Complete list of press releases
EDF Calls for Federal Agencies to Value the Benefits of Greenhouse Gas Reductions
October 28, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Martha Roberts, 303-447-7214, mroberts@edf.org
Tony Kreindler, 202-210-5791, tkreindler@edf.org
Vickie Patton, 720-837-6239, vpatton@edf.org
(
“It’s common sense that federal agencies should evaluate the potential climate benefits of major new regulations,” said Martha Roberts, an EDF economic policy analyst. “By neglecting the economic benefits of global warming pollution reductions, we’re missing important and efficient opportunities to achieve climate security.”
When significant new rules are developed, government-wide policy administered by the White House calls for federal agencies, in many cases, to assess the benefits and costs of the new rules. The results of these economic analyses can determine the design of the final rule.
A new EDF report, Carbon Counts (http://edf.org/article.cfm?contentID=8722), reviews the economic assessments performed for the Department of Transportation’s fuel economy standards, the Department of Energy’s furnace efficiency standard, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s small engine emission standards. The selection among the different regulatory options considered for these rules has significant implications for global warming pollution. Yet across the board, these standards neglected the value of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, overlooking cost-effective opportunities to cut pollution.
“The Department of Energy heralded the greenhouse gas reductions from its furnace efficiency standards, yet omitted the value of climate protection in actually developing the foundation of the rule,” Roberts said. “By relegating the benefit of a stable climate to window dressing, the Agency may have missed important and efficient opportunities to reduce global warming pollution.”
The Department of Transportation conducts an analysis of benefits and costs to determine the appropriate fuel efficiency standard. If the Agency fundamentally discounts the value of greenhouse gas reductions in its analysis, it will again fail to secure the full societal benefits of stronger fuel efficiency standards for energy security and climate security.
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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
NEW CALIFORNIA TOXIC DIESEL POLLUTION REGULATIONS PRAISED BY LEADING GREEN GROUP
October 24, 2008For Immediate ReleaseContact: Jesus Mena, (415) 948-4220-c jemena@edf.orgCamille Kustin, 916-752-2834 -c, ckustin@edf.org(Sacramento – October 24, 2008) Environmental Defense Fund praised the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for releasing two proposed regulations today that would reduce toxic and greenhouse gas emissions by requiring retrofits for newer diesel trucks and the phasing out of older trucks, starting in 2012.CARB officials estimate that the truck regulations are expected to save 9,400 lives between 2010 and 2025 and greatly reduce health care costs. The state is offering truckers more than $1 billion in funding to offset the costs of complying with the new rules.“Diesel trucks, especially older trucks, are essentially heart-and-lung killers on wheels, so these proposed measures would be lifesavers for thousands of Californians,” said Camille Kustin, Environmental Defense Fund policy analyst. “They would improve the overall health of state residents, especially that of children who suffer from asthma and other respiratory diseases. They also would boost California’s pioneering efforts in the battle against global warming.”Diesel trucks emit nearly 40% of the toxic particulate matter and half of the nitrous oxide pollution that create California’s smoggy air. This pollution alone is responsible for 1,500 deaths statewide annually, according to a CARB study. A University of Southern California eight-year study showed that Southern California children exposed to higher levels of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, acid vapor and elemental carbon had significantly lower lung function by age 18, a lung function deficit that is unlikely to be reversed.“It isn’t unusual for a truck that’s 20 years old – and older – to still be hauling heavy loads,” added Kustin. “Unfortunately, a 20-year-old truck has no pollution controls.”The first regulation requires that trucks install diesel exhaust filters starting in 2010 to 2014 to reduce particulate matter emissions, followed by a gradual phasing out of older rigs on a staggered implementation schedule between 2012 and 2022. The second regulation requires that certain new and existing trucks be fitted with aerodynamic devices and fuel efficient tires to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas pollution.CARB is accepting public comments on the proposal between now and its scheduled to vote on the regulations December 11.Environmental Defense Fund Takes Legal Action to Address Landfill Methane Emissions
October 23, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Vickie Patton – (720) 837-6239 or vpatton@edf.org
Kevin Lynch – (303) 447-7200 or klynch@edf.org
Sean(
“Capturing the waste gas leaking from the nation’s landfills and converting it to a local source of energy is a trifecta for the nation’s economy, environment and energy security,” said
The recent U.S. Climate Change Science Program report determined that measures to reduce methane emissions are: a “clear win-win solution for climate (less warming) and air quality (less pollution).” See Climate Projections Based on Emissions Scenarios for Long-Lived and Short-Lived Radiatively Active Gases and Aerosols, ps. 64-65, (Sept. 2008), at http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap3-2/final-report/.
Capturing landfill emissions also creates an economic boon to local communities because cost-effective technology provides access to an untapped energy source.
EPA has failed to update the emission standards for landfills for a dozen years, violating its duty under the nation’s clean air laws to modernize the emission standards at least every eight years.
Methane contributes to harmful ozone and is a potent greenhouse gas
Methane emissions contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. Exposure to ground-level ozone has been linked to serious health effects including premature mortality, decreased lung function, respiratory illness, and asthma. Methane is also a potent global warming gas – about 21 times more powerful at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2). Methane’s relatively short atmospheric lifetime (10 years), coupled with its potency as a greenhouse gas, makes reducing methane emissions from landfills one of the best ways to mitigate global warming over the near-term..
Landfills are top emitters of methane gas
Methane is emitted from a variety of human and natural sources. Municipal solid waste landfills are the second largest source of human-related methane emissions in the
Landfills can become clean energy sources
Landfill gas is created as solid waste decomposes in a landfill. This gas consists of about 50 percent methane, about 50 percent CO2, and a small amount of non-methane organic compounds. Because methane is a principal component of natural gas, methane emissions from landfills present a key opportunity to capture and use a significant home-grow energy source.
Landfill gas is extracted from landfills using a series of wells and a vacuum system. This system directs the collected gas to a central point where it can be processed and treated. From this point, the gas can be used to generate electricity, replace fossil fuels in industrial and manufacturing operations, fuel greenhouse operations, or be upgraded to pipeline quality gas.
A number of landfills around the country are already utilizing this energy from methane. The 16.6 million tons-in-place
EDF’s Notice of Intent to Sue: http://edf.org/documents/8713_NOILandfillNSPSOct2008.pdf
Environmental Protection Agency’s response to EDF’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request: http://edf.org/documents/8712_EPAFOIAResponseAug2008.pdf
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About Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Defense Fund is at the forefront of an innovation revolution, developing new solutions that protect the natural world while growing the economy. Founded in 1967 and representing more than 500,000 members, the group creates powerful economic incentives by working with market leaders and relying on rigorous science. For more information, visit edf.org.
Environmental Defense Fund Advances Sustainability Discussion with Wal-Mart Suppliers at Summits in China
October 22, 2008(Beijing - October 22, 2008) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today engaged hundreds of top Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) suppliers in a vital discussion about business practice improvements with environmental and bottom-line benefits, at the retailer’s first ever Sustainability Summit in Beijing. EDF is also going to be working directly with these manufacturers on a green supply chain project initiated in conjunction with China’s trade and government leadership.
At the summit, Wal-Mart unveiled new, specific goals for its efforts to build a world-class sustainable supply chain, to sell sustainable products worldwide and to become a best-in-class sustainable retailer in China. Distinguished by close work with Wal-Mart in Bentonville, Ark., and by more than a decade of collaboration with China’s business and government leaders, EDF joined a breakout session on pollution prevention, one of three primary topics on the summit agenda. Panelists highlighting business success in proactive environmental management included Daniel Dudek, EDF chief economist and head of its Beijing office; Marjorie Yang, chairman of multinational textile manufacturer Esquel; Hu Tao, academic chair, Policy Research Center, China Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ma Jun, director, The Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs.
“EDF may know the road from Bentonville to Beijing better than any other NGO, and that helps us see the potential for Wal-Mart’s supply chain to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Gwen Ruta, vice president, Corporate Partnerships, Environmental Defense Fund. “Suppliers are a crucial component of Wal-Mart’s environmental impact, since its own efficiency efforts won’t keep pace with continued growth. Wal-Mart’s best chance for engaging suppliers in China and worldwide is to take a holistic approach to products and supplier relationships, showing them problem areas and the environmental and business benefits of addressing them.”
EDF will also launch its “greening the supply chain” project in China on October 23. With participation from Wal-Mart, EDF will facilitate a discussion in Qingdao between multinational companies and their suppliers on “Circular Economy and Greening the Supply Chain” during the first ever “China International Circular Economy Expo,” which is endorsed by China’s State Council and eight government ministries. EDF is hosting this discussion in association with the China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (CASME), which represents some 70,000 Chinese suppliers, and with the research arms of the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). EDF’s Beijing office focuses on strengthening enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, establishing the foundations for market-based environmental policies and enhancing public participation in environmental decision making. EDF’s work has been recognized for its contributions to China’s development with the highest national award given to foreigners.
In addition to China supply chain issues, EDF has been working with Wal-Mart since 2005 in areas central to EDF’s mission, including global warming, seafood, packaging and toxic materials. EDF and Wal-Mart recently announced a partnership to develop strategies and monitor Wal-Mart’s efforts to reduce plastic shopping bag waste by an average of one-third per store from 2008 levels by 2013.
Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF has a 20-year track record of success in partnering with business. To maintain its independence and credibility, EDF accepts no money from corporate partners; generous individuals and foundations fund its work. For more information, visit www.EDF.org.
Guidelines for Texas School Construction Endorsed by Leading Environmental Group
October 21, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Thomas Glenn, Environmental Defense Fund, 512.691.3460
Media Contact: Chris Smith, Environmental Defense Fund, 512.691.3451-w or 512.659.9264-c or csmith@edf.org(Austin—Oct. 21, 2008) Environmental Defense Fund urged Texas schools today to adopt proposed guidelines promoting the development of energy efficient school buildings. The guidelines, under public review until November 21, are part of Texas CHPS Criteria (TX-CHPS), a program designed to ensure sustainable development and construction of Texas schools.Experts say that improved classroom settings result in higher student test scores and attendance rates, greater employee retention, reduced environmental impacts and lower operating costs.“If all districts incorporate TX-CHPS into the design and construction of their new buildings, students will be more academically prepared and districts will save money on facility operating costs,” said Thomas Glenn, clean energy policy specialist for Environmental Defense Fund. “This is a great opportunity for Texas public school districts to invest in the future of high-quality schools.”The program will not only focus on the construction of new environmentally responsible schools, but will also recommend upgrades for existing schools. If schools choose to adopt TX-CHPS, they will be guided through the implementation process with help from the CHPS organization and a Texas advisory committee, which worked to develop the program.New EPA Lead Standard Significantly Improved to Protect Kids' Health
October 16, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:John Balbus, 202-572-3316 or 301-908-8186 (cell), jbalbus@edf.org(Washington, DC – October 16, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a significant step to protect the health of children by strengthening the nation’s air quality standard for lead today, according to Environmental Defense Fund.“While EPA’s own analysis justifies an even lower lead standard, this tenfold reduction will go a long way to protecting children most at risk from airborne lead,” said Environmental Defense Fund Chief Health Scientist Dr. John Balbus, a member of the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee. “It’s refreshing to see the agency follow the science and the advice of its experts in making this decision.”The new standard for lead in the air, 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), is a tenfold reduction from the current standard of 1.5 µg/m3 and is within the range recommended to the EPA by its science advisors. The current standard dates back to 1978, a time when leaded gasoline was widely used in automobiles and children’s average blood lead levels were seven times higher than today. Most importantly, in 1978, the serious effects of low level lead exposure on children were not yet well understood.Lead is a potent neurotoxin that interferes with children’s brain development and worsens performance on IQ tests. EPA’s analysis has shown that to prevent a measureable decrease in IQ for the most vulnerable children in the country, the lead standard would need to be set as low as 0.02 µg/m3. In addition to strong evidence for harm to children’s neurological development at low levels, new science indicates that lead exposures throughout life can increase risks of cardiovascular illness and mortality.Also in this final decision, EPA has chosen lead in Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) as the main indicator and the highest three month rolling average over three years as the form of the standard for monitoring and compliance. Because TSP captures more of the total available lead in the air than the alternative indicator under consideration, Particulate Matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10), it provides greater protection for a given level of the standard.While lead concentrations in the air have declined, scientific studies have demonstrated that children’s neurological development is harmed by much lower levels of lead exposure than previously understood. Low level lead exposure has been clearly linked to loss of IQ in performance testing. Even an average IQ loss of 1-2 points in children has a meaningful impact for the nation as a whole, as it would result in an increase in children classified as mentally challenged, as well as a proportional decrease in the number of children considered “gifted.”Since 1978, regulations and advances in technology have nearly eliminated the use of lead in fuels and paints, resulting in significant decreases in ambient concentrations of lead in air. For many children, lead that is still present in house paints and urban dusts from the time when lead was widely used is the main source of lead exposure. The current standard will only partially address this problem of “legacy” lead; other EPA programs need to address ongoing children’s exposure from house paint and urban dusts.At present, lead smelters, especially the nation’s sole primary lead smelter in Jefferson County, Missouri, are the largest sources of lead emissions in communities. Other significant sources include airplane fuels, military installations, mining and metal smelting, iron and steel manufacturing, industrial boilers and process heaters, hazardous waste incineration, and battery manufacture.Final AB 32 Scoping Plan Contains Key Improvements
October 15, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContactDerek Walker, (410) 980-0939-c, dbwalker@edf.orgJesus Mena, (415) 948-4220-c, jemena@edf.org(Sunnyvale, CA – October 14, 2008) The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) revised final scoping plan for implementing the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) contains important improvements from the original plan, according to Environmental Defense Fund. The final plan incorporates feedback received from a diverse group of stakeholders since the first draft was released in June. CARB is scheduled to vote on the final plan during their December 10-11 board meeting in Sacramento.“California’s leadership on global warming will usher in a new wave of entrepreneurial innovation and be the economic engine that will drive greater prosperity in the state,” said Derek Walker, director of the California Climate Initiative at Environmental Defense Fund, which cosponsored AB 32. “The final scoping plan lays the groundwork for California’s transformation to a low-carbon economy through robust policies and an increased emphasis on green job creation and green job training.”The final plan recommends several new actions that will put California on a path to reduce our emissions by 30% by 2020, as required by AB 32. Important new measures include: reducing leakage of harmful air conditioning and refrigeration gases, expanding commercial recycling programs, and establishing greenhouse gas reduction targets for local governments. The plan reinforces the vital role of energy efficiency, the development of cleaner fuels, and the swift transition to renewable power, features that will save businesses and consumers money, create jobs, and unleash innovations in clean technology, according to Walker.CARB has also put increased focus on the importance of placing workers into green jobs, a category estimated to grow by more than 100,000 new jobs by 2020. Last month, Environmental Defense Fund released a Green Jobs Guidebook for California, which identifies and profiles hundreds of high paying jobs available to low and middle income workers throughout the state.“The final AB32 scoping plan recognizes that training workers and connecting them to available positions will be key to creating a thriving green economy,” added Walker.The final scoping plan appears at a pivotal moment for California, the nation and the world. Governor Schwarzenegger recently announced he will convene a Global Climate Summit in California in November, and global warming has been a major issue in the U.S. presidential campaign.“The era of inertia and inaction is over,” said Walker. “AB 32 has already prompted several other U.S. states to put mandatory caps on global warming pollution. Now California’s robust scoping plan can be a model and a catalyst for national action.”The promise of a clean energy economy is also very appealing to the residents of California. A recent poll commissioned by the non-partisan nonprofit research organization Next 10 and conducted by Fairbanks, Maslin, Maullin & Associates shows nearly three out of four voters (73 percent) support state energy policies to reduce global warming pollution. Despite the weak economy, nearly six out of 10 voters (58 percent) support these energy policies even if they result in higher prices.Although the final scoping plan is scheduled for approval in December, major decisions will still need to be made about how different policies are designed. Walker pointed to several areas where substantial work remains, particularly in the design of a robust and effective cap-and-trade program and the enactment of proven land use and transportation policies, including indirect source rules and congestion pricing.“As Americans get set to elect a new President, global warming is at the top of the national agenda,” concluded Walker. “Implementing AB 32 successfully is critical to getting strong national climate policy enacted.”###Environmental Defense Fund Calls on Bureau of Reclamation to Protect Colorado River Delta Wetlands
October 15, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Jennifer Pitt, 720-841-5366, jpitt@edf.org(In written comments filed today, EDF expresses serious concerns about Reclamation’s proposed pilot operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant. To read the comments in their entirety, or get more information about the issue, click here.“The pilot operation, as currently proposed, would significantly undermine the health of the Ciénega, which is the best remaining habitat in the Colorado River Delta,” said Mary Kelly, Vice President for Rivers and Deltas at EDF. “The Ciénega is a world class resource, and we should do everything possible to sustain it.”The Ciénega is located in the heart of“We understand that Reclamation is under considerable pressure to operate the desalinization plant, so we have offered a solution that would allow the plant to operate while also protecting the flows to the Ciénega.” said Jennifer Pitt, Senior Resource Analyst at EDF. “We advocate using local groundwater or agricultural wastewater to maintain flows to the wetland. We believe that would be the best solution for the entire region.”EDF also questions whether the projected $15- $19 million investment in the desalination plant makes economic sense. The funding would come from the federal government and water supply entities, including possibly the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Central Arizona Project and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.“This plant is old and energy-intensive and the cost of the one-time water produced from this pilot will be quite high — on the order of $500 to $700 per acre-foot” said Kelly. “We think that the entities that would get the 30,000 acre-feet of water potentially produced by the pilot operation should explore whether they could lease a similar amount of water from farmers or others. A $200 or $300 per acre-foot one-year lease might be an extremely attractive offer to many farmers.”An acre-foot is approximately 325,000 gallons.Environmental advocates in“The extensive development of the Colorado River has left very little nature in the delta, but the Ciénega is the crown jewel, harboring hundreds of thousands of shorebirds and waterbirds that migrate betweenLeading Global Environmental Group Praises Strong New Emissions Standards for Big Ships
October 9, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:Janea Scott at IMO Negotiations, 347-301-4116, jscott@edf.orgChris Smith, 512-478-5161, csmith@edf.orgElena Craft, 512-691-3452, ecraft@edf.orgVickie Patton, 720-837-6239, vpatton@edf.org(London - October 9, 2008) Environmental Defense Fund today praised the 168 member nations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for adopting strong new emissions standards to limit the lethal particulate and smog-forming pollution from ocean-going vessels. These new standards will apply to ocean-going ships such as container ships and tankers that operate around the world.“Nearly 90% of ships that call on U.S. ports are foreign-flagged ships, so the progress we made at the international level today is especially important to people living in communities near U.S. ports and along our nation’s coastlines,” said Janea Scott, a senior attorney in the Los Angeles office of Environmental Defense Fund. “This newly adopted international regulation will ensure that all ships, both domestic and foreign, are held to the same rigorous emissions standards.”The United States partnered with other nations worldwide in complex negotiations to craft these historic clean air standards. These new standards will help restore healthier air to ports and coastal communities around the world. Worldwide, shipping-related particulate matter pollution is responsible for approximately 60,000 cardiopulmonary and lung cancer deaths annually. Ships also are responsible for three percent of the global warming pollution worldwide, about as much global warming pollution as Canada emits. Today’s action, however, did not address greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming pollution. Environmental Defense Fund respectfully urges international action, building from today’s historic measures, to address the heat-trapping emissions from these large ships.“Now that nations from around the world have collaborated on historic clean air standards to cut dangerous pollution from big ships, we need to work together here at home to carry out this clean air blueprint and restore healthier air for millions of Americans,” added Scott. “We also urge these world leaders to build from this partnership to address the extensive global warming pollution released from these big ships.”To fully carry out these standards, the United States must adopt an Emission Control Area (ECA) delineating protective zones in America’s territorial waters where strong clean air standards must be met. Ships operating in these designated areas will be required to meet the protective emissions standards adopted today.“The United States should promptly take the necessary steps to delineate and carry out a protective emissions control area,” concluded Scott.A new report released last week by Environmental Defense Fund, “Floating Smokestacks: A Call for Action to Clean Up Marine Shipping Pollution,” shows that these large ships – including cruise ships and container ships – release dangerous diesel pollution that is a public health threat to millions of Americans living and working in port and coastal communities, including Houston and Los Angeles. These ships are a major source of urban smog pollution, and are one of the world’s largest emitters of global warming gases. The new standards adopted today will significantly reduce the harmful emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx); sulfur dioxide (SOx), which forms harmful fine particles and falls back to earth as acid rain; and particulate matter (PM), which is implicated in thousands of premature deaths every year. However, additional negotiations are required to develop and adopt similarly rigorous standards for greenhouse gas emissions.Ocean-going ships are powered by large high-emitting diesel engines that run on an extremely dirty grade of fuel, called bunker fuel or residual fuel. It has an average fuel sulfur level of 2.7%, which is approximately 1,800 times the sulfur content of the U.S. diesel fuel standards for other major diesel engines. As adopted today, ECA standards will have a diesel fuel sulfur limit of 1.0% beginning July 2010, dropping to 0.1% in January 2015, a 98% reduction from today’s global cap. The standards will also allow for technology to make the same reductions. Beginning in 2016, new ships operating in ECAs must also have advanced-technology engines designed to cut NOx emissions by roughly 80%. It is estimated that the final ECA standards will achieve reductions from current engine emission levels of 80%, 85%, and 95% for NOx, PM, and SOx, respectively. Again, these reductions will only be realized if an ECA designation is made for the United States without delay.Read more at: www.edf.org/floatingsmokestacks or download the full report: http://www.edf.org/documents/8619_FloatingSmokestacks_report.pdfLeading Global Environmental Group Launches New Non-Profit Technology with The Network Companies
October 7, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETuesday, October 7, 2008The Network Contact: Mike Jaconi (202) 552-5835Environmental Defense Fund Contact: Sean Crowley (202) 572-3331The Network Companies LLC is announcing the launch of the new Environmental Defense Fund Fundraising Toolbar and Facebook Application. These applications, developed by The Network Companies and FreeCause, Inc., will serve as fundraising and engagement tools for Environmental Defense Fund, which was ranked first among environmental groups — and second overall — in the 2007 Financial Times global study of 850 business-nonprofit partnerships. The toolbar, which launched today, may be downloaded from Environmental Defense Fund’s website at: http://www.edf.org/toolbar and the Facebook Application may be visited by going to: http://apps.facebook.com/environmentaldefense.“We are excited about partnering with an organization like Environmental Defense Fund,” said John Weaver, Senior Partner at The Network. “Now its members will have an opportunity to support the organization in a revolutionary new way. The technology we have introduced will convert supporters’ day-to-day activities into a new revenue stream for Environmental Defense Fund and a platform that will raise awareness about climate change.”“We’re thrilled to offer our donors and members an easy, unobtrusive way to demonstrate their support for Environmental Defense Fund,” said David Acup, Senior Director of Interactive Marketing & Membership for Environmental Defense Fund. “This toolbar is a great tool for our supporters to keep track of Environmental Defense Fund’s campaign to stop global warming and to discover how they can reduce their own carbon footprint.”The toolbar raises money every time an Environmental Defense Fund supporter searches the Internet through the Yahoo! powered search feed. Additionally, whenever supporters make a purchase at one of hundreds of participating e-commerce websites, such as Amazon and eBay, a percentage of the sale amount is contributed to the organization.The toolbar is also a powerful communications tool, providing an always-on connection between the organization and each of its members. The toolbar’s communication features include auto-updatable RSS and news feeds, links to pages on Environmental Defense Fund’s website, all the components offered by the Google and Yahoo! toolbars such as the weather and email checker, and the most powerful feature: the messaging component. The messaging component will give the Environmental Defense Fund the ability to segment messaging based on demographic data, providing a powerful tool for micro-targeting and broadcasting key messages and user-specific calls to action.Social network applications, like the Environmental Defense Fund’s Fight Global Warming Application, are fast becoming the most efficient way for organizations to identify new constituents and grow their membership bases online. Other current clients include Oxfam America, the Dallas Cowboys, health-related affinity organizations, and numerous political groups.“The toolbar and social network applications represent a new frontier in cause-based marketing,” Weaver said, “The Network and FreeCause are experts at utilizing these tools to deliver success for our clients.”###The Network Companies LLC, a multi-service firm offering public affairs and crisis management, political consulting, and affinity, online, and direct marketing is based in Washington, DC. The Network has the exclusive rights to all domestic and international political clients of the FreeCause toolbar software. FreeCause, Inc. is a software and technology development firm based in Boston, MA.Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.Statement of EDF President Fred Krupp on New House Climate Legislation
October 7, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tony Kreindler, EDF, 202-572-3378 or 202-210-5791 (cell)(
“We appreciate that Chairmen Dingell and Boucher are moving forward with their bill in this critical economic time for
“The unbending science demands that we reduce global warming pollution far enough – and fast enough – to protect us from the worst consequences of climate change. The near-term targets and timetables in the current draft of the proposal fall far short of that goal. EDF will continue to push for strong emissions reduction targets in the early years of the program as discussions move forward. Importantly, their proposal appears to manage costs without provisions that would bust the emissions cap.
“We look forward to working with the chairmen, along with leadership and the new president, to pass a bill that protects the climate and delivers the economic stimulusAmerica needs now more than ever.”
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About Environmental Defense Fund
A leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org
New Conservation Incentives Will Aid America
October 3, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sharyn Stein, Environmental Defense Fund, 202-572-3396 sstein@edf.orgWashington, DC – October 3, 2008) A new package of conservation incentives will bring much needed help to farmers’ efforts to restore America’s wetlands, according to one of the country’s leading environmental advocacy groups.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced the incentives earlier today for wetlands restorations under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Environmental Defense Fund experts are praising the plan, which they say will provide dramatic environmental benefits.
“We have been working for years to encourage incentives like these,” said Sara Hopper, Agricultural Policy Director for Environmental Defense Fund. “We applaud today’s announcement by FSA. There’s a lot of pressure to farm on marginal lands right now because of record high commodity prices. These incentives will help conservation remain a competitive financial option for private landowners. The new incentives will also help more farmers and landowners restore wetlands, which filter polluted water and provide important habitat for wildlife.”
The incentives are designed to support restoration of wetlands, both in floodplains and in other areas, and restoration of duck nesting habitat. The funding is also aimed at restoring bottomland timber forests in the floodplains of some of America’s major rivers and tributaries, which has been a particular priority for Environmental Defense Fund.
“Planting more bottomland hardwood trees on the banks of rivers will help protect the health and safety of people across the Midwest and South,” said Terry Noto, a conservation expert working with Environmental Defense Fund. “These wetland forests improve the quality of our drinking water, provide floodwater storage, and reduce the severity of flooding downstream. They provide vital habitat for endangered species, migratory birds and game. Planting more trees will also help us sequester more than one million tons of carbon. The new plan provides badly needed incentives, and we think they’ll be worth every penny.”
The specific incentives include:
- A signing incentive payment of $100 per acre for enrolling in the program;
- A 40 percent practice incentive payment, which — combined with the current 50 percent cost-share rate — provides as much as 90 percent of the cost of restoring wetlands and planting vegetation;
- A 20 percent bonus on current CRP soil rental rates.
“We’re thrilled to see this plan go forward today,” said Hopper. “America has lost so many of its native wetlands. This is a significant opportunity to help farmers help the environment.”
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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
Report Documents Air Pollution Burden of Big Ships on Houston
October 3, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: ElenaCraft, 512.691.3452, ecraft@edf.org or Janea Scott, 917.674.0513, jscott@edf.org; Media Contact: Chris Smith, 512.691.3451, csmith@edf.org(Houston – October 3, 2008) A new report released today shows that large ocean-going ships – such as cruise ships and container ships – in Houston and other U.S. ports, are big pollution emitters. These large ships release dangerous diesel pollution that is a public health threat to millions living and working in the Houston/Galveston region and other U.S. coastal communities, are a major source of urban smog pollution, and are one of the world’s largest emitters of global warming gases.The report, “Floating Smokestacks: A Call for Action to Clean Up Marine Shipping Pollution,” by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), recommends protective policy action at next week’s pivotal meeting of the International Maritime Organization. This international body will decide on standards that could significantly reduce pollution from these large ocean-going ships by requiring cleaner engines, pollution control technologies and cleaner fuel.Ocean-going ships are powered by large high-emitting diesel engines that run on an extremely dirty grade of fuel, called bunker fuel or residual fuel. It contains approximately 1,800 times the sulfur content of the U.S. diesel fuel standards for other major diesel engines.The report found that ocean-going ships in the Houston/Galveston area annually emit about 5,600 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) and 590 tons of harmful particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5); the NOx emissions are comparable to the pollution from more than 6 million new cars. On Wednesday, federal regulators reclassified Houston’s smog problem as “severe,” a designation held by only one other city in the nation: Los Angeles.“Unfortunately, Houston is hard hit by some of the most unhealthy smog levels in the nation,” said Elena Craft, an air quality specialist in EDF’s Houston office. “Strong international action can have significant local clean air benefits. Cleaning up pollution from these ‘floating smokestacks,’ in addition to the Port of Houston implementing a comprehensive clean air plan, is an important step toward restoring healthy air in our community.”“Large ocean-going ships are vital for international commerce, but the pollution from these ships is harmful to human health,” said Janea Scott, an EDF senior attorney. “Next week’s international meeting is critical in putting in place a clean air blueprint for these big ships that will mean healthier air for our coastal communities.”The new report analyzed the latest available data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2001) and found that large ocean-going ships in the United States emitted:· Approximately 54,000 tons of particulate matter (PM 2.5), equivalent to the emissions from about 117 coal-fired power plants; PM 2.5 is a deadly form of air pollution associated with lung disease and other respiratory diseases.· Approximately 745,000 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides, equivalent to the NOx emissions from 94 coal-fired power plants;· Nearly 40% of all sulfur dioxide emitted by the transportation sector; sulfur dioxide can transform into harmful fine particles and can also fall back to the earth as acid rain.· Ocean-going ships are responsible for about 3% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that cause climate change.Currently, ocean-going vessels are subject only to weak international emissions standards. The clean air standards that apply to these high-polluting engines have lagged behind other major source categories in the transportation sector. Without strong regulations, pollution from these high-emitting engines will increase.EDF’s new report also examines pollution in the ports of the Lower Mississippi, Seattle/Tacoma, Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, and the Great Lakes. In addition, the report recommends: establishing protective limits on pollution around America’s coasts through cleaner fuel standards, addressing global warming pollution from ships, and taking actions to reduce or eliminate emissions from ships that are near or in ports by cutting idling emissions when these big ships are at dock.
Read more at: www.edf.org/floatingsmokestacks or download the full report: http://www.edf.org/documents/8619_FloatingSmokestacks_report.pdf
Groundwater group makes recommendations to lower aquifer levels
October 3, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:Laura Marbury: 512-786-4960 or Lacey McCormick: 512-610-7765, mccormick@nwf.org(Austin, TX - October 3, 2008) Groundwater Management Area 8, which covers a 45-county swath of Texas stretching from north Austin to the Oklahoma border, recently finalized its “desired future conditions” for the aquifers in its region. Many of the group’s recommendations would significantly deplete local groundwater supplies.“This process was created so local groundwater managers could decide how much water they wanted to leave in the aquifer for their children and grandchildren,” said Laura Marbury, Texas Water Project Director of the Environmental Defense Fund. “Instead of deciding where they would like water levels and spring flows to be in the future, as the law intends, in most cases they simply accepted the predicted pumping scenarios as the ‘desired future conditions.”Lowering the water level in aquifers can impact the water levels in existing wells and can decrease flow from springs, where the aquifer’s water flows into creeks and rivers.In some areas of the Trinity group aquifers, water levels would be drawn down as much as 500 feet. In the Woodbine aquifer, draw downs would reach 350 feet in places. For the northern portion of the Edwards Balcones Fault Zone aquifer, the adopted desired future conditions would dramatically decrease spring and creek flows in Williamson and Travis Counties, as well as the flows of Salado Creek in Bell County. (County-specific information available here.)“These large water level reductions could have a significant impact on the natural water resources and quite possibly the future economic well-being of the region,” said Marbury. “Is this really the future condition the public desires for these resources?”The groundwater management area (GMA) process was created by House Bill 1763 in the 2005 legislative session. The law gives districts the leeway to adopt a measurable goal, termed a “desired future condition” for each aquifer under their management. The goal can be a particular water level in the aquifer, a volume of spring flow, or even a degree of water quality over time. But the goal should not be made under pressure to fulfill future demands on the resource.“It’s not the job of the GMAs to decide how to meet all the projected future water demands, it is their job to protect the aquifers,” added Marbury. Texas has a separate regional water planning process which identifies strategies to meet our state’s future water demands. Results from the GMA process feed into these regional water plans.GMA 8 encompasses all or parts of 45 counties extending from Travis County in the south to the Texas/Oklahoma border in the north. Its boundaries include two major aquifers-the Trinity and the northern portion of the Edwards BFZ (Balcones Fault Zone); and seven minor aquifers-Blossom, Nacatoch, Woodbine, Brazos River Alluvium, Marble Falls, Ellenburger-San Saba, and Hickory.Links:More information about GMA 8 is available at www.gma8.org.
More information about the groundwater management area process is available at www.texaswatermatters.org/groundwater_gma.htm
Groundwater conservation district contact information is available at www.texasgroundwater.org.
New Report Calls on NYC Dept. of Education to Cut School Bus Soot Pollution By 90%
October 2, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Havelock Nelson, 212-576-2700, ext 235, Cell 646-508-8041, hnelson@goodmanmedia.com
(New York – October 2, 2008) A new study reveals that school children in New York City’s five boroughs are too often exposed to potentially dangerous levels of pollution while riding public school buses. The study published today by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reports that diesel pollution, which has been linked to a wide range of serious health problems in children including impaired brain development, can be found at levels five times higher inside New York City school buses than in the air outside.
The report, entitled “A Healthier Ride to School: Cleaning up New York City’s Dirty Diesel School Buses,” lays out a set of recommendations for the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to leverage recently received federal funds and upcoming 2010 school bus contracts to maximize clean air benefits, minimize costs and achieve a 90% soot pollution reduction with newly tested diesel retrofit technologies. The report stresses that even during times of budget cuts, this investment is well worth it: investments in diesel retrofits pay themselves back many times over in health benefits.
“New York City has one of the highest asthma rates in the country and children are disproportionately sickened by the kind of pollution diesel school buses generate,” said Dr. John Balbus, EDF’s chief health scientist and a member of EPA’s Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee. “By requiring diesel filter retrofits for newer buses and the retirement of the oldest buses, the city’s Department of Education could be using the largest, cleanest school bus fleet in the country within just a few years. We simply owe it to our kids to make sure that their ride to school is as healthy as possible.”
The report urges the city to lower the school bus retirement age from the current 19 years to 16 years for large buses if they have 90% effective tailpipe and engine retrofits installed. By comparison, New Jersey has a 12-year statutory retirement age for all school buses.
“The older the bus, the dirtier it is,” continued Dr. Balbus. “Retiring the dirtiest buses sooner results in tremendous air quality and health benefits.”
Although the DOE has retrofitted almost all large school buses with a 25% effective tailpipe filter, EDF is calling on the installation of 90% effective technology – the diesel particulate filter. The report demonstrates that under Local Law 42, passed in 2005, 90% effective filters need to be installed to protect the health of New York City’s children.
More than 7,000 public school buses transport approximately 138,000 New York City children every day. While school buses are the safest way to get around, the report finds that children are at particular risk of breathing harmful air both inside and outside of their buses. About 6,770 city public school buses are diesel-powered, which can lead to unhealthy air for children riders. The city’s school bus fleet includes 2,700 small diesel-powered buses and more than 4,000 large diesel-powered buses serving general and special education school children. Diesel engines emit more than 40 toxic substances, including soot, unburned hydrocarbons and other harmful byproducts, many of which are known carcinogens.
The EDF report reveals that diesel emissions enter a school bus cabin from two sources: the engine and the tailpipe. Every time a school bus door opens, engine and tailpipe emissions are sucked into the vehicle through the open door. These emissions can also enter buses through open windows and even through the floorboard. Since air quality inside the bus can be five times worse than outside air, spending even a short amount of time on a school bus can lead to harmful exposure of high levels of air pollutants.
“Parents in the five boroughs should be particularly concerned because New York City asthma rates are twice the national average,” said report co-author Isabelle Bodmer Silverman, a legal fellow for the Living Cities Program at Environmental Defense Fund. “Cleaning up the city’s public school bus fleet with new clean diesel technology filters will protect children with asthma and lower all children’s risks of diseases including cancer. And reducing sick days is not just about kids’ health, it helps their education, too.”
The report anticipates air quality improvements and health benefits to school children and neighborhoods if these steps are adopted. EDF estimates that the installation of clean diesel retrofit technologies would amount to a $30 million investment over 10 years. EDF is urging the DOE to use $7.8 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation this year for school bus retrofits. This funding would serve as a down payment toward a much greener fleet with the help of new 2010 contracts.
The report further recommends that the New York City DOT and DOE apply for additional CMAQ or EPA funding over the next two years to bring the cost to New York City even lower. The executive summary and full report of “A Healthier Ride to School” can be found online at the EDF website: http://www.cleanbuses.org