The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced finalized energy efficiency standards for washing machines and dryers. According to the DOE, the new standards could save U.S. households a total of $2.2 billion annually on utility costs, with savings of up to $39 billion on energy and water bills over 30 years. Additionally, the measures […]
The latest Census of Agriculture from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) raises concerns over a loss of small farms and a growth in larger farms, while also showing some promise with the growth of renewable energy implementation in agriculture. The USDA completes a Census of Agriculture every five years to count the nation’s farms […]
Legal petitions have been filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by environmental groups and oil and gas interests challenging the Biden administration’s plan to offer additional Gulf of Mexico drilling leases. The congressionally mandated five-year plan includes three sales — the least number being offered since 1980, reported […]
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is in the process of considering plans for the restoration of grizzly bear populations to the Bitterroot ecosystem — which covers the western part of Montana and Central Idaho — where they have not been spotted regularly for decades. Meanwhile, Idaho’s governor and congress continue their attempts […]
The White House has confirmed President Joe Biden’s selection of clean energy adviser John Podesta to succeed John Kerry as the president’s senior advisor for international climate policy. Podesta, 75, is currently in charge of a team implementing Biden’s landmark climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act. He formerly served as an adviser to Barack Obama […]
Following pressure from climate activists, the Biden administration announced a freeze on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits while it examines their effects on climate change. The move could delay decisions on new LNG plants until after the presidential election in November, reported Reuters. “This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis […]
In order to help the United States transition to renewable energy, the Department of the Interior has announced a new solar energy “roadmap,” including 22 million acres of public lands to expand solar energy development in the West, a press release from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said. The BLM also announced plans for […]
The Biden administration has announced new steps and unlocked funding to launch its new federal program, the American Climate Corps, that aims to employ thousands of young Americans in the conservation, clean energy and climate resilience sectors. Seven federal agencies — the Departments of the Interior, Labor, Commerce, Agriculture and Energy; AmeriCorps; and the Environmental […]
The Biden administration has announced a proposal to conserve and restore old-growth trees in United States national forests. If adopted, the proposal would expand logging restrictions as part of an executive order issued on Earth Day 2022 to safeguard national forests. The protections would be a natural remedy for tackling the effects of climate change, […]