortion is the medical treatment necessary to prevent a patient from suffering severe health risks or even death," as the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit explains.
The Justice Department is seeking a judgment that Idaho's law is invalid under the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution and "is preempted by federal law to the extent that it conflicts with EMTALA."
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Progressives Oppose Israel Funding Advanced by US House
"Congress is shamefully choosing a failed approach of fueling genocide rather than saving Palestinian and Israeli lives," said Rep. Cori Bush.
Apr 19, 2024
Progressive lawmakers on Friday dissented as the Republican-controlled U.S. House advanced legislation to provide more military funding to Israel as well as Ukraine and Taiwan, with Rep. Cori Bush condemning a committee's refusal to consider an amendment aimed at securing a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
The legislation passed a procedural hurdle in a vote of 316-94, placing votes for the separate aid packages and a bill calling for more humanitarian assistance to Gaza on the legislative agenda for Saturday.
Bush (D-Mo.) joined progressives including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in opposing the legislation, with centrist Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina also voting with the left-wing faction.
The Missouri Democrat condemned the House Rules Committee's refusal to consider an amendment she submitted along with Tlaib, which called for a lasting cease-fire, a release of all hostages in Israel and Palestine, and "diplomacy to secure self-determination for both Palestinians and Israelis."
"Congress is shamefully choosing a failed approach of fueling genocide rather than saving Palestinian and Israeli lives, releasing the hostages and others arbitrarily detained, and prioritizing peace in the region," said Bush.
The funding package includes $26.4 billion for Israel, purportedly to support "its effort to defend itself against Iran and its proxies" following Iran's retaliatory drone attack on Israel this week—to which Israeli forces responded with a limited attack on Friday.
The new military aid was passed on top of more than 100 weapons transfers the Biden administration has made to Israel since October 7. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, two of the transfers were reviewed by Congress and totaled about $250 million.
"Our country spends billions of tax dollars to maintain this apartheid state and support the continued ethnic cleansing of Palestinians," said Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, in a statement on Thursday.
Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said she was "encouraged" that Democrats in Congress were able to secure more humanitarian aid for Gaza, where dozens of people have starved to death as Israel has blocked nearly the vast majority of aid shipments since October, but said the provisions do not "come close to meeting the desperate needs of the people in Gaza," particularly considering the United States' suspension of funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
"Americans will remember this moment," said Balint. "The United States must be firm in demanding a course correction from the Netanyahu government. Without a strong message against more offensive aid, the United States risks signaling support for an expanded offensive in Rafah, for an escalation with Iran, and for continued disregard for Palestinian life."
Omar called the funding package part of the U.S. government's "thinly veiled attempts to escalate an already very dangerous situation."
"What is needed most of all is a sober approach to de-escalation and conflict prevention," said the congresswoman. "Congress should be focused on efforts to de-escalate tensions—not inflame them."
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