Search Climate Insights Directory

The document is a formal request by 87 public interest groups asking the U.S. EPA to provide in-person public hearings and extend the public comment period to 120 days for two proposed rules: the 'Part A' rule on Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) closure deadlines and the revision of Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) for steam electric power plants. The groups argue that the current 60-day window is insufficient due to holiday schedules and the complexity of the rules. They further contend that the EPA's proposed call-in sessions are an inadequate substitute for in-person hearings, which allow affected communities to present visual evidence and direct testimony regarding the toxic impact of coal ash on groundwater and surface waters.

The Uttarakhand High Court declared the Ganges and Yamuna rivers as living entities with legal rights, appointing state officials as guardians. However, the Supreme Court of India stayed this order, citing impracticality and jurisdictional overreach.

A survey of registered voters across five U.S. states reveals significant concern over extreme weather, trade wars, and water pollution as threats to agriculture. There is broad support for government programs that help farmers build "living soil" and protect soil health, with a majority of respondents indicating they would be more likely to support a political candidate proposing such measures.

The document provides a detailed audit of global brands' engagement with sustainable viscose production. It highlights a significant gap in transparency, as most brands disclose Tier 1 suppliers but fail to reveal the Tier 3 and 4 viscose fibre producers. While several brands have signed the Changing Markets Roadmap and committed to 'closed-loop' manufacturing by 2023-2025, many others lack specific viscose policies or chemical management standards like the ZDHC MRSL. A small group of 'frontrunners' such as Esprit, Tesco, and Marks and Spencer provide detailed lists of fibre suppliers, including major producers like Lenzing and Aditya Birla.

The report evaluates the fashion industry's transition to responsible viscose production, noting increased engagement from brands and some progress by producers toward EU Best Available Techniques (BAT) standards. While some European brands are leading in transparency and policy, many others—including several luxury and US-based brands—remain laggards. The document emphasizes that voluntary self-regulation is insufficient and calls for government legislation to ensure industry-wide compliance with environmental standards.

The document highlights the critical role of soil health in the US food system and the negative impacts of decades of short-sighted farm policies. It details the economic and environmental costs of soil erosion and degradation, including water pollution and increased vulnerability to extreme weather. The brief proposes a transition to practices such as cover cropping and no-till farming to sequester carbon and improve resilience, while recommending specific policy shifts in financial incentives, research funding, and technical assistance.

The report argues that the production of fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) for aquaculture is precipitating the collapse of fish stocks and compromising food security in the Global South. Investigations in India, Vietnam, and The Gambia reveal rampant illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, including the capture of juvenile fish and the use of illegal nets. The report establishes links between these unsustainable practices and major European aquafeed companies and retailers. It further critiques the Marine Ingredients Organisation (IFFO) certification as a 'sustainability smokescreen' and warns that the industry's reliance on finite wild-fish resources poses a systemic risk to the aquaculture sector's long-term viability.

The report argues that the Trump administration has systematically undermined science-based decision-making, which exacerbates existing environmental and health inequities for marginalized communities. It documents rollbacks in air and water pollution enforcement, the suppression of scientific data, and the dismantling of social safety nets and community participation programs. The document provides specific examples of these failures, such as the refusal to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos and the suppression of PFAS contamination data, while highlighting state and local victories where communities have successfully pushed back against these trends.

The report examines the Hévécam rubber plantation in southern Cameroon, owned by Halcyon Agri. It details extensive deforestation, including 3,196 hectares of virgin forest cleared since 2008, and severe biodiversity loss. Socially, it documents the dispossession of ancestral lands from the indigenous Bagyeli people, water pollution causing health issues, and a lack of access to basic services like education and healthcare. While noting recent improvements in company-community dialogue and the adoption of a sustainable supply chain policy by Halcyon, the report argues that significant reparations and restoration are still required. It recommends establishing a legitimate Cameroon Sustainability Council, implementing neutral dispute resolution mechanisms, and ensuring the rights and citizenship of indigenous populations.

The report finds a systemic collapse of water resource regulation in Mpumalanga's coal mining sector. It details how the Department of Water & Sanitation (DWS) fails to issue timely licences, monitor compliance, or enforce penalties. Mining companies are found to unilaterally deviate from licence conditions and ignore pollution prevention, while independent auditors provide misleading 'compliant' ratings based on visual inspections rather than scientific data. This regulatory failure has led to severe water quality degradation in the Olifants River Catchment, including acid mine drainage and the contamination of groundwater and surface water.

The assessment found that while small and mid-sized privately owned biodigesters provide health, environmental, and economic benefits, the 'community biodigester' model envisioned by Bangladesh's ILMM policy is not currently operational due to a lack of social capital and group financing. Adoption depends on access to finance, technical knowledge, livestock, and land.

The report examines the environmental impact of US grain production, specifically for breakfast cereals, and proposes that the four companies controlling 86% of the $8.5 billion US market can catalyze a shift toward regenerative agriculture. Through three scenarios based on Iowa State University research, the authors demonstrate that sourcing grains from sustainable rotations (including oats and cover crops) can significantly reduce soil erosion, nitrogen runoff, and nitrous oxide emissions. The document recommends a combination of corporate sourcing commitments and state/federal policy support to help farmers overcome the up-front costs of transitioning to these practices.

The document details the systemic contamination of groundwater by coal ash at 91% of monitored U.S. coal plants, highlighting the toxicity of substances like arsenic and lead. It describes legal actions and community advocacy used to challenge the Trump administration's attempts to weaken the 2015 coal ash rule and discusses the implementation of the Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act (Senate Bill 9) in Illinois to ensure financial assurance and transparency in cleanups.

Mighty Earth analyzed EPA and industry data to determine that the top U.S. meat companies discharge nearly 220 million tons of manure and facility waste annually. The analysis highlights that these pollutants, which include toxins and pathogens, are often stored in flood-prone earthen impoundments or discharged directly into waterways. In the Mississippi Watershed, this resulted in an estimated 16 million lbs of direct facility sewage and 128 million tons of manure from livestock and poultry production. The report links these pollution levels and the exacerbation caused by climate-driven flooding to the creation of dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico.

The document responds to a United Nations report on biodiversity loss, asserting that the primary drivers of ecological collapse are decisions made by governments and corporate boardrooms. It identifies the meat and cocoa industries as major contributors to biodiversity loss and deforestation, specifically citing the impact of meat production on greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution, and the role of cocoa farming in deforestation in West Africa. The author encourages individuals to support Mighty Earth's campaigns to pressure companies like McDonald's and Whole Foods to implement sustainable sourcing standards and to choose responsibly produced chocolate to protect endangered species such as chimpanzees and African elephants.

Mighty Earth asserts that food-based biofuels are environmentally damaging, contributing to climate change through emissions and the release of sequestered soil carbon, while causing habitat loss and water contamination.

The document details the environmental failures of ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd (AMSA) at its Vanderbijlpark facility, citing extensive air and water pollution, groundwater contamination, and a lack of transparency regarding climate risks. It highlights AMSA's status as one of South Africa's top 10 greenhouse gas emitters and its resistance to carbon taxes and air quality standards.

The authors argue that the European Commission's Strategic Approach to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment is insufficient to address the risks of pharmaceutical pollution and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). They highlight that AMR causes over 25,000 deaths annually in the EU and costs the economy more than €1.5 billion. To address these threats, the letter proposes five specific measures: increasing supply chain transparency to prevent double standards in developing countries, expanding Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to include compulsory environmental criteria for overseas factories, requiring compulsory environmental risk assessments (ERA) for all human and veterinary medical products, adding pharmaceuticals to the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) Directive, and establishing a mandatory EU monitoring system for antimicrobials and AMR microorganisms in the environment.

The Union of Concerned Scientists asserts that the United States has the lowest electoral integrity among advanced industrial democracies, which undermines the ability to create science-based policies. The report links voter suppression and gerrymandering to poor public health and environmental outcomes, citing examples in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Texas. It advocates for reforms such as automatic voter registration, nonpartisan redistricting, and public campaign financing to reduce the influence of 'dark money' and corporate interests on government decision-making.

The Lake Winnipeg Foundation and the International Institute for Sustainable Development argue that phosphorus from undertreated sewage is driving toxic algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg. They identify the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) as the largest point source of phosphorus for the lake and the fourth largest phosphorus polluter among Canadian wastewater facilities. While a full plant upgrade is planned, it is estimated to cost $1.8 billion and will not begin for at least 10 years. The authors propose a $5 million interim retrofit that could be implemented quickly to reduce the plant's phosphorus contribution by 70%.