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This past August, in southern Ecuador amidst dense mangrove forests, scientists were at work. As I followed in her footsteps, Julie Shahan, a Stanford University Ph.D. student, navigated the challenging terrain, burdened by the large 25-pound piece of equipment on her back. This equipment, a gas analyzer, collects measurements to unlock the secrets of soil …

For the finance sector, MethaneSAT satellite data will enable a step change in oil & gas risk and performance evaluation.

The Biden administration paused approval of new facilities that would export liquified natural gas in order to study the impact of these projects on the climate. The Natural Gas Act charges the U.S Department of Energy with determining whether gas exports to certain countries are in the public interest. With the damage caused by climate …

By Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant, and Tom Neltner, Executive Director, Unleaded Kids What’s Happening? On February 9, 2024, the European Commission published a proposed regulation [PDF, 502KB] that would ban most uses of bisphenol A (BPA) in materials that contact food—including plastic and coatings applied to metal cans—and restrict other uses. Interested parties can comment …

By Andrew Baxter Methane is now a central part of the oil & gas industry’s climate challenge. New regulations in the U.S and Europe, growing concern in Asia and mounting interest from investors and global gas markets mean increasing pressure to improve emissions performance. It was also a focal point in the COP28 climate talks,

MethaneSAT will bring unprecedented capabilities to the existing set of methane-detecting satellites, in a new era of transparency, accountability.

By Elizabeth Lieberknecht Texas’ primary oil and gas regulator, the Texas Railroad Commission, took the unfortunate — though not surprising — step last month of requesting legal action against EPA’s recently finalized commonsense methane rules. This is unfortunate because, once implemented, these rules will protect public health, limit climate change and energy waste. It is not …

EPA’s emission standards for oil and gas methane, fossil fuel power plants, vehicles, and transmission are all important drivers for accelerating climate progress.

Co-authored by: Anushi Garg and Ravena Pernanand Anushi is the senior analyst for Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds program in New York-New Jersey. Ravena is a research analyst at Regional Plan Association. Across the globe, we are experiencing detrimental impacts from climate change, with low-wealth communities and communities of color hit the …

The use and production of fertilizer in agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and a major cause of pollution in the nation’s rivers and lakes. Agriculture is the largest global source of nitrogen pollution, and annual damages from nitrogen pollution are estimated to exceed $200 billion in the US. Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency …

Co-authored by Pinion The use and production of fertilizer in agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and a major cause of pollution in the nation’s rivers and lakes. Agriculture is the largest global source of nitrogen pollution, and annual damages from nitrogen pollution are estimated to exceed $200 billion in the US.

  By Magdalen Sullivan, Co-Authored by Erin Murphy  Many states are adopting declining emission limits as a way to address the severe and growing dangers of the climate crisis, and that means state utility regulators are grappling with how to decarbonize energy systems, manage costs and meet demand. Traditional approaches to meeting energy demand with …

Social networks play a pivotal role in shaping human behavior. To accelerate climate-smart practices, farmers’ social networks are crucial. The post How food companies can harness the power of social networks for scope 3 reductions first appeared on Growing Returns.

(This post was written by EDF’s Magdalen Sullivan and Erin Murphy. It was originally posted here) Many states are adopting declining emission limits as a way to address the severe and growing dangers of the climate crisis, and that means state utility regulators are grappling with how to decarbonize energy systems, manage costs, and meet …

This blog was co-authored by Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California State Director  Results of the latest Western Climate Initiative auction were released today, and we continue to see strong demand for allowances. This was the first quarterly auction of 2024, and it was a strong start for this marquee climate program. This auction is expected to …

Social networks play a pivotal role in shaping human behavior. To accelerate climate-smart practices, farmers’ social networks are crucial.

What’s New Today, we are excited to introduce the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) latest initiative—the Chemical Exposure Action Map. This tool is designed to spur the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to transform the assessment of risks posed by toxic chemicals in our communities. Our map focuses on multiple high-priority chemicals—making visible the urgent and long-overdue …

By Christopher Cusack (EDF) and Cooper Van Vranken (Ocean Data Network) In the early hours of October 25, 2023, Hurricane Otis made landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, with peak winds of 165 mph wreaking havoc on communities in its path. Normally, people would have had a chance to prepare but just the day before, the consensus …

Walmart achieved its moonshot Project Gigaton goal to reduce, avoid, or sequester 1 gigaton of emissions from its supply chain six years earlier than expected

By Charlotte Hanson Cutting methane emissions from the energy sector is the fastest, cheapest and most effective way to curb global warming even as we decarbonize our energy systems. And the first step is making sure we know how much methane is being emitted, where it’s being released and by whom. As the well-worn adage …

Climate change-driven events—like heat waves, droughts, floods, and fires—cause damage to communities’ and individuals’ health and safety. But these events also threaten the financial well-being of communities across the U.S. through their impact on markets and local economies. These risks are increasingly visible in the housing and mortgage markets.  In this three-part series, we’ll be …

By Grace Smith This past Friday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) announced in a Notice of Intent (NOI) that $1 billion in funding from Congress’s Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP) will soon become available.  Passed as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, MERP aims to significantly reduce methane and …

  By Aaron Wolfe, and  Scott Seymour EDF economic analysis found that in 2022 oil and gas operators across Alberta wasted $671 million in natural gas, costing the provincial government over $120 million in lost royalties and uncollected corporate taxes. Newly proposed regulations can help prevent wasted gas while also reducing climate pollution. In 2022,

By: Rachel Rhode, Manager, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds and Eve Cooke, Fellow, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds Buying a home is often one of the biggest financial decisions individuals and families will ever make. More than one-third of Florida properties are at risk of severe flooding in the next 30 years, and despite these …

In 2022, Rosa applied for the Water Leadership Institute. Her motivation? To actively address severe water challenges impacting her family in El Nido in Merced County. Located in California’s breadbasket, Merced County is a scene of abundance with lush fields, orchards, and prospering dairy farms. Yet, beneath this scene lies a harsh reality. Rosa’s family …