State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

environmental protection2

  • Resisting the Deregulation of Environmental Protection

    Resisting the Deregulation of Environmental Protection

    Today we have an EPA Administrator who is willfully and aggressively deregulating elements of environmental protection. We need to resist federal cutbacks in environmental protection policies and programs, while also continuing to keep our eye on the daily, operational tasks of creating sustainable economy.

  • A Small Senate Victory Maintains Methane Regulation

    A Small Senate Victory Maintains Methane Regulation

    While I see little hope of modernizing the environmental regulatory structure under the current regime, last week provided some hope that the U.S. Senate won’t allow our environmental laws to be dismantled.

  • Trump’s Budget will Harm the Planet and the Economy

    Trump’s Budget will Harm the Planet and the Economy

    Trump’s proposed budget includes an effort to shrink funding for university-based science research and the national labs run by the Department of Energy. Research on fundamental earth systems science is also cut as is funding for state environmental agencies and national environmental emergency response.

  • A State and Local Strategy for Protecting the American Environment

    A State and Local Strategy for Protecting the American Environment

    While federal support for new technology and infrastructure would be helpful, there is another approach that can also be effective. We should focus on modernizing our state and local energy systems. By modernizing the energy system we can reduce the costs and environmental impact of our energy use.

  • The Right Wing’s Endless War on Environmental Regulation

    The right wing attack on environmental regulation is a fundamental political mistake. Conservatives are correct in assuming that Americans mistrust big organizations and powerful institutions, but they should remember that the public counts on these powerful organizations to protect them.

  • Resisting the Deregulation of Environmental Protection

    Resisting the Deregulation of Environmental Protection

    Today we have an EPA Administrator who is willfully and aggressively deregulating elements of environmental protection. We need to resist federal cutbacks in environmental protection policies and programs, while also continuing to keep our eye on the daily, operational tasks of creating sustainable economy.

  • A Small Senate Victory Maintains Methane Regulation

    A Small Senate Victory Maintains Methane Regulation

    While I see little hope of modernizing the environmental regulatory structure under the current regime, last week provided some hope that the U.S. Senate won’t allow our environmental laws to be dismantled.

  • Trump’s Budget will Harm the Planet and the Economy

    Trump’s Budget will Harm the Planet and the Economy

    Trump’s proposed budget includes an effort to shrink funding for university-based science research and the national labs run by the Department of Energy. Research on fundamental earth systems science is also cut as is funding for state environmental agencies and national environmental emergency response.

  • A State and Local Strategy for Protecting the American Environment

    A State and Local Strategy for Protecting the American Environment

    While federal support for new technology and infrastructure would be helpful, there is another approach that can also be effective. We should focus on modernizing our state and local energy systems. By modernizing the energy system we can reduce the costs and environmental impact of our energy use.

  • The Right Wing’s Endless War on Environmental Regulation

    The right wing attack on environmental regulation is a fundamental political mistake. Conservatives are correct in assuming that Americans mistrust big organizations and powerful institutions, but they should remember that the public counts on these powerful organizations to protect them.