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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 author discusses the closure of The Vindicator, a family-owned newspaper in Youngstown, Ohio, as a symptom of the decline of local journalism. The text argues that the loss of regular reporting on local government, school boards, and courts undermines public accountability and democracy. While citing the shift toward digital platforms and free news as a cause for the decline in paid subscriptions, the author advocates for a collective movement to champion independent and diverse media in the digital sphere to maintain an informed citizenry.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of 'green jobs', highlighting that the U.S. energy efficiency sector employs over 3 million people and the global renewable energy sector employed 11 million people in 2018. It details specific employment figures for various technologies—such as solar, wind, and biofuels—and identifies China as the global leader in renewable energy employment. Additionally, it notes the emergence of climate adaptation and resilience jobs, though standardized data collection for these roles remains limited.

The report analyzes future extreme heat in the US, finding that a 'no action' emissions scenario would lead to a staggering increase in dangerously hot days, particularly in the Sunbelt and Midwest, while rapid action could significantly limit these risks.

The report identifies a significant surge in global oil and gas pipeline development, with North America leading the trend. It contends that this expansion is predicated on a 'super cycle' of demand from Asia that is incompatible with IPCC climate goals and threatened by the rise of renewables and competing production in other regions. The authors compare the current situation to the 2011–2016 coal mining crash, warning that high leverage and a loss of 'social license' create a high risk of stranded assets.

The report argues that traditional quasi-judicial regulatory processes are inadequate for the scale of current electricity system transformations and proposes a four-stage framework—initiation, vision communication, conduction, and delivery of outcomes—to achieve more successful reforms.

The research analyzes six international water quality offset programs to determine how regulated dischargers can offset excess pollutant loads against reductions made elsewhere in a watershed. The study specifically aims to provide design and implementation lessons for Manitoba, where over 200 wastewater treatment facilities contribute to the eutrophication of Lake Winnipeg.

The report analyzes six water quality trading (WQT) and offset programs—including the Lake Simcoe Phosphorus Offsetting Program, the Lake Taupō nitrogen trading program, and the Tualatin River program—to derive lessons for Manitoba. It identifies that successful programs typically require a regulatory cap on pollutant discharges and significant variations in abatement costs between point sources (PS) and nonpoint sources (NPS). Key findings emphasize the importance of load-based rather than concentration-based regulations, the use of offset ratios to account for uncertainty and time lags, and the necessity of engaging agricultural producers through trusted intermediaries and simplified procedures. The report also highlights 'credit stacking,' where landowners receive multiple payments for combined benefits, such as nitrogen reduction and carbon sequestration, as a driver for program uptake.

Voters in six key U.S. swing states show strong support for policies that reduce fossil fuel emissions and expand renewable energy, with many indicating they are more likely to support political candidates who champion these initiatives. The report finds that climate change is a salient issue, particularly among Democratic-leaning voters, and that a majority of voters in these states recognize a link between climate change and worsening extreme weather. There is broad preference for prioritizing wind and solar energy over natural gas or nuclear power to meet state energy needs, and voters generally believe that transitioning to renewables will benefit their local economies and public health.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) finds that over one-third of US nuclear plants are unprofitable or scheduled to close due to cheap natural gas and falling renewable costs. Without carbon-reduction policies, early retirements could increase US power sector emissions by 4% to 6% by 2035. The report recommends adopting carbon pricing or low-carbon electricity standards and conditioning any nuclear subsidies on strict safety performance and consumer protections.

The research note analyzes a U.S. Department of Energy proposal to subsidize uneconomic power plants to maintain grid reliability. It estimates that keeping six FirstEnergy coal and nuclear plants online for two years would cost approximately $2 billion. The author contends that these funds would be better spent on locally-led economic diversification and workforce development, noting that grid operators and reliability bodies do not believe such interventions are necessary for stability. The document suggests that redirecting these funds could provide over $300 million per affected community to support a just transition.

The report analyzes how electoral rules—including registration eligibility, voting processes, and districting—impact voter turnout, particularly in environmental justice communities. It finds that socioeconomic distress and poor air quality are significant depressors of turnout, and that states with biased districting plans tend to have higher levels of air toxin exposure. The authors argue that restrictive election laws insulate powerful interests and weaken environmental protections, citing the Flint water crisis as an example of legislative dysfunction resulting from gerrymandering. The document recommends reforms such as automatic voter registration, nonpartisan redistricting, and proportional representation to improve government responsiveness and public health outcomes.

The oil and gas industry emits over 8 million tons of methane and toxic pollutants annually, contributing to ozone smog and respiratory issues in rural America. Case studies in Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Mexico highlight increased rates of asthma, cancer risks, and other respiratory ailments among residents living near facilities. The report advocates for federal standards to reduce methane emissions by half through leak detection, reduced venting, and gas capture.

The report identifies USD264bn in outstanding bonds from 1,436 climate-aligned US municipal 'pure-play' issuers, suggesting a significant opportunity to scale the green bond market through refinancing. While issuance grew to USD12bn in 2017, it declined in H1 2018 due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts of 2017, which reduced refunding bond volume. The water sector represents the largest potential, accounting for 64% (USD170bn) of the identified climate-aligned universe, followed by transport at 30% (USD78.5bn). The report highlights that waste, energy, and land use sectors are currently underrepresented in the green bond market despite having substantial climate-aligned activity.

The report quantifies the health risks faced by millions of African Americans living near oil and gas infrastructure, highlighting elevated cancer risks and asthma attacks. It details the role of systemic oppression in siting polluting facilities in communities of color and calls for stricter EPA regulations and a transition to a clean energy economy.

This guide explains the role of electric utilities and Public Utilities Commissions in US energy policy, while detailing specific mechanisms like distributed generation, community solar, net metering, and decoupling that facilitate the transition to renewable energy.

The report argues that the electric vehicle revolution is inevitable due to falling battery costs and increasing consumer demand, making the urgent deployment of charging infrastructure a priority for U.S. utilities and regulators. It identifies high capital costs and unfavorable utility tariffs—specifically high demand charges—as primary barriers to the profitability of DC fast charging (DCFC). The authors advocate for a mix of Level 2 chargers for residential and workplace needs and DCFC for high-traffic corridors, supported by time-of-use (TOU) tariffs to optimize grid integration. Through case studies of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Ohio, and Texas, the report demonstrates how different regulatory environments and grid compositions influence the cost of charging and the potential for EVs to absorb excess renewable energy.

Federal fuel economy and vehicle emissions standards have saved Ohio $1.2 billion to date and are projected to make the average Ohio household $2,200 richer by 2030. These standards are expected to create 29,700 new jobs in the state and eliminate global warming emissions nearly equivalent to those from providing electricity to Columbus.

Amory B. Lovins of RMI argues that subsidies for distressed nuclear plants are unjustified because closing high-cost nuclear units and reinvesting their operating expenses into energy efficiency can reduce more carbon than maintaining the plants. He contends that 'baseload' power is not a grid requirement and that variable renewables are more resilient and cost-effective than central thermal plants.

The document details how oil and gas operations in Ohio emit toxic air pollutants and ozone precursors that cause cancer, asthma, and other respiratory issues, noting that these impacts disproportionately affect children, low-income individuals, and minority communities.