On September 19, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a bill renewing California’s cap-and-trade program until 2045. This renewal comes despite hostility toward state-level clean energy programs from the Trump administration, notably President Trump’s executive order that specifically criticized California’s cap-and-trade program. Continue reading
Executive Summary Introduction On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14154, titled “Unleashing American Energy,” which restored the process of federal land and water leasing for oil and natural gas production. The order promises these changes will encourage energy exploration while further establishing American dominance in the energy production market, decreasing … Continue reading
Executive Summary Introduction According to the Fifth National Climate Assessment (2023), climate change is increasing the risk of multiple disasters occurring simultaneously resulting in ‘compound extremes,’ as seen during the landfalls of Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in Florida within a span of several weeks in 2022 similarly to the landfalls of Hurricanes Helene and Milton … Continue reading
Executive Summary Introduction The Paris Agreement is an international treaty adopted by 196 parties on December 12, 2015, which intended to address the urgent global issue of climate change. The United States is not on course to meet its climate goals and must adopt more aggressive legislation to achieve its targets. Ultimately, the Paris Agreement … Continue reading
Do you love coffee but also love red meat and dessert? If so, there’s good news and bad news. On Thursday, February 19, the Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee (DGAC) released a lengthy 571-page report of suggestions to the Department of Heath and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The report explained … Continue reading
The EPA recently held 11 sessions for public input on the agency’s new rules to restrict carbon emissions from existing power plants. While large coal interests and major labor unions were represented, the vast majority of attendees represented environmental advocacy groups (or themselves) and favored regulation. Some might suggest that this indicates broad support for … Continue reading
Shale gas discoveries has proliferated in the United States as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, a relatively new technology, has allowed an efficient way to extract shale gas, producing a cheaper and cleaner source of energy than coal. The shale gas boom happening in the United States which has resulted in an economy-boosting decrease in gas prices … Continue reading
The federal government employs people of many different professional backgrounds, but among them you will not find fortunetellers. Yet scientists, analysts, and lawyers could sometimes use an assist from seers in completing the work they are asked to do. Conducting cost-benefit analyses of agencies’ proposed regulations necessitates predicting their impact on the economy, an unfathomably … Continue reading
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions recently released a new report detailing how to incorporate natural gas into an emissions- and carbon-free future, with recommendations for use by sector. They launched their report with a meeting featuring a “CEO-level” discussion and a “sector-level” discussion. The two panels followed the format of the report. … Continue reading
Based on the World Resources Institute roundtable discussion (Monday, January 23, 2012) Before being signed into a federal law in 1970 by President Nixon, the Clean Air Act was an urgent issue neither in his campaign campaign, nor on his agenda in the beginning of his presidential term. However, it quickly became a priority and was passed … Continue reading
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