Written by Marcia G. Yerman

Nearly half of the world's children live in "high risk" countries that are at high risk for climate change. UN Climate Week 2021 addressed prioritizing the threat to future generations caused by climate change.

An economist’s guide to filling in the research gaps. Natural gas currently accounts for more than a third of U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions, but efforts to decarbonize the economy – in particular by replacing gas with electricity in a wide variety of critical applications – imply decreasing future gas demand and CO2 emissions from the […]

The post How can the U.S. gas pipeline system support a path to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050? appeared first on Market Forces.

An economist’s guide to filling in the research gaps. Natural gas currently accounts for more than a third of U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions, but efforts to decarbonize the economy – in particular by replacing gas with electricity in a wide variety of critical applications – imply decreasing future gas demand and CO2 emissions from the […]

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director and Maricel Maffini, consultant Over the years, we have seen a disturbing approach being taken by some dietary supplement companies to circumvent the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) oversight. Their strategy undermines both dietary supplement safety and food safety. These companies are leveraging FDA’s decision to allow manufacturers to secretly […]

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director and Maricel Maffini, consultant Over the years, we have seen a disturbing approach being taken by some dietary supplement companies to circumvent the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) oversight. Their strategy undermines both dietary supplement safety and food safety. These companies are leveraging FDA’s decision to allow manufacturers to secretly […]

This coming Monday, the Supreme Court will consider hundreds of petitions for review, which ask the Court to take up cases for full consideration during its new term. Among the petitions for review are four from coal companies and states asking the Court to review the D.C. Circuit decision overturning the Trump administration’s rule weakening […]

The post Four Reasons Petitions for Supreme Court Review of Climate Pollution Standards for Power Plants Should Fail appeared first on Climate 411.

This coming Monday, the Supreme Court will consider hundreds of petitions for review, which ask the Court to take up cases for full consideration during its new term. Among the petitions for review are four from coal companies and states asking the Court to review the D.C. Circuit decision overturning the Trump administration’s rule weakening […]

This coming Monday, the Supreme Court will consider hundreds of petitions for review, which ask the Court to take up cases for full consideration during its new term. Among the petitions for review are four from coal companies and states asking the Court to review the D.C. Circuit decision overturning the Trump administration’s rule weakening […]

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director and Maricel Maffini, consultant The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made no apparent progress to comply with the legal requirement that it consider the cumulative effect of chemicals in the diet that have similar health impacts when evaluating the safety of an additive. A year ago, on September 23, […]

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director and Maricel Maffini, consultant The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made no apparent progress to comply with the legal requirement that it consider the cumulative effect of chemicals in the diet that have similar health impacts when evaluating the safety of an additive. A year ago, on September 23, […]

Family beats politics in shaping Latino environmental beliefs. Here’s why it matters.

Editor's note: This post was updated March 9, 2022.

Sometimes when I try on new clothes, I hear the disapproving voice of my aunts and cousins telling me something that seems nice and trendy is just a fad and lacks refinement. In some settings, this Greek chorus seems to be making my decisions.

In fact, without realizing it, our brains look to cues from important people in our lives to help us make choices. We sort through memories of conversations, sermons or writings to guide our judgments. Even people we do not know but revere in some way can influence our judgments of what is important (like the pope).

Environmental issues like climate change are also influenced by the voices in our heads.

Some of our recent research with the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability explores support of climate change and policies to mitigate it has taught us that in some cultures in the U.S., a set of voices in our heads has a powerful influence in what we believe.

Known as familism to anthropologists, cross-cultural psychologists and other scholars, this influence refers to a set of values that prioritize family. Familism is very high in many cultures, including the Latino community in the U.S.

More certain than others about climate change

As our past work has shown, U.S. Latinos — Latinos who live in the United States, regardless of where they were born — on average express more concern for the environment and more support for environmental policies compared to non-Hispanic whites.

And while we did not find that U.S. Latinos scored higher on measures of familism than whites (all cultural groups showed equivalent levels), we did learn that for U.S. Latinos, these values about family had a special association with their environmental beliefs.

Specifically, stronger familism among U.S. Latinos predicted increased support for climate policies, including greater understanding of the scientific consensus on climate change (a "gateway" belief in supporting climate action).

It was also associated with stronger certainty that climate change is happening. This was not evident in the other groups, though with the small sample of Asian, Black and Indigenous Americans available in the dataset, we could not draw conclusions about these three groups.

For non-Hispanic whites, the best predictor of climate policy support, perception of scientific consensus and certainty about climate change was their political ideology. More liberal positions predict more climate policy support, understanding of scientific consensus and more certainty. Among U.S. Latinos, political ideology was unrelated to all these beliefs.

Why is this important?

U.S. Hispanics have been in most of the U.S. since the U.S. became the U.S., and as a cultural group, they are the second largest. If other communities that have been historically marginalized show a similar pattern, at least for 40% of the U.S. population political orientation is not as important of a factor in predicting perceptions of climate change as are values like familism.

This has implications for how groups like EDF communicate our work and build support for solutions that allow humans to live and prosper with the rest of nature.

For example, many activists feel older generations are a “lost cause” on climate. But, for people with strong familism values, seeing parents, children and peers of all ages protect nature can motivate their own action and support.

For the environment, let’s all be mindful and listen not only to our elders, but also the voices of our youth and think of the broader family that is this country.

Act when it matters most

Every day more than 60 people sign up for news and alerts, to find out when their support helps most. Will you join them? (Read our privacy statement.)

Donate to support this work $35 $50 mmelendez September 23, 2021 - 03:13

Family beats politics in shaping Latino environmental beliefs. Here’s why it matters.

Editor's note: This post was updated March 9, 2022.

Sometimes when I try on new clothes, I hear the disapproving voice of my aunts and cousins telling me something that seems nice and trendy is just a fad and lacks refinement. In some settings, this Greek chorus seems to be making my decisions.

In fact, without realizing it, our brains look to cues from important people in our lives to help us make choices. We sort through memories of conversations, sermons or writings to guide our judgments. Even people we do not know but revere in some way can influence our judgments of what is important (like the pope).

Environmental issues like climate change are also influenced by the voices in our heads.

Some of our recent research with the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability explores support of climate change and policies to mitigate it has taught us that in some cultures in the U.S., a set of voices in our heads has a powerful influence in what we believe.

Known as familism to anthropologists, cross-cultural psychologists and other scholars, this influence refers to a set of values that prioritize family. Familism is very high in many cultures, including the Latino community in the U.S.

More certain than others about climate change

As our past work has shown, U.S. Latinos — Latinos who live in the United States, regardless of where they were born — on average express more concern for the environment and more support for environmental policies compared to non-Hispanic whites.

And while we did not find that U.S. Latinos scored higher on measures of familism than whites (all cultural groups showed equivalent levels), we did learn that for U.S. Latinos, these values about family had a special association with their environmental beliefs.

Specifically, stronger familism among U.S. Latinos predicted increased support for climate policies, including greater understanding of the scientific consensus on climate change (a "gateway" belief in supporting climate action).

It was also associated with stronger certainty that climate change is happening. This was not evident in the other groups, though with the small sample of Asian, Black and Indigenous Americans available in the dataset, we could not draw conclusions about these three groups.

For non-Hispanic whites, the best predictor of climate policy support, perception of scientific consensus and certainty about climate change was their political ideology. More liberal positions predict more climate policy support, understanding of scientific consensus and more certainty. Among U.S. Latinos, political ideology was unrelated to all these beliefs.

Why is this important?

U.S. Hispanics have been in most of the U.S. since the U.S. became the U.S., and as a cultural group, they are the second largest. If other communities that have been historically marginalized show a similar pattern, at least for 40% of the U.S. population political orientation is not as important of a factor in predicting perceptions of climate change as are values like familism.

This has implications for how groups like EDF communicate our work and build support for solutions that allow humans to live and prosper with the rest of nature.

For example, many activists feel older generations are a “lost cause” on climate. But, for people with strong familism values, seeing parents, children and peers of all ages protect nature can motivate their own action and support.

For the environment, let’s all be mindful and listen not only to our elders, but also the voices of our youth and think of the broader family that is this country.

Act when it matters most

Every day more than 60 people sign up for news and alerts, to find out when their support helps most. Will you join them? (Read our privacy statement.)

Donate to support this work $35 $50 mmelendez September 23, 2021 - 03:13

This week on Delta Dispatches, Jacques and Simone chat with Jeray Jambon Jarreau from Bless Your Heart Nonprofit. Jeray talks about life in South Lafourche after the devastation of Hurricane Ida. Bless Your Heart Nonprofit is working on the ground to address the needs of some of the most impacted communities in South Louisiana. Learn about the work they’re doing and how you can help through their Facebook page.   Listen Now:

The post Delta Dispatches: Recovery in South Lafourche with Bless Your Heart Nonprofit appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

This week on Delta Dispatches, Jacques and Simone chat with Jeray Jambon Jarreau from Bless Your Heart Nonprofit. Jeray talks about life in South Lafourche after the devastation of Hurricane Ida. Bless Your Heart Nonprofit is working on the ground to address the needs of some of the most impacted communities in South Louisiana. Learn about the work they’re doing and how you can help through their Facebook page.   Listen Now:

The post Delta Dispatches: Recovery in South Lafourche with Bless Your Heart Nonprofit appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

Three policy priorities to make voluntary carbon markets work for the climate and agriculture.

The post How Congress can ensure voluntary carbon markets work for farmers and the environment first appeared on Growing Returns.

Three policy priorities to make voluntary carbon markets work for the climate and agriculture.

The post How Congress can ensure voluntary carbon markets work for farmers and the environment first appeared on Growing Returns.

As California experiences another severe drought, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a budget in SB 170 today that dedicates $50 million for a new land repurposing program to help farmers reduce groundwater use while simultaneously creating new benefits for people and wildlife.

This month, for the first time, aquatic foods will be recognized during the United Nations Food Systems Summit, or UNFSS, for their potential to tackle many of the Sustainable Development Goals, including ending hunger and fighting poverty.

New methane measurements collected in the Permian Basin – the world’s largest oilfield – indicate the oil and gas industry continues to struggle with controlling methane emissions.

The governance body will establish a threshold standard for high-integrity carbon credits and ensure they are traded in robust, transparent and equitable markets.