NRDC in the News - Weekly Highlights: Week of May 1, 2017

MTV News interviewed Rhea Suh from the People’s Climate March, where she noted that “the long-term ramifications of not doing anything about climate change now are pretty profound.” Rhea was also quoted in Public News Service and Huffington Post.

Rhea Suh responded forcefully to the offshore drilling Executive Order President Trump signed last week, telling the Los Angeles Times, “We’ll fight this move to sell out our children’s future for big oil and gas.” She was also quoted by the UK’s Daily Mail and North Carolina’s Greenville Online. In the New York Times, Bob Deans bemoaned the madness of the EO’s directive to review a critical safeguard for offshore drilling introduced in response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Alex Adams, Franz Matzner and David Pettit were quoted slamming the EO, as well, in the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles’ ABC 7, respectively.

A coalition of environmental lawyers, led by NRDC attorney Niel Lawrence, were quick to file suit against the egregious offshore drilling executive order. Niel told the Alaska Dispatch News, “President Trump may wish to undo [the offshore protections put in place by President Obama], and declare our coasts open for business to dirty energy companies, but he simply lacks the authority to do so under the law.” Niel was also featured in Bloomberg and Morning Consult, among others. And the litigation was covered by a bevy of other outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and Huffington Post.

NRDC was cited in nearly 100 stories about “Threats on Tap,” a report about water contamination and failing water infrastructure that ranked the states by violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Mae Wu was quoted in the New York Times saying “data is ‘not sexy,’ making it hard to use in pushing for meaningful actions like investment in national infrastructure maintenance.” Mae was also quoted by ABC News. Jamie Consuegra was quoted by Weather.com, saying, “Americans have a right to safe, clean drinking water, but President Trump is killing that right with a meat axe.”

Erik Olson was widely quoted in papers across the nation, including the Asbury Park Press, Miami Herald, Mother Jonesand The Huffington Post, which quoted him saying, “We’re living off our great-grandparents’ investments in water infrastructure. We need to make new investments, strengthen the rules and fix our enforcement problem.”

Barbara Finamore was featured in Foreign Policy’s “The US-China 50.” Her profile details NRDC’s China program. Barbara was also quoted in the Financial Express about China’s shift away from coal.

Dave Hawkins told NPR’s “Morning Edition” that using carbon capture and sequestration technology to address emissions from coal plants that will likely be running for decades is just common sense.

Larry Levine spoke to the New York Times about filing a notice of intent to sue against the EPA over failing to prevent raw sewage from overflowing into New York City waterways. Larry was also quoted in Brooklyn Daily Eagleand Politico NY.

Annie Notthoff told the Los Angeles Times that NRDC has concerns about the biogas elements added to a new California legislative proposal to move the state to 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.

After the EPA scrubbed climate change information from its site, David Doniger tweeted “Cleansing has begun. EPA website scrubbed of pages on ‘so-called’ Clean Power Plan. Now only alternative facts,” and was picked up by Politco, Mic and Slate. David also spoke to ClimateWire on the fate of the CPP litigation.

In grading the Trump’s First 100 Days, Rebecca Riley told LiveScience, “The Obama administration made the decision to protect the species based on extensive science — there was no basis on which to reverse it.”

On the possibility that woody biomass will creep into the appropriations process, Sami Yassa told UnDark “we’re gearing up for a fight on this.” He was also quoted in the Bonner County Daily Bee.

On S&P Global Platt’s “Capitol Crude,” Bob Deans debated an industry representative about Trump’s first days in office, arguing, “So far we’ve seen 100 days of hazard and harm.”

Doug Obegi was quoted in News Deeply on the effects California’s delta tunnel project could have on the Delta smelt, which is considered an indicator for the health of the estuary.

Walton Shepherd discussed Dominion Virginia Power’s plan to modernize its system with The Virginian-Pilot, but cautioned against increasing carbon pollution through more natural gas.