Public Interest GRFX

Important, and hopeful, new report from our friends at Environment America

We Have The Power The 2021 edition of a report by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group Gideon Weissman, Frontier Group; and Emma Searson, Environment America Research & Policy Center

Transportation is our country's number one source of carbon pollution -- which not only contributes to climate change, but also cuts short an estimated 58,000 American lives each year and increases our risk of lung cancer, stroke and heart disease.

But it doesn't have to be this way. Innovative solutions, such as increasing the accessibility of electric bicycles through the federal E-BIKE Act, can have a surprising impact in helping us to achieve cleaner air and a healthier climate.

Will you send an urgent message today telling your U.S. representative to help transform transportation by supporting consumer tax credits for electric bikes?

bit.ly/Electric-Bikes-Credit

Baby steps:

Senate Passes $35 Billion Water Bill, but Bigger Infrastructure Fights Loom The lopsided vote was a reminder that bipartisan cooperation on public works projects is possible, but lawmakers in both parties said the spirit of compromise could be fleeting.

As well it should:

Florida Wildlife Corridor Act Passes Unanimously Lawmakers also doubled to $100 million funding for Florida Forever, which preserves environmentally sensitive lands. They agreed to put $300 million from federal stimulus funding toward land conservation.

We can't same-day ship a new species. Let's save the ones we have.

We’re calling on Amazon to help save the bees Our bee populations are in rapid decline, and neonicotinoids — a dangerous class of bee-killing pesticides — aren’t helping. Yet still, the next time you shop on Amazon, you could easily find products

Food for thought (pun intended) about cooking with gas and climate change.

Do I need to give up cooking with gas to save the planet? “Now you’re cooking with gas!” So what if this catch phrase was manufactured by the gas industry? To many people who love to cook, the sentence reflects the truth: the response speed and ease of cont

Why are we spending $20 billion of taxpayer money to help fossil fuel companies accelerate the climate crisis?

Why are we spending $20 billion of taxpayer money to help fossil fuel companies accelerate the climate crisis? | U.S. PIRG Our money is quite literally being used to hurtle us faster toward climate disaster.

Our latest blog calls attention to toxic heavy metals in baby food:

There was how much lead in the baby food? | U.S. PIRG A congressional report revealed high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury in baby food sold by leading brands. What may be even more shocking is that there are virtually no federal standards for toxic heavy metals in baby food.

A timely blog on overcoming vaccine hesitancy:

Here’s what doctors think you should know when communicating about the COVID-19 vaccine | U.S. PIRG “We don’t attack those negative messages. We just have to profoundly overwhelm the senses with the positive messages — in addition to showing them the spot on your arm where you got the shot.”

Great new video about a great conservation achievement: The 2001 Roadless Rule, which protected 58.5 million acres of national forest land.

The Roadless Rule's 20th Anniversary

A new blog by Mary Katherine Moore on our network's lawsuit against ExxonMobil for Clean Air Act violations.

The latest on our clean air lawsuit against ExxonMobil On March 2, a federal judge in Houston once again issued a record-setting penalty against ExxonMobil — the amount this time was $14.25 million, the largest civil penalty ever imposed in a citizen-init

A new blog by Jake Taber on an amazing place that deserves our protection.

Chaco Canyon, a priceless desert park and cultural site, wins reprieve from oil and gas drilling They say you feel time stand still in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, where by night you can look up at vast skies untouched by urban light pollution and by day see the ruins of a culture that

New blog from our creative associate, Henry Hintermeister:

Two dams bursting in Michigan put our toxic waste problem in the spotlight | U.S. PIRG If you’re wondering why U.S. PIRG has launched its campaign to win back the Polluter Pays Tax for toxic waste cleanups, consider what nearly occurred in Midland, Michigan, when historic flooding met with a chemical plant, a toxic Superfund site and a town of 41,000.

A swing state commits to net zero. Here’s the story.

Michigan commits to carbon neutrality by 2050 On Sept. 23, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that she was committing Michigan to a 100 percent carbon neutral economy by 2050.  Gov. Whitmer announced the state’s commitment as part of Michigan’

Our story on how activism turned the tide against offshore drilling.

Sea change: How decades of action and advocacy shifted the politics of offshore drilling On Sept. 8, 2020, President Trump traveled to Jupiter, Florida, where he ordered the extension of a 10-year moratorium on offshore drilling along Florida’s Gulf Coast and southeastern states’ Atlantic

How to protect yourself from toxic hand sanitizers | U.S. PIRG More Americans than ever are relying on hand sanitizers to keep ourselves and our families healthy, given the global pandemic. But some hand sanitizers are putting our health in danger.

Congratulations to Environment America and all of those who worked to put the planet first and win congressional approval of the Great American Outdoors Act.

BREAKING: The House just passed the Great American Outdoors Act, a bipartisan victory for public lands, parks and green spaces across our nation -- and a victory for all of you who took action with us to push this bill over the finish line. This bill will fully and help ensure that future generations can enjoy our wild outdoor spaces for years to come.

Emergency Fund For Community Action Support groups working to eradicate racism, reduce gun violence, heal communities, and achieve fair, effective public safety programs and criminal justice systems.

Sign, please:

Make sure everyone who needs a test, gets a test We're calling on Admiral Brett Giroir, the new head of coronavirus testing response, to immediately adopt a plan to make sure that everyone who needs a test gets a test in the next seven days. Add your name now.

An especially timely call to action, given the coronavirus, by our friend and colleague Evan Preston on behalf of U.S. PIRG.

Taking care of loved ones shouldn’t be so taxing - Roll Call OPINION — Expanding the earned income credit to those taking care of aging loved ones or relatives with disabilities would be a step in the right direction.

Climate change will hit islands hard. We need to do all we can now to reduce the pollution that's warming the planet and wreaking havoc with our climate.

Environment America, dozens more groups sign Climate Strong Islands Declaration SAN JUAN, P.R. -- Representing Americans from Guam to St. Croix, more than 60 U.S. island communities, foundations, environmental organizations, companies, and academic institutions came together Wedn

Cleaner, healthier transportation options are possible, and happening right now:

Los Angeles Orders 155 Electric Buses, Largest Single Order In US History LADOT will receive the first of the buses in March, with the rest set to arrive over the next two years.

With the right policies in place, we can advance toward the right destination: zero-carbon transportation.

Join on our virtual road trip across America to see carbon-cutting solutions in action right now in states, cities and towns across the country. #

What's Stop 1? Going electric in Denver. 10 states - including Colorado - have adopted the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program, which requires automakers to sell a steadily increasing percentage of electric vehicles. Colorado alone will avoid 1 million tons of CO2 pollution/year by 2025.