From Earthjustice: “Water pollution has made more than half of U.S. streams and rivers unsafe. So why did the Trump administration end this key water protection rule? Here’s a point-by-point reality check of President Trump’s remarks on the repeal.”

From Center for Food Safety: “Governor Newsom and California lawmakers are deciding how our state can assist communities in recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Healthy Soils Program and the CalRecycle Waste Reduce Program are both at risk of being defunded. These programs provide such crucial support that we need to build a more sustainable food system. Tell Newsom and your representatives to fund these programs!

We also support expanding the Housing for the Harvest program to include all agricultural counties so that we can get farmworkers out of overcrowded housing and minimize the spread of coronavirus.

There comes a time to demand change. If not now, when?

Click here for resources:

Black Lives Matter, NAACP, M4BL

Synopsis

Journey to the seemingly idyllic world of Native Hawaiians, where communities are surrounded by experimental test sites and pesticides sprayed upwind of their neighborhoods. Poisoning Paradise details the ongoing struggle to advance bold new legislation governing the fate of their island home.

In an attempt to diversify an economy that was overly reliant on tourism, policymakers in both Hawaii and Washington, D.C. encouraged the world’s largest biotech companies to utilize Kauai’s favorable climate and fertile soil to test genetically engineered seeds and crops. Corporations including Syngenta, Pioneer DuPont, BASF, and Dow Agrosciences have since applied hundreds of tons of Restricted Use (RU) pesticides on thousands of acres across the Garden Island’s West Side, the traditional homeland of an indigenous and disenfranchised population.

Interviews with local residents, scientists, and healthcare professionals reveal the hardships and ecological dangers of intensive and continuous pesticide applications and the environmental injustice thrust upon people living in one of the most sacred, biologically unique and diverse locations on earth. Award-winning investigative journalist Paul Kolberstein describes Kauai as “one of the most toxic agricultural environments in all of American agriculture.”

As champions of a grassroots movement to make Kauai County Bill 2491 law, local activists battle political corruption, corporate bullying, and systematic concealment by the agrichemical industry.

Although Kauai’s plight might seem like a local issue, this debate is in fact raging around the world as country after country is becoming concerned about pesticides, the future of food, and sustainable farming practices.

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1. NRDC, along with other environmental groups and eleven states, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday for failure to finalize five energy-efficiency regulations, that has been receiving widespread national media coverage.  Lauren Urbanek told the Washington Post that without these standards, “consumers are the ones who really lose” while Kit Kennedy was quoted as saying “the delays are not only baffling, they’re unnecessary and illegal” in The Hill, The Daily Caller, MassLive, and Politico. NRDC’s  lawsuit aiming to get the standards published were also cited in scores of other news outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Bloomberg BNA, and the Associated Press with reprints in more than 80 print and broadcast outlets across the country, including the Washington Post, NBC Miami, Jurist and more.

2. Simon Mui spoke to Los Angeles Times about the importance of California’s unique power to set its own car and truck pollution standards, especially as the administration looks at rolling back fuel mileage standards and other federal rules. “You start messing around with this, and the ability for states to address climate pollution starts falling apart,” he reasoned.Simon also spoke to Consumer Reports about how the longevity of lithium-ion batteries helps consumers save on electric outdoor gear.

3. In a TIME piece about cities and states continuing the clean energy revolution despite Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris agreement, Nathanael Greene said, “I don’t think any state has been quite as fast as blowing past their [wind power] goals as Texas has.” Dylan Sullivan told Bloomberg a Nevada bill sitting on the Governor’s desk that would require 40 percent of the state’s electricity come from clean energy sources by 2030 would be “the most impactful clean energy and climate decision he will have the chance to make.”

4. Geoffrey Fettus was a panelist of a daylong forum on decommissioning New York’s troubled Indian Point nuclear power plant, which received significant coverage. Journal News highlighted Geoff’s remark that “This is a huge industrial cleanup with an extraordinarily different component, waste that will last for hundreds of years.” Mid-Hudson News, WAMC – Northeast Public Radio and The Daily Freeman also quoted Geoff in coverage from the event. Likewise, Matthew McKinzie questioned the longevity of nuclear to Bloomberg BNA, pushing back against industry arguments asking, “‘Is nuclear a reliable partner?’ The trend is negative right now.” NRDC was also cited by The Hill for advocating for more economically-viable energy sources.

5. A series of stories this week magnified the need for water infrastructure investment across the country. Vox quoted Dimple Chaudhary noting that for the first time, “there will be an enforceable commitment to get the lead pipes out of the ground”—thanks to NRDC’s lawsuit—in a story about five Michigan officials facing involuntary manslaughter charges over the Flint water contamination. Anjali Waikar spoke to The Times of Northwest Indiana about the public health concerns surrounding East Chicago’s water, saying “We need to change the conversation in this country when we’re talking about lead to one that takes a zero-tolerance approach.” In addition, The Hill highlighted NRDC’s Safe Drinking Water report as ademonstration of the urgent need for investment in water infrastructure – a missing piece of Trump’s national infrastructure plan. The Daily Mail also cited NRDC’s report and the 80,000 safety violations across the U.S. affecting 77 million people’s drinking water.

6. NRDC’s “Less Beef, Less Carbon” report was highlighted in a Civil Eats article featuring a cartoon of Sujatha Bergen explaining that “Whether we realize it or not, Americans have been fighting greenhouse gas emissions with their fork.” Lena Brook also appeared on Rootstock Radio, explaining the issues behind the overuse of antibiotics in meat, the rise of drug-resistant superbugs and the commitments NRDC is pushing companies to make to change the way meat and poultry is raised.

7. John Moore was featured on E&E TV’s “On Point” program, where he discussed grid vulnerabilities, replacing baseload generation with wind and solar, FERC and other issues. “We know the grid can function on very high levels of renewable energy. It’s not just the federal studies that say so. It’s on the ground experience in large parts of the country where coal is largely irrelevant now,” he explained. Similarly, Peter Miller told Utility Dive that legislation calling for California to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy by 2045 can work but will require significant changes in grid operations: “This is not Thomas Edison’s grid and it is not as easy as turning power plants on and off to meet demand.”

8. The Buffalo News published an op-ed by Kit Kennedy about New York’s growing wind power development success and how it would be hampered by a State Senate Bill to stop wind power development within 40 miles of military bases throughout New York. “The truth is that the Pentagon already has a thorough process in place to ensure that renewable energy development doesn’t conflict with military operations,” Kit argued.

9. In response to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy calling for a permanent ban on fracking within the Delaware River Basin, Rob Friedman emphasized public concerns in New Jersey Spotlight, saying that should drilling permits be granted, “Regulations won’t prevent the harmful impact of fracking.”

10. David Doniger criticized the two year stay proposed on the methane rules by the Trump Administration, on top of an existing 90-day stay NRDC already filed suit over, in Energywire. NRDC’s lawsuit was also mentioned by E&E News and Platts. David also spoke to Bloomberg BNA about the EPA’s proposal to reconsider the Clean Power Plan, noting that “There is no question making the Trump/Pruitt administration follow the law is going to be difficult.” In addition, David was quoted by Slate about the anti-climate history of Trump’s top DOJ environmental attorney nomination, while David Pettit told Los Angeles Daily News that the EPA’s delay of the Obama -era regulations on ozone emissions is “a step backward in a longer process to move backward on the Clean Air Act.”

11. As part of the Energy & Transportation team’s #DefendEfficiency radio tour, Noah Horowitz appeared on the “Thom Hartmann Show” discussing the attack on energy efficiency. Noah also spoke on “Top of Mind” on Sirius XM and BYU Radio, WILS AM News/Talk Radio in Lansing, MI, and numerous other outlets across the country. Meanwhile, Lauren Urbanek was interviewed on “Brainfood for the Heartland” on Youngstown, Ohio’s WHTX-AM, and participated in a gaggle of other interviews about the possible end of the Energy Star Program and the benefits of energy efficiency standards.  Elizabeth Noll also appeared on WPHM AM in Detroit, MI and Pat Remick was interviewed on KWAM AM in Memphis.

12. Elly Pepper was quoted by National Geographic on the debate surrounding pangolin conservation efforts by U.S. zoos.

13. Alvin Lin spoke to The Diplomat about China’s efforts to expand renewable energy and lower coal consumption. Barbara Finamore also led a Reuters’ Live Chat on China’s clean energy role post U.S. Paris withdrawal.

14. The first ever United Nations Ocean Conference ended last week with over 1,300 voluntary commitments in support of improving ocean and marine life protections. Lisa Speer spoke to The Quint about next steps in a potential international “Paris Agreement for the Ocean” to address management of the high seas that lie beyond national jurisdiction. Lisa also spoke to Devex about the critical need to move ahead and address the enormous problems the oceans face.

15. Bobby McEnaney expressed concern about the Interior Departments planned review of federal sage grouse conservation efforts in a collaborative Magic Valley/Associated Press piece, saying “Secretary Zinke has found a new way to imperil the threatened sage grouse: through executive action.”

1. John Walke was quoted in the New York Times after the EPA delayed a requirement for states to comply with an Obama-era regulation on ozone emissions. “The delay is flagrantly illegal as well as a direct assault on our right to breathe safe, clean air,” John said. He was also quoted in ThinkProgress, Charleston Gazette-Mail, and E&E News.

2. NRDC and other conservation groups filed a lawsuit against the EPA this week after it suspended rules stopping methane leaks from oil and gas operations. Meleah Geertsma was quoted by CNBC as saying, “The Trump administration does not have unlimited power to put people’s health in jeopardy with unchecked, unilateral executive action like this.” Meleah was also quoted by The Hill, Color Lines, Financial Tribune, and the lawsuit was covered by Reuters.

3. Rhea Suh was quoted in SELF, saying that the next administration “can and should” re-enter the Paris Agreement exactly as we entered it the first time. Alvin Lin was quoted by PRI’s “The World,” saying that Trump’s withdrawal will only boost China’s economic outlook as they invest more heavily in renewable technologies.

4. “For the folks who have said that water may become more valuable than oil, that’s a forecast that is coming true,” Eric Goldstein told the New York Times, as parties battle for control over the Delaware River in upstate New York.

5. John Moore said to Marketplace that “the value of working with [the FERC nominees] outweighs whatever benefit we would get from opposing them.” John also disputed Pruitt’s claim that coal losses would make our grid vulnerable, telling E&E News “[c]oal supporters are again returning to playing the reliability card because they don’t have much left.”

6. After the Trump administration opened the door to oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic coast, Michael Jasny stressed that seismic testing alone could drive the North Atlantic right whale to extinction in New Jersey Spotlight. He was also quoted inE&E News, South Carolina’s The State, and Georgia’s WSAV.  Michael and Daniel Hinerfeld were quoted in the Vancouver Sun’s review of Sonic Sea. “We don’t need to develop these additional sources of fossil fuel….and we certainly shouldn’t be developing sources of oil and gas that require us to devastate marine life in the process,” Daniel said.

7. Anjali Waikar expressed concern after state officials determined there were no “system-wide” problems when tests revealed lead in East Chicago’s water. “We know no amount of lead is safe,” she told Northwest Indiana’s Post-Tribune, in a story that also ran in the Chicago Tribune.  Josh Mogerman commended Chicago’s long-time clean energy leadership on WBEZ – Chicago Public Radio noting a new Executive Order affirming the City’s efforts to realize Paris Accord goals are “mak[ing] our city as clean and liveable as we can is something everyone should embrace. In a different interview, Josh also told WBEZ that Illinois’ Future Energy Jobs Act, which became law last week, would reduce the state’s carbon emissions. Josh also joined Chicago’s WGN Radio to discuss the importance of climate action for the Midwest.

8. David Doniger pointed out the irony of BP’s defense attorney being tapped as top DOJ environment attorney in ThinkProgress, InsideClimate News, and Inhabitat. Doug Obegi spoke to Newsweek about the nomination of lobbyist for deputy interior secretary.

9. Adrianna Quintero told CBS – San Francisco that withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement is a “lost opportunity” for America and “the cost of not doing something about climate change is significantly higher” than any costs for participating in the pact.

10. Joel Reynolds spoke to Chinese network CGTN America about California Governor Jerry Brown’s emerging role as a global climate leader. Annie Notthoff was quoted in Truthout on the support for strong climate action within California.

11. Bobby McEnaney spoke to the Huffington Post about Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s order to review conservation plans for the imperiled sage grouse to give states “greater flexibility.” Despite the many threats the species faces, “Secretary Zinke might just have landed the decisive blow,” Bobby said. He was also quoted in the Denver Post.

12. Trump’s proposed budget would eliminate funding for a bevy of important government functions, including monitoring greenhouse gases, David Doniger told Bloomberg; addressing toxic algal blooms, Mae Wu noted in Huffington Post; and even securing air conditioning for the elderly Kim Knowlton explained in Mother Nature Network.

13. Elly Pepper penned a blog for Scientific American urging U.S. zoos to help pangolin conservation efforts by not purchasing the wild-caught animals.

14. Trump’s EPA is facing pressure from NRDC, other advocacy groups and seven state Attorney Generals, to ban chlorpyrifos—a pesticide linked to learning disabilities in children—this week. NRDC’s advocacy on the issue was mentioned inBloomberg BNA, The Hill, San Francisco Chronicle, CBS – San Francisco, and others.

15. A Freedom of Information Act request filed by NRDC revealed Pebble Mine’s top lobbyist met with a senior EPA official shortly before the agency lifted its hold on the permitting process. “After years of belly-aching about fairness, it is simply unbelievable that Pebble immediately seized the opportunity to reach a secretive, backroom deal with the Trump EPA,”Taryn Kiekow-Heimer told E&E News.

1. Prior to President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Rhea Suh, David Doniger, Jake Schmidt, Han Chen, Yang Fuqiang were all featured in lead-up coverage, including multiple Washington Post articles (see also: Washington Post, Washington Post), ABC News, CNBC, PBS Newshour, Yahoo News and Science Magazine, Bloomberg; Public News Service, The Global Times and many others.

2. In the wake of President Trump’s disappointing announcement to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Rhea Suh was quoted by CNN saying “When the President of the United States sets the country apart from science, breaks its promise to the rest of the world, retreats from the fight against climate change and leaves our kids to pay the price, that’s news.” A bevy of NRDC experts were featured in various outlets reacting to the announcement including Jake Schmidt in USA Today, Bob Deans on “The Leslie Marshall Show,” Adrianna Quintero in La Opinión and on Univision Noticias as well as Jackson Morris in The Journal News.

3. David Doniger reacted to the U.S. EPA’s halt on Obama-era methane emissions standards in Reuters saying that “the Trump administration is giving its friends in the oil and gas industry a free pass to continue polluting our air.” David was also quoted in UPI. NRDC’s intent to sue over the issue was featured in The Hill and Think Progress amongst others.

4. Rob Moore was featured in a Bloomberg piece discussing bipartisan flood insurance legislation for homeowners in flood-prone areas. Rob noted that “flood insurance seems to be one of those few areas where Democrats and Republicans see the same problems and, in a lot of instances, see the same solutions.”  Rob was also quoted on the issue in the Insurance Journal. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted Rob in an article on a series of controversial Illinois proposals to loosen oversight of levees.

5. Carl Zichella was quoted in USA Today saying the expansion of a California-led energy-sharing program to British Columbia “is a sign of the irreversibility of the trend away from coal” as solar and wind get cheaper and utilities choose not to invest in new coal. Annie Notthoff was quoted in GreenWire discussing a California Senate package of bills passed to offset the Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks from weakening the state’s protections.

6. Henry Henderson weighed in on the alarming increase in contaminated water from the Chicago River making its way into Lake Michigan from climate-related rainstorms on WBEZ – Chicago Public Radio.

7. Jake Schmidt was quoted in the Voice of America News on the climate change discussion at last Friday’s G-7 Summit in Italy.

8. Jackson Morris commented on the situation surrounding the impending closure of Pennsylvania’s infamous Three Mile Island nuclear plant in The Baltimore Sun. Jennifer Chen was quoted in Utility Dive discussing the future for demand response under PJM’s new capacity and aggregation rules. Jennifer was also quoted in Midwest Energy News discussing the implications of the PJM auction for Ohio electric customers.

9. The Sacramento Bee ran a front-page investigative piece on California irrigation districts’ lack of compliance with a law requiring them to track water usage that quotes Laura West.

10. The Times of Northwest Indiana quoted Anjali Waikar in an article about the state’s work to test and monitor East Chicago’s drinking water for lead, saying “Our concern is that while the city may be in compliance with the applicable law, the drinking water may still contain unsafe levels of lead.”

11. Darby Hoover was extensively quoted in a Governing Magazine feature describing the updates needed to local recycling efforts nationwide to increase their effectiveness.

12. “This is an important victory for public health,” Jen Sass told E&E News after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the U.S. EPA’s approval of a nanosilver antimicrobial product, continuing, “Nanosilver is known to be highly toxic to aquatic life, and may be hazardous to people. EPA rushed to judgment by approving it, leaving consumers to be guinea pigs. Now the agency must take a closer look at its potential to cause harm.”

13. Walton Shepherd was quoted in a Richmond Times-Dispatch article detailing Virginia Republicans’ anger over Governor McAuliffe’s no-show for an emergency hearing on the state’s carbon emission standards.

14. DeSmog Blog featured Kimberly Ong in a post that detailed the need for the Trump administration to regulate dangerous crude-by-rail trains. Allison Kelly was quoted in Forbes about the review process for the proposed multi-state Atlantic Coast Pipeline, warning that “green-lighting this pipeline without a sufficient review of the damage it would cause is a disservice to the people who live in its path.”

15. Rob Friedman was quoted in an Earth Island Journal feature on the grassroots climate movement stating that “the [movement] moving forward must be about facilitating alignment between the inside and outside strategies, with equitably resourced grassroots groups defining the path forward.”