climate change
Democrats unite around ‘climate corps’ that could employ youth, prevent fires
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged Tuesday to include a Civilian Climate Corps in a $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill later this year, as a broad swath of Democrats rallied around a framework of employing thousands of young people to do conservation work. Schumer, D-N.Y., appeared with a handful of congressional Democrats, led by U.S. […]
Iowa attorney general, councilman push for more electric vehicles
The federal government should set pollution standards that would encourage the proliferation of electric vehicles, Iowa officials and a national physicians’ group said Thursday. Physicians for Social Responsibility arranged a news conference featuring Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, Des Moines City Councilman Josh Mandelbaum and others. Dr. Maureen McCue, coordinator of the Iowa chapter of […]
Economists tell farmers to go slow on carbon trading
Iowa farmers may want to wait to sell carbon credits until after the nation’s volatile political landscape settles down, an economist told an Iowa Farm Bureau Federation online gathering Wednesday. Farmers have been optimistic about the prospects of getting paid for plantings on their land that help sweep carbon from the atmosphere. President Joe Biden […]
Biden, Western governors plan for ‘severe’ wildfire season
For years, American presidents have held annual meetings with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to plan ahead for the Atlantic hurricane season. In an era when the catastrophic impacts of climate change are accelerating from coast to coast, President Joe Biden on Wednesday convened a first-of-its-kind meeting to make similar preparations for what is shaping […]
Governor’s carbon panel excludes environmental groups
Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed a task force on carbon sequestration that is devoid of representatives of Iowa environmental groups that have long studied the issue. The panel named late Tuesday has representatives of agricultural companies, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, companies that promote carbon trading, Iowa State University, state agencies, biofuels interests, and the […]
Federal judge halts Biden pause on new oil and gas leases across the U.S.
A federal judge in Louisiana has ordered the Biden administration to restart regular sales of oil and gas leases, forcing the administration to prematurely abandon a central piece of its climate change agenda. In a preliminary ruling issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty granted the request of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and 12 other Republican-led […]
Biden’s budget: Why investing in innovation is crucial to reach U.S. climate goals
President Joe Biden’s first detailed federal budget is slated to be released on May 28, and it will include substantial increases in spending to fight climate change. An overview sent to Congress included $10 billion in nondefense spending on clean energy innovation — a 35% increase over 2021. How Congress responds to the details coming […]
Congress warned of a ‘real and urgent’ drought crisis throughout the West
WASHINGTON — A drought crisis unfolding across the West will require short-term relief and massive, long-term federal funding to help states weather the effects of climate change, state water managers and lawmakers said at a U.S. House hearing on Tuesday. Nearly 90% of the West is now experiencing drought conditions, according to the federal U.S. Drought […]
Study: Animal-based foods connected to 15,900 deaths a year
Animal-based foods are connected to 15,900 annual deaths resulting from small-particle pollution from agriculture, a new study found. Reducing excess protein in livestock feed and using nitrogen inhibitors and other fertilizer amendments and other techniques in just the 10% of U.S. counties with the highest mitigation potential would save 22% of deaths associated with food […]
Biden’s ‘30 by 30’ conservation plan urges collaboration with private landowners
The Biden administration plans to broadly define conservation and encourage private landowners to adopt sustainable practices to meet a goal of protecting 30% of the land and water in the U.S. by 2030, according to a multi-agency report published Thursday. The recommendations are short of the most aggressive federal directives congressional Republicans feared would be central […]
No details yet on Biden conservation plan, but Republicans slam it as a ‘land grab’
Republicans on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday previewed their objections to the Biden administration’s still-unreleased plan to conserve 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030. President Joe Biden created what is commonly called the “30 by 30 plan” in a Jan. 27 executive order, but the administration hasn’t released details about how […]
VP Harris touts administration’s $2T jobs plan as negotiations are set for next week
Vice President Kamala Harris worked Tuesday to drum up support for the president’s $2 trillion infrastructure proposal during a trip to Milwaukee. Harris highlighted the federal funding the Biden administration plan would allocate for research and development programs aimed at clean energy and climate change solutions, as well as $100 billion that would be spent […]