Environmental Defense Fund
EDF Activist Briefing | December 2018
Your December EDF activist briefing is here, with everything you need to know about the fight for a better environmental future that happened in the past month.
The National Climate Assessment
The Trump Administration tried unsuccessfully to bury a landmark government assessment of America’s climate and the major consequences global warming could have on countless regions, economies, and communities across the country.
From Maine, to Florida, to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Alaska the report saw extended daylight in the press and media, bringing much-needed attention to the bleak findings and the need for immediate action.
Vox distilled three big takeaways from the report, while The Atlantic looked at the three most chilling conclusions.
While many of the most harrowing findings looked to the future, the report also made clear that climate change is already here and killing us—and it’s doing so at an increasing rate.
In the end, the White House waved a white flag, yet still refused to acknowledge reality.
Read more: Fact checking the Trump administration’s climate change falsehoods (PDF)
An embarrassing U.S. showing in Poland
World leaders assembled in Poland last week to discuss climate action with a new sense of urgency as recent reports have further highlighted the need for immediate action to stem global warming.
The World Bank pledged $200 billion over five years to climate action. EDF joined other green groups in urging lawmakers to ensure sound carbon accounting—making sure that emissions reductions are not double-counted.
The U.S. was a key player in forging the Paris agreement in 2015, but our standing has steadily eroded following Trump’s 2017 announcement that he would pull the U.S. out of the global accord. From the resulting power vacuum, China has emerged as the powerbroker in global climate talks.
In an embarrassing sole public appearance, the official U.S. delegation failed to mention climate change a single time while promoting the “unapologetic utilization” of coal, oil and gas. It was the second consecutive year the Trump team was heckled after promoting fossil fuels and nuclear power at the climate talks.
U.S. negotiators also teamed up with Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait to block language “welcoming” a recent scientific report on the impacts of climate change.
To cap it off, President Trump took to Twitter to take credit for emissions reductions achieved by climate activists under the Obama administration—reductions that wouldn’t have been possible without the very same climate regulations his own administration has been working at a breakneck pace to undermine, weaken and eliminate. It’s just the latest way the Trump government is trolling the global climate community.
Read more: How EDF is helping China and other nations take big steps
More good news than you thought possible
You’ve seen and heard the bad news on TV, in the papers, and on social media. Now here’s the good news we all so desperately need:
Good news from the private sector:
US coal consumption is at nearly a 40 year low, building new renewable energy is now cheaper than running existing coal, and the biggest obstacle to U.S. climate progress—fossil fuel allies and climate deniers in Congress—got thumped in the midterms by pro-climate-action candidates.
Royal Dutch Shell is giving its executives a major incentive to reduce greenhouse gases by tying pay to target reductions in carbon emissions. Volkswagen is planning to open a major North American factory to produce electric vehicles.
In the past month, three major utility companies announced plans to reduce their carbon footprints: Ohio’s FirstEnergy first announced a plan to spend half a billion dollars modernizing their grid to provide cleaner energy to customers.
Just weeks later, Illinois’s Commonwealth Edison announced a new pricing scheme that will cut pollution by rewarding customers with lower electric rates during off-peak hours, reducing spikes in demand that bring the dirtiest power plants online to meet demand.
Soon after, Xcel Energy announced an unprecedented commitment to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050. The utility giant serves Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
EDF has teamed up with Kickstarter to launch an Environmental Resource Center and to urge project creators to publicly commit to sustainable environmental practices.
Kickstarter will now ask new project creators to commit to reducing their environmental impact in five key areas: long-lasting design, reusability and recyclability, sustainable materials, environmentally friendly factories, and sustainable distribution. Their responses will appear in a new “Environmental Commitments” section of their project pages.
The EDF-Kickstarter partnership was just one of many projects conducted through EDF Climate Corps, a fellowship program that connects young future sustainability leaders with forward-thinking companies to accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.
Good news from Washington:
With a new-look Congress set to take over in January, climate change could become a top priority. Here are five election winners who could head to Washington as climate crusaders fighting for a “Green New Deal.”
Already, a new bipartisan group of House members are proposing a carbon fee, while 25 of their colleagues in the Senate introduced a resolution recognizing the urgent need for climate action.
While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demands climate action be included in any infrastructure deal, Nancy Pelosi could seize this opportunity to revive a climate change committee in the House. These 3 steps would be a start toward defending our health and the environment from the Trump administration.
Republican climate hawks are using the National Climate Assessment’s findings to sway skeptics in their own party. One conservative is publicly speaking out to admit he was wrong on climate change.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of lead acetate in consumer hair dyes. The decision was prompted by a 2017 petition from EDF and other public health groups.
Good news from the states:
At the state level, many incoming governors are making natural disasters and climate change a priority.
EDF sponsored a panel at the National Black Caucus of State Legislators 42nd Annual Legislative Conference. “Keeping it Green: Infrastructure, Jobs, and Economic Vitality” shared examples of model policies, like the Illinois Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) and New York’s Renewing Energy Vision (“REV”), that support and establish sustainable energy infrastructure to boost job growth in disadvantaged communities.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order affirming the state’s commitment to significantly reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions.
In November, Colorado’s Air Quality Commissions voted unanimously to adopt new rules to reduce climate and air pollution from automobiles. EDF supplied an expert witness who provided crucial expertise that gave the Commission the deep understanding and confidence they needed in the face of very stiff headwinds.
Good news in the courts:
Also last month, a DC Circuit court rejected EPA’s motion to dismiss a legal challenge—brought by several state attorneys general, EDF, and other green groups—to EPA’s determination that national clean cars standards must be weakened. This victory provides critical leverage our legal team needs to stop Trump’s administration from derailing one of America’s most wildly successful environmental programs.
Good news goes global:
In November, EDF became the first environmental NGO to partner with the China Academy of Fisheries Sciences. We cohosted an international symposium on climate and fisheries attended by the president of the Academy, more than 100 Chinese scientists and officials, and experts from the U.S., Canada, Indonesia, Japan and Australia.
EDF is partnering with Chinese leaders to advance fishing reforms in the country, which is by far the world’s largest producer and consumer of seafood—China’s fishing practices will shape the health of oceans globally.
Japan’s legislature just passed sweeping reforms to its fishing laws, potentially opening the doors to a new era of sustainable fishing for the Asia-Pacific region. The reform package reflects many of EDF’s recommendations, including vastly expanding the number of species covered and requiring a recovery plans for overfished species within 10 years.
EDF was in the spotlight in Bali at the global “Our Ocean” conference, where our Indonesian team and partners announced an unprecedented new science-based management program for blue swimming crab—one of the country’s most lucrative export fisheries and a lifeline for thousands of people in the Java Sea region.
Read more: These red and blue states are tackling climate change since Trump won't
Election results recap
EDF Action spent nearly $9 million in over 30 races in pivotal battleground states this election cycle, helping to win a string of victories by holding incumbents accountable for voting to increase pollution—and supporting candidates with a strong environmental agenda.
Democrats promising to take strong action on climate and clean energy flipped seven governorships, six state legislative chambers, and more than 300 state House and Senate seats.
A number of anti-environment measures across the country failed. Voters in Colorado, Oregon and California rejected attempts to weaken environmental protections, while Nevadans voted to expand renewable energy.
Unfortunately, over $30 million spending from Big Oil overwhelmed a carbon fee initiative in Washington State.
Young people dramatically increased their turnout, which had major impacts on elections across the country—and clean energy was a big motivating issue.
EDF’s own Defend our Future youth organizers sent hundreds of thousands of emails, made more than 50,000 phone calls, and sent even more texts to remind supporters to keep climate change in mind when they headed to the polls.
A Defend our Future student supporter who wrote a letter to the editor on the imperative of acting on climate following publication of the UN climate report earned a response from Congresswoman-elect Madeleine Dean (PA-4).
Listen: EDF Engage’s November podcast on what the midterms mean for the environment
Odds and ends
If you’ve been behind on all the news, this interview with one of EDF’s leaders is a great place to catch up.
President Trump’s administration proposed a rollback of Obama-era protections against power plant pollution. As NYU Law professor Richard Revesz explains, the facts and law are against Trump. EDF’s legal team is already gearing up to challenge this latest attack.
The Washington Post reports that Trump will formally nominate Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist and current Acting Administrator at EPA, to become the next EPA chief. EDF’s senior vice president of Political Affairs appeared on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 to discuss what we know about Andrew Wheeler.
Last week, EDF filed suit against EPA in a U.S. District Court for its failure to release records requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The lawsuit focuses on four FOIA requests we filed in the past year and a half for records related to industry compliance with in-effect methane restrictions EPA is trying to weaken. EPA has also stonewalled other EDF requests for documents related to the agency's review of the Clean Power Plan and its assessment of high-emission glider trucks. In total, EDF has filed seven FOIA lawsuits against the Trump administration.
Take action: Demand Trump leaves protections from coal pollution in place
You can help us fight back
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Since the beginning of Trump’s Presidency, we’ve struck more blows to his administration’s anti-environmental agenda in the courts than anywhere else.
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But being easy to win doesn't make them any less costly, and we can’t see this fight through without your support.
Please make a gift to our legal challenge fund today and it will be tripled in value to beat back Trump's attacks on environmental protection.
Environmental Defense Fund
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