Complete list of press releases

Leading conservation groups praised the Department of Justice for reaching a historic $4.5 billion settlement on the criminal charges stemming from the 2010 BP oil disaster. This settlement will send $1.2 billion to coastal Louisiana restoration projects with an emphasis on river diversion projects and barrier island restoration.

The statement by the Mississippi River Delta Restoration campaign applauded the Department of Justice for its commitment to holding BP accountable and promoting restoration while stressing that this is only the first step in the pursuit of full accountability for the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

“This announcement is historic not just for the dollar amount but also for the commitment it makes to restoring the Mississippi River Delta,” said the National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation,Environmental Defense Fund, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. “Moreover, by specifically directing dollars to fund barrier island restoration and the construction of a river diversion in the Mississippi River Delta, the Department of Justice also acknowledged the need for large-scale restoration of an ecosystem that was both impacted by the spill and already degraded before the spill. Such foresight is necessary to address the long-term health of the region.”

The groups stressed that the next step is to ensure that BP is held fully accountable for its civil penalties under both the Clean Water and Oil Pollution Acts.

“Today’s announcement is only the beginning. By affirming their pursuit of gross negligence in the civil suits, the Department of Justice has the opportunity to send tens of billions of dollars back to restoring the ecosystems, economies and communities still reeling from this disaster.”

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Contact:
Sara Hopper, 202-572-3379, shopper@edf.org
Chandler Clay, 202-572-3312, cclay@edf.org

(Washington, D.C. — Nov. 13, 2012) With Congress returning to the Capitol after a month-long recess, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined other organizations in pressing House leaders to pass a five-year farm bill before the end of the legislative session in December.

Several popular conservation programs — including the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Grassland Reserve Program, and Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative — have not had authority to hold new enrollments since the last farm bill expired in September.

EDF partnered with a broad coalition of 235 organizations to send a letter this week calling on the House of Representatives to pass a five-year farm bill. 

“This legislation is of paramount importance to the diverse, bipartisan constituencies our organizations represent,” the letter said. “Failure to pass a new five-year farm bill before the year’s end will create significant budget uncertainty for the entire agricultural sector.”

The letter was sent to House leadership on behalf of groups representing all areas affected by the farm bill, including the conservation, farming, livestock, rural development, nutrition, municipalities, manufacturing, agricultural research, crop insurance, and renewable energy communities. “We stand united in our strong support for a new five-year bill,” the letter stated.

In a second letter sent to House Speaker Boehner on November 12, EDF and 42 other environmental and conservation organizations urged Congress to complete a five-year farm bill with a strong Conservation Title this year.

“We believe a bill that takes on the best conservation provisions from the Senate-passed and House Committee-passed bills is quite possible to achieve even in the limited amount of time left in this session of Congress,” the letter said. “The Senate and the House Agriculture Committee clearly agree on the value of the Conservation Title since their versions of the bill are substantially the same and have received strong bi-partisan support.”

Both letters stressed the urgency and importance of passing a five-year farm bill in light of the record droughts that affected much of the country this year. Sara Hopper, director of agricultural policy for EDF, said, “This year’s devastating drought highlights the critical importance of good conservation practices to increase the resilience of the land in the face of extreme weather events and intensifying pressure on America’s land and water resources.”

If the popular conservation programs are not reauthorized soon, farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who are willing to share the cost of providing cleaner water, outdoor recreation opportunities and other important benefits will continue to be turned away and critical conservation needs will remain unmet. 

(WASHINGTON – Nov. 13, 2012) Tonight’s passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of S.1956, a bill authorizing the Secretary of Transportation to prohibit airlines from participating in the European Union’s anti-pollution law, is superfluous and sets a bad precedent for U.S. foreign relations, said Environmental Defense Fund. The U.S. Senate passed S.1956 in September.

The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011 is unnecessary because last Friday, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) set in motion a high-level political process aimed at agreeing, by October 2013, a global program for cutting aviation carbon pollution. Following ICAO’s announcement, the EU yesterday paused its own carbon pollution law, as nations develop a global alternative.

“Now that ICAO has moved into high gear its effort to get a global system for limiting aviation’s carbon pollution, and the EU has stopped its clock pending the ICAO outcome, at best this bill is simply superfluous,” said EDF’s International Counsel Annie Petsonk. “At worst, it undermines the respect that nations need to have for each other’s laws in a globalizing world.”

“President Obama signaled in his reelection acceptance speech that there is an opportunity for revitalized executive branch leadership on the challenge of climate change. The aviation question, one of the first climate issues after the elections, puts the spotlight on the White House, which will need to put significant political muscle into helping ICAO reach agreement on a worldwide approach to address aircraft emissions,” said Petsonk. “The airlines who lobbied so hard for enactment of this bill should join with environmentalists in agreeing on that global approach.”

The bill gives the Secretary of Transportation authority to prohibit U.S. airlines from complying with a European law requiring airplanes that land or take off from European airports to account for and limit their flights’ global warming pollution through an emissions trading system. The bill also requires the Secretary of Transportation to hold the airlines “harmless” of any costs, including both the costs of complying with the European law, estimated to be trivial, and the costs of not complying. The “hold harmless” provisions could launch a wholly unnecessary trade war and stick U.S. taxpayers with up to $22 billion in non-compliance costs.

Aviation is already the world’s seventh largest polluter, and if emissions from the industry are left unregulated, they’re expected to quadruple by 2050.

(San Francisco – November 13, 2012) Tomorrow is a banner day for climate action in the United States. More than five years after California’s state legislature passed AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the state will officially launch the world’s most comprehensive cap-and-trade program for climate change pollution. By placing a cap on carbon across nearly the entire California economy, the program provides incentives to deploy new pollution reduction technologies while stimulating clean tech businesses and providing a model for national action.

 “This is a big day. California’s cap-and-trade program is the strongest and boldest move in the U.S. to protect public health and the environment from the clear and present danger of climate change,” said Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which co-sponsored and helped pass the legislation. “California’s innovative policies can lead the way for the nationwide effort needed to curb emissions and reduce climate impacts across the globe.”

Environmental Defense Fund is committed to the successful implementation of AB 32 and tackling climate change - working on behalf of its over 750,000 members and the millions of Americans that support clean air, a healthier environment and a strong clean energy economy.   

Today’s 197th Council meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has drawn a number of relevant conclusions over so-called ‘market based measures’ (MBMs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation.

The meeting’s conclusions recognise that global MBMs are technically feasible. This acknowledgement takes decisions to a political level, and to this end it sets up a High-Level Group of geographically representative senior government officials. This High Level Group will then make proposals on an MBM as well as a so-called ‘framework’ for MBMs, essentially a set of rules that countries should respect when implementing such measures. These proposals will be put to the triennial Assembly in September 2013.

However, the key shortcoming is that it remains unclear what any such proposal would contain, as there are no binding commitments on substance.

Bill Hemmings of T&E, a member of the International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation (ICSA) [1], said: “After 15 years of ICAO inaction, it’s crystal clear now that a global market-based measure for the aviation sector is simply a question of political will. It was ever so – technical objections always were a convenient excuse. It is imperative that the High Level Group work through and resolve important questions ranging from which measure, what level of environmental effectiveness to how to accommodate the concerns of developing countries. These are critical times and the world can no longer wait.”

Annie Petsonk of Environmental Defense Fund, also an ICSA member, said: “To a large extent, the US holds the key to real progress on an market-based measure now and this will be the first opportunity for Obama to show that he means what he said in his victory speech: ‘We want our children to live in an America that’ … ‘isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet’.”

Tim Johnson, Director of Aviation Environment Federation, another ICSA member, said: “ICAO has shown that with coordinated effort the technical issues can be resolved. Similar and rapid effort is now required to resolve the political questions in a spirit of fairness and equity while remembering that addressing aviation’s climate change impacts is a necessity. Everyone says a global approach is the way to go – now it’s time to match these words with deeds. The work of the High Level Group on a framework must be seen as a stepping stone to a global MBM and should not replace this objective or become an obstacle to progress on agreeing a global measure. ICAO has now the chance but also the great responsibility to see this happen through agreement on a proposal next September.”

[1] The International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation (ICSA) is a structured network of environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who share a common concern with civil aviation’s contribution to air quality issues, climate change and noise, and who are committed to developing and providing technical expertise, common policy positions and strategies with a view to reducing emissions and noise from the aviation sector.

In pursuit of this objective, ICSA’s role is to provide environmental NGOs world-wide with observer status in the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization’s Committee for Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) and subsidiary bodies.

“Congratulations to President Obama on his re-election to a second term, and to all of those who will be serving in the 113^th Congress. We look forward to working with them to solve our country’s most pressing environmental problems, including global climate change. As the President declared last night, ‘We want our children to live in an America … that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.’

“Exit polls confirm that for millions of American voters, Hurricane Sandy and climate change were decisive factors in this election. As the historic storm just reminded us, we have no time to waste; we must get serious about climate solutions in order to protect our loved ones and communities from terrible impacts — extreme weather disasters, droughts, heat waves, and other dangerous consequences of global warming. Especially in the wake of Sandy, which demonstrated that doing nothing about climate change is much costlier than taking action, this issue clearly should be a top priority for our leaders in government.”

- Fred Krupp, President, EDF

(Houston, Texas, Nov. 5, 2012) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today announced its endorsement of the 2012 Houston Independent School District (HISD) Bond Proposition.

The $1.89 billion proposition will be used to build, replace and renovate schools in adherence to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, created by the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) to establish a common standard of measurement for green buildings. These facilities will be energy efficient and environmentally responsible, resulting in lower operating costs for the district. The bond proposition has also been endorsed by the USGBC Texas Chapter.

“EDF applauds the Houston Independent School District’s proposal to build all new schools under the HISD Bond Proposal 2012 according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards for schools,” said Kate Zerrenner, energy efficiency specialist at the EDF Austin office. “In addition to creating a healthier environment for children, LEED-certified buildings increase overall energy efficiency and cut electricity bills for school districts. We hope other school districts in the Greater Houston region will follow HISD’s leadership.”

The $1.89 billion HISD bond proposal will rebuild, renovate or replace 28 high schools, convert five elementary schools to K-8, build three new elementary schools and rebuild or renovate two middle schools. In addition, all schools district-wide will receive upgrades for technology, safety, security and athletic facilities, along with renovations to middle school bathrooms.  For more information, visit Citizens for Better Schools.

(PHOENIX—November 1, 2012) This week the San Pedro River was profiled as the “River of the Month” in a year-long series celebrating Arizona’s centennial year. The river profile released today by five conservation groups is the eighth in the “Celebrating Arizona’s Rivers” series, which raises awareness about the ecology and geology of rivers in Arizona as well as the uses they serve and the threats they face.

The San Pedro River originates in Sonora, Mexico and flows into the United States near Palominas, Arizona, where it enters the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA). Created to protect the ecological, archeological, scientific, cultural, educational and recreational resources of the river, the SPRNCA covers nearly 57,000 acres of riparian habitat.

“The San Pedro watershed represents one of the largest healthy riparian woodland ecosystems in the Southwest – an ecosystem type that has rapidly declined in the region over the past 100 years,” say the conservation organizations in the River of the Month profile.

The San Pedro watershed is an essential wildlife corridor and supports over 80 species of mammals, including the endangered jaguar and Mexican grey wolf, 14 species of native fish and more than 350 species of birds. Its status as a “globally important bird area” as designated by the American Bird Conservancy is reflected by the millions of migratory birds that use the San Pedro at some point in their lives.

While the San Pedro supports an array of wildlife, demand for water by a growing population has reduced the water table due to groundwater pumping, increasing threats to the ecosystem. The challenges of sustaining the San Pedro have inspired many collaborative restoration and conservation efforts to preserve one of Arizona’s last free-flowing rivers.

The River of the Month series profiles one of Arizona’s rivers each month. It is produced by Environmental Defense Fund, Grand Canyon Trust, Sierra Club, Sonoran Institute, and Western Resource Advocates, with technical assistance provided by the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center. Previous profiles—starting with a feature of the iconic Colorado River—may be downloaded from Environmental Defense Fund, Sonoran Institute, or Western Resource Advocates, and interested groups and individuals may sign up here to receive a notification when a new profile is released.

“All of us at Environmental Defense Fund send our thoughts and prayers to the victims of this humbling and unprecedented storm. A number of factors converged to make Sandy one of the most ferocious weather disasters in our recorded history, and the best science tells us that we are one of those factors. As a consequence of global climate change caused by human activities, sea levels are higher, the Atlantic waters are warmer, and there’s more moisture in the atmosphere – three of the reasons this storm packed such destructive force. Sandy is not just a weather disaster but also a climate disaster. Today, as we rush to ensure the safety of our loved ones and communities, we should remember that unless we finally get serious about climate solutions there can be no lasting protection from the ferocity of our warming world.”

Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund

(New York, NY - Oct. 22, 2012) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today launched a new video on the many benefits of clean energy, illustrating how it is strengthening our economy, creating American jobs, allowing for energy independence and lessening our carbon footprint.

EDF’s video shows how clean energy is thriving and seeks to arm policymakers, entrepreneurs and clean energy advocates with compelling facts to back that statement up. The video features interviews with Helen Brauner, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning for Green Mountain Energy; Congressman Lloyd Doggett, U.S. Representative for Texas’s 25th Congressional District; and Stephen Frank, Electrical Engineer for Xtreme Power.

Like innovations in medicine and telecom, energy innovation shouldn’t be a political issue. But clean energy has suffered from some expensive negative attacks recently. Not surprisingly, these attacks have mainly come from those who stand to profit from today’s fossil fuel industry – which receives about 75 times more subsidies than clean energy sources.

“Despite the fact that clean energy has become the “modern-day whipping boy,” it is indeed alive and thriving. The clean energy sector now creates more jobs than the fossil fuel industry and, just last year, grew nearly twice as fast as the overall economy,” said Jim Marston, vice president of EDF’s Energy Program.

Earlier this year, EDF launched its Energy Innovation Series to promote the role innovation has played in the energy industry and highlight clean energy technologies and new business models that hold the promise of revolutionizing the way we create, transport, manage and use energy. Throughout 2012, EDF has highlighted innovations across a broad range of energy categories, including smart grid and renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency financing, and progressive utilities, among others.

See the video and learn more at edf.org/energyinnovation »

(Washington – October 17, 2012) The European Union’s program to cut global warming pollution, the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), has driven significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and sparked innovation in low-carbon processes at much lower-than-expected cost, according to a new report by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The report comes just as the EU ETS is concluding five years of full operation and transitioning to its next phase, which runs from 2013-2020. 

EDF policy and economics experts concluded in The EU Emissions Trading System: Results and Lessons Learned that while a more ambitious reduction target for EU emissions in 2020 or 2030 is necessary to achieve the EU’s long-term goals, the EU’s Emissions Trading System has driven significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions – even during periods of growth in Europe’s gross domestic product.

“What we found very clearly is that after a three-year trial period and almost five years of full operation, the world’s first global warming cap-and-trade program is doing exactly what the EU designed it to do – cut dangerous emissions, spur the deployment of low-carbon innovation, and do so at low cost,” said EDF Attorney and report co-author Alex Hanafi.

The EU ETS applies to 40% of the total greenhouse gas emissions of the 30 participating countries. Additional sectors will come under the cap in January 2013.

“While many people are acutely aware of the global recession, Europe’s struggling economy, and today’s low market prices for EU emission allowances, we found that there is another reality that is less well-known: despite some initial challenges, the EU Emissions Trading System is successfully reducing the EU’s global warming pollution, and offers real lessons to other countries and states seeking to decouple economic growth from emissions growth,” said Hanafi.

EDF highlighted six major results from the EU ETS since its start in 2005:

1. The EU ETS has achieved significant emission reductions at minimal cost. 
2. Although over-allocation of emission allowances and a sharp drop in their prices occurred during the program’s pilot phase (2005-7), the policy stability created by longer-term targets subsequently led to durable investments in reducing emissions and deploying low-carbon strategies.
3. Windfall profits occurred in some member states, but can be avoided using a variety of policy tools.
4. Reforms have improved the elements of the EU ETS that allow emitters to tender credits earned from projects reducing emissions in developing countries (“offsets”), but further reforms would be useful.
5. The EU ETS has made significant progress in preventing any recurrence of the tax fraud and theft of allowances that occurred during the program’s early years.
6. Companies and entrepreneurs have responded to the ETS and its complementary policies with a diverse range of profitable investments in low-carbon solutions.

As the first large-scale CO₂ cap-and-trade system, the EU ETS presents a unique learning experience for other regions, nations, states, and even local jurisdictions considering carbon-trading systems – including California, whose own cap-and-trade law launches Jan. 1, 2013.

“Lessons from the EU’s Emissions Trading System have relevance all over the world and nowhere more so than in California, where regulators and policy makers have been working hard to proactively adapt to the challenges revealed by the EU’s early years of implementation” said Derek Walker, EDF’s California-based Director of Strategic Climate Initiatives. “The bottom line is that emissions trading has been an economic and environmental success in the EU and it will be in California too.”

Additional resources:

• Web page: http://www.edf.org/climate/eu-emissions-trading-system-report
• Report—The EU Emissions Trading System: Results and Lessons Learned [PDF]: http://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/EU_ETS_Lessons_Learned_Report_EDF.pdf
• Lessons for California from the EU Emissions Trading System: http://www.edf.org/caeuets

(BOSTON – October 16, 2012) – Facing tight budgets and limited resources, a growing list of companies and public sector organizations are turning to a unique initiative offered by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) that provides specially-trained graduate students from top schools around the country to uncover cost-effective energy savings opportunities and develop concrete strategies to capitalize on them.

EDF Climate Corps fellows have worked with nearly 200 satisfied organizations, uncovering an average of $1 million in energy savings over the course of each fellowship, according to a new analysis. Along with energy savings, EDF is cultivating a new generation of skilled young professionals who have already begun moving into leadership positions in both corporate and public institutions.

“By day two on the job, our EDF fellow saved us $100,000,” said Les Holmes, Director of Real Estate at publisher Bloomberg BNA. “EDF brought valuable experience and perspective, and helped bring a strong energy management program to an even higher level.”

Participating companies this year range from Google and Facebook to Boeing, Pfizer and Verizon. Public sector hosts include the City of Los Angeles; the public schools in Boston, Chicago and Houston; and the New York City Housing Authority. (Detailed stories about their projects are available here.)

“For three years running, EDF Climate Corps has been a great resource for REI, finding opportunities throughout our business, and identifying real, practical solutions we can bank on,” said Kirk Myers, Manager of CSR at REI, a leading outdoor retailer.

EDF fellows work in office buildings, factories, hospitals, data centers, and a wide range of other commercial and residential facilities. Their specialties include advanced lighting and climate controls; employee engagement; financial analytics; and strategic planning. Engagements are custom-tailored to meet the needs of the organization.  

“Energy efficiency is a goldmine, but digging for that gold takes resources not everybody has,” said Victoria Mills, Managing Director at EDF. “Climate Corps is a solution. Hosts get skilled professionals who hit the ground running, backed by 25 years of EDF experience working with hundreds of companies.”

The program provides valuable support for host organizations whether they already have an advanced energy strategy in place, or are just getting started. EDF handles recruiting, matching, training and rigorous follow-up and evaluation.

“Our EDF Climate Corps fellow became a member of our team and provided exceptional value on a fast-paced complex project,” said Vincent Davis, Board Member for Envision Charlotte, a North Carolina public-private partnership dedicated to economic and environmental sustainability.

In just five years, EDF Climate Corps has found $1.2 billion in energy savings, with the potential to avoid yearly carbon dioxide emissions equal to the pollution from 200,000 cars.   “Ingersoll Rand has hosted six EDF Climate Corps fellows over the years, and each time they have far exceeded expectations,” said Scott Tew, Executive Director of the Center for Energy Efficiency at Ingersoll Rand. “The investment is a no-brainer.”

EDF Climate Corps is now accepting applications for companies, cities and universities to host a fellow in 2013. Find details about hosting a fellow at edfclimatecorps.org/hire-fellow or email info@edfclimatecorps.org.

(Washington, D.C.—October 11, 2012) Today, a three-mile oil slick that was detected in the gulf last month was confirmed as oil from the 2010 gulf oil disaster. The slick illustrates that the long-term effects of the 2010 spill are unknown and ongoing, and that BP must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law until the ecology and economy of the gulf has been restored.

In a joint statement released today, Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation said:

“BP’s continued attempts to dodge responsibility for the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history must not continue. Despite a costly advertising campaign claiming that the gulf has bounced back from the 2010 oil disaster, the gulf is still reeling, both environmentally and economically. We may not know the full impact of the spill for years to come, but we do know that BP must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, stop stalling, pay up and make the gulf whole.”

“This latest slick shows us once again that the oil is still taking a toll on the gulf. The sooner full payment happens, the sooner environmental and economic restoration can begin for this region. We owe it to the Gulf of Mexico — one of our national treasures — to make sure BP does right for the people, wildlife and habitat of this region.”

“Drilling experts are claiming it’s unlikely that BP’s Macondo well is leaking again and the Coast Guard feels the residual oil “does not pose a risk to the shoreline,” but the slick is nonetheless a cause for concern for the wildlife and ecosystem of the gulf — especially considering recent media reports suggesting BP has proposed a settlement offer that is significantly less than what it would face at trial.”

“Alarmingly, BP has purportedly offered a sum less than $20 billion. An amount so low would be inadequate to repair the gulf and would allow the oil giant — which netted $25.7 billion in 2011 — to escape paying what is required by law, what it can afford and what is fair in a case with such egregious environmental damage.”

“BP must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. It’s time for BP to stop stalling, pay up and make the gulf whole.”