Consumer

"A bill before the New York State Assembly could finally impose some standards on an incredibly polluting but little-regulated industry: fashion."

"Before Donald Trump launched his war against energy-efficient appliances, incandescent lightbulbs were on their way out. Federal rules required retailers to take them off their shelves by 2020 and sell replacements that would save customers money and energy instead."

"The transition to electric vehicles will enter a new phase this spring with the debut of the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck, the first all-electric edition of the country’s top-selling vehicle. In McKinney, Texas, a far-flung suburb of Dallas, the enthusiasm for the new model is running high, said Bob Tomes, owner of Bob Tomes Ford."

"The nation’s strongest flood-disclosure law for rental properties has taken effect in Texas and is forcing landlords to tell prospective tenants whether an apartment has been flooded and whether it’s in a flood zone."

"The world’s largest chemical maker, BASF, produces ingredients for America’s most popular products, from soaps to surface cleaners to dishwasher detergent. Emissions from their U.S. plants elevate cancer risks for an estimated 1.5 million people."

"New York is the latest Democratic city aiming to fight climate change by ushering out stoves and furnaces that run on gas in favor of electric alternatives. But Republican states and the gas industry are fighting back."

"A push by Senate Democrats to pass a roughly $2 trillion tax-and-spending measure before Christmas appeared in dire political peril Wednesday, as talks soured between President Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) over the size and scope of the economic package."

"The EPA has all but stopped posting online data about new types of problems commercial chemicals may cause, frustrating public interest groups and businesses that use the information to make health and safety decisions."