Policy

Join our newsletter

The best of EcoWatch, right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    NYU to Divest From Fossil Fuels After Years of Student Protests

    NYU to Divest From Fossil Fuels After Years of Student Protests

    After years of protests by students, New York University has announced plans to divest from fossil fuels. Chair of NYU’s Board of Trustees William R. Berkley stated the university’s commitment in August in a letter to student activist organization Sunrise NYU. “New York University commits to avoid any direct investments in any company whose primary […]

    U.S. Announces $1.13 Billion in Grants for Tree Planting Projects

    U.S. Announces $1.13 Billion in Grants for Tree Planting Projects

    U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced $1.13 billion in competitive grants for tree planting projects around the country. The tree planting initiatives are meant to provide more relief from extreme heat, curb climate change and provide more green space in communities. The funding, granted through the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community […]

    EPA Launches Recycling Initiative With $100+ Million in Grants

    EPA Launches Recycling Initiative With $100+ Million in Grants

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced grants of more than $100 million to expand the country’s recycling and waste management infrastructure. It is the largest investment in recycling by the EPA in three decades. Funding for the grants will come from President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Under the new funding opportunity, […]

    Biden Admin Cancels Oil, Gas Leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

    Biden Admin Cancels Oil, Gas Leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

    The U.S. Department of the Interior announced last week the canceling of oil and gas drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.  The leases were previously sold on Jan. 6, 2021, during former president Donald Trump’s term, but were then suspended by the Biden administration in June 2021. The leases would have […]

    Amazon Deforestation Down 66% From Last July in Lula’s Brazil

    Amazon Deforestation Down 66% From Last July in Lula’s Brazil

    The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest on the planet. It is home to more animal and plant species than any terrestrial ecosystem, including one-third of the world’s tropical trees. This diverse sanctuary is also one of the last refuges for jaguars, pink river dolphins and harpy eagles, according to WWF. Brazil has an […]

    CDC Issues Alert on Harmful Bacteria in Coastal Waters Amid High Sea Surface Temperatures

    CDC Issues Alert on Harmful Bacteria in Coastal Waters Amid High Sea Surface Temperatures

    The CDC has issued an emergency alert over a harmful bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, in warming coastal waters. The center noted that with extreme weather, like heat waves, flooding and severe storms, people should be careful when participating in coastal water activities. “Amid increasing water temperatures and extreme weather events (e.g., heat waves, flooding, and severe […]