Los Angeles City Hall, Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center and Spring Street Courthouse - Los Angeles Superior Court, on Oct. 5, 2018. Russell Mondy / Flickr
By Maria Stamas
Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti on Monday committed all new or substantially rehabilitated buildings owned by the City of Los Angeles to be 100 percent carbon free — and to use less carbon-intensive building materials in the process. His executive directive not only has Los Angeles leading by example on ways to reduce building emissions, it breaks new ground.
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<p>The announcement follows a growing trend of leading cities, such as Seattle, San Francisco and Pittsburgh, in committing new government building stock to be all-electric or become 100 percent emissions free.</p><p>Los Angeles also will become the first local government to adopt the state's <a href="https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Buy-Clean-California-Act#@ViewBag.JumpTo" target="_blank">Buy Clean California Act</a>, requiring carbon emissions reductions from construction materials, including steel, flat glass and insulation beginning in 2021 for buildings such as fire stations, civic centers and libraries.</p><p>This executive directive is the latest step in L.A.'s <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sustainability">sustainability</a> efforts.</p><p>We also know that City Halls cannot tackle this work alone. Community engagement, both in policy development and implementation, will be essential to success. Housing, energy, workforce development and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate change</a> are topics that involve every Angeleno in every community, and we must bring a diverse set of experiences and visions for the future to these policy discussions.</p>
<h4>LA Becomes First CA City to Require Less Carbon in Construction Materials </h4><p>Tackling the carbon emissions used in the materials for new construction — referred to as embodied carbon — is the next frontier of climate action and particularly important for cities. Without policy interventions, worldwide, new construction in cities will generate <a href="http://carbonneutralcities.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Embodied-Carbon-Policy-Framework-for-Cities-Press-Release_FINAL_26.09.19.pdf" target="_blank">100 gigatons of embodied carbon</a>.</p><p>Los Angeles' new directive means the emissions performance of materials will be taken into account when an agency is contracting to buy steel, flat glass and mineral wool (insulation), as well as other products the city may add to the list for its buildings. <a href="https://buyclean.org/2019/09/16/deep-decarbonization-a-roadmap-for-the-california-cement-and-concrete-industries/" target="_blank">Cement</a>, as one of the most carbon-intensive of materials, would be a great one to look at next. Fortunately, the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance will soon be <a href="http://carbonneutralcities.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Embodied-Carbon-Policy-Framework-for-Cities-Press-Release_FINAL_26.09.19.pdf" target="_blank">publishing a framework</a> for cities to go further in this space. </p>
<h4>LADWP to Prioritize Equitable Access to Clean Energy Programs</h4><p>Among his many directives, Mayor Garcetti also committed the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to improve access to its clean energy programs specifically for low-income, affordable housing and multifamily properties. Los Angeles <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/angeles-renters-want-their-own-green-new-deal">faces dual crises of housing affordability and growing climate change impacts</a>, such as severe <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires">wildfires</a>. Funding programs to provide energy efficiency and clean energy for these buildings while reducing utility cost burdens for renters will be a welcome relief.</p><p>LADWP has the potential to provide greater incentives to its rental housing customers, and so we expect this directive will accelerate progress toward fully programming the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/maria-stamas/los-angeles-energy-utility-shares-power" target="_blank">$100 million in energy efficiency funds for renters</a>, which were approved by LADWP's Board in June of 2018.</p>
<h4>Joining a New but Growing All-Electric Trend</h4><p>Los Angeles joins a small, but growing trend of cities leading by example in constructing 100 percent clean energy municipal buildings. Already, the city has 26 all-electric buildings in development, totaling $1 billion in construction and 2 million square feet.</p><p><a href="https://durkan.seattle.gov/2020/01/mayor-durkan-commits-city-of-seattle-to-new-actions-to-fight-climate-change-through-executive-order-on-green-new-deal/">Seattle announced</a> just last month it will be requiring all new or substantially altered City of Seattle buildings to operate without <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuels</a>, and by January 2021, it will develop a strategy to eliminate fossil fuel use in existing city buildings.</p><p><a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-passes-law-to-make-new-government-buildings-all-electric/" target="_blank">San Francisco</a>, in that same time period, announced all its new or renovated government buildings will be all-electric, the latest in the city's efforts to combat climate change.</p><p>Pittsburgh, too, recently <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/wendy-lee/pittsburgh-city-buildings-ready-go-net-zero">committed its government buildings to become net-zero energy</a>, meaning new buildings and major renovations will be highly efficient and produce as much <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> on-site or nearby as needed to offset the remainder of their emissions from heating water and warming or cooling their indoor spaces. </p><p>It's exciting to see the leadership exhibited by Los Angeles and other leading cities in this space. Not only are they leading by example, reducing emissions in their multi-billion-dollar building portfolios, but these cities are spurring demand for new technologies and less-carbon intensive materials, supporting workforce development and job creation, and paving the way for efficient, renewable, all-electric buildings across the country.</p><p>Already <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/04/business/all-electric-green-development.html" target="_blank">many developers are choosing to go all-electric</a> on their own, and several cities across California are going beyond their own buildings to adopt building codes committing privately-developed new construction to go all-electric as well.</p><p>With continued commitment from the city and a robust community engagement process, the executive directives announced will significantly advance L.A.'s efforts to cut carbon emissions from buildings.</p>
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Caleb George / Unsplash
By Doug Norlen
This month the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a startling report, which finds that severe impacts of climate change are happening much sooner than previously expected, and that countries must take far more aggressive actions to avoid the most catastrophic impacts. The report finds that the burning of fossil fuels must be curbed sharply.
<p>The harmful role Wall Street banks play in propping up fossil projects around the world is increasingly known. Yet there is much less awareness of the role major cities play when they place billions of dollars of their public funds into these same Wall Street banks. According to L.A. city records, as of July 2018, Los Angeles had banking and/or investment relationships with several Wall Street banks, many of which are notorious for their financing of fossil fuel and human rights debacles around the world, including JP Morgan Chase, Citi, Bank of America and Wells Fargo. </p><p>According to <a href="https://www.ran.org/bankingonclimatechange2018/" target="_blank">Banking on Climate Change</a>, a fossil fuel finance report card, between 2015 and 2017 these Wall Street banks collectively provided over $50 billion in financing for <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/tar-sands">tar sands</a>, ultra-deep <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/offshore-oil-drilling">water drilling</a>, coal mining, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal">coal</a> power and liquid natural gas projects around the world. These projects contribute vast amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and many of them have severe local environmental, social and human rights impacts as well.</p><p>But in 2018, cities have more ethical options. Rather than investing the public's money in environmental and human destruction, cities can establish public banks. When properly structured and operated, public banks can prohibit the use of their funds for fossil fuel and other harmful projects. Instead, they can fund <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> and other green enterprises, affordable housing, education and low-cost loans to job-creating entrepreneurs—all while avoiding paying hundreds of millions of dollars in exorbitant fees to Wall Street banks.</p><p>The movement to establish public banks is growing nationwide. California is at the forefront, with efforts to pass state-wide legislation allowing establishment of municipal banks as well as campaigns to establish public banks in San Francisco, Oakland and other East Bay cities, Los Angeles and other municipalities.</p><p>When Los Angeles voters go to the polls next week, they will decide whether to approve Charter Amendment B, which amends the city's charter to enable it to take affirmative steps to establish a public bank. And Los Angeles is a great case study on the need for public banks. According to Public Bank L.A., the city maintains bank accounts with between $4 billion and $12 billion in cash, and manages up to $45 billion in investments through large commercial banks.</p><p>The enormous sum of public funds that L.A. entrusts to fossil fuel banks undercuts the climate leadership of city officials. For example, this past August L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti joined a coalition of hundreds of mayors across the country to <a href="https://www.lamayor.org/mayor-garcetti-and-climate-mayors-representing-407-cities-denounce-trump-administrations-proposed" target="_blank">condemn</a> Donald Trump's plans to weaken vehicle efficiency standards and rescind California's waiver right to set stronger greenhouse gas regulations. In December 2016, Garcetti joined other mayors to <a href="https://www.lamayor.org/mayor-garcetti-leads-%25E2%2580%2598climate-mayors%25E2%2580%2599-oppose-us-withdrawal-paris-agreement" target="_blank">denounce</a> Trump's decision to walk away from the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a>. The city council has shown progressive streaks on banking issues as well. In December 2017, the Council unanimously voted to enforce both federal and state Community Reinvestment Act ratings disqualifying Wells Fargo from submitting a Request for Proposal for the city's commercial banking services. And yet, the city still banks with Wells Fargo.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODc4NTc5MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2Mjk3MjA2OX0.bdDNGsoH5OEZfrn4gr-iswJy_BJ4q-Mkt91exCYpJQc/img.jpg?width=980" id="cb0ff" width="600" height="400" data-rm-shortcode-id="6aa4ae3be55d01cd2249032df943cf54" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Activist calling for Wells Fargo to divest from Dakota Access Pipeline. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Joe Piette / Flickr / Creative Commons</small></p><p>If L.A. voters approve Charter Amendment B, the city will be one step closer to creating a municipal bank and redirecting its billions of dollars of public funds to environmentally sound, fiscally smart, sustainable community needs. In doing so, L.A. will serve as a beacon of progress to inspire the larger national movement to establish public banks.<br></p><p>For a sense of why Los Angeles so badly needs to approve Charter Amendment B, we've included descriptions of just a handful of the harmful projects Los Angeles is currently supporting by keeping its money in fossil fuel banks (based on publicly available information). Here is a sample of some of the projects that LA's banks support:</p><p>Dakota Access Pipeline (United States):</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Citi — $235 million in project finance</li><li>MUFG — $235 million in project finance</li><li>Wells Fargo — $120 million in project finance</li></ul><p>The <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/dakota-access-pipeline">Dakota Access Pipeline</a>, or DAPL, extends over 1,000 miles across several U.S. states, damaging Native American ancestral lands and water. Passing within just a half-mile of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, the pipeline has destroyed sacred sites and threatens the tribe's drinking water with potential oil spills. Beginning in 2016, Native American water protectors, including Standing Rock Sioux tribal elders and members, led opposition to DAPL. Supported by thousands of allies, this grew into one of the largest and most iconic movements in the world to halt fossil fuel <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines">pipelines</a>. In response to peaceful, prayerful resistance, police from several states and agencies, members of the U.S. National Guard and armed private security forces used military equipment and tactics, including attack dogs, to intimidate, assault, arrest and otherwise commit grievous human rights abuses against water protectors and their allies. Opposition to the pipeline expanded far beyond the project site and supercharged the growing global movement against financial institutions that support fossil fuel projects.</p><p>Atlantic Coast Pipeline (United States):</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Bank of America — $673.5 million in corporate loans (13)</li><li>Citi — $673.5 million in corporate loans (14)</li><li>JP Morgan Chase — $648 million in corporate loans (15)</li><li>MUFG — $1.182 billion in corporate loans (16)</li><li>Wells Fargo — $673.5 million in corporate loans (17)</li></ul><p>The proposed 600-mile <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/atlantic-coast-pipeline">Atlantic Coast Pipeline</a>, running from West Virginia through North Carolina, is the third longest gas pipeline in production or in some phase of development over the past 20 years in the U.S. Trees have been cleared along the pipeline route and infrastructure development has begun. Although two lawsuits against the pipeline are now pending in federal and North Carolina courts, federal law allows pipelines to be constructed prior to the resolution of all litigation. The ACP was the only oil or gas pipeline to be on Donald Trump's list of 50 Priority National Security Projects prior to his election.</p><p>According to published reports, the central purpose of the ACP is to enter South Carolina and eventually reach Elba Island, Georgia where gas will be exported from a liquid natural gas facility now under construction. This recognition raises serious concerns regarding the use of eminent domain to take privately owned property for private gain instead of public use.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODc4NjYzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTUxNTIzNX0.k2aId-6AeBqBz-pBCEDqoD8V-jrb0jaXdsHiTwZUqUU/img.jpg?width=980" id="65935" width="600" height="300" data-rm-shortcode-id="69c19dc0387f2f7c18dad206a7d03fe9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Pax Ahimsa Gethen / Flickr</small></p><p>The ACP threatens the livelihood of more than 30,000 indigenous peoples that live along the pipeline route. In May 2018, an alliance of community, statewide and national groups filed a complaint to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>) Civil Rights Compliance Office, alleging that the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality discriminated on the basis of race and color in issuing permits and certifications to the ACP as part of the permitting process. In September 2018, environmental groups filed legal challenges in an appeals court against federal permitting agencies.<br></p><p>Kusile Power Station (South Africa):</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Bank of America — financial advisor</li><li>JP Morgan Chase — financial advisor</li><li>MUFG — part of 705 million euro corporate loan to South Africa's state power company, Eskom, to purchase boilers from Hitachi Power Europe for the Kusile coal power plant</li></ul><p>Once completed, the 4,800-megawatt Kusile coal plant in South Africa will be one of the largest coal plants in the world. The estimated annual greenhouse gas equivalent emissions of the plant—30 million tons—would increase South African energy sector emissions by 12.8 percent and the country's total contribution to climate change by 9.7 percent. South Africa already has the distinction of being among the top global greenhouse gas emitters per capita. The Kusile project area already exceeds permitted ambient levels of hazardous <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution">air pollutants</a> that create soot and smog, which cause harm to respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems, leading to heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic lower respiratory diseases, according to Physicians for Social Responsibility. If completed, Kusile will increase the cost of electricity for the poor and household consumers to compensate for Apartheid-era "special pricing agreements" that give large industrial users, which consume most of South Africa's electricity, guaranteed rates that are among the lowest in the world. The cost of Kusile, which in 2007 was estimated by Eskom to be 80 billion rand, had more than doubled to 172 billion rand by 2016. It is "expected to further strain Eskom's financial resources, and place upward pressure on Eskom's electricity price trajectory in the years ahead." In 2015 the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Hitachi with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in connection with contracts to build Kusile and Medupi (another enormous coal plant in South Africa), resulting in a $19 million settlement.</p><p>Long Phu-1 Coal Plant (Vietnam):</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>MUFG and JP Morgan Chase — among the lead financial arrangers, with potential combined $650 million in finance</li></ul><p>Long Phu-1 in Vietnam would emit an estimated 6.3 million tonnes of CO2 per year. As a "supercritical" coal power plant, Long Phu-1 is prohibited from being financed by most official government export credit agencies (ECA), including the U.S. Export-Import Bank. However, the former director of the EPA's Air Enforcement Division, Bruce Buckheit, revealed that the project consulting firm Environmental Resources Management doctored the coal plant's greenhouse gas emissions estimates to make Long Phu-1 appear to be a more efficient "ultra-supercritical" plant, which would be allowed under ECA coal financing restrictions. Analysis of Long Phu-1 by Friends of the Earth U.S. reveals that the project violates other international policies, including requirements to analyze alternatives, identify cumulative and associated risks and impacts, evaluate labor and working conditions, prevent pollution, protect community health, provide safety and security, and ensure biodiversity conservation. In February 2018, the New York Times reported that U.S. Export-Import Bank financing for Long Phu-1 had collapsed after it was revealed that project financiers included Vnesheconombank, a Russian bank that is on the U.S. government's sanctions list and is part of a federal investigation into possible collusion between the Russian government and the Trump presidential campaign. It was also reported that a top Long Phu-1 project official had been sentenced to prison for corruption. MUFG and JP Morgan Chase, like the U.S. Export-Import Bank, must also comply with U.S. sanctions. However, it remains unclear whether these banks continue to be potential financiers of Long Phu-1.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="319bd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="AXJZ871576661973"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="996952236004700165" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">WATCH: 3 communities who stood up to Big Oil and won https://t.co/58BKMR6zGK #FossilFree https://t.co/dqOuksByOh</div> — 350 dot org (@350 dot org)<a href="https://twitter.com/350/statuses/996952236004700165">1526526910.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p><em>Doug Norlen is the economic policy program director for <a href="https://foe.org/city-angels-funds-hellish-fossil-fuel-projects/" target="_blank">Friends of the Earth</a>.</em><br></p>
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boonchai wedmakawand / Moment / Getty Images
Delta-8 THC is a cannabis product that has become a bestseller over the past few months, as many consumers find they can legally purchase it from CBD retailers. Its proponents say that Delta-8 THC will give you a nice little buzz, minus some of the more intense feelings (including paranoia) that are sometimes associated with marijuana.
Delta-8 THC is being marketed as a legal option for consumers who either don't live in a state with legal cannabis, or are a little apprehensive about how traditional psychoactive THC products will affect them. But is it all it's cracked up to be? Let's take a closer look, exploring what Delta-8 THC is, how it differs from other THC products, and whether it's actually legal for use.
<h2>What is Delta-8 THC?</h2><p>To better understand <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/health/marijuana-hemp-delta-8-thc.html" target="_blank">Delta-8 THC</a>, it helps to cover some basics about THC and cannabis.</p><p>Cannabis plants come chock full of different <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cannabis-marijuana-and-cannabinoids-what-you-need-to-know" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>cannabinoids</em></a>. These are naturally-occuring chemical compounds that bind with receptors throughout your body. They can offer a wide range of mental, emotional, and physical effects; indeed, the healing and therapeutic properties marijuana or <a data-linked-post="2648563694" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/strongest-cbd-oil-2648563694.html" target="_blank">CBD products</a> offer can be attributed to cannabinoids.</p><p>One of the most common cannabinoids is what's known as Delta-9 THC. Simply put, this is the part of marijuana that gets you "high." It's worth noting that Delta-9 THC remains illegal in many states, except for in the most minute doses, and is still illegal at the federal level. CBD products are made with trace amounts of THC, ensuring that consumers can enjoy positive health effects in a perfectly legal way, without the risk of getting high.</p><p>On a chemical level, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/health/marijuana-hemp-delta-8-thc.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Delta-8 THC</a> is not too different from Delta-9 THC; the distinction comes down to just a few molecules. But those molecules make a big practical impact: Delta-8 THC will give you a buzz, but the psychoactive effects are considerably milder than with Delta-9 THC.</p><p>More specifically, many cannabis enthusiasts report that Delta-8 THC helps them feel good but also leaves them relatively clear-headed; and, it doesn't produce the anxiety or jitteriness that often characterize a Delta-9 THC high.</p><p>Additionally, because of the way the law is written regarding Delta-9 THC, some CBD companies now sell Delta-8 THC products in places where traditional cannabis is still illegal.</p><h2>What's the Difference Between Delta-9 THC and Delta-8 THC?</h2><p>Here are the primary differences to note between Delta-9 and Delta-8 THC:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Delta-9 THC is the primary psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana. In other words, it's the part that gets you high.</li><li>Though some states have found workarounds, Delta-9 THC is still illegal under federal law.</li><li>Delta-8 THC is also found in the cannabis plant, though it's not quite as powerful or as well-known. </li><li>Delta-8 THC is milder in its psychoactive effects. And, it's not <em>technically </em>illegal under current law.</li></ul><p>These are just a few of the key distinctions to keep in mind. Delta-8 THC is popular among consumers who want a smoother high, and don't want to violate federal law.</p><h2>Is Delta-8 THC Legal?</h2><p>We noted that Delta-8 THC is not <em>technically </em>illegal. Here, we need to get into some of the nuanced legal considerations that surround this substance.</p><p>First of all, there are plenty of cannabis companies that actively promote Delta-8 THC as a legal way to get high. Again, that's technically true, but is still a point of debate for some.</p><p>For one thing, it's not explicitly listed as an illegal substance. While federal laws, and some state laws, specifically ban Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 THC is never mentioned. More to the point, though, many proponents will cite the<a href="https://www.usda.gov/farmbill" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> 2018 Farm Bill</a>. This law legalized several industrial hemp products on a national level, including CBD.</p><p>The Farm Bill also includes some fairly nuanced positions regarding THC. In summary, the law says that hemp and cannabis-derived products are legal so long as they contain less than 0.3 percent Delta-9 THC.</p><p>With that said, some lawyers contend that Delta-8's heyday may soon come to an end. That's because the Farm Bill clears it only so long as it's derived directly from hemp; most of the Delta-8 THC products sold today aren't made from hemp, but rather from synthetically-altered CBD.</p><p>Some of these issues are a little fuzzy, and <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/delta-8-thc-legal-weed-explained-1113859/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the legal future of Delta-8 THC</a> remains a little uncertain. For now, though, many experts would argue that it is legal to purchase.</p><h2>What Kinds of Delta-8 THC Products Are Available?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><p>If you're looking to try Delta-8 THC products, you'll certainly find plenty of different products. Dispensaries and legal cannabis stores currently have a trove of products that use this cannabinoid. Some examples include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Vape cartridges, tinctures, and capsules.</li><li>Beverages made with Delta-8 THC, including some seltzers.</li><li>Edibles, including Delta-8 THC gummy bears, chocolate bars, and more.</li></ul><p>The cannabis industry has really been running with Delta-8 THC, finding creative ways to bring it to market. And chances are, even more products will be springing up in the weeks and months to come. </p><p>It's very important to note that you should only purchase Delta-8 THC products from reputable brands and established cannabis retailers. We do not recommend purchasing any products that contain Delta-8 THC from gas stations or vape shops. If you are looking for a reputable place to explore these products, here are a few brands that we trust and recommend:</p>
<h2>What are the Pros and Cons of Delta-8 THC?</h2><p>As you consider whether Delta-8 THC is worth your time, it may be helpful to weigh the pros against the cons.</p><p><strong>Pros</strong></p><p>Let's start with some of the positives:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Delta-8 THC does have psychoactive effects, but it's a milder effect than with traditional Delta-9 THC.</li><li>Delta-8 THC is currently legal and widely accessible in multiple states.</li><li>There are a wide number of products that use Delta-8 THC.</li></ul><p><strong>Cons</strong></p><p>Now, a few of the downsides.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Delta-8 THC isn't quite as commonplace as other cannabis products, including CBD, and some of the options on the market are expensive.</li><li>While this substance is technically legal, there are plenty of uncertainties over its legal future. It's something you want to keep in mind.</li><li>As a relatively new product, Delta-8 THC products are not regulated by the FDA and there is not independent testing in place to verify that it is safe or pure.</li></ul><p>As with any cannabis product, Delta-8 THC has its pros and cons. As you seek the cannabis product that's best for you, it's largely a matter of personal preference.</p><p>Also note that smoking, vaping, or otherwise imbibing any kind of cannabis-related product can carry some medical risks and negative health consequences. If you have any specific concerns, we recommend consulting with your doctor before you try any Delta-8 THC product.</p><p><em><strong>Josh Hurst </strong></em><em>is a journalist, critic, and essayist. He lives in Knoxville, TN, with his wife and three sons. He covers natural health, nutrition, supplements, and clean energy. His writing has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em></p>
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<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNjAzNjE2Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTcwNTgzM30.opm4l5-rSqV1HfvrbVE16EEVZvqxI42xgqnsQfL9p2M/img.jpg?width=980" id="2c749" width="400" height="400" data-rm-shortcode-id="a678e76d8cd5e13bae95d9c3ae664b85" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />botanyfarms.com
<p>The <a href="https://www.botanyfarms.com/product/delta-10-thc-vape-cartridge/?aff=14" target="_blank">Botany Farms Delta-10 THC Vape Cartridge</a> actually contains both Delta-10 and Delta-8 THC.This is designed to provide the desired effects of Delta-8 THC but without the drowsiness. They also offer a vape cartridge with a 1:1 concentration of <a href="https://www.botanyfarms.com/product/delta-10-delta-8-thc-vape-cartridge/?aff=14" target="_blank">Delta-8 THC</a> and Delta-10 THC. Note that while vape products can be used to aid in smoking cessation, we do not recommend vaping or smoking because of the negative health effects they can cause.</p>
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69 percent of Chicago's office space square footage is now green-certified. Marco Verch / CC BY 2.0
By Hilary Firestone and Olivia Walker
City Energy Project cities once again dominated CBRE's list of greenest U.S. commercial real estate markets. CBRE, the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, released their fourth annual Green Building Adoption Index study in partnership with Maastricht University, examining nationwide commercial building energy use trends and impacts of energy efficiency programs and policies on U.S. building markets.
<p>It then produced a ranked list of the top 30 American commercial real estate markets based on the percentage of the city's office-space square footage that is "certified green," meaning it holds either an EPA ENERGY STAR label or USGBC LEED certification. The study's <a href="http://mapping.cbre.com/maps/353012/landing/" target="_blank">accompanying map tool</a> returned this year as well, highlighting the names, certification details, and locations of the highest-performing properties in the largest U.S. commercial real estate markets.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODYwODU4MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDQ4MTY3N30.36sMZWsCtr6U5xI7i3rHuUNjewHvrfCKmoSVhicADG0/img.jpg?width=980" id="89bb9" width="1200" height="400" data-rm-shortcode-id="4950958186cbad5d1b1531d013ec1d0e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CBRE, Inc.</small></p><p><a href="https://www.cityenergyproject.org/" target="_blank">City Energy Project</a> (CEP), a nation-wide effort co-led by <a href="https://www.nrdc.org" target="_blank">NRDC</a> and the Institute for Market Transformation, is devoted to improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings in American cities. CEP supports a suite of policies and programs that lay the groundwork for the kind transformative change measured by CBRE's annual study. The most heavily identified strategy of CEP cities is the passage and implementation of a citywide benchmarking and transparency ordinance. </p><p>Benchmarking and transparency, the process of measuring building energy data over time and comparing it to similar buildings, gives owners and operators of large buildings information about their building's energy usage and therefore provides the opportunity to improve on that usage. The impact of that work is being clearly demonstrated by studies like this. Nine out of the top 10 cities on CBRE's list have passed benchmarking ordinances all requiring the use of the EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and cities with benchmarking ordinances have 21 percent more ENERGY STAR and LEED certified square footage than those without.</p><p>More than half of the CEP cities are on the list, with Chicago claiming first place as the greenest American office market. Chicago's win is thanks to its rapidly improving building stock; 69 percent of the city's office space square footage is now green-certified, an increase of 3 percent in green-certified space since last year's study was published. This distinction comes in the midst of big sustainability action for the Windy City; just last year Mayor Rahm Emanuel pledged to <a href="https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2017/april/RenewableEnergy2025.html" target="_blank">transition city-operated buildings</a> to a 100 percent <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> supply by 2025 and they are doubling down on their benchmarking policy with the <a href="https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/progs/env/building-energy-benchmarking---transparency.html" target="_blank">Chicago Energy Rating System</a>, requiring buildings to publicly display a localized energy rating. Chicago's rapid improvements thus far foretell success in adopting forward thinking policies for existing buildings.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODYwODU5NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NjQyNDYwMH0.0ToEvY7zisZgsG3NrQfoRJ6JNL3WafrtILsivJtl_rk/img.jpg?width=980" id="ccda7" width="1272" height="669" data-rm-shortcode-id="8df1d882f55e6f71c658f50160c13226" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">CBRE 2018 Green Building Adoption Index</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CBRE, Inc.</small></p><p>11 other CEP cities were included in the report, with Atlanta, Los Angeles, Saint Paul, Houston and Denver all falling in the top 10. While these cities ranked in the top 10 of last year's report as well, all have maintained or improved on their performance since then, with ambitious voluntary challenge programs and benchmarking policies as their tools for success. Notably, Los Angeles' percentage of green square footage increased by over seven percent, causing its ranking to bump up two spots, while Atlanta also gained four percent in green square-footage from the previous year's report. Both <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/kimi-narita/angeles-passes-ambitious-building-efficiency-policy" target="_blank">Los Angeles</a> and <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/kimi-narita/atlanta-becomes-first-city-southeast-pass-benchmarking-and-audit-policy-large" target="_blank">Atlanta</a> have benchmarking and energy audit requirements, so it will be interesting to see the impact of those policies on the uptake of green certifications in the coming years.<br></p><p>As we propel toward the launch of the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/media/2018/180601" target="_blank">American Cities Climate Challenge</a>, a new project co-led by NRDC and Delivery Associates and funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies designed to help American cities reach their <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate</a> goals, reports like this will be excellent indicators of policy-driven market transformation.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="cde56" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8Y4L1R1576662502"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="929065327006273536" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#Denver Becomes Latest City to Require Green Roofs https://t.co/9XqeWtSQlX @billmckibben @SierraClub @greenpeaceusa… https://t.co/sSLH1HRcmP</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/929065327006273536">1510341409.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Southern California Gas Company's Aliso Canyon facility. Scott L / CC BY-SA 2.0
A major California utility has agreed to pay nearly $120 million in a civil settlement over a huge methane leak that forced thousands to flee their homes in 2015.
<p>The settlement between Southern California Gas Co. and the city of Los Angeles will pay for emissions mitigation, a long-term health study, and increased safety measures from the 2015 leak at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage field, the largest single release of methane in U.S. history. </p><p>More than 100,000 metric tons of methane were released into the air over a nearly four-month period during the disaster, prompting complaints of headaches, nosebleeds and nausea from residents in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Porter Ranch near the storage facility.</p><p>As reported by the <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/article216295025.html" target="_blank">Sacramento Bee</a>:</p><blockquote>Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the tentative deal, which will be open to public comment and requires court approval, addressed violations of health and safety codes, the illegal discharge of air contaminants and failure to report the release of hazardous materials.</blockquote><blockquote>"There is no excuse for what happened," Becerra said in a statement. "For over four months, this leak exposed our communities to natural gas emissions that resulted in adverse health impacts and disrupted the lives of tens of thousands of Californians."</blockquote>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="5d7ba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="49RCGZ1576662913"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="953387696466079750" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">New NASA Study Solves Climate Mystery, Confirms Methane Spike Tied to Oil and Gas https://t.co/dGVGRws5Ce @NASA… https://t.co/QSewyGaNNy</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/953387696466079750">1516140314.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br></p><p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/southern-california-gas-agrees-to-settlement-for-2015-methane-leak-1533758383" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/settlement-reached-methane-leak-california-complex-57109378" target="_blank">AP</a>, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-aliso-canyon-settlement-20180808-story.html" target="_blank">LA Times</a>, <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/article216295025.html" target="_blank">Sacramento Bee</a></p><p> <em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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The Los Angeles, CA city skyline on Sept. 18, 2016. prayitnophotography / CC BY 2.0
By Jason Daley
There's little question that air pollution is toxic for the human body. Studies have shown that particulate matter in the air can lead to lung disease, heart disease, strokes, and lung cancer. But researchers thought the brain might be protected due to the blood brain barrier—a natural system that filters out foreign substances and certain neurotransmitters before they circulate in the brain. A new study from researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles shows that many heavy metals found in the air may make it into brain tissue, and those pollutants are activating genes that may lead to cancers or neurodegenerative disorders.
<p>To understand how air pollution impacts the brain, doctor Julia Ljubimova, director of the Nanomedicine Research Center at Cedars-Sinai, produced air with the same chemical makeup as that found in Riverside, California, in the Los Angeles Basin. She and her team then subjected rats to the air, with different groups of rats breathing the polluted air for two weeks, one to three months, and 12 months. After examining the rodent brains, the researchers found higher than normal concentrations of heavy metals including cadmium, cobalt, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/lead">lead</a>, nickel, vanadium and zinc accumulated in the rats exposed to the pollution for a month or more. Even more disturbing, coarse particles of the pollutants had switched on certain genes. The research appears in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23885-3.pdf" target="_blank"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a><em>.</em> </p><p>"Initially I was even skeptical we could find anything. For example, a smoker has to smoke 20 years to develop lung cancer," Ljubimova said, "so I was not sure that in three, six, or 12 months of exposure we would detect changes in these animals' brains at the genomic level. I was very, very surprised when we found so many changes."</p><p>So how are these heavy metals making it into the brain despite the blood brain barrier? The coarse particulate material gets in through the lungs, which absorb the pollution particles into the bloodstream and may somehow beat the blood brain barrier, which can weaken due to high blood pressure, inflammation and other stresses. Particulates inhaled through the nose have a more direct route into the brain through the olfactory system and may accumulate through that pathway. Once in the brain, the metals cause inflammation, switching on certain genes including those that cause both benign and malignant tumors, and others that are suspected of causing neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's, ALS, Alzheimer's, and other types of dementia—<a href="http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-air-pollution-alzheimers-20170131-story.html" target="_blank">something that other recent studies have also found</a>.</p><p>There are still many questions the study can't answer. For instance, do these heavy metals accumulate throughout a lifetime, or can the body flush them out? And most importantly, can a study on rats translate to humans? While Ljubimova said it's likely that the same systems are at work in humans and rodents, her team is also studying Cedars-Sinai's archive of human brain tissue to see if there's evidence of these coarse particles accumulating in the brains of people who lived in areas with air pollution.</p><p>Ljubimova said that while the pollutants in her study were based on Los Angeles, she guesses many of the same effects are happening in cities across the world with similar loads of coarse pollutants. The hope, she said, is that the study and future follow-ups will galvanize policymakers to take a closer look at the health impacts of industry, auto emissions, agriculture and military activities in L.A. and other areas with pollution problems. She pointed out that more and more people are being exposed to questionable air as urbanization expands, and scientists don't know all the possible organs and ill effects exposure can cause. </p><p>"We thought that nature protected the brain through the blood brain barrier," she said. "But now we see that no, air pollution affects even isolated and protected organs such as the brain. This is important information for thinking about new developments and ways to protect the public."</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="0ae92" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="IZ87NM1576661996"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="997403954274361344" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Six European Countries Could Face Multi-Million Euro Fines Over Air Pollution https://t.co/lsMSdjPR4K @wwwfoecouk @foeeurope @Green_Europe</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/997403954274361344">1526634608.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/study-shows-air-pollution-makes-genetic-changes-brain" target="_blank">SIERRA</a> magazine.</em><br></p>
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According to new WHO data, Cairo is one of the world's most polluted mega-cities. Gary Denham / Flickr
The latest World Health Organization (WHO) air quality report revealed that air pollution is as much a global public health threat as ever, killing seven million people every year, a number that study authors told The Guardian is distressingly close to 2016's assessment.
<p style="">"There are cities and regions where improvement is happening," report author Sophie Gumy told The Guardian. "But even if things have started to move, they aren't moving quickly enough. Seven million deaths is a totally unacceptable figure. The fact that 92% [of people] are still breathing unacceptable air is the news. Pollution remains at dangerously high levels," she said. </p><p style=""> The report, based on what the WHO claims is the most comprehensive air pollution database in the world, was released Tuesday, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/01/health/air-pollution-cities-who-study/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. The report covers data from 108 countries and 4,300 cities. </p><p style="">"No doubt that air pollution represents today not only the biggest environmental risk for health, but I will clearly say that this is a major, major challenge for public health at the moment and probably one of the biggest ones we are contemplating," director of the WHO's Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health Dr. Maria Neira told CNN. </p><p style="">The report found that air pollution from cars, factories and wood fires accounts for 43 percent of chronic lung-disease deaths, 29 percent of lung cancer deaths and 25 percent of deaths from strokes and heart attacks, The Guardian reported. More than 90 percent of those deaths were in poorer countries in Africa and Asia. </p><p style="">In fact, the recent report marks the first time the WHO has included comparisons to past years, revealing that the pollution gap between rich and poor countries is growing. </p><p style="">More than 61 percent of cities in Europe and 57 percent of cities in the Americas saw a fall in particulate matter levels between 2010 and 2016; on the other hand, air quality deteriorated by 70 percent in poorer cities in south and southeast Asia, The Guardian reported.</p><p style="">According to The Guardian, large cities with the worst pollution were, in order, Delhi, Cairo, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mumbai and Beijing. Delhi and Cairo had PM10 particulate matter levels 10 times worse than WHO guidelines while Dhaka, Mumbai and Beijing had levels that eclipsed safety limits by a factor of five.</p><p style="">The report's authors praised the progress that China had made in its "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/chinas-war-on-pollution-helps-kick-coal-habit-1881952951.html" target="_self">war on pollution</a>."</p><p style="">"One of the reasons for that, is the health argument is strongly presented and citizens felt the link between air pollution and their own health," Neira told The Guardian. "We'd like to see the same movement now in India, which is a country of particular concern."</p><p style="">In the U.S., Los Angeles and Indianapolis were particularly polluted, while Honolulu was a large U.S. city with relatively clean air, CNN reported.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="919da" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="L5QDXO1576662004"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="986361190527000576" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">95% of World's Population Breathes Unsafe Air https://t.co/0NVplWFhsS @Greenpeace @ScienceNewsOrg</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/986361190527000576">1524001808.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Why California Gets to Write Its Own Auto Emissions Standards: 5 Questions Answered
06 April 2018
Popular
Traffic on the I-405 in Los Angeles. Eric Beteille / Flickr
By Nicholas Bryner and Meredith Hankins
Editor's note: On April 2, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that the Trump administration plans to revise tailpipe emissions standards negotiated by the Obama administration for motor vehicles built between 2022 and 2025, saying the standards were set "too high." Pruitt also said the EPA was re-examining California's historic ability to adopt standards that are more ambitious than the federal government's. Legal scholars Nicholas Bryner and Meredith Hankins explain why California has this authority—and what may happen if the EPA tries to curb it.
<p>
<strong>Where does California get this special authority?</strong>
</p><p>
The Clean Air Act empowers the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a> to regulate air pollution from motor vehicles. To promote uniformity, the law generally bars states from regulating car emissions.
</p><p>
But when the Clean Air Act was passed, California was already developing innovative laws and standards to address its unique air pollution problems. So Congress carved out an exemption. As long as California's standards protect public health and welfare at least as strictly as federal law, and are necessary "to meet compelling and extraordinary conditions," the law <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/7543" target="_blank">requires</a> the EPA to grant California a waiver so it can continue to apply its own regulations. California has received <a href="https://www.epa.gov/state-and-local-transportation/vehicle-emissions-california-waivers-and-authorizations#notices" target="_blank">numerous waivers</a> as it has worked to reduce vehicle emissions by enacting ever more stringent standards since the 1960s.
</p><p>
Other states can't set their own standards, but they can opt to follow California's motor vehicle emission regulations. Currently, <a href="https://database.aceee.org/state/tailpipe-emission-standards" target="_blank">12 states and the District of Columbia</a> have adopted California's standards.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzUyNTA5Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTE4NTg5N30.-xuihe17W7FRvAMzZOcumh5U4piQ9-wP1q1aQve7z6Q/img.jpg?width=980"
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<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Gov. Ronald Reagan signs legislation establishing the California Air Resources Board to address the state's air pollution, Aug. 30, 1967. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CA ARB</small></p><p>
<strong>What are the "compelling and extraordinary conditions" that California's regulations are designed to address?</strong>
</p><p>
In the 1950s scientists <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00966665.1953.10467586" target="_blank">recognized</a> that the unique combination of enclosed topography, a rapidly growing population and a warm climate in the Los Angeles air basin was a recipe for dangerous smog. Dutch chemist <a href="https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/hsawards/a_lesson_from_the_smog_capital_of_world.pdf" target="_blank">Arie Jan Haagen-Smit</a> discovered in 1952 that worsening Los Angeles smog episodes were caused by photochemical reactions between California's sunshine and nitrogen oxides and unburned hydrocarbons in motor vehicle exhaust.
</p><p>
California's Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board issued <a href="https://www.arb.ca.gov/html/brochure/history.htm" target="_blank">regulations</a> mandating use of the nation's first vehicle emissions control technology in 1961, and developed the nation's first vehicle emissions standards in 1966. Two years later the EPA adopted standards identical to California's for model year 1968 cars. UCLA Law scholar Ann Carlson calls this pattern, in which California innovates and federal regulators piggyback on the state's demonstrated success, "<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1115556" target="_blank">iterative federalism</a>." This process has continued for decades.
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<strong>California has <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-blazing-a-low-carbon-path-pay-off-for-california-72168" target="_blank">set ambitious goals</a> for slowing climate change. Is that part of this dispute with the EPA?</strong><br/>
</p><p>
Yes. Transportation is now the <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/digest/transportation-replaces-power-in-u-s-as-top-source-of-co2-emissions" target="_blank">largest source</a> of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. The tailpipe standards that the Obama EPA put in place were designed to limit GHG emissions from cars by improving average fuel efficiency.
</p><p>
These standards were developed jointly by the EPA, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and California, which have overlapping legal authority to regulate cars. EPA and California have the responsibility to control motor vehicle emissions of air pollutants, including GHGs. DOT is in charge of <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/32902" target="_blank">regulating fuel economy</a>.
</p><p>
Congress began regulating fuel economy in response to the oil crisis in the 1970s. DOT sets the Corporate Average Fuel Economy <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/corporate-average-fuel-economy" target="_blank">(CAFE) standard</a> that each auto manufacturer must meet. Under this program, average fuel economy in the U.S. improved in the late 1970s but <a href="https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P100TGLC.pdf" target="_blank">stagnated</a> from the 1980s to the early 2000s as customers shifted to purchasing larger vehicles, including SUVs, minivans and trucks.
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In 2007 Congress responded with a new law that required DOT to set a standard of at least 35 miles per gallon by 2020, and the "maximum feasible average fuel economy" after that. That same year, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/05-1120.ZS.html" target="_blank">ruled</a> that the Clean Air Act authorized the EPA to regulate GHG emissions from cars.<br/>
</p><p>
The Obama administration's tailpipe standard brought these overlapping mandates together. EPA's regulation sets how much carbon dioxide can be emitted per mile, which matches with DOT's increased standard for average fuel economy. It also includes a "midterm review" to assess progress. Administrator Scott Pruitt's <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-04/documents/mte-final-determination-notice-2018-04-02.pdf" target="_blank">new EPA review</a>, released on April 2, overturned the Obama administration's midterm review and concluded that the 2022 to 2025 standard was not feasible.
</p><p>
The EPA now <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-pruitt-ghg-emissions-standards-cars-and-light-trucks-should-be" target="_blank">argues</a> that earlier assumptions behind the rule were "optimistic" and can't be met. However, its review almost entirely ignored the purpose of the standards and the costs of continuing to emit GHGs at high levels. Although the document is 38 pages long, the word "climate" never appears, and "carbon" appears only once.
</p><p>
The EPA's decision does not yet have any legal impact. It leaves the current standards in place until the EPA and DOT decide on a less-stringent replacement.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img
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</p><p>
<strong>Can the Trump administration take away California's authority to set stricter targets?</strong><br/>
</p><p>
The EPA has never attempted to revoke an existing waiver. In 2007, under George W. Bush, the agency <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/washington/20epa-web.html" target="_blank">denied</a> California's request for a waiver to regulate motor vehicle GHG emissions. California sued, but the EPA reversed course under President Obama and granted the state a waiver before the case was resolved.
</p><p>
California's <a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-01-09/pdf/2013-00181.pdf" target="_blank">current waiver</a> was approved in 2013 as a part of a "<a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/28/obama-administration-finalizes-historic-545-mpg-fuel-efficiency-standard" target="_blank">grand bargain</a>" between California, federal agencies and automakers. It covers the state's Advanced Clean Cars program and includes standards to reduce conventional air pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, as well as the GHG standards jointly developed with the EPA and DOT.
</p><p>
The <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/">Trump</a> administration is threatening to revoke this waiver when it decouples the national GHG vehicle standards from California's standards. EPA Administrator <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scott-pruitt">Pruitt</a> has <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-pruitt-ghg-emissions-standards-cars-and-light-trucks-should-be" target="_blank">said</a> that the agency is re-examining the waiver, and that "cooperative federalism doesn't mean that one state can dictate standards for the rest of the country." In our view, this statement mischaracterizes how the Clean Air Act works. Other states have voluntarily chosen to follow California's rules because they see benefits in reducing air pollution.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
<div id="3e61a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3N8ONS1576662073"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="980896503249092608" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Trump Administration’s assault on clean car standards risks our ability to protect our children’s health, tackl… https://t.co/yYHUybng2E</div> — Xavier Becerra (@Xavier Becerra)<a href="https://twitter.com/AGBecerra/statuses/980896503249092608">1522698925.0</a></blockquote></div>
</p><p>
<strong>How would California respond if the EPA revokes its waiver?</strong><br/>
</p><p>
<a href="https://twitter.com/JerryBrownGov/status/980894214903836672" target="_blank">Gov. Jerry Brown</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-epa%E2%80%99s-assault-federal-greenhouse-gas-emission-standards" target="_blank">Attorney General Xavier Becerra</a> and <a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/carb-chair-issues-response-epa-press-release-weakening-vehicle-standards" target="_blank">California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols</a> have all made clear that the state will push back. It's almost certain that any attempt to revoke or weaken California's waiver will immediately be challenged in court—and that this would be a <a href="http://legal-planet.org/2018/03/16/will-pruitt-join-sessions-in-expanding-the-attack-on-california/" target="_blank">major legal battle</a>.
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-california-gets-to-write-its-own-auto-emissions-standards-5-questions-answered-94379" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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A fire in Los Angeles has burned more than 7,000 acres since erupting on Friday.
Officials reported Monday that the La Tuna fire, one the city's largest fires in decades by acreage, is now at least 30 percent contained.
<p style="">The fire shut down the 210 Freeway and led to 700 evacuations in the region at its peak over the weekend, with Gov. Jerry Brown declaring a state of emergency Sunday. The fire spread in the midst of an intense and record-breaking heat wave in California over the past week. </p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed"></p><div id="3e21f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0TOTUT1504627843"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="897822747346317312" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">[email protected]: Wildfires Are a #climatechange Wake-Up Call https://t.co/LdBL1GxejC @ClimateReality @greenpeaceusa @DeSmogCanada @WWF @350</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/897822747346317312">1502892598.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p>
<p style="">As reported by <a href="http://www.climatesignals.org/climate-signals/california-increased-wildfire-risk" target="_blank">Climate Signals</a>:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Extreme heat, years of ongoing <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought">drought</a>, and tree die off—all fueled by <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>—are increasing wildfire risk in California. There is a significant, increasing trend in the number of large fires and the total area burned per year in the United States. The trend is most significant in the western mountainous regions and the Southwest. Looking at the records extending back over the 20th century, 13 of California's 20 largest wildfires burned since 2000. And the fingerprint of global warming has been formally identified in California's wildfires."</p><p style=""><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p style=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/03/us/wildfire-los-angeles-verdugo.html?_r=0" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-weather-fire-20170904-story.html" target="_blank">LA Times</a>, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/04/us/los-angeles-wildfire/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>, <a href="http://abc7.com/la-tuna-fire-active-fire-no-longer-burning-fire-officials-say/2374751/" target="_blank">ABC7</a>, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/la-tuna-wildfire-los-angeles-7000-acres-burned/" target="_blank">CBS</a>, <a href="http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/La-Tuna-Fire-Monday-Evacuations-442666683.html" target="_blank">NBC LA</a>, <a href="http://mashable.com/2017/09/04/la-tuna-fire-los-angeles-county-photos/#NDGU9_l7Gsqa" target="_blank">Mashable</a>, <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/largest-wildfire-in-los-angeles-history-burns-amid-record-setting-west-coast-heat-wave-2017-09-03" target="_blank">MarketWatch</a>, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-los-angeles-widlfires-oregon-montana-heat-wave/" target="_blank">CBS/AP</a>. Background: <a href="http://www.climatesignals.org/climate-signals/california-increased-wildfire-risk" target="_blank">Climate Signals</a></p><p style=""> <em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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Port of LA to Open World's First Off-Grid Terminal Powered Entirely by Renewables
20 July 2016
Energy
The Port of Los Angeles—the nation's largest port by container volume and cargo value—is building the world's first marine terminal able to generate all of its energy needs from renewables.
<p>
Once development is complete, the 40-acre Pasha Green Omni Terminal will be able to run completely off-grid during power outages thanks to an onsite, 1.03-megawatt <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/search/?q=solar">solar</a> micro-grid that also features 2.6 megawatt-hour <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/search/?q=battery">battery</a> storage system and energy management technology to maximize usage, according to a <a href="https://www.portoflosangeles.org/newsroom/2016_releases/news_052616_green_omni.asp" target="_blank">news release</a>. <br>
</p><p>
The terminal will be home to an entire fleet of new or retrofitted zero-emission cargo handling equipment, such as electrified yard tractors, high-tonnage forklifts, drayage trucks, a top handler and wharf cranes. The project will also demonstrate ShoreCat, the next generation of the Marine Exhaust Treatment System for capturing at-berth vessel emissions without plugging into shore power. The port is the first to pilot such a system.
</p><p>
The developers estimated that the entire $26.6-million project is expected to slash more than 3,200 tons per year of greenhouse gases and nearly 28 tons annually of diesel particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and other harmful emissions from operations.
</p><p>
This project will further stamp out harmful emissions in the region, as the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have already reduced diesel particulate matter emissions by 80 percent in the last decade through various measures, <a href="http://www.dailybreeze.com/environment-and-nature/20160712/mayor-eric-garcetti-unveils-new-push-toward-greener-port-of-los-angeles" target="_blank">Daily Breeze</a> noted. <span></span>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="0fe5f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="I45NR81492434068"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="752930603926888448" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Example of new #solar-powered paneling at Pasha Green Omni Terminal. #PortofLA https://t.co/QU4C28bp5x</div> — Port of Los Angeles (@Port of Los Angeles)<a href="https://twitter.com/PortofLA/statuses/752930603926888448">1468347619.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
The clean air gains will be the equivalent of taking 14,100 cars a day off the road in the South Coast Air Basin—an especially notable feat as the port of Los Angeles is also California's single largest stationary source of pollution, as <a href="http://www.gizmag.com/off-grid-la-port-terminal/44435/" target="_blank">Gizmag</a> noted.
</p><p>
"This is a Wright Brothers moment," Jeffrey Burgin, senior vice president of Pasha Stevedoring and Terminals L.P, said. "We're going to be the proving ground to change the paradigm of how large industrial facilities can run on clean energy. We're confident we can show this is absolutely attainable."<br>
</p><p>
Pasha, a private cargo handling company, has thrown in $14.5 million into the project from mostly cap-and-trade dollars, the Daily Breeze reported.
</p><p>
As the Daily Breeze explained, one of the biggest issues confronting local and state officials is how to transition the $700 billion freight-dependent shipping industry from carbon-emitting diesel trucks and ships to zero or low-emissions alternatives.<span></span><br>
</p><p>
During an announcement at the port last week, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti <span></span>said that the Pasha Green Omni Terminal is one of a series of clean air initiatives and clean technology deployments aimed at reducing emissions from the Southern California goods movement industry.
</p><p>
Garcetti has set a goal to increase zero emission goods-movement trips to 15 percent by 2025.<br>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
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</p><p>
"The Port of Los Angeles is leading the world toward a sustainable future, and today we're raising the bar again," Garcetti said. "With this partnership, we begin a new era for global shipping where we can eliminate emissions as we power our economy ahead. I look forward to seeing this innovative technology in action."<br>
</p><p>
While the project boasts many green attributes and is a welcome upgrade to aging infrastructure, another important element of the project is that, during the event of a natural disaster, the completely off-grid port could still supply energy and basic goods to Southern California or could serve as a military base.<br>
</p><p>
"The [Pasha Green Omni] terminal is considered a breakbulk terminal, meaning it can handle things in addition to containers, or steel slabs," Phillip Sanfield, spokesperson for the Port of Los Angeles, told Gizmag. "It's one of the reasons it was chosen for this demonstration project because it can bring in emergency supplies and equipment."
</p><p>
The eco-friendly terminal is also good news for <span></span>the nearby neighborhood of Wilmington, a community disproportionately impacted by industrial pollution.<span></span><br>
</p><p>
"We don't have to chose between one and the other; we can have healthy communities and a healthy port," Garcetti said during his announcement last week. "It's an unacceptable price to pay for a bustling port."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy82OTg0MTY5L29yaWdpbi5qcGciLCJleHBpcmVzX2F0IjoxNjM1OTc1MTUxfQ.VTqlcjXaIaeJuE9rJRnyT2Bqz8AhYFkVhDFgBuMjjf8/img.jpg?width=980" id="bc529" width="855" height="678" data-rm-shortcode-id="183dcff681b39c6a48c61db9eb70ba83" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>According Gizmag, port officials expect the green technologies at the terminal to be up and running by the end of 2016.<span></span><br></p>
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How will Los Angeles County prepare for a warmer future? And what role could clean energy investments play?
A joint project of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation—Los Angeles Solar and Efficiency Report (LASER)—provides new data designed to help the public and policymakers prepare for the effects of climate change, from current environmental health risks to estimated temperature increases and climate change vulnerability throughout the region. It can also be used by communities to help identify opportunities to invest in projects that will create renewable energy jobs and cut electricity bills.
Source: UCLA Luskin Center, “Los Angeles County
Solar Atlas” (2011). UCLA used and modified data from the Los Angeles County Chief Information Office, the
Los Angeles County Solar Map. http://solarmap.lacounty.gov. Disadvantaged communities are outlined in grey lines and identified per California Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, “California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool Version 2.0” (2014). http://oehha.ca.gov/ej/ces2.html.
“The project is timely because with new state funding sources becoming available, LASER can help inform how the region invests resources to address pressing environmental challenges while providing job opportunities in its most impacted communities,” said Colleen Callahan, lead author of the study and deputy director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
The data-driven mapping tool, by parcel-level analysis, illustrates the area’s renewable energy potential through rooftop solar energy generation and energy efficiency measures. L.A. County presently has about 98 percent of its solar capacity untapped. The tool points out that if the county achieved only 10 percent of its rooftop solar potential, it would generate 47,000 jobs and cut almost 2.5 million tons of CO2 emissions each year.
The release today of the newest version of LASER is part of UCLA's "Thriving in a Hotter Los Angeles" project, which sets a goal for the region to use solely renewable energy and local water by 2050, and a response to President Obama’s Climate Data Initiative, which calls for leveraging public data to stimulate collaboration and innovation in support of national climate change preparedness.
LASER was highlighted in a White House announcement emphasizing ongoing efforts to broadly advance the initiative. “Through his Climate Data Initiative, President Obama is calling for all hands on deck to unleash data and technology in ways that will make businesses and communities more resilient to climate change,” said John P. Holdren, President Obama’s science advisor. “The commitments being announced today answer that call.”
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Survey Shows Americans Lead the World in Climate Denial
A Los Angeles city councilman is thinking big and long range when it comes to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Paul Koretz said the city should target a cut of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"The climate crisis is no longer out there in the future," Koretz told reporters at a news conference Friday. "It's here. It's now."
Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz is pictured in 2013. He has shown a track record of environmental concern since assuming office five years ago. His latest example is an aggressive push for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the city. Photo credit: @KevinTakumi/Twitter
Boston and San Francisco are among the cities with the aggressive target Koretz suggested. He plans on introducing it in a motion during council's next meeting.
The city is already well on its way to achieving the goal it previously set forth of slashing emissions by 35 percent by 2030. Koretz's office told the publication that Los Angeles had cut emissions 30 percent below 1990 levels by 2013.
Koretz's multilayered plan includes installing more solar energy on city rooftops and energy efficiency retrofits across the city. He also wants the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to meet the same emissions target two decades before the city.
The department's emissions have dropped 22 percent from 1990's levels, with "even more dramatic" cuts in store as coal is eliminated from the mix at the Navajo and Intermountain power plants, spokesman Joe Ramallo the Times.
"The DWP is almost all the way there," Koretz said. "We just want to give them a nudge to get all the way there."
Koretz has displayed a track record of environmental concern since assuming office five years ago. He was one of two members to introduce a motion for a fracking moratorium last year. He also introduced a motion banning the cultivation and sale of genetically engineered seeds and plants.
Natural Resources Defense Council
Pollution produced by the region’s millions of diesel and gasoline powered vehicles cause a heavy health burden for everyone living in Southern California, but evidence shows that it harms families and individuals living within approximately 300 yards of L.A.’s heavily-trafficked roadways even more. Although these families and other advocates have repeatedly asked for monitors to be placed along the roadways to determine exactly how much pollution comes from these roadways, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has refused to do so.
“How will the EPA protect us against air pollution if they won’t even measure how much is in the air?” asked Adrian Martinez, staff attorney with NRDC. “On many days, smog blankets our region as a result of the millions of tailpipes on our highways. People living near these freeways are at the greatest risk, yet lack adequate protection and the much needed air monitoring stations in these very obvious places with foul air. Regulators are actively avoiding this problem instead of addressing it, and that needs to stop.”
The federal lawsuit contends EPA violated the law by allowing the South Coast Air Quality Management District to ignore high levels of air pollution breathed by those living near freeways. NRDC and local advocates have sought to ensure air monitors are placed along the region’s highways to better inform the local air district about the hazardous levels of particulate air pollution, and to arm them with the information necessary to take action to protect the region’s residents.
“The science on this is clear,” said Martha Dina Arguello, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles. "People who breathe this polluted air suffer the staggering health impacts of air pollution at every phase of life. We know that women who live near heavy traffic roadways have a greater risk of having a low birth weight child and the child is more likely to develop asthma. Over a lifetime, living with this pollution also increases the likelihood of adult onset asthma, heart attacks, cancer and premature death. The evidence strongly suggests that people—especially children and seniors—who live near these roadways are exposed to much higher levels of pollution and therefore much more vulnerable to the impacts of pollution. It’s unconscionable that the EPA refuses to collect the information necessary to protect people’s health,” Arguello added.
Without monitors, regulators can ignore whether air quality for the more than 1.2 million people who live near high-traffic roadways despite the Clean Air Act’s mandate that all residents breathe healthy air. This litigation seeks to ensure that the EPA follows the letter.
“We’ve provided the EPA the studies that show that the air quality along freeways can be really bad—much worse than almost everywhere else. But they refuse to monitor our air. Why?” asked Mark Lopez of Communities for a Better Environment. “Monitors would allow all of us to know if there is a problem. If not—great! But if there is, we can work together to address it. We just want our children and families to be safe. Why won’t they collect the information needed to make sure that we’re safe?” added Lopez.
For more information, click here.
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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org
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