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Editor’s note: This post was last updated April 21st, 2021. Washington has an opportunity in the Climate Commitment Act to adopt transformative climate policy. It would enable the state to slash greenhouse gas emissions at the pace and scale necessary to fight the climate crisis, help address the disproportionate and historic pollution burden in many …

A recent Wall Street Journal article answers definitively YES to the question of whether electric vehicles are really better for the environment. But even this strong endorsement of electric vehicles underestimates just how good these cars, trucks and buses will be for our climate and air. The article reports findings from researchers at the University of Toronto. The researchers compared vehicle emissions for a 2021 Toyota RAV4 and a Tesla Model 3. The study is clear that operations are cleaner for electric vehicles.  …

This blog was co-authored with Danielle Arostegui, Senior Analyst, U.S. Climate. This week, President Biden unveiled a far-reaching infrastructure package to build back the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, while protecting existing and future generations from the most severe consequences of climate change and addressing historic inequities in access to clean air …

North Carolina is up against a climate deadline: In 10 years, the state needs to slash carbon pollution from the power sector 70% below 2005 levels by 2030. This goal, set by an executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper in 2018, will help communities avert the worst climate damages, while moving the state toward a …

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Lead Senior Scientist. Part 2 of a 2-part series (see Part 1 here) Last week’s announcement by EPA about improvements it is making to EPA’s reviews of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) indicated it will begin by reversing two of the most damaging policy changes the Trump …

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Lead Senior Scientist. Part 1 of a 2-part series (see Part 2 here) With last week’s announcement by EPA that it intends to reverse two of the most damaging policy changes the Trump EPA made to EPA’s reviews of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), there is hope …

Lindsay McCormick, Program Manager and Richard Denison, Ph.D., Lead Senior Scientist When Congress reformed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in 2016, it authorized EPA to require companies to pay fees to help defray the agency’s costs of administering this extensive new law.  EPA finalized the first “fee rule” in 2018 to establish the payment …

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Lead Senior Scientist. Part 4 of a 4-part series – see Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 here This series of blog posts is looking ahead toward opportunities to advance a more robust and holistic vision for implementing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) as reformed in 2016. We discussed …

Dr. Tamarra James-Todd’s interest in human health dates back to her childhood, when she would go into work with her mom, who was a microbiologist, on the odd weekend at the Kansas City VA Hospital. Now an epidemiologist at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Dr. James-Todd has focused her career on understanding the …

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Lead Senior Scientist. Part 3 of a 4-part series – see Part 1, Part 2, and Part 4 here This series of blog posts is looking ahead toward opportunities to advance a more robust and holistic vision for implementing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) as reformed in 2016. In the …

This post originally appeared on the EDF Global Clean Air Blog. Ananya Roy, Senior Health Scientist, and Maria Harris, Environmental Epidemiologist  The last several months have seen a wave of momentum in policies seeking toward advance environmental justice and equity through better data collection and mapping. In his first week in office, President Biden signed …

Farmers stand willing to contribute to climate solutions. It’s time for Congress and the USDA to help them.

2021 Request for Proposals for the EDF Political Affairs Summer of Action grant program.

A World Economic Forum post on how air pollution is damaging our health, but there is often a lack of local data made available to identify solutions. A world-leading pilot project in London deployed and tested new monitoring technologies that can help to fill these data gaps.

Recommendations from EDF and partners include quadrupling funding for clean energy innovation and prioritizing technologies with the greatest climate benefit.

EDF and Evolved Energy Research blueprint for aligning US Department of Energy innovation budgets and priorities with climate goals.

The Senate’s confirmation of Brenda Mallory as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality is tremendous news for everyone who wants clean air, clean water and a healthy climate

Written and Oral Testimony of Heather Toney Climate Justice Liaison, Environmental Defense Fund Before the US House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (April 15, 2021)

EDF worked with Evolved Energy Research (EER) to develop an analytical framework for assessing the emissions impact of potential cost and performance breakthroughs across a set of clean energy technologies.

EDF’s analysis evaluated whether Washington is on track deliver on its climate commitments.

EDF shares recommendations to align the Department of Energy’s clean energy innovation priorities with progress on urgent climate goals.

Today, Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) introduced the Revive Economic Growth and Reclaim Orphaned Wells (REGROW) Act of 2021 to eliminate environmental hazards and support tens of thousands of jobs

Hospitality is a major part of the UK’s economy, which has taken a significant hit since the start of the pandemic. In London alone, there are nearly 14,000 businesses that are either a pub, a restaurant or a café – providing employment and services to millions. In order for these businesses to safely re-open, providing …

As pubs, cafes and restaurants look for heating options, it is important to choose electric heaters over gas to avoid exposing their staff and the public to air pollutants that are dangerous to health. 

Vandervoort will lead legal affairs and compliance for the organization’s national and international offices and will provide guidance and expertise on a wide range of issues related to carrying out EDF’s mission.