Search Climate Insights Directory

The petition argues that the arbitration over water and sanitation services in Greater Buenos Aires involves significant public interest and fundamental human rights, necessitating a transparent process and the inclusion of civil society perspectives. The authors contend that both Argentine law and international legal trends support the admission of amicus curiae and public access to proceedings, especially given the potential conflicts of interest arising from the World Bank Group's involvement in the privatization of the services in question.

The document provides a comprehensive guide for the 4C-NPS internship program, which trains students to create climate change communication materials for parks in the Washington, D.C. metro area. It outlines two primary communication heuristics—simplifying messages and promoting pro-environmental behaviors—and details the administrative roles, recruitment processes, and academic syllabus used to manage the program.

The report, produced by a consortium of medical societies, alerts the public and policymakers that climate change is already causing direct and indirect health harms across the United States. It identifies vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, and details how extreme heat, weather events, air pollution, and the spread of infectious diseases impact public health. The document advocates for the acceleration of a transition to clean renewable energy as the most critical action to protect health and provide immediate co-benefits like improved air and water quality.

Maryland generates over 1.9 million tons of coal combustion waste annually, ranking 23rd in the US. The state utilizes at least 31 landfills and minefills, as ponds are prohibited. However, the document highlights significant regulatory gaps, such as discretionary groundwater monitoring and a lack of financial assurance requirements. These deficiencies are linked to several contamination cases, including a $54 million settlement for the BBSS Gambrills site and documented groundwater pollution at the Brandywine and Faulkner facilities.

Missouri generates 2.68 million tons of coal ash annually, ranking 16th in the U.S. The state manages approximately 32 coal ash ponds at 14 plants, many of which lack liners and leachate collection systems. Regulatory gaps are significant: Missouri allows ponds containing over 170 million gallons of coal ash to bypass safety regulations, and state officials have inspected only one pond in five years despite many being over 25 feet high. Specific failures include the Labadie plant, where a 154-acre unlined pond has leaked approximately 50,000 gallons per day since 1992 without required cleanup or groundwater monitoring by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The report argues that the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) has transitioned from an 'outstanding' to an 'outdated' framework due to 1996 amendments that slowed the regulation of new contaminants and a chronic lack of federal infrastructure funding. It highlights critical failures in monitoring and sampling protocols, which allow water systems to use infrequent or misleading tests, and criticizes the lack of transparency in Consumer Confidence Reports. The document emphasizes that low-income, Black, and Indigenous communities disproportionately suffer from these weaknesses. A case study of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in O‘ahu illustrates how the SDWA failed to detect and report jet fuel and PFAS contamination. Earthjustice calls for a modernized SDWA with streamlined chemical regulation, advanced monitoring technology, and at least $20 billion in annual federal funding.

The document examines the transition from diesel-powered transit buses to hybrid-electric alternatives, highlighting significant reductions in emissions and fuel consumption. It details the technical differences between series and parallel hybrid configurations and analyzes the financial barriers to adoption, noting that while hybrid buses have a higher purchase price, federal grants and lower operational costs mitigate these expenses. By 2006, over 900 hybrid buses were in service across more than 40 North American transit agencies.

The document outlines the specific language and identification details required to designate the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) as a beneficiary in wills, trusts, retirement accounts, or life insurance policies.

The document outlines the specific language and tax identification information necessary for individuals to leave bequests to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) via wills, trusts, retirement accounts, or life insurance policies.

The GCF approved USD 3.7 billion for 76 projects across 79 developing countries, targeting a reduction of 1.3 billion metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Key operational developments include the launch of the Simplified Approval Process (SAP) Pilot Scheme, the adoption of an Indigenous Peoples Policy, and the establishment of an Environmental and Social Policy. The fund is also preparing for its first formal replenishment process and expanding its private sector engagement through dedicated pilot programmes for MSMEs and resource mobilization at scale.

The document analyzes the war in northern Uganda as a dual conflict consisting of a multi-faceted rebellion against the NRM government and a violent insurgency by Joseph Kony's LRA. It argues that the LRA lacks popular support and is driven by apocalyptic spiritualism, while the government's military response and the arming of civilian militias have exacerbated instability. The authors recommend a shift toward civilian protection, a Truth and Reconciliation process to address historical injustices, and the extension of the Amnesty Act to encourage peace.

The Greening the White House Project, initiated by the Clinton Administration in 1993, aims to transform the White House complex into a model of efficiency and environmental responsibility. The project employs a six-component approach: audits, a feasibility study, early actions, demonstration spaces, long-term initiatives, and technology transfer. Key efforts include upgrading the building envelope, improving lighting and HVAC systems, and implementing sustainable procurement. The project emphasizes an integrated design process to reduce resource consumption by potentially 50% or more while respecting the historic and security requirements of the site.

The report by Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) examines the American Meteorological Society's (AMS) financial transparency and ethical alignment. While the AMS acknowledges the scientific consensus on climate change and has implemented some green office measures, SGR identifies indirect fossil fuel investments through mutual funds and significant sponsorship from arms manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. SGR argues that these financial links contradict the AMS's stated position on the urgency of the climate crisis.

The toolkit outlines strategies for institutions to shift toward sustainable and equitable food procurement, using the Good Food Purchasing Program as a model. It emphasizes the importance of diverse coalitions, the use of food hubs to connect small farms with large purchasers, and the potential for cost-neutral implementation through operational changes. The document provides detailed frameworks for collecting baseline and annual data from vendors and institutions to measure impacts on local economies, sustainable farming practices, and nutritional quality.

The document details how a warming climate will increase the frequency and severity of heat waves and heavy precipitation in the Midwest, leading to higher mortality, infrastructure damage, and agricultural losses. It highlights specific risks to the Great Lakes shipping industry due to falling water levels and the threat to public health from water-borne diseases and combined sewer overflows in cities like Chicago and Milwaukee.

The document details the creation of a dataset identifying 11,309 school bus depots in the U.S. using remote sensing and aerial imagery from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP). The dataset is intended to support environmental justice analysis regarding air pollution hotspots in underserved communities, as well as electricity grid planning for school bus electrification and climate hazard risk assessment. Findings show that 51% of depots are located within 350 meters of a school, with North Carolina having the highest number of depots (841).

The document argues that electric school buses (ESBs) improve air quality and reduce operating costs compared to diesel buses, which contribute to respiratory illnesses and school absenteeism. It highlights the Clean School Bus Program (CSBP) as the primary driver of deployment, having announced nearly $3 billion for 966 awards as of June 2024. To sustain progress, the author recommends that the EPA disburse all awarded funds, Congress preserve specific tax credits, and state governments provide complementary funding, infrastructure support, and workforce training.

The document introduces a research paper examining the role of sovereign parametric insurance and regional risk pools (CCRIF, ARC, and PCRIC) in the disaster risk finance architecture for developing countries. It aims to assess how these instruments are deployed across different risk layers, the extent of government utilization, and their impact on protecting poor and vulnerable people, based on a literature review and consultations with 75 stakeholders.

The document outlines a data-intensive process for local governments to match electricity demand with carbon-free energy resources on an hourly basis. It identifies three essential datasets: hourly load data, hourly grid mix and emissions data, and hourly generation data from additional energy procurements. The guide details four methods for obtaining load data—ranging from actual meter readings to machine learning models—and directs users to resources like the EIA and NREL for grid and emissions information.

The PJM Cities and Communities Coalition (PJMCCC) submitted comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding the establishment of the Office of Public Participation (OPP). The coalition advocates for the unique role of cities as stakeholders and urges FERC to prioritize resources for environmental justice groups, frontline communities, and tribal organizations to ensure equitable energy market outcomes.