Policy

U.S. Considers Replacing ‘Chasing Arrows’ Recycling Symbol

U.S. Considers Replacing ‘Chasing Arrows’ Recycling Symbol

Since 1970, the “chasing arrows” symbol has been an iconic marker of recyclability. But now, President Joe Biden’s administration is considering if the symbol has become misleading. The symbol was first designed by Gary Anderson, who was studying at University of Southern California and submitted the logo for the International Design Conference in 1970. It […]

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    American Heart Association Certifies a Plant-Based ‘Meat’ Product for the First Time

    American Heart Association Certifies a Plant-Based ‘Meat’ Product for the First Time

    For the first time, a meat alternative product has received the American Heart Association’s (AHA’s) Heart-Check Mark, meaning it meets criteria to deem the plant-based meat product as a heart-healthy food. Beyond Meat’s product Beyond Steak gained the certification, which requires products to meet certain targets such as being low in saturated fat, cholesterol and […]

    EPA Proposes First Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rules for Power Plants

    EPA Proposes First Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rules for Power Plants

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a wide-ranging new proposal for limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal– and gas-fired power plants. If finalized, the new rule will be the first time the federal government has restricted carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants, which generate about a quarter of the country’s emissions. […]

    Ecuador Establishes Debt-for-Nature Deal for Galápagos Islands Conservation

    Ecuador Establishes Debt-for-Nature Deal for Galápagos Islands Conservation

    Ecuador has just agreed to the largest debt-for-nature exchange ever recorded. The deal involved selling a “blue bond” to provide over $12 million annually toward conservation around the Galápagos Islands. Last week, Credit Suisse bought three of the country’s bonds, with a value of $1.6 billion, at about $656 million. This highly discounted rate will […]

    Environmental Justice: Everything You Need to Know

    Environmental Justice: Everything You Need to Know

    Quick Key Facts What Is Environmental Justice? Environmental justice is a facet of broader social justice movements. It considers how individual communities can be overburdened with a disproportionate amount of environmentally negative facilities or activities in their area compared to other, less vulnerable communities. Achieving environmental justice looks like “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement […]

    How Urban Planners Disenfranchised Black Communities in West Oakland

    How Urban Planners Disenfranchised Black Communities in West Oakland

    In keeping with mid-20th century segregationist federal guidance, West Oakland, California officials in the 1940s deliberately put the most polluting industries and biggest highways in Black neighborhoods – saddling them with cancer, asthma, and other health impacts. In white neighborhoods, diesel-powered trucks were banned from operating, as planners chose to divide Black communities with highways instead.

    FTC Considers Updates for Green Guides to Address Greenwashing

    FTC Considers Updates for Green Guides to Address Greenwashing

    With a rising interest among consumers for more sustainable products, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is in the review process as it considers updates to its Green Guides for the first time in over a decade. The updates are meant to address greenwashing and misinformation around recyclable and renewable product labeling. Although the Green […]

    Florida’s DeSantis Signs Aggressive Anti-ESG Legislation

    Florida’s DeSantis Signs Aggressive Anti-ESG Legislation

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Tuesday that targets the growth of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing in the state. The anti-ESG legislation prevents state officials from investing public money in the promotion of ESG goals, prioritizes financial returns for state funds and pensions, eliminates ESG considerations in state contracts and […]