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The report analyzes the toxicity of 57 chemical ingredients used in oil dispersants, highlighting significant gaps in scientific research and regulatory oversight. It finds that many ingredients are linked to cancer, organ toxicity, and aquatic harm, while noting that the lack of public disclosure regarding proprietary formulas hinders a full understanding of the risks. The document criticizes the EPA's listing process for lacking safety criteria and recommends comprehensive toxicity testing and full ingredient disclosure.

The document analyzes indirect fossil fuel subsidies in the U.S., which include tax breaks, abnormal accounting, royalty relief, and unpriced societal costs. It argues that many of these subsidies, often established decades ago, persist despite the maturity of the fossil fuel industry and the emergence of cleaner energy alternatives. The report highlights significant financial losses to the federal government, such as billions in foregone royalties and tax expenditures, and notes that the external costs of fossil fuel usage—including health and environmental damages—far exceed the revenue collected to mitigate them.

A coalition of environmental and community organizations argues against granting special liability relief or regulatory exemptions to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) operators, asserting that such measures create moral hazards and undermine public health and environmental safeguards. The authors specifically oppose exempting geologic sequestration from the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C, arguing that CO2 streams containing impurities could constitute hazardous waste and that existing industrial activities, such as hazardous waste injection, operate without such broad liability shields.

The document explores the intersection of climate change and the right to development (RTD), arguing that RTD is not a 'right to pollute' but a framework for a 'technological leap' toward non-carbon development. It emphasizes that industrialized countries bear the responsibility for providing financial and technological support to developing nations. The author advocates for development models integrated with biological cycles, such as agroecology, and critiques carbon-based industrial models like the American Corn Belt. The briefing also evaluates the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under RTD criteria, finding uneven benefit distribution and a lack of human rights considerations. Finally, it positions RTD as a 'moral compass' for the transition to a green economy, referencing the Rio+20 process and the Cancun outcomes of the UNFCCC.

The document asserts that the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill serves as a warning against drilling in high-risk, sensitive areas like the Arctic. It highlights the Oil Spill Commission's finding that the Gulf disaster was preventable and that significant gaps in understanding deepwater and Arctic drilling persist. Earthjustice advocates for a science-based permitting process involving ocean researchers and argues that the safest approach to the Arctic is to avoid drilling entirely to reduce oil dependency.

The report concludes that Shell Nigeria operates well below international 'good oil field practice' and is out of compliance with Nigerian law. It highlights a 'double standard' where Shell applies lower environmental and safety standards in Nigeria than in industrialized nations, resulting in chronic pollution in the Niger Delta. Key failures include delayed asset integrity reviews, inadequate leak detection, and poor spill response, while the Nigerian government's lack of oversight and its role as a joint venture partner further exacerbate the situation.

The petition argues that current EPA regulations for the National Contingency Plan (NCP) Product Schedule are inadequate because they lack safety criteria and permit the withholding of ingredient information as confidential business information (CBI). Using the Deepwater Horizon disaster as a case study, the petitioners claim that the lack of data on chronic sub-lethal impacts, bio-accumulation, and subsea behavior led to environmental unknowns and hindered medical responses. They request that the EPA implement a more robust testing suite—including algal species and various water pressures and temperatures—and make full ingredient disclosure a condition for listing on the schedule.

The author argues that traditional financial reporting fails to account for ecological risks and the value of nature, which can lead to catastrophic outcomes like the Deepwater Horizon spill. To address this, the paper proposes a mandatory 'Ecological Risk Section' in annual reports and a financial model where companies pay for insurance to cover a 'damage deposit' for the ecosystems they use. This approach aims to internalize environmental externalities, making nature's value compete with traditional metrics like return on investment (ROI) to influence corporate and regulatory behavior.

Following the 2010 Macondo well blowout, Earthjustice filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to reveal the secret ingredients of oil dispersants, challenging the use of 'confidential business information' to hide safety data. A subsequent report identified that among 57 ingredients in eligible dispersants, five are linked to cancer, 33 to skin irritation, 33 to eye irritation, 11 to respiratory toxins, and 10 to kidney toxins, while others pose risks to aquatic organisms and fish. Earthjustice is further petitioning the EPA for comprehensive toxicity testing, disclosure standards, and deliberative limits on dispersant use.

The author advocates for a shift away from oil in the United States by implementing carbon or petroleum taxes to reduce demand and replacing petroleum-based fuels and materials with sustainable alternatives. The text highlights the potential for biofuels in transportation and heating, as well as the use of biomass for industrial chemicals and building products, emphasizing that such a transition must be grounded in sustainability to protect ecosystems.

Earthjustice asserts that the Minerals Management Service (MMS) was corrupted by its proximity to the oil industry, leading to lax oversight and the approval of inadequate spill response plans for BP in the Gulf of Mexico. The organization warns that similar failures threaten the Arctic Ocean, where Shell Oil is poised to drill in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. Earthjustice argues that an Arctic spill would be harder to contain than the Gulf spill due to icy waters and a lack of infrastructure. The document calls for the Obama administration to stop Arctic drilling until better response plans and scientific data are available, and advocates for a transition toward clean renewable energy and conservation.

Friends of the Earth criticizes the American Power Act of 2010, a cap and trade bill proposed by Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman. The organization asserts that the bill would roll back Clean Air Act protections, allow for expanded offshore drilling, and provide financial giveaways to industrial polluters. It advocates for the Obama administration to utilize existing Clean Air Act protections while pursuing a stronger climate bill focused on clean energy investment and rapid emission cuts.

The document asserts that biofuel production and transport lead to dangerous spills, leaks, and fires that pollute ecosystems and kill aquatic life. It highlights specific incidents in Missouri and Iowa and notes that cleanup procedures for water-soluble fuels like ethanol are underdeveloped. The text advocates for shifting taxpayer funding from corn ethanol toward energy conservation, public transportation, electric cars, and sustainable solar and wind technologies.

A coalition of environmental organizations urges the U.S. Senate to reject expanded offshore oil and gas drilling, citing the Deepwater Horizon disaster as evidence of the inherent risks to marine ecosystems and coastal economies. The group argues that offshore reserves are insufficient to achieve energy independence and instead calls for a transition to carbon-free energy technologies and a national renewable electricity standard.

Earthjustice argues that the risks associated with offshore oil drilling are too high to proceed, particularly in the Arctic Ocean's Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The organization highlights that the Deepwater Horizon disaster demonstrates the inability to contain spills and argues that the Arctic presents unique challenges, such as frigid temperatures and ice-clogged seas, which would make a spill even more devastating and long-lasting.

The report assesses whether genetic engineering can reduce nitrogen fertilizer pollution by improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops. It finds that while some GE genes show promise in controlled environments, no GE NUE crops have been commercialized, and they may cause unpredictable side effects. In contrast, traditional breeding has a proven track record of improving NUE, and ecosystem-based methods like cover crops and precision farming offer complementary ways to reduce nitrogen loss. The authors argue that a multi-pronged approach, supported by increased public investment in non-GE methods, is necessary to feed a growing population while mitigating environmental damage.

The report assesses whether genetic engineering (GE) can reduce the environmental impact of reactive nitrogen in agriculture. It finds that while GE research is ongoing, no NUE-improved GE crops have been commercialized, and their prospects remain uncertain due to complex gene interactions and potential regulatory hurdles. In contrast, traditional breeding and system-based approaches like cover crops and precision farming have already demonstrated significant improvements in NUE and nitrogen loss reduction. The authors argue that a diversified approach, supported by increased public investment in non-GE methods, is essential to mitigate global nitrogen pollution.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that genetic engineering has contributed minimally to U.S. crop yield increases, with the majority of gains attributed to traditional breeding and other agricultural methods. The briefing distinguishes between intrinsic yield (potential) and operational yield (actual), concluding that GE crops have not increased intrinsic yield and provided only marginal operational gains, primarily in specific insect-resistant corn varieties. It advocates for shifting research and funding toward traditional breeding, genomic approaches, and agro-ecological farming, particularly for developing regions.

The report concludes that genetic engineering has failed to increase the intrinsic yield of any major food or feed crops and has provided only minimal gains in operational yield, primarily through Bt corn. Most yield increases in U.S. agriculture are attributed to traditional breeding and improved agricultural practices rather than GE traits.

The document examines the high social, economic, and environmental costs of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the U.S., contrasting them with 'smart pasture operations' (SPOs) and other mid-size alternatives. It highlights how federal subsidies for grain and waste management have artificially supported CAFOs while externalizing costs such as water pollution, antibiotic resistance, and diminished rural property values. The Union of Concerned Scientists advocates for policy shifts, including the elimination of CAFO waste subsidies and stricter enforcement of the Clean Water Act and antitrust laws, to promote a more sustainable food system.