Complete list of press releases

  • Statement from Environmental Defense Fund on House Carbon Capture Legislation

    July 10, 2008
    Contact:
    Tony Kreindler, EDF, 202-572-3378 or 202-210-5791 (cell)
      
    (Washington, DC - July 10, 2008) The House Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality today held a hearing on H.R. 6258, a bill intended to spur the development and deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to reduce global warming pollution from coal-fired power plants.
     
    EDF recognizes that coal will continue to be an important part of the U.S. energy supply for the foreseeable future, and that CCS technologies are needed to help electric utilities meet energy demands while protecting the climate. EDF believes the most effective way for Congress to promote the rapid commercialization and deployment of CCS technology is to create a market for it by enacting a national cap and trade program.
     
    “The single best thing Congress can do for CCS is enact a national cap on greenhouse gas emissions. Funding for CCS development will only do so much – we need the cap to pull the technology into the marketplace,” said Scott Anderson, energy policy specialist at EDF.
     
    EDF looks forward to working with Chairman Boucher on practical CCS incentives as part of national cap and trade legislation. As Congress considers proposals to advance CCS technologies, it should adhere to the following principles: 
    •  Be comprehensive.  In addition to providing incentives to drive CCS technology development, Congress can and should create the demand necessary to pull the technology into the marketplace by enacting comprehensive climate legislation.  Any new incentives to advance CCS technology should complement, not substitute for, comprehensive action. 
    •  Ensure that public monies are spent with public oversight and accountability.  H.R. 6258 would establish a Carbon Storage Research Corporation to raise $1 billion a year from the public to award grants to fund CCS technology projects.  The Corporation would be governed exclusively by representatives from the utility and fossil fuel industries, without any representatives from the public or environmental interests.  Neither the Congress nor federal or state electricity regulators would oversee the board or its decisions.  Congress should ensure that the public is adequately represented in any federal program to promote CCS technology and that it is ultimately accountable to the public.
    • Incentives to promote CCS technology should follow strong and effective standards.  The bill attempts to accelerate the commercial availability of CCS technology, but offers little guidance on how grants should be awarded to maximize the likelihood of that outcome.  The bill also lacks standards to ensure that grants go to those technologies with the greatest promise of delivering deep emissions cuts from the utility sector.  Strong standards can guide grant-making and increase the likelihood of success.
    •  Maximize the use of existing federal programs to promote CCS technology.  Congress has already established CCS research and deployment programs at the Department of Energy, which have already identified and tapped into expertise on the subject at the national labs, industry and universities.  It is unclear whether the efforts under H.R. 6258 would be redundant or complimentary to existing efforts or how all CCS technology programs should be coordinated.  Any additional incentives to advance CCS technology that Congress wishes to pursue should take full advantage of all these programs have to offer. 
    • Don’t forget other essential issues associated with CCS.  The commercial availability of CCS technology depends on more than technology development.  It also requires that standards and rules be put in place to protect potentially vulnerable water supplies, to help site CO2 pipelines, and to establish liability should projects fail.  Advances on all these fronts will be necessary if we are to accelerate the deployment of CCS technology. 
    • Consider the rights of state and local governments.  The Carbon Storage Research Corporation created by this legislation is allowed to levy fees on local electric utilities, and would require local and state regulatory commissions to allow utilities to fully recover those costs from ratepayers. Congress should exercise great caution in deciding whether and to what degree to preempt the rate-setting authority of state and local regulators, who are better situated to determine how costs should be shared between utilities and ratepayers.
     
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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

  • California Should Adopt San Joaquin Valley New Development Rule Statewide To Help Meet Global Warming Law Requirements, Study Shows

    July 9, 2008
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     
    Contact:
    Kathyrn Phillips, 916-893-8494-c, kphillips@edf.org
    Sean Crowley, 202-572-3331-w, scrowley@edf.org
     
    (Fresno, CA – July 9, 2008) – A landmark regulation proven in the San Joaquin Valley to reduce air pollution from new development projects could help meet a state law requirement to dramatically cut global warming pollution statewide, according to a new peer-reviewed study released today.
     
    The study, released a few days prior to a June 14 public workshop in Fresno by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on its draft scoping plan for implementing the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), shows there are proven measures the state can be use to capture more global warming pollution, while diversifying housing and transportation choices. The study affirms the value of the rule known as the Indirect Source Rule, adopted by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in 2005.
     
    “We can’t afford to discount any effective tool to cut global warming pollution,” said Kathryn Phillips, manager of the California Clean Air for Life Campaign for Environmental Defense Fund, which sponsored the study. “CARB officials must resist industry opposition to an indirect source rule and other proven land use measures that could cut millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions statewide.”
     
    The new study, “Reducing Global Warming and Air Pollution: The Role of Green Development in California,” was prepared by Lawrence Frank and Company, Inc. (LFC). It focuses on a literature review of building and site design decisions and their connection to air pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions, and evaluates the value of the indirect source rule for reducing those emissions.
     
    CARB’s AB 32 draft scoping plan, released last week, notes that an indirect source rule is “under consideration” to cut California’s carbon dioxide emissions by up to one million metric tons by 2020. However, the agency’s plan stops short of including the rule among actions that must be adopted and applied to get emission reductions around the state.
     
    The Indirect Source Rule (ISR) was adopted by the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District in December 2005 and took effect in March 2006. It requires development projects that exceed size thresholds to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) during construction (20 percent of NOx and 45 percent of PM10 from construction equipment exhaust) and after occupancy (33 percent of NOx and 50 percent of PM over 10 years of operation). Mitigation measures may include low-emissions construction equipment, buildings designed with energy efficiency measures, building and site design measures, and a mitigation fee. 
     
    A statewide developer trade association, the California Building Industry Association, has tried to prevent local air districts from adopting and implementing indirect source rules and unsuccessfully challenged the San Joaquin Valley rule in court. The group has also worked to limit any application of the rule to meet the state’s global warming pollution reduction goals.
     
    “This new study should convince CARB and the governor to follow the lead of a Fresno County Superior Court judge who rejected the California Building Industry Association’s efforts last February to require developers to cut pollution when they build housing,” concluded Phillips. “The next draft of the scoping plan should include a clear path for applying the indirect source rule without delay. There’s no time left to waste.”     
     
    The new study concludes:
    1. An indirect source rule can effectively be applied to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2).
    2. There is a measurable link between new development and vehicle-based (indirect source) air pollution. 
    3. Because of the link between land use decisions and travel behavior, developers can play a role in reducing indirect source pollution from vehicle travel. 
    4. The indirect source rule is an appropriate mechanism to reduce pollution created by new development projects. 
     

  • Ag Secretary Urged to Reject Early Release of Land in Conservation Reserve Program

    July 9, 2008
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     
    Contact:
    Sean Crowley, 202-572-3331-w or scrowley@edf.org
    Britt Lundgren, 202-492-1063-c, blundgren@edf.org
     
     
    (Washington, DC – Wednesday, July 9, 2008)  Fifteen conservation groups today sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer strongly urging him to reject pressure from Congress and producer groups “to allow the penalty-free early release of land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).” USDA has been urged to release up to 24 million acres from CRP – roughly three-fourths of the land currently enrolled in the program – and put it back into production. This move would result in a loss of billions of dollars of taxpayer investment in conservation on these lands.  
     
    “A penalty-free early release of the magnitude you are considering – millions of acres – would deliver a devastating blow to the nation’s soil, water, and wildlife habitat, and significantly increase global warming,” said the letter. “Because most CRP lands are marginal for cropping, even if all CRP acres were brought back into commodity production, the impact on aggregate commodity supplies and prices would be modest… We urge you to protect the taxpayers’ investment in soil quality, water quality, and wildlife habitat and not allow landowners to leave CRP contracts early without fully reimbursing the Treasury for the taxpayer-funded investment in those lands.”
     
    CRP is a federal program designed to reward farmers who take fragile land out of production and plant grasses or trees or restore wetlands on the land in exchange for rental and federal cost-share payments. Currently, CRP enrollees who terminate their contract prior to the end of its 10- to 15-year term must reimburse the federal government for the rental and cost-share payments they have received, plus interest, and a penalty of 25 percent of the total rental payments received. The recent CRP proposals would waive all these costs for landowners.
     
    The letter opposing these proposals is signed by Environmental Defense Fund, The Minnesota Project, Sierra Club, Center for Native Ecosystems, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Partners for Sustainable Pollination, Environmental Working Group, Pollinator Partnership, Defenders of Wildlife, American Farmland Trust, World Wildlife Fund, American Rivers, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and American Bee Keeping Federation.
     
    The full letter text is below.
     
    July 9, 2008
     
    The Honorable Ed Schafer
    Secretary of Agriculture
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20250
     
    Dear Secretary Schafer:
     
    We strongly urge you to reject proposals to allow the penalty-free early release of land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Early release of even a modest number of acres from CRP would waste the money American taxpayers have invested in restoring those lands to grassland or other cover and would eliminate the benefits to soil, water, wildlife and the public that the lands provide. A penalty-free early release of the magnitude you are considering – millions of acres – would deliver a devastating blow to the nation’s soil, water, and wildlife habitat, and significantly increase global warming. The resulting damages could cost taxpayers substantially. 
     
    The oldest of the farm bill’s voluntary conservation incentives programs, CRP is a federal program designed to reward farmers who take fragile land out of production and plant grasses or trees or restore wetlands on the land in exchange for rental payments and federal cost-share payments. Since its creation in 1985, CRP has been responsible for reducing hundreds of millions of tons of erosion each year, reducing pollution in our nation’s waterways. CRP is also an important reservoir for wildlife, and has had significant benefits for populations of ducks, grassland birds, and other species. Keeping land in CRP is also critical in the fight against global warming. Allowing millions of acres out of CRP prior to the end of the contract period would quickly erase many of the gains that have been made with CRP and will likely create new problems. 
     
    Because most CRP lands are marginal for cropping, even if all CRP acres were brought back into commodity production, the impact on aggregate commodity supplies and prices would be modest. On the other hand, the impacts to soil, water, wildlife, the public, and the recreational industry that has developed around wildlife such as pheasants and waterfowl produced on these lands would be substantial. We urge you to protect the taxpayers’ investment in soil quality, water quality, and wildlife habitat and not allow landowners to leave CRP contracts early without fully reimbursing the Treasury for the taxpayer-funded investment in those lands. 
     
    Sincerely,
     
    Environmental Defense Fund
    The Minnesota Project
    Sierra Club
    Center for Native Ecosystems
    National Wildlife Federation
    National Audubon Society
    Partners for Sustainable Pollination
    Environmental Working Group
    Pollinator Partnership
    Defenders of Wildlife
    American Farmland Trust
    World Wildlife Fund
    American Rivers
    Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
    American Bee Keeping Federation

  • Environmental Defense Fund and DuPont Expand Global Accessibility of Nano Risk Framework

    July 9, 2008

    (WASHINGTON, D.C., and WILMINGTON, Del. – July 9, 2008) In an effort to expand the global accessibility of the Nano Risk Framework, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and DuPont today announced the release of new translations of the Framework in three additional languages – Mandarin, French and Spanish. (The Framework executive summary also is available in Portuguese.)

    The Framework – available online at www.NanoRiskFramework.com – was jointly developed one year ago to assist with the responsible development and use of nanotechnology and to help inform global dialogue on its potential risks. Since then, it has been downloaded over 3,000 times by visitors from nearly 100 countries around the globe.

    Over the past year, the Framework has been applauded by a wide range of stakeholders. Industry associations like the American Chemistry Council’s Nanotechnology Panel and the NanoBusiness Alliance have publicly welcomed the Framework as an important tool for their member companies to consider. Government officials from numerous countries have commended the Framework as important input into the policy development process for nanotechnology. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said it has benefited from the Framework as practical input into its programs on nanotechnology and nanomaterials.

    Companies ranging in size from global leaders to small startups are starting to use the Framework in actual practice. For example, General Electric has endorsed and recommended the Framework in a public briefing, while the startup company Nanostellar has publicly announced its use of the Framework on its nanocatalyst products. In addition, DuPont has made the Framework mandatory for all of its nanotechnology work and published three case studies demonstrating its use on actual products. In December, Lloyd’s of London, the world’s leading specialist insurance market, encouraged insurers “to seek evidence of whether projects they are covering have followed this Framework.”

    “We’ve seen strong global interest in the Nano Risk Framework over the past year from companies and organizations of all shapes and sizes,” said Gwen Ruta, vice president of corporate partnerships at EDF. “By translating this tool into multiple languages, we’ve made it easier for organizations around the world to address the potential risks of nanotechnology while embracing its powerful benefits.”

    “We are very pleased with the number of companies and organizations that have indicated their interest and support for the usefulness of this document,” said Terry Medley, DuPont global regulatory affairs director. “The translation of the Framework and its website will certainly continue to drive further interest and use on a global scale.”

    EDF and DuPont launched their partnership on nanotechnology in September 2005 to develop a systematic and disciplined process for evaluating and addressing the environmental, health and safety risks of nanomaterials across all stages of a product’s lifecycle – from initial sourcing through manufacture, use and recycling or disposal. The resulting Framework, launched on June 21, 2007, offers a thorough and usable six-step process for organizations to identify, assess and manage potential risks.

    To download the Framework in Mandarin, French or Spanish, visit the following sites:
    Mandarin: www.NanoRiskFramework.com/Mandarin
    French: www.NanoRiskFramework.com/French
    Spanish: www.NanoRiskFramework.com/Spanish

    To download a copy in English, visit www.NanoRiskFramework.com

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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.

    DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

  • AB 32 Cosponsor Says CARB Draft Implementation Plan Needs More Recommendations to Cut Land Use, Transportation Emissions

    July 8, 2008
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   
    Tim O’Connor, (916) 549-8423-c, toconnor@edf.org           
    Jennifer Witherspoon, (415) 378-1985-c, jwitherspoon@edf.org
     
    (Diamond Bar, CA – July 8, 2008)  The draft scoping plan by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to implement The Global Warming Solution Act (AB 32) “will need to further develop recommendations on changing the way land use and transportation decisions are made,” according to testimony today by an AB 32 cosponsor at the first public workshop on the draft scoping plan. 
     
    “The scoping plan should be modified to hold regional and local governments accountable to their reduction targets; infrastructure funding should be required to reduce greenhouse gases rather than perpetuating the cycles of sprawl and road building; and measures like the indirect source rule that reduce air pollution caused by new development must be implemented,” testified Tim O’Connor, an attorney for the California Climate Initiative at Environmental Defense Fund. “Measures that hold great potential for reducing vehicle use and ensure diversity and reliability in mass transit deserve in-depth analysis, recognition of their proven benefits, and development into required measures.” 
     
    The Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) is the first statewide effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of California’s economy. It requires the state by 2020 to cut greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming to 1990 levels – 169 million metric tons – the equivalent of taking 28 million cars off the road.
     
    “Put another way, California must reduce emissions by an amount greater than the entire inventory of the state of Missouri, the 15th largest greenhouse gas emitter of the 50 states,” concluded O’Connor. “Developing a cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases in California and the western United States region will be a pillar that enables California to achieve rapid cost-effective reductions from multiple areas of the economy. We look forward to working with CARB to create a complete package of measures to reduce emissions from all areas of the economy and give the rest of the nation and the world a model to follow.” 
     
    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.
     

  • Conservation Program Changes Would Help Wyoming Ranchers Improve Wildlife Habitat, Keep Species Off Endangered List

    June 30, 2008

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Contact:
    Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org
     
    (Boulder, CO – June 30, 2008) – A dozen species of native Wyoming birds might be kept off the endangered species list with some improvements to federal conservation programs that also would continue to help the state’s ranching economy. That’s the conclusion of a new study by a leading national conservation organization.
     
    The report by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) analyzes federal conservation programs in the Equality State and is titled “Are Wyoming Range Practices Working at Cross-purposes with Wildlife Habitat Goals?” The study examines a wide range of programs under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) from 2003 to 2007.  It concludes that federal government conservation programs in Wyoming get good grades overall, but basic improvements could make them more successful for ranchers and wildlife alike.
     
    “These changes would be a win-win situation for Wyoming,” said Ted Toombs, an ecologist in the Boulder, CO office of EDF. “If we make sure that the twin rangeland and wildlife goals of NRCS work well together, we can double the benefits of limited funding resources. We can also help ensure that Wyoming maintains healthy wildlife populations, and we can prevent the need to add species to the endangered list.”
     
    Eastern Wyoming has 8.6 million acres of native grasslands, most of which are privately owned. NRCS programs are designed to help ranchers manage livestock production on their grasslands in environmentally responsible ways, but right now the programs are not reaching their full potential. EDF’s report shows what aspects of the programs are working well, and lists changes that could help reverse the declining populations of a dozen native birds while also maintaining cattle production.
     
    EDF’s recommendations include:
    • Using fire as an essential tool. Prescribed fire is a tool that can help manage grassland vegetation quality for birds and cattle. Using prescribed fire more often could help increase biodiversity, keep grasslands healthy, and reduce the possibility of more severe wildfires.
    • Implementing practices that promote vegetation heterogeneity (diversity) to create habitat for grassland birds and other wildlife. Maintaining variety in plant structure and species composition is critical to recovering the full spectrum of grassland birds. Bird habitat needs vary from heavily grazed short grasses (the preference of the mountain plover) to lightly grazed tall grasses and shrubs (a favorite of the grasshopper sparrow).  Current USDA policy encourages moderate, even grazing utilization; a wider variety in grazing intensity would improve the overall ecological health of Wyoming grasslands.
    • Reducing the over-use of cross-fencing and water developments that can have a direct lethal impact on birds and can fragment habitat.
    “Range management on Wyoming’s grasslands is mostly oriented toward improving livestock production,” said Toombs. “Our analysis shows how we can continue to help ranchers with livestock production, but at the same time better address overall rangeland health and wildlife habitat. By implementing a few relatively straightforward changes, we could help keep grassland birds off the endangered species list.”
     
    Visit the Web site for more information or to see the entire report.  
     

  • Senate Passage of Bill to Join International Treaty to Cut Toxic Ship Pollution Praised by Leading Environmental Group

    June 27, 2008
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     
    Contact:
    Janea Scott – (213) 223-2186 or jscott@edf.org
    Sean Crowley – (202) 550-6524-c or scrowley@edf.org
     
    (Washington, D.C. – June 27, 2008)  The U.S. Senate last night passed, by unanimous consent, legislation that will allow the U.S. to join an international treaty that could dramatically cut ocean ship pollution that causes tens of thousands of global deaths annually. “The Marine Pollution Prevention Act of 2008” (H.R. 802), was passed overwhelmingly by the U.S. House of Representatives last year.  
     
    “This action could be a sea change that ultimately helps steer us to cleaner, healthier air for the millions of Americans harmed by toxic air pollution from U.S. and foreign-flagged ships,” said Janea Scott, a senior attorney for Environmental Defense Fund based in Los Angeles. “This action will help our country secure protective international standards for large ocean-going ships. We urge our government to immediately complete the critical process of ratifying the MARPOL treaty.”
     
    Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, commonly known as “MARPOL,” is an international treaty that governs air pollution from large ocean-going ships.
     
    Large ocean-going ships are a major source of soot, sulfur dioxide and smog-forming pollution that are associated with premature deaths, hospital visits, and asthma attacks that exact a heavy toll on human health for millions of Americans.  About ninety percent of the ships that dock at U.S. ports are foreign-flagged international vessels.
     
    Shipping-related soot emissions contribute to approximately 60,000 global deaths annually, with impacts concentrated in coastal regions on major trade routes.

    The U.S. government has proposed protective measures for international adoption as part of the MARPOL treaty that would achieve vital progress in reducing the high emissions from these ships. This clean air blueprint will be considered at a key meeting of the International Maritime Organization in October.
     

  • Owens Corning Partners with Environmental Defense Fund and PHH Arval to Reduce Emissions of Vehicle Fleet

    June 26, 2008
     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     
    Contact:
    Jason Saragian, Owens Corning, 419.248.8987
    Pilar Page, PHH Arval, 410.771.2733
    Melanie Janin, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.572.3240
      
    (TOLEDO, Ohio – June 26, 2008) Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), a world leader in building materials systems and glass fiber reinforcements, announced today that it has begun to systematically measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its vehicle fleet.
     
    Owens Corning joined the PHH GreenFleet program developed by PHH Arval and Environmental Defense Fund in an effort to reduce operating costs, fuel consumption, improve efficiency and reduce emissions from vehicle fleets used by its North American sales force.
     
    “We’re committed to greening our operations around the world in every area of our business to achieve specific environmental footprint reductions and reduce operating costs,” said Frank O’Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer for Owens Corning. “Reducing the emissions of our vehicle fleet allows us to achieve both of these goals simultaneously.”
     
    Through PHH GreenFleet, Owens Corning established a greenhouse gas baseline and incorporated more efficient vehicles into the fleet. Early steps included eliminating the company’s least-efficient vehicle, “right sizing” trucks and sport utility vehicles, and incorporating more front-wheel drive and four-cylinder engine vehicles. Owens Corning expects to increase fleet average miles-per-gallon (MPG) by 18.0 percent, reduce greenhouse emissions by 15 percent and reduce projected operating costs by 8 percent.  
     
    “Through the leadership of Owens Corning and other fleets participating in the PHH GreenFleet program, we are demonstrating that green business and good business go hand-in-hand,” said George Kilroy, president and chief executive officer of PHH Arval. “Fleets interested in minimizing their environmental impact should look to these companies for examples of the best practices in reducing cost and emissions.”
     
    The PHH GreenFleet program is designed to help companies cost-effectively measure, reduce and offset their greenhouse gas emissions, and PHH clients utilizing the program have achieved, on average, a 14 percent reduction. Participation includes: in-depth analysis and recommendations to improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; quarterly measurement and reporting of emissions; and resources to offset remaining emissions.
     
    “The trend towards measuring and reducing emissions from vehicle fleets is a great success story for the environment and for corporate America,” said Tom Murray, managing director of corporate partnerships at Environmental Defense Fund. “We applaud Owens Corning for their leadership in demonstrating that it pays to drive green.”
    ###
     
    About Owens Corning
    Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune 500 company for 54 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability through delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology with sales of $5 billion in 2007 and 19,000 employees in 26 countries on five continents. Additional information is available at www.owenscorning.com.
     
    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.
     
    About PHH Arval 
    PHH Arval, a subsidiary of PHH Corporation [NYSE: PHH], is a leading fleet management services provider in the United States and Canada. PHH Arval provides outsourced fleet management solutions to corporate clients, including nearly one-third of the Fortune 500 companies. Through consultative expertise, flexible customer service, and award-winning Internet technology, PHH Arval helps clients reduce costs and increase productivity. For more information, visit www.phharval.com, or call 800 ONLY PHH.
     

  • AB 32 Cosponsor Says CARB Draft Implementation Plan is

    June 26, 2008
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   
    Derek Walker, (410) 980-0939-c, dbwalker@edf.org           
    Sean Crowley, (202) 202-550-6524-c, scrowley@edf.org
     
    (Sacramento, CA – June 26, 2008)  The release today of the draft scoping plan by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to implement The Global Warming Solution Act “is a great step forward,” according to a cosponsor of the groundbreaking law, Environmental Defense Fund. 
     
    “The Board’s pioneering work, combined with the constructive input of the California state legislature and many diverse stakeholders, will ensure that California becomes the first state in the United States to enact and enforce an economy-wide cap on global warming pollution,” said Derek Walker, Director of the California Climate Initiative at Environmental Defense Fund. “The draft scoping plan presents a wide array of tools at California’s disposal to meet the law’s goals. The plan includes a robust, innovative combination of market-based mechanisms and traditional regulatory policies. Between now and the Board’s final approval in November, we look forward to working with CARB and other stakeholders to expand the recommendations to capture vital, cost-effective emissions reductions from all sectors of California’s economy.” 
     
    The Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) is the first statewide effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of California’s economy. It would set a firm cap that would ensure that California’s greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 25% by the year 2020.
     
    “The nations of the world will gather in Copenhagen in less than 18 months and endeavor to finalize a global climate treaty,” added Walker. “All parties are intently focused on the United States, the only major polluting country that didn’t ratify the current Kyoto Treaty, to determine what commitments our country will make to fight global warming.” 
     
    Walker noted that a new poll released on Monday 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.
     
    “California is the epicenter of domestic climate action now that federal climate legislation is on hold,” concluded Walker. “We have seized the opportunity for leadership on the issue of global warming and committed to historic action to combat its most harmful impacts. The world is watching; we cannot delay implementation of AB 32.”

  • Governor Urged to Veto Flawed Plastic Bag Recycling Bill by Leading Environmental Group

    June 25, 2008
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     
    Contact:
    Andy Darrell, (917) 912-3605-c, adarrell@edf.org
    Sean Crowley, (202) 572-3331-w, (202) 550-6524-c, scrowley@edf.org
     
    (Washington, DC – June 25, 2008) Governor Paterson should veto well-intended, but flawed state legislation that would preempt and weaken the New York City Council’s plastic bag recycling law, a leading environmental group said today.
     
    “While we applaud the State Legislature’s efforts to pass legislation to require the recycling of plastic bags, we are greatly concerned that this legislation is weaker that the City law which is scheduled to take effect in a matter of weeks,” said Andy Darrell, New York Regional Director for the Environmental Defense Fund and a member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Sustainability Advisory Board. “We urge Governor Patterson to veto this bill because it sets a dangerous precedent of handcuffing the state’s largest city to meet its huge environmental challenges.”  
     
    Specifically, the state bill weakens the City law as follows:
    -        Preempting the City from taking stronger action on bag recycling
    -        The Council’s law applies to stores of 5,000 square feet or more and to chains under a common name; the State bill only applies to stores 10,000 square feet or more. The 5,000 square feet is better suited to New York City as stores tend to be smaller than in other parts of the State.
    -        The States bill only applies to plastic carryout bags. The Council’s law also requires the recycling of film plastic, such as package wrap, dry cleaning bags and newspaper bags
     

  • Ferenbach to Become New Chair of Environmental Defense Fund

    June 25, 2008
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     
    Contact:
    Stuart Ross, 202-572-3235, or 202-560-6610 (cell), sross@edf.org
    Charles Miller, 202-572-3364, cmiller@edf.org
     
    (New York, NY – June 25, 2008) Carl Ferenbach, managing director and co-founder of Berkshire Partners LLC, a Boston-based private equity firm, has been named Chairman-elect of the Board of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Mr. Ferenbach will take office in May, 2009. Ferenbach, an EDF board member since 2000, will succeed Nick Nicholas, former CEO of Time Warner, who has served as board chair since 2002.
     
    Mr. Ferenbach co-founded Berkshire Partners in the early 1980s. Berkshire Partners presently manages approximately $6.5 billion in private equity capital contributed by institutions and individuals around the world. Previously, Ferenbach was a Managing Director of Merrill Lynch, where he headed its Mergers and Acquisitions Department.  
     
    In addition to his business commitments, Mr. Ferenbach is the founder of the High Meadows Foundation and the High Meadows Fund.  Established in 2004, both foundations address environmental sustainability and seek to support organizations and programs that are committed to a better environment.  Mr. Ferenbach is a trustee of Princeton University and serves on the Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School.
     
    “EDF’s pragmatic approach to policy, supported by solid science and an in-depth understanding of economics, has made it a highly effective advocate for environmental progress,” said Ferenbach. “I welcome the opportunity to support EDF and its President Fred Krupp in achieving great things in the next few years.” 
     
    According to EDF President Fred Krupp, “Carl combines the business acumen and passionate commitment to the environment that we need to advance as an organization. He’s made a tremendous contribution to EDF during a period of very exciting growth, and I’m completely confident that the organization will be in good and capable hands as we pass the reins.”
     
    Krupp also saluted current board chair Nick Nicholas, saying, “Under Nick we have grown from 250 employees to 360, and our budget has grown from $44 million to $100 million. We were recently called ‘America’s most economically literate green campaigners’ by The Economist magazine, a tribute to Nick’s management of EDF. He has a tremendous record of accomplishment, and we’re all grateful for the vision he has provided.”
     

  • Groups Plan Lawsuit to Force Cleanup of Air Pollution in National Parks

    June 25, 2008
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     
    Contact:
    David Baron/Kathleen Sutcliffe, Earthjustice, (202) 667-4500
    Vickie Patton, Environmental Defense Fund, (720) 837-6239, vpatton@edf.org
    Kevin Lynch, Environmental Defense Fund, (832) 524-4814, klynch@edf.org
    Mark Wenzler, National Parks Conservation Association, (202) 255-9013
     
    Washington, DC – As summer vacation season enters full swing, clean air advocates are fighting to make sure visitors to national parks can enjoy scenic vistas free of the yellowish haze caused by industrial pollution.
     
    The 1977 Clean Air Act set a national goal of cleaning up dirty air in major national parks and wilderness areas. Decades later, only a small handful of states have submitted legally required plans to comply. The result: power plant and factory emissions continue to obscure views of beloved landmarks in national parks across the country including Shenandoah, Great Smoky Mountains, Glacier, Big Bend, Acadia, Sequoia, and Yosemite.
     
    The nonprofit environmental law firm Earthjustice today filed formal legal notice of intent to sue on behalf of Environmental Defense Fund and National Parks Conservation Association over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to enforce deadlines for the states to adopt these clean air plans.
     
    “The millions of Americans visiting our national parks expect clean air and clear views,” said Kevin Lynch, attorney for Environmental Defense Fund. “Today’s legal action will jumpstart real world solutions to address the industrial air pollution at our national treasures.”
     
    According to the National Park Service, human-caused air pollution reduces visibility in most national parks throughout the country. Average visual range — the farthest a person can see on a given day — in most of the western United States is now about one-half to two-thirds of what it would be without man-made air pollution (about 140 miles). In most of the east, the average visual range is about one-fifth of what it would be under natural conditions (about 90 miles).
     
    The Clean Air Act required states to submit enforceable plans to EPA by last December to clean up hazy skies in parks and wilderness areas. Today, more than six months later, only five have submitted plans. The Earthjustice letter gives notice of intent to sue EPA unless the agency enforces the deadline against delinquent states within 60 days.
     
    “Millions of Americans visit national parks each year to breathe clean, fresh air and enjoy the majestic vistas,” said Earthjustice attorney David Baron. “When you can’t see the mountains and canyons under all the filthy haze, it’s time for EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act.”
     
    Much of the pollution problem comes from old power plants and factories with outdated pollution controls. Emissions from these plants can travel hundreds of miles, contributing to regional haze that obscures scenic vistas over large areas. Each state’s clean air plan must include rules to limit these emissions, limits that will not only reduce haze in scenic areas but also improve overall air quality.
     
    “Family memories of our national parks shouldn’t be clouded by polluted haze” said Mark Wenzler, director of Clean Air and Climate Programs at National Parks Conservation Association. “EPA needs to take seriously its obligation to ensure clear skies for all Americans who seek out our national parks for healthy summer vacations.”
     
    Instead of moving to clean up dirty air in the parks, the Bush administration has proposed to weaken pollution rules for new factories and power plants seeking to build upwind of national parks. According to a report by the National Parks Conservation Association, these rules would make it easier for developers to build at least two dozen new plants that would threaten air quality in at least 10 national parks, including Virginia’s Shenandoah, Colorado’s Mesa Verde and North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt national parks. For more information, see NPCA’s report at www.npca.org/darkhorizons.
     
    For a map of national parks with links to air quality data and photos of visibility conditions at parks nationwide, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/air/visibility/monitor.html
     
    A copy of the notice of intent to sue filed today is available here: http://www.earthjustice.org/library/legal_docs/sixty-day-notice-final-6-25-08.pdf
     
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    Earthjustice (www.earthjustice.org), is the nation’s leading non-profit environmental law firm. Representing hundreds of communities and organizations free of charge, Earthjustice works through the courts to safeguard public lands, national forests, parks and wilderness areas; to reduce air and water pollution; to prevent toxic contamination; to preserve endangered species and wildlife habitat; and to achieve environmental justice.
     
    Environmental Defense Fund (www.edf.org), 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.
     
    Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (www.npca.org) has been the leading voice of the American people in protecting and enhancing our National Park System. NPCA, its members, and partners work together to protect our National Park System and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for our children and grandchildren.

  • Despite Weak Economy, New Poll Data Shows California Voters Strongly Support Policies to Implement Global Warming Solutions Act

    June 23, 2008

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             

    Contact:
    Derek Walker, (916) 492-7169, dbwalker@edf.org           
    Sean Crowley, (202) 572-3331, scrowley@edf.org
     
    (Sacramento, CA – June 23, 2008) Three days before the California Air Resources Board (CARB) releases its draft scoping plan for the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), a new poll 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, according to the poll commissioned by the non-partisan nonprofit research organization Next 10 (http://www.next10.org/about/press.html) and conducted by Fairbanks, Maslin, Maullin & Associates.
     
    “The message from voters in this poll is crystal clear: don’t delay implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act,” said Derek Walker, Director of the California Climate Initiative at Environmental Defense Fund, which cosponsored the groundbreaking law. “Californians understand that immediate action is needed to transform California’s economy and protect our state from global warming. Any lawmaker who supports delaying AB 32 will hear strong opposition from their constituents and is risking a backlash at the polls in November.”
     
    Support for the proposed state policy package ran strong across party and ethnic lines: 
    • Nine out of 10 Democrats (91 percent), more than eight out of 10 Independents (85 percent) and more than six out of 10 Republicans (61 percent) surveyed support the state’s package of policies to reduce global warming emissions
    • More than three out of four White voters (76 percent), more than eight of out 10 Latino voters (86 percent) and more than eight out of 10 of all voters of color (86 percent) polled support the proposed package
    • More than eight out of 10 voters (83 percent) say reducing global warming will require “action from all of us, and I am ready to make some changes”

  • Paper Calculator Makes it Easy for Businesses to Save Money and Protect the Environment

    June 17, 2008

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Contact:
    Julie Stofer, jstofer@edf.org, 202.572.3369

    (Washington, DC – June 17, 2008) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today announced the launch of Paper Calculator version 2.0 – an extensive update to the interactive tool used by more than 3,000 businesses and individuals each month to switch to more environmentally friendly paper alternatives.

    Paper Calculator v2.0, available at www.papercalculator.org, features a number of improvements, including new illustrations, interactive charts, increased comparison options, clearer input forms and more readable output reports.

    “Paper Calculator v2.0 makes it even easier for businesses to measure the benefits of better paper choices,” said Gwen Ruta, vice president of corporate partnerships at EDF. “This new version makes a good tool great by integrating feedback from some of the thousands of businesses that have used it over the past three years.”

    Since its debut in 2005, the Paper Calculator has proven to be a robust tool for a wide range of users, from corporate purchasers to NGOs to paper suppliers and merchants. By showing the environmental impacts of different papers across their full lifecycle, the Paper Calculator is the most comprehensive tool available to help companies quantify the many benefits of better paper choices.

    “The Paper Calculator is an intelligent, flexible and comprehensive tool that has helped Dell identify and quantify significant internal environmental savings opportunities and assisted the company’s green focus,” said Tod Arbogast, director, Dell Sustainable Business. “The tool also allows us to convey to Dell stakeholders and customers our commitment to the environment by striving to source as much post consumer content as possible. We applaud Environmental Defense Fund for its leadership and guidance in this space.”

    For more on how paper selection impacts businesses and the environment, visit www.edf.org/paper.

  • Pacific Fisheries Management Council Meets Next Week

    June 6, 2008

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Johanna Thomas, EDF director of Pacific fisheries projects, 415.293.6069     or 510.703.8484
    Jennifer Witherspoon, EDF California communications director, 415.293.6067 or 415.378.1985

    (San Francisco – June 6, 2008)  The Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) will meet next week in Foster City, California to consider adopting an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) system for groundfish that would help revitalize the fishing industry along the West Coast.  Such catch share programs have worked successfully around the world, including in the U.S., to revitalize fisheries. 

    “The current management system produces winners and losers, but mostly losers,” said Johanna Thomas, director of fisheries projects for the Pacific Ocean program of the Environmental Defense Fund. “An IFQ program can raise all boats, making fishing more profitable for fishermen and processors while creating better incentives to conserve the fishery.” Thomas, who has more than twenty years experience working on conservation and fishery-related issues, held a telephone briefing for reporters Friday on the significance of next week’s decision. Also participating in the briefing were Shems Jud, EDF Fisheries Policy Coordinator and recreational fisherman and Dorothy Lowman, fisheries consultant with masters in marine fisheries management. 

    Reporters can listen to a recorded version of the briefing here:

    “The Council has an opportunity to incorporate management measures for harvesting Pacific groundfish that have worked well to recover fisheries in other regions,” said Thomas. 

    “We see this IFQ program as a win for fishermen, processors and our communities,” said Ralph Brown, a second generation West Coast fisherman from Brookings, Oregon. “Fishermen are struggling because there is no flexibility and no choice in the current management program. Without an IFQ program, our future is bleak.”
    “The problem is not the fishermen.  Fishermen have done everything that fishery managers have asked them to do.  With fisheries continuing to fail, perhaps we’ve been asking fishermen to do the wrong things?  Now is the time to reconsider the direction we’ve been taking with fishery management,” Thomas said. 

    Declared a disaster in 2000, the West Coast groundfish fishery is in trouble and so are the local communities that depend on it.  Revenue from groundfish landings, widely sold in markets as snapper and sole, has declined by more than half during the last decade.  Many Pacific groundfish fishermen are operating in the red.  Plus, key groundfish species are now listed as overfished. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC), is charged with managing the fishery, and will vote on a new management plan June 12.

    West Coast landings of rockfish or groundfish plunged by 70 percent during the last two decades, from an average of 74,000 tons in the 1980s to 22,214 tons in 2007. Revenues from the groundfish fell by more than half from 1997 to 2007, from $47.3 million to $22.2 million. In 2000, the U.S. Department of Commerce declared the fishery a disaster, due to major declines in nine of 82 species of groundfish. Today, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which governs West Coast fishing, lists seven species of rockfish as overfished.

    Thomas said historically, fishery management councils have responded to crisis through measures such as shorter fishing seasons and smaller daily limits. Instead of reducing the catch as intended, such regulations set up a “race for fish.” The consequence has been dangerous fishing conditions, larger investments in boats and gear, a market glut and associated environmental damage.

    Many fishermen are struggling to hold on, and if they determine that they are unable to continue fishing they must exit the business with just a boat and a permit as collateral for any outstanding debts they may owe.  Under an IFQ program however, a fisherman will at least have his quota as a valuable asset to sell, which provides a far greater safeguard against true “losers” than exists in the current system.  In addition, it is precisely that same transferability and flexibility that will allow new entrants to come into the business; a business under IFQs that will be worth investing in compared to the present situation.

    Catch share programs are not new.  In 1997, British Columbia launched a catch share program for their groundfish fleet. This program gave each boat a guaranteed “share” of the allowable rockfish catch for the year based on a combination of each vessel’s catch history and size.  The guarantee allowed fishermen to fish at their own pace. Since they could fish when prices were best, they could make a higher profit on fewer fish.
    In 1996, 29,000 tons of groundfish were landed in British Columbia with revenues worth $21 million. In 2000, 26,000 tons of groundfish – 10 percent less than in 1996 – yielded more than a 60 percent increase in revenue, $34 million. And the program required a scientific observer to be aboard the boat, which provided better data about the health of the fishery and served as a basis for better fishery management decisions.

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council will consider a similar program on June 12 at the Foster City meeting.

    “With the correct safeguards in place and tools for fishermen, Pacific groundfish can experience the same comeback as was experienced in British Columbia. Much depends on what opportunities and flexibility fishermen have to make the right choices about how much, and when, to fish,” said Brown. “Some industry groups, led by the dominant seafood processing companies such as Pacific Seafoods are spreading misinformation and unsupported statements to either undermine the adoption of an IFQ, or to ensure that they can continue to dominate fishermen and West Coast fishing.”
    “A successful IFQ program recognizes that fishermen and processors need each other,” Thomas said.

    For up to date information on Ocean issues, and specifically Catch Shares, visit our Web site at http://edf.org/CatchShares

    To listen to this briefing click the following link:
    https://cc.readytalk.com/play?id=0oiabffo

    For additional instructions on playback, click here:

    Note: Recording playback requires Flash. If you do not have Flash installed, you will be prompted to install it before playback begins. 
     
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    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.