News Release | Environment America

Obama Administration to Protect Americans’ Health by Setting Carbon Pollution Standards for New Power Plants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed historic new limits on carbon pollution from new power plants.  Carbon pollution fuels global warming, which leads to poor air quality that triggers asthma attacks and other respiratory problems.  Scientists also predict that global warming will lead to more devastating floods, more deadly heat waves and the spread of infectious diseases. Coal-fired power plants are the largest single source of carbon pollution in the U.S., yet there are currently no federal limits on this pollution from power plants. The standard proposed today will correct that for new power plants by limiting their emissions of carbon pollution.

News Release | Environment America

4 of 5 Americans Hit by Recent Weather Disasters; New Report Says Global Warming to Bring More Extreme Weather

After a year that saw many parts of the country hit by scorching heat, devastating wildfires, severe storms and record flooding, a new Environment America report documents how global warming could lead to certain extreme weather events becoming even more common or more severe in the future. The report found that, already, 4 out of 5 Americans live in counties affected by federally declared weather-related disasters since 2006. Last year’s Hurricane Irene, which resulted in the death of 45 people in the 13 states hit by the storm, and an estimated $7.3 billion in damage, is one of the extreme weather events highlighted in the report.

News Release | Environment America

Obama Administration Proposes Historic Clean Cars Standards

The Obama administration today officially proposed new clean car standards that represent the biggest step the U.S. has ever taken to get off oil and tackle global warming. The standards would require cars and light trucks in model years 2017-2025 to meet a fleet-wide average fuel efficiency and global warming pollution standards equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

News Release | Environment America

President Obama Slows the Rush for Dirty Tar Sands Oil

The Obama administration will reassess the proposed route for the Keystone XL pipeline, a proposed 1,700 mile pipeline that would import dirty oil from the tar sands of Alberta.  

News Release | Environment America

U.S. Progress on Climate Need Not Be Stymied By Inaction in Congress

Despite gridlock in Congress and the political dominance of fossil fuel interests on energy and climate policy in Washington, DC, the United States can dramatically reduce global warming emissions, according to a new study released today by environmental groups, national opinion leaders and labor and business organizations.

News Release | Environment America

United States can reduce oil dependence by 79 billion gallons

A comprehensive strategy to get off oil can reduce oil dependence by 79 billion gallons per year—more than all of our imports from OPEC nations, according to the new report, “Getting Off Oil: A 50 State Roadmap to Curbing Our Dependence on Petroleum,” released today by Environment America.

News Release | Environment America

Regional Emissions Plan Helps Northeast States Shift to Clean Energy and Cut Pollution

The Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is helping states from Maryland to Maine meet their energy challenges by providing investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, cutting pollution and curbing dependence on fossil fuels, according to a report released today by Environment America.

News Release | Environment America

Senate Votes to Protect Dirty and Wasteful Ethanol Subsidies

The United States Senate today voted down an amendment by Tom Coburn to eliminate the blenders tax credit for ethanol, as well as the ethanol import tariff, by a final vote of 40-59. Environment America Staff Attorney Daniel Gatti issued this statement in response.

News Release | Environment America

Reducing Military Oil Consumption Will Protect America

Representative Giffords and Senator Udall have proposed the Udall-Giffords Security Act, a bill to encourage the military to reduce their dependence on foreign oil through generating increased alternative energy, investing in electric and hybrid vehicles, strengthening renewable energy programs and smart grid technologies, and increasing fuel efficiency standards for military vehicles.

News Release | Environment America

New Vehicle Labels Encourage Cleaner Cars

Today the Obama administration announced new fuel economy window labels for passenger vehicles that will help Americans shopping for a new car better identify each car’s projected pollution emissions and its gasoline costs. The new labels are expected to help car buyers more easily identify these cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars.

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