As our elected representatives throw themselves into a frenzy of election-year legislative action, reporters can easily fall behind on key environmental and energy measures moving through Congress or state legislatures. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox offers up a way to stay on top of the process — by using the plethora of available bill trackers.
The latest entry in our ongoing “Covering Your Climate: The Emerald Corridor” special report looks at what the Pacific Northwest is doing to mitigate climate change, including reducing carbon emissions, limiting sprawl and congestion, pushing energy efficiency and pursuing carbon sequestration. Read the new tipsheet, plus check out our earlier report on climate impacts and our opening backgrounder.
"In 2016, biologists and fishermen across the country started to notice something disturbing. Freshwater mussels were dying in large numbers."
"This time of year, pilots in small blue and white airplanes are busy gathering information about how much snow is on the ground — and more importantly, how much water that snow contains."
"The Justice Department has ended a nearly 30-year practice of letting companies make amends for pollution-related violations by performing environmentally beneficial projects, according to a memo posted Friday on the agency’s website."
"Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Friday tweeted a video of President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency and lauded his boss for taking “decisive — even unprecedented — actions to protect the American people” from the coronavirus. But just two days earlier, Bernhardt’s office had sent talking points to Interior officials that downplayed the virus threat."
"Climate change is causing record high water levels in the Great Lakes basin only years after record lows, battering coastal communities and fundamentally changing aquatic ecosystems."
"A new bill from Senate Democrats would roll out $20 billion in funding to remove cancer-linked “forever chemicals” from water as it contaminates supplies across the country."
"A watchdog group is spotlighting concerns about James Danly, a new Republican commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), over his connections to projects the agency regulates."
"President Donald Trump ordered U.S. energy officials to purchase “large amounts” of oil to fill up the nation’s emergency reserve after the biggest price crash in a generation."
