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* Home * Solutions * Impacts * Causes * Resilience * Politics * Good News Newsletters * The Daily Climate * Above the Fold * Good News * Plastic Pollution * Children’s Health * Energy & Health * EHN en Español * Science Saturday * The Weekend Reader * Population Weekly * Pittsburgh Weekly Topics * From our newsroom * Solutions * Impacts * Causes * Resilience * Politics * Good News Partner Sites * Environmental Health News * Skeptical Science * Climate Central * Climate Home News About Us * About DailyClimate.org * Staff * Contact * Privacy and terms * Environmental Health Sciences Donate Powered by RebelMouse LISTEN: ANA BAPTISTA ON SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT BUILDING IN ACADEMIA Dr. Ana Baptista joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss supporting environmental justice movements from within academia. Baptista, an associate professor and co-director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center at the New School, also talks about how growing up in Newark shaped her environmental justice thinking, her role in the passage of the cumulative impacts bill in New Jersey, and how daily walks have bolstered her well-being. The Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast is a biweekly podcast featuring the stories and big ideas from past and present fellows, as well as others in the field. You can see all of the past episodes here. Listen below to our discussion with Baptista, and subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Spotify. And to learn more about Baptista's work please check out the following resources: * Ironbound Community Corporation * New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance * Environmental Justice Movement Fellowship * Tishman Center's collaborative research Agents of Change in Environmental Justice · Ana Baptista on supporting environmental justice movement building in academia TRANSCRIPT Ami Zota Hello, everyone. I'm Ami Zota, the founder and director of the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice program and I am very honored to have a very special guest today, a trailblazer in the environmental justice movement and also a longtime friend. And that is Dr. Ana Baptista, who is an associate professor at The New School. She also serves as the co-director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School. Welcome, Ana. Ana Baptista Thanks, Ami. So great to hear you. Ami Zota So, you know, we always like to kind of start our conversation, hearing a bit about our guest's origin stories. You know, hearing a bit about how it all, you know, how your journey started? Can you start off by maybe telling us a bit about your childhood and how you got interested in environmental justice? Ana Baptista Sure, yeah. Um, I think like many folks that work in environmental justice, the work of EJ started before we knew that word even existed or the movement existed for that. Because we, you know, a lot of folks grew up in communities impacted by lots of different sources of pollution or industries. Yeah, my family immigrated to Newark, from Portugal, we were immigrants there in the 80s. And we lived in a very industrial neighborhood with a lot of factories and industries and in particular a garbage incinerator, that was part of a very big community organizing effort to fight off. And I was a young teen, when the neighborhood was galvanizing and organizing around that. And there was a community-based organization, Ironbound Community Corporation, who organized my family and I into participating in a lot of the community meetings and community protests. And, and I would often go and translate for my family at those meetings, which I probably did really poorly. I don't know what I was translating half the time, but, um, but it was eye opening for me as a young person, because I just took for granted that you know, the smells that we smelled and the you know, the sort of the things that were just everyday normal parts of life, didn't seem odd to me until really starting to organize with the community and seeing my neighbors and you know, folks really coming out to protect the community, you know, and that was really powerful because it made me feel like you know, our home is really valuable, like our... this is our... this is a place that we treasure and it's part of our community. And we didn't think of it as a place that was you know, dirty or a dump site. We thought of it as our home. And so, seeing everyone come together and really fight to protect our community was you know, it felt really empowering and felt really good. I Love Newark. I love the city of Newark. I loved growing up there. I love my neighborhood. And I didn't actually realize people, you know, thought otherwise until I left Newark. And I heard how people talked about the city in a very denigrating way. And so I was, you know, I grew up in that, in that time when people really, you know, came together and organized and continued that tradition. I mean, that's a long tradition in the city of Newark, and many cities that are environmental justice communities, where residents really, you know, formed a lot of resistance and built homes and communities very rich. And it's wonderful to see that that tradition has been continued in the Ironbound Community in Newark, but many other communities that I've been able to visit and be in community with. So yeah, it was, it was an interesting way to grow up, because I didn't know there was an environmental justice movement at the time, but it made me really passionate and wanting to fight. You know, I really wanted to come back home, that was always my goal: is to come back home, and try to fight for my community, fight for my neighborhood to stop the dumping in the neighborhood, but also to make it a place that was healthy, unsafe, for, you know, the next generation and my own family that was still there. Ami Zota Thank you for that. I have so many follow-up questions. But before we dive further in, you know, kind of another question that we often ask our guest is, and maybe maybe this is that experience, but what what is, uh, can you share with us a defining moment or a defining experience that has shaped your identity? Ana Baptista A defining moment? Gee, that's a tough, deep question, Ami! Oh, gosh, um, you know, I written about this, this moment, because it did stick with me. I was able to go to a program as a teenager for environmental studies, it was a summer intensive program. And it was very selective. You know, they selected you know, kids throughout New Jersey, that were, you know, interested in the environment to go spend the summer at a university and learn about the environment. And I felt very lucky to be part of that selection of those cohort of young people, we were mostly juniors and seniors, about to go to college. And one of the field, they did many field trips, to the Pine Barrens, and to all these different ecosystems, really great program. And one of the trips was an environmental justice tour to Newark, to my neighborhood, to my community, with some of the organizers from Ironbound that I knew. And on the way there, before, we met up with the Ironbound organizers. It felt very, like people, kids didn't know who I was, they didn't know that was my community. And so I was really nervous that I was like, "oh, no, these kids are really wealthy, suburban kids, you know, they're going to come visit my home and look at it, like some tragedy. You know, like, like a zoo," you know, almost like, so I was very, very nervous about that. And I remember, on the bus ride up to Newark, from South Jersey, I kept thinking, "Am I going to tell these people that they're visiting my home? Or am I going to be quiet and just let them observe?" So it was, but I had it in me that I was like, "No, I have to say something I have to..." you know, I got up the courage to be like, before you all start gawking at Newark, like it's some terrible experiment. I started telling them about all the protests and all the organizing all the efforts that the neighborhood residents had really fought for, and telling them about the great things about the community too, like, you know, we have these wonderful, rich diversity in our neighborhoods, we have all this wonderful cultural history. So that, you know, they got not just the toxics, but the treasures part of the tour. You know, it calms my nerves, and it made me realize that and telling my own story and sharing that where I was from, it was also a way for them to connect with me and connect with the place in a different way. But it was definitely a long bus ride up to Newark before I decided that I was gonna say something to all these people that I you know, didn't really know very well. So yeah, that was definitely a moment that I remember. Knowing what I know of you. I can't imagine you being silent. A moment I was like, 17 and I was trying to be cool you know, on the bus. Yeah, fit in, you want to fit in, all this kind of stuff. Right? Exactly. Ami Zota So you've already mentioned, you know, a couple of references to Ironbound Community Corporation. And you know, knowing what I know of you, I know that has been a big part of your contributions, your journey, your identity. Can you tell our audience a bit about that org, their mission, the ways in which you have worked with them. And you know, maybe some of the work that you've done that you're particularly proud of? Ana Baptista Yeah, I mean, it's an amazing organization, one that I definitely credit with giving me my real education, you know, you go to school for one type of education. But growing up in the Ironbound, and being a part of the Arman Community Corporation was a wake up call my real, my real PhD, that's where I got. The organization was founded in 1969, by a group of mothers looking for alternatives for child care, at a very turbulent time in the city of Newark, right at the time of the rebellions. And the Ironbound Community in particular is a neighborhood in the East ward of Newark that had historically been, you know, an ethnic enclave for many different types of ethnic groups, and also African American and Puerto Rican, lots of Latinx communities over the years and continues to be that type of place type of community and ICC formed first with a mission to provide educational alternatives and also support women, working women, in the community. And it was founded by residents. So it's always been resident-led, and has a strong community-based social justice focus. And it wasn't until probably the 70s and 80s when there was in you know, it's always been an industrial neighborhood, you know, since the 1800s, it's had been cheek-in-jowl with industries. And those industries started to really abandon the City of Newark, like many cities throughout the US. And what they left in the wake of that was a lot of, you know, contamination, explosions, you know, worker safety issues, neighborhoods that were facing a lot of contamination. And so that Ironbound Community Corporation really developed a whole other leg of the operation that wasn't necessarily about education, or early education, but was about organizing, and social justice, and fighting a lot of new proposals for pollution, right? because the community was constantly a target of industry, and continues to be that, actually. So they also, the Ironman committee Corporation also does a lot of wonderful community development, or, you know, a lot of community building. So it's not just about fighting things, it's are all about building things. That's what I love about the organization. And I continue to be on the Board of Trustees, and I worked for them for a decade that sort of, say, got my education there, because I got a doctorate degree, but then I spent a decade after getting my Ph.D. really working in the community because I wanted to, you know, really take all the things that I had learned and apply them in my own community. And in doing that, it was a tremendous education for me, because I learned from the residents and the elders, what it really takes to make change, you know, the nitty-gritty, everyday, not-sexy stuff, not theoretical, you know, the real life, bread and butter of hashing it out, you know, fighting the good fights. So I'm very proud of that work, because it was tough. It's so hard. And I'm so proud of the the people that are, you know, doing that work now at the Ironbound Community Corporation, the organizers and leaders there that are national leaders, you know, they took Ironbound Community, really, to a national scale that I never even imagined. So I'm so proud of that legacy continuing and spreading and deepening those ties. But yeah, it continues to be a wonderful place at home for me. Ami Zota That's wonderful. And I'm so glad that you're still so connected to them. So correct me if I'm wrong. So you you you did your formal education training at Rutgers, I believe, right? Ana Baptista Yeah. Ami Zota Did you and I don't I don't know did you work at Ironbound while you were you were doing your doctorate? Ana Baptista Funny story: inadvertenly, because I was living at home, you know, I came home and live with my parents, while I did my doctorate at Rutgers. And I would just get sucked into things, you know, because I'm home so people know, I'm home, like, "Anna, can you help us with this community planning project?" or "we're going to do this," you know. So I was volunteering, and then volunteer was being voluntold. And, and then I started working part time, you know, theere, just like to help out on projects. And I loved it. I loved working there. I love the people there. And I had this, I also finished my doctorate when I was like, eight months pregnant. And I must have been the hormones because I was like, "I don't want to be an academic, I want to be an activist!" And so yeah, I, um, they offered me to come work full time with them. And I said, Yeah, this is what I want to do this where my heart is calling me. So yeah, I was working part time there while I was teaching I taught, I was teaching at Columbia, taught at New School. And I decided that was that was the place for me. Yeah. Ami Zota And so now you've, I mean, you have found a way to continue your scholar, you know, your scholar-activist work. But you're rooted now again in academia. So can you talk a little bit about what that transition was like? And then maybe a little bit about kind of what you do these days? I know, it's a lot to the extent that you can even begin to describe it. But what your focus is at the new school? Ana Baptista Yeah, I mean, I, I was teaching as an adjunct at the New School while I worked at Ironbound and I love The New School because of sort of a quirky place, right? You know, the students were very aware and critical. It was a place that appreciated practitioners, like people who were in the field doing the work, not just theoreticians, although it had a strong focus on both, which I liked a lot. And you just never know in life, what door's gonna open for you, right? aMI, I'm sure you can appreciate this in your own trajectory in your own career. You know, I didn't imagine I'd end up in academia ever, but I had an old friend who became the dean of The New School. This is a person that I came one of my greatest mentors, Michelle DePass, who worked at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection at the time that I was a graduate student –an annoying one at that, because I kept bothering her. She was the first environmental justice officer in the department. And I would knock on her door and demand things constantly for the Ironbound. And, to her credit, she never sent me away. She was very committed to environmental justice, having done that work herself in New York City for many years. And she went on to work in the Obama administration. And then came back to New York to be the dean at The New School and said, "Oh, there's this job, you should apply. You're an adjunct already." And I said, "I am not an academic." And she's like, "No, no, it's a, an open-rank position. And we hire professors of practice, too. So why don't you give it a try?" And, you know, I did. And she also, Michelle DePass, was also the person who really relaunched the Tishman Environment and Design Center were just another home for me now at The New School. And her vision was really one that I believed in and shared and hope that I'm honoring, which is that she wanted to make the center a home for doing real collaborative work with the environmental justice movement. You know, she wanted to create a center that as a activist and as an advocate in the EJ movement I had wanted to work with, right? like, you know, where are those partners, those trusted people that you could count on in difficult times to work with you. And so she wanted to create that kind of center. And I was like, "I'm down for that. Let's do it!" So she brought me into that, that work very, very generously and lovingly and mentored me about how you do those sorts of, you know, sort of very delicate balance of, you know, you're in academia or in an institution of higher education with all of the different institutional structures that that comes with, but also opportunities, you know, she's like, think of this as an opportunity to invest in the next generation of scholar-activists and activists and advocates but also with an opportunity to leverage of the resources of higher education and muster that in the service of, in service to, an accompaniment with movement partners. And what a wonderful opportunity. So it for me, it was like a dream job really to be able to saddle those two worlds and learn how to do that. And I'm still learning. We're all still in learning process for sure. And so a lot of my work now is focused on, you know, deepening that work. And I would say, scaling it. You know, my, my vision for the center was pretty modest. It was like, "Can we create a little home, a hub, for working with the movement?" and, you know, little by little, we became a place that was able to really scale and build an infrastructure to touch movement partners, and work and collaborate alongside partners across the US, with movement leaders, building the Environmental Justice Leadership Fellowship program that we we have now, and also doing really wonderful research, you know, participatory research with movement partners, to help make change, right? like to help move that the needle. So yeah, that's most of my time now is really continuing to, you know, do the best we can to leverage the resources of higher ed to the benefit and accompaniment of the movement. Ami Zota Can you can you elaborate a little bit more on the Movement Building fellowship that you've helped to start? I think it's such a neat model and pretty unique. Ana Baptista Yeah, it's, it's a something that I again, I didn't envision doing. It wasn't in my initial, you know, ideas of things we would do. But it was an opportunity that came to us, right? there was a funder who wanted to invest in higher ed, in a center in higher ed. And, you know, I think their initial idea that they were scoping out was to do something like a master certificate or something. And I said, well, with my partner, my, my co-conspirators, Sujatha Jesudason, she was a professor, a colleague of mine, we were like, "well, you know, there's the movement really need a master's certificate? I don't know. Like, let's ask them what they think, what they want." So we embarked on this journey of asking a lot of movement leaders, we probably surveyed or interviewed over 150 EJ leaders around the country, which in and of itself was such a privilege to do. And we did this whole landscape of, you know, what's out there for movement partners, and what's needed to really help unlock the power of the movement and help support them. There are lots of leadership programs, there's a lot of fellowship programs. And so we didn't want to sort of bring sand to the beach. Right, you know, and it was a, you know, back in 2019, 2018. It was like, what's the political moment? What's the opportunity? What, what is the need? There was a lot of feedback from movement leaders about having the space to take risks together, to be able to think creatively in very disruptive ways about the kind of work that they want to do. And when you're in movement leadership positions, that's hard to do, right? Because you're busy running your own organization, and building coalitions and executing strategy. You may not have the luxury of finding new partnerships and collaborations and being able to scale those or think differently or creatively about them, right. So the fellowship was conceived of as an opportunity to take advantage of the rightness of the movement for disruption, for innovation, for collaboration, right? So unlike lots of other fellowships, leaders in the movement self-select a group of people they want to work with. Come in maybe in group a group of two or three, sometimes four movement leaders with a problem in mind that they've been tackling, maybe individually, sometimes together. But the fellowship gives them two years, and funding and support for themselves and their organization. And then for their group to prototype –we call it prototyping. So really using a design mindset– to prototype ideas and try them out, and then try to scale them together. And so we launched the pilot and we launched the pilot two years ago, we we just finished our first cohort and we really co-designed with an initial inaugural cohort of leaders around the country, we were lucky enough to have their input into the design of the curriculum for the fellowship, and now we're going to launch 2.0. this spring. So we're very excited about that. And we have sort of a 10-year vision, right, you know, 10 years of investment in movement building, infrastructure, that leadership infrastructure, folks that will have to design mindsets, disruptive mindsets, that can have the tools and the cohorts to move the movement. I have so many questions. I mean, what one I just have is, Are there ways that you're going to be showcasing the work and the prototypes that come out of the fellowship? Yeah, the first cohort's prototypes and projects are online now. So the reporting out all the evaluation and learning from and the results of that work are now on our movement fellowship website, and it's been coming out in different ways. We're sort of also on this journey of like, how do you released some of the work, what worked, what didn't work. And also the work that the fellows started is continuing. So it's not like it is a discrete project that ends at the end of the fellowship, they continue their collaborations. So, you know, for example, one of the groups was a group of women from the Mariana Islands. And they leaders from that, that sector, one was a representative from Taipan and a US Representative from Taipen, and the head of the Micronesian climate just change Alliance. So folks, those those women created a cultural healing walk, they went to all all the islands in the Marianas to create this sort of movement. They hosted a Pacific Climate Summit, which we helped to support and were a part of, and did a Pacific Climate Declaration. So all that work is was built during the fellowship, and now it's continuing post fellowship. So yeah, there's really some exciting work. And many of the fellows have gone on to use the fellowship to also capitalize on the federal investments that are coming out of the IRA. So several of them have partnered and become grantees, through the EPA striving communities grant program process, grant makers process. So yeah, it's amazing to see some of the work they've been able to leverage. Ami Zota I love that. And so if if people want to learn more, they can go to the Tishman... Ana Baptista Tishman.org website. Yeah, okay. Ami Zota Yeah. So I want to keep I want to keep the conversation moving. I feel like I could talk to you for you know, for a long time, but I want to make sure we have some time to talk about the cumulative impacts bill that was passed in New Jersey, which was really the first of its kind in the nation, and was considered a big policy win for the EJ movement. Can you share with us how you were involved and a bit, you know, you know, kind of talk about the behind the scenes of what went into getting this monumental bill passed? Ana Baptista Yeah, I was part of a very close knit group of New Jersey environmental justice leaders and I played a small role in that group, but but we've been working together on environmental justice issues in New Jersey for over a decade or more. And so we have a close alliance of environmental justice organizations in New Jersey that are used to working together in good times and bad. And so it includes organizers and leaders from the Ironbound Community Corporation, so María óLpez Nuñez, Dr. Nikki Sheets. We had the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, Melissa Milles. We had folks from the clean water, Clean Water Action in the South Ward Environmental Alliance in Newark, Kim Gaddy. So we formed sort of a tight partnership. We also had support from Earth Justice, who supported us with legal advice along the way. But as a group as a collective, we've been working on an environmental justice bill for over a decade, right? probably 12, 13 years through different administrations. We also – this same group helped to pass an environmental justice ordinance in the city of Newark in 2016. And so for a while when we didn't have a political opportunity window at the state level, we focus at the municipal level, trying to pass municipal-level ordinances tied to land use redevelopment processes. So that was one route we took. And then as the political tides turned, we, as a coalition, saw the opening to do a state bill that was really strong, coming out of interestingly, in the middle of COVID, but it was during the protests around George Floyd, and Black Lives Matters, the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, and we had many politicians throughout the state claiming that they were for racial justice. So in that, in that context, there was a bill proposed by a state senator, Troy Singleton, focused on environmental justice that we were surprised about, we didn't we didn't know Senator Singleton. He developed the bill on his own, really on the basis of a bill that Senator, US Senator Cory Booker had developed. And we had been working with Senator Booker, Representative McEachin. And Senator Rojalva. In the federal at the federal level on an EJ bill for many years, and New Jersey, folks, like Nicky Sheets, were very involved in the crafting of those federal bills that, unfortunately, never really moved anywhere, but were important in terms of setting the stage for bills and what bills could include on environmental justice. So, we met with Senator Troy Singleton, and he was the real deal. I mean, he really was committed to doing a strong environmental justice bill, and was willing to work really closely with us as experts, as subject matter experts on what that bill should contain, which was really important. We met with his staff and him and tried to structure a bill that was not just procedural in the sense of like, "oh, let's study this problem. Let's map out all the impacts the communities face." No, we wanted a bill that said, "communities can say no on the basis of cumulative impacts," because that has really been the ultimate goal for many communities – is having a way to interrupt the normal flow, business-as-usual model. And for years, the state regulators told us very frankly, that they did not believe they have the authority, the legal authority, to deny permits particularly on the basis of cumulative impacts. We had, we actually had the head regulator, or the head of the department tell us straight up, "That's never going to happen. We don't know how to do cumulative impacts." Two years later, that same agency was writing rules for the bill. So the bill, what was unique and special about it, is that it is one of the only bills –and now New York State has a similar bill, but it's New Jersey's the only one that has the rule that accompanies the bill– that says to industries: these are the types of facilities mostly industrial, large scale, air permits, waste permits, that are subject to review. If you're in a community that's low, well, people of color, linguistically isolated, you have to do this review. And if your community has the stressors that are above the average, then we must deny the permit for an additional facility that would add or contribute to those stressors. And it doesn't say shall it doesn't say may, it says must Ami Zota Wow. Ana Baptista It is requires a denial on those grounds. And it also applies to renewals of permits, but it doesn't require a denial. The renewal process allows for conditioning of permits to try to ratchet down collusion, where those contributions exist. So it's a real game changer in terms of the power that now communities have and the regulator's are now empowered, they can no longer say they don't have the legal authority. They now have the legal authority and the tools to deny permits, to condition permits, to go further than they've ever gone in terms of protecting communities that are already overburdened. So it was a huge victory, but it was one that came after many decades of incubation. And you know, knowing and being ready to take advantage of the political opportunity and building coalitions, you know, the ability to organize and get support for this kind of bill required coalition building mostly with social justice organizations, more so than even environmental organizations, because the social justice organizations really understood and represented the communities that were overburdened in different ways. So that was really important to have been able to gain the political support for this kind of a bill. Ami Zota And where are things with implementation of the bill? Ana Baptista The rule came out, it was finalized after two long years of rule making. It was finalized in April last year. And the rule is now you know, going into effect. So there's several permits that will come under review under this, I think there's a whole slate of permits that are now going to be subject to the rule. So it's going to get tested, field tested. In the meantime, there are two industry groups that are suing to try to, to lock the bill. And we knew that right? Anytime you pass a really strong bill like this, you will get and you should anticipate getting industry opposition to the bill. So that will work its way through the courts, you know, in our coalition to supporting the DPS defense of the bill. But yeah, it's Ami Zota Is it going to the state Supreme Court? Ana Baptista Um, we're not sure yet how, you know, it's, it's being considered now. So we filed an amicus briefs in support of the DEP and the rule. So we'll see if the, the how the courts treat the merits of the, of the, of the contestation over the bill. So yeah, but, you know, we, we worked really hard to with the regulators, and with our own legal support, to try to strengthen the bill, and the public record for the bill and the legal basis for the bill. So we did not, you know, it was one of the few times in my life and my career, that we worked really closely with regulators to develop the technical substance and the legal substance of this bill. Similar to what industries do, like the industries do this all the time, right?they, they develop model bills, and then they work very closely with lawmakers to get their bills through. We don't do that as often, we're often in an antagonistic position with the state. And in this case, we were able to work very closely to develop a bill that we can stand behind and defend just as much as they can. Ami Zota So many lessons, you know, lessons learned there about being prepared, being organized, you know, being savvy on many different levels. I know, I feel like we're in a moment right now, where government, you know, action is being strongly critiqued? I believe the the new EPA regulations, the low, you know, the lower limits on PM2.5. That just got passed, already heading to the Supreme Court. Ana Baptista Yeah. Ami Zota So but I hope that this is, this will was will play out differently, and I'm looking forward to staying in touch to hear about it. So we're all we're really kind of rounding, you know, whatever we would say like, kind of, I'm closing up here. And I just have like, one, like, last question. And I think it also has to kind of relate to the conference, the amazing energetic conference that you just organized, around, you know, centering justice, and really helping to help facilitate authentic, meaningful relationships between academic researchers and grassroots groups, to do this work, to do the movement building work. And as you may know, the Agents of Change program is really about supporting and lifting up emerging scholar-activists, you know, all of whom are from deeply-impacted communities and are really to what I see is the future of environmental and climate justice, particularly, you know, folks who have already demonstrated and want to really be in allyship with movements. And as you know, and they're all early-career folks, so right doctoral students, postdocs, some some who are in government. And, and it's it's really, really hard to walk that walk right? On so many levels you often get conflicting pressures, conflicting advice it can, it can it can be exhausting, but important work. So, I mean, do you have any you know, from kind of the mid-career perspective, any any parting advice or perspective, you know, to offer them as well as you know, others that are in a in a like-minded place? Ana Baptista Yeah, I mean, what a wonderful, what a wonderful thing you're doing Ami. I think it's very important work to, to really nurture, right? and feed that soil, you know, the those early-career folks, because like you said, it is hard, it's hard for the activists in the movement. And it's also hard for those who've, you know, chosen to be in different positions – in allyship and scholar-activism, and they're trying to figure out how to navigate these very, very complex pressures and demands and also trying to follow their heart and their conscience right now want to be in right relationship. And it's not always easy to know how to do that, or where to go to do that. It's not obvious. So I mean, I don't know if I have advice as much as like, you know, keep trying. Most showing up sometimes is half the battle, like I say this all the time is like, being present. And being in relationship with people means there's not, there's maybe no money, there's no project, there's no special occasion, it's that you're committed to, you know, those people or that community or, you know, the, the place. And so you keep showing up, and you show up in ways that like, you know, hey, do you need me to pitch in here or, you know, do you know, it's, it's a, and you don't know, when you're needed, unless you're around enough to know, when you might be called up to do something. So it requires, yeah, being present in though in ways that are not as obvious in, like, spelled out, right. Like, I was, like, I just had a work plan for how you build those relationships. And then like using your, you know... I found that some of the best relationships have been built over that time, where you're just getting to know each other, you're showing up, you're being present, but you're also like, you have all this informal knowledge and informal, you know, we occupy all these spaces that have networks and ecosystems that are invisible, and we're often doing a lot of invisible work. And lean into that. That's okay. Sometimes I would feel nervous sometimes, like, oh, doing all these hours of reading permit comments, and no one's ever going to see this, like, Is this even worth it? like, but sometimes I'm leaning into that work. And if you feel it's meaningful, if you feel like it's moving, advancing and helping out in some way, then you can continue to do that work and you know, not take it for granted that you have some, you know, some talents and skills to to give in that space that you may not even recognize you have. Little things. Like I you know, sometimes I just write people let but write letters for people I here, I just saved you two hours of your life. I took me two minutes to do. But yeah, so I would say that and listen a lot, you know, because part of being in those spaces is also listening and learning and yeah, lead with your heart there and leaning lean into it into those spaces that feel like, you know, spaces where you can make a contribution and build long-term relationships over time. Ami Zota Yeah, the value of long-term relationships. It's, you know, it's it's really what underpins so much of this work. I mean, right? you and I met almost 20 years ago Ana Baptista Can you imagine? Oh, my gosh. Ami Zota It's wild, right? But I am gonna let you go. And my last question for you is, you give so much and you do so much so what are you doing these days to recharge? Ana Baptista Honestly, during COVID Um, I was really burned out going into COVID I was doing too much like many of us, and I started walking every day outside –no matter what the weather, rain, shine, snow. And that is, it really helped me recenter, refocus, also get healthier, because I was really burnt out spending a lot of time in front of a computer. And so just being outside, you know, at least an hour a day, really is something that I have to do. Like now I feel like if I don't do it, I don't feel well. So yes, I encourage everyone to find that little – and I feel guilty about it. I'm like, as I'm walking, sometimes I'm taking calls and doing zooms. I'll admit that– And I feel guilty because I'm like, "God, this is a big chunk of my day that I could be, you know, productive," but being outside and, you know, just moving like, a body in motion stays in motion. Having that ability to move, helps you move your mind, helps you connect. So yeah, I would say that's the one thing I'm going to keep doing and I hope you all do it too. Ami Zota Yes. A colleague and who's also been on here, Diana Hernandez. She's a big fan of the walk and talks. Yes, building relationships while getting your time and moving. So there are ways to we can combine all of this right? Ana Baptista Yeah, we imprint we imprint differently when we're walking and doing that. Ami Zota All right. Well, I am going to close this out. This has been such a wonderful conversation, so many gems of wisdom and experience and insight. Ana Baptista It's very sweet, Ami. It's very sweet of you to invite me on here. And it was it was really my privilege and honor to be able to spend this time with you. Ami Zota Yeah, I mean, we were all about Amplifying Voices and you have one that is so worth amplifying. And you know, looking forward to continuing to be in collaboration with you and all that you do. Ana Baptista Let's do our walk and talk, let's do it! Keep reading...Show less FollowUnfollowFollowing From our newsroom OP-ED: “PLASTIC PEOPLE” — A DOCUMENTARY THAT CHANGED MY VIEW ON PLASTICS SHELL MUST SEEK A NEW AIR POLLUTION PERMIT FOR ITS PENNSYLVANIA PLASTICS PLANT OP-ED: FOR ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, BIDEN’S LNG DECISION CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION – AND CAUTION Solutions TEXAS EXPLORES MINI NUCLEAR REACTORS AS A POWER SOLUTION www.texastribune.org Trending LISTEN: ANA BAPTISTA ON SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT BUILDING IN ACADEMIA OP-ED: “PLASTIC PEOPLE” — A DOCUMENTARY THAT CHANGED MY VIEW ON PLASTICS GREEN TECH GETS A $6 BILLION BOOST FROM THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION From around the web 24 January AMID LNG’S GULF COAST EXPANSION, COMMUNITY HOPES TO STAND IN ITS WAY This 2-part series was co-produced by Environmental Health News and the journalism non-profit Economic Hardship Reporting Project. See part 1 here.Este ensayo también está disponible en español CAMERON PARISH, La. — Late into the night, John Allaire watches the facility next to his home shoot 300-foot flares from stacks. He lives within eyesight of southwest Louisiana’s salty shores, where, for decades, he’s witnessed nearly 200 feet of land between it and his property line disappear into the sea. Two-thirds of the land was rebuilt to aid the oil and gas industry’s LNG expansion. LNG — shorthand for liquified natural gas – is natural gas that's cooled to liquid form for easier storage or transport; it equates to 1/600th the volume of natural gas in a gaseous state. It’s used to generate electricity, or fuel stove tops and home heaters, and in industrial processes like manufacturing fertilizer. In the U.S., at least 30 new LNG terminal facilities have been constructed or proposed since 2016, according to the Oil and Gas Watch project. Louisiana and Texas’ Gulf Coast, where five facilities are already operating, will host roughly two-thirds of the new LNG terminals – meaning at least 22 Gulf Coast LNG facilities are currently under construction, were recently approved to break ground or are under further regulatory review. Although the U.S. didn’t ship LNG until 2016, when a freight tanker left, a few miles from where Cameron Parish’s LNG plants are today, last year the country became the global leader in LNG production and export volume, leapfrogging exporters like Qatar and Australia. The EIA’s most recent annual outlook estimated that between the current year and 2050, U.S. LNG exports will increase by 152%. And it’s changed local economic estimates: last year, retired Louisiana State University professor Loren Scott’s economic forecast last year predicted an additional $36 billion in oil and gas industry spending will boost local employment by 7% over just two years. Allaire, 68, watches how saltwater collects where rainwater once fed the area’s diminishing coastal wetlands. “We still come down here with the kids and set out the fishing rods. It's not as nice as it used to be,” he told Environmental Health News (EHN). That intimacy with nature drew Allaire to the area when he purchased 311 acres in 1998. An environmental engineer and 30-year oil and gas industry veteran, he helped lead environmental assessments and manage clean-ups, and although retired, he still works part-time as an environmental consultant with major petroleum companies. With a lifetime of oil and gas industry expertise, he’s watched the industry's footprint spread across Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico’s fragile shores and beyond. Now that the footprints are at the edge of his backyard, Allaire is among a cohort of organizers, residents and fisher-folk in the region mobilizing to stop LNG facility construction. For him, the industry’s expansion usurps the right-or-wrong ethics he carried across his consulting career. For anglers, oil and gas infrastructure has destroyed fishing grounds and prevented smaller vessels from accessing the seafood-rich waters of the Calcasieu River. From the view of Allaire’s white pickup truck as he drives across his property to the ocean’s shore, he points to where a new LNG facility will replace marshlands. Commonwealth LNG intends to clear the land of trees and then backfill the remaining low-lying field. “You see what’s happening with the environment,” Allaire said. “When the facts change, I got to change my mind about what we’re doing.” COMMUNITY BANDS TOGETHER John Allaire, left, purchased 311 acres in Cameron Parish in 1998, and has watched the oil and gas industry's footprint spread to his property. Credit: John Allaire During an Earth Day rally in April, community members gathered in the urban center of Lake Charles to demand local oil and gas industries help deliver a safer, healthier future for all. In between live acts by artists performing south Louisiana’s quintessential zydeco musical style, speakers like James Hiatt, a Calcasieu Parish native with ties to Cameron Parish and a Healthy Gulf organizer, and RISE St. James organizer Sharon Lavigne, who’s fighting against LNG development in rural Plaquemines Parish near the city of New Orleans, asked the nearly 100 in attendance to imagine a day in which the skyline isn’t dotted by oil and gas infrastructure. Not long ago, it was hard to imagine an Earth Day rally in southwest Louisiana at all. For decades, the area has been decorated with fossil fuel infrastructure. Sunsets on some days are highlighted by the chemicals in the air; at night, thousands of facilities’ lights dot the dark sky. “It takes a lot of balls for people to start speaking up,” Shreyas Vasudevan, a campaign researcher with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, told EHN in the days after the rally. In a region with its history and economy intertwined with oil and gas production, “you can get a lot of social criticism – or ostracization, as well – even threats to your life.” Many are involved in local, regional and national advocacy groups, including the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Healthy Gulf, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Turtle Island Restoration Network, the Center for Biological Diversity and the National Audubon Society. “YOU SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE ENVIRONMENT,” ALLAIRE SAID. “WHEN THE FACTS CHANGE, I GOT TO CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DOING.” - JOHN ALLAIRE, ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER AND 30-YEAR OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY VETERAN But environmental organizers are fighting a multi-billion-dollar industry with federal and state winds at its back. And LNG’s federal support is coupled with existing state initiatives. Under outgoing Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards — a term-limited Democrat — the state pledged a goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. Natural gas, which the LNG industry markets as a cleaner-burning alternative, is cited as one of the state’s solutions. Louisiana is the only state that produces a majority of its carbon emissions through fossil fuels refining industries, like LNG, rather than energy production or transportation. Governor Edwards’ office did not return EHN’s request for comment. This accommodating attitude towards oil and gas industries has resulted in a workforce that’s trained to work in LNG refining facilities across much of the rural Gulf region, said Steven Miles, a lawyer at Baker Botts LLP and a fellow at the Baker Institute’s Center on Energy Studies. Simultaneously, anti-industrialization pushback is lacking. It’s good news for industries like LNG. “The bad news,” Miles added. “[LNG facilities] are all being jammed in the same areas.” One rallying cry for opponents is local health. The Environmental Integrity Project found that LNG export terminals emit chemicals like carbon monoxide –potentially deadly– and sulfur dioxide, of which the American Lung Association says long-term exposure can lead to heart disease, cancer, and damage to internal or female reproductive organs. An analysis of emissions monitoring reports by the advocacy group the Louisiana Bucket Brigade found that Venture Global’s existing Calcasieu Pass facility had more than 2,000 permit violations.That includes exceeding the permit’s authorized air emissions limit to release nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds 286 out of its first 343 days of operation. The Marvel Crane, the first liquid natural gas carrier to transport natural gas from the Southwest Louisiana LNG facility, transits a channel in Hackberry, Louisiana, May 28, 2019. Credit: Coast Guard News Rather than amend its infrastructure to meet regulatory standards, Venture Global is asking the state to raise its facility’s air emissions permit limits to release an additional 833% of greenhouses gasses each year, according to the Louisiana Bucket Brigade’s January report. If approved, permitted emissions would rise to roughly 4.65 million tons, making the facility the state’s fifth-largest emitter), according to a 2021 statewide greenhouse data inventory compiled by Louisiana State University’s Center for Energy Studies. “This is just one facility,” at a time when three more facilities have been proposed in the region and state, Vasudevan said. Venture Global’s operational LNG facility — also known as Calcasieu Pass — “is much smaller than the other facility they’ve proposed.” In an area that experienced 18 feet of storm surge during Hurricane Laura in 2020 — and just weeks later, struck by Hurricane Delta — Venture Global is planning to build a second export terminal Known as “CP2,” it’s the largest of the roughly two dozen proposed Gulf LNG export terminals, and a key focal point for the region’s local organizing effort. Residents “don’t really want LNG as much as they want Cameron [Parish] from 1990 back,” Hiatt told EHN of locals’ nostalgia for a community before storms like Rita in 2005 brought up to 15 feet of storm surge, only for Laura to repeat the damage in 2020. Throughout that time, the parish’s population dipped from roughly 10,000 to 5,000. “But the wolf knocking at the door is LNG. Folks in Cameron think that's going to bring back community, bring back the schools, bring back this time before we had all these storms — when Cameron was pretty prosperous.” “Clearly,” for the oil and gas industry, “the idea is to transform what was once the center of commercial fishing in Louisiana to gas exports,” Cindy Robertson, an environmental activist in southwest Louisiana, told EHN. Helping fishers’ impacted by LNG is about “actual survival of this unique culture,” Cooke said. In a measure of organizers’ success, she pointed to a recent permit hearing for Venture Global’s CP2 proposal. Regionally, it’s the only project that’s received an environmental permit, but not its export permit, which remains under federal review. At the meeting, some spoke on the company’s behalf. As an organizer, it was a moment of clarity, Cooke explained. Venture Global officials “had obviously done a lot of coaching and organizing and getting people together in Cameron to speak out on their behalf,” Cooke said. “So, in a way, that was bad. But in another way, it shows that we really had an impact.” “It also shows that we have a lot to do,” Cooke added. Environmental organizers like Alyssa Portaro describe a sense of fortitude among activists — she and her husband to the region’s nearby town of Vinton near the Texas-Louisiana border. Since the families’ relocation to their farm, Portaro has worked with Cameron Parish fisher-folk. “I’ve not witnessed ‘community’ anywhere like there is in Louisiana,” Portaro told EHN. But a New Jersey native, she understands the toll environmental pollution has on low-income communities. “This environment, it’s so at risk — and it’s currently getting sacrificed to big industries.” “People don’t know what we’d do without oil and gas. It comes at a big price,” she added. Southwest Louisiana’s Cameron Parish is one of the state’s most rural localities. Marine economies were the area’s economic drivers until natural disasters and LNG facilities began pushing locals out, commercial fishers claim. Credit: Xander Peters for Environmental Health News Residents “don’t really want LNG as much as they want Cameron [Parish] from 1990 back,” James Hiatt , a Healthy Gulf organizer, told EHN. "But the wolf knocking at the door is LNG." Credit: Xander Peters for Environmental Health News For the most part, Cameron Parish’s life and economy has historically taken place at sea. As new LNG facilities are operational or in planning locally, locals claim the community they once knew is nearly unrecognizable. Credit: Xander Peters for Environmental Health News A DISAPPEARING PARISH The stakes are seemingly higher for a region like southwest Louisiana, which is the epicenter of climate change impacts. In nearly a century, the state has lost roughly 2,000 square miles of land to coastal erosion. In part driving the state’s erosion crisis is the compounding impacts of Mississippi River infrastructure and oil and gas industry activity, such as dredging canals for shipping purposes, according to a March study published in the journal Nature Sustainability. Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority said Cameron Parish could lose more land than other coastal parishes over the next 50 years. A recent Climate Central report says the parish will be underwater within that time frame. On top of erosion and sea level rise impacts, in August, 2023, marshland across southwest Louisiana’s Cameron Parish burned. The fires were among at least 600 across the Bayou State this year. Statewide, roughly 60,000 acres burned — a more than six-fold increase of the state’s average acres burned per year in the past decade alone. But while the blaze avoided coastal Louisiana communities like Cameron Parish, the fires represented a warning coming from a growing chorus of locals across the region — one that’s echoes by the local commercial fishing population, who claimed to have experienced unusually low yields during the same time, according to a statement from a local environmental group. At the site of the Cameron Parish fires are locations for two proposed LNG expansion projects. "THE IDEA IS TO TRANSFORM WHAT WAS ONCE THE CENTER OF COMMERCIAL FISHING IN LOUISIANA TO GAS EXPORTS.” - CINDY ROBERTSON, AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA It was an unusual occurrence for an area that’s more often itself underwater this time of year due to a storm surge from powerful storms. For LNG expansion’s local opposition, it was a red flag. As the Louisiana Bucket Brigade has noted prior, the confluence of climate change’s raising of sea levels and the construction of LNG export terminals — some are proposed at the size of nearly 700 football fields — are wiping away the marshland folks like Allaire watched wither. Among their fears is that the future facilities won’t be able to withstand the power of another storm like Laura and its storm surge, which wiped away entire communities in 2020. Amidst these regional climate impacts, LNG infrastructure has shown potential to exacerbate the accumulation of greenhouse gasses that cause global warming. For the most part, LNG is made up of methane — a greenhouse gas that’s more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Among the 22 current LNG facility proposals, the advocacy group Sierra Club described a combined climate pollution output that would roughly equal to that of about 440 coal plants. The climate impacts prompt some of the LNG industry’s uncertainty going forward. It isn’t clear if Asian countries, key importers of U.S. LNG, will “embrace these energy transition issues,” said David Dismuke, an energy consultant and the former executive director of Louisiana State University’s Center for Energy Studies. Likewise, European nations remain skeptical of embracing LNG as a future staple fuel source. “They really don't want to have to pull the trigger,” Dismukes added, referring to Europe’s hesitation to commit more resources to exporting LNG from the American market. “They don't want to go down that road.” While there will be a tapering down of natural gas supply, Miles explained, “we’re going to need natural gas for a long time,” as larger battery storage for renewables is still unavailable. “I'm not one of these futurists that can tell you where we're going to be, but I just don't see everything being extreme,” Dismukes said. “I don't see what we've already built getting stranded and going away, either.” For now, LNG seems here to stay. From 2012 to 2022,U.S. natural gas demand — the sum of both domestic consumption and gross exports — rose by a whopping 43%, reported the U.S. Energy Information Administration, or EIA. Meanwhile, in oil and gas hotbeds like Louisiana and Texas, natural gas demand grew by 116%. Throughout 25 years, Allaire has witnessed southwest Louisiana’s land slowly fade, in part driven by the same industrial spread regionally. Near where the front door of his travel trailer sits underneath the aluminum awning, he points to a chenier ridge located near the end of the property. It’s disappearing, he said. “See the sand washing over, in here?” Allaire says, as he points towards the stretches of his property. “This pond used to go down for a half mile. This is all that's left of it on this side.” Read Part 1: LNG production comes with a price, Gulf Coast communities warn Some funding for this reporting was also provided by the Wake Forest University Environmental and Epistemic Justice Initiative. Keep reading...Show less SENATOR WHITEHOUSE PUTS CLIMATE CHANGE ON BUDGET COMMITTEE’S AGENDA For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch. 29 March DOE SETS COURSE FOR OFFSHORE WIND'S INTEGRATION WITH NATIONAL GRID In a move to fortify the U.S. power supply, the Department of Energy outlines a strategy for connecting offshore wind farms to the country's electric grid. Heather Richards reports for E&E News. In short: * The Department of Energy's report suggests building vast power lines across the Atlantic to enhance the connection between offshore wind farms and onshore grids, aiming to alleviate grid congestion and improve reliability. * This integrated network could facilitate electricity flow to high-demand areas, potentially reducing consumer costs by optimizing between regions with different electricity prices. * The report highlights the need for standardizing high-voltage direct current technology across offshore wind projects to ensure compatibility and efficiency. Key quote: "Offshore wind energy is already powering more than one hundred thousand homes along the East Coast, with the potential to grow and further enhance grid reliability and reduce even more fossil fuels." — Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy Why this matters: The appeal of offshore wind energy lies in its massive potential to generate significant amounts of electricity without emitting greenhouse gases. For countries with limited land or those looking to diversify their energy mix, offshore wind farms represent an attractive solution. They can be located far enough offshore to reduce visual and noise impacts while still being connected to land-based power grids. In 2017, even the Trump administration seemed to believe in the potential of offshore wind energy. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on www.eenews.net 29 March RISING SEA LEVELS AND SINKING LANDS: A LOOMING CHALLENGE FOR US COASTAL CITIES In a recent study, Virginia Tech researchers uncover that sinking land, coupled with rising sea levels, threatens to flood 24 U.S. coastal cities by 2050, impacting half a million residents. Moriah McDonald reports for Inside Climate News. In short: * A new study by Virginia Tech researchers, published in Nature, reveals that land subsidence exacerbates flooding risks in 24 U.S. coastal cities. * By 2050, this phenomenon could affect 500,000 people and one in every 35 properties, with communities of color disproportionately impacted. * Adaptation strategies include building protective structures and preserving natural barriers, but recognizing the problem is the first step. Key quote: "It’s really a wake-up call to think about how we’re going to live with this changing interface between the land and the sea." — Robert Nicholls, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Why this matters: In coastal cities, the combination of rising sea levels and sinking land presents a dual challenge. It not only increases the risk of temporary flooding due to storm surges but also leads to permanent inundation of land that was previously above sea level. Displacement due to subsidence and flooding can disrupt social networks and lead to a loss of cultural heritage sites. The stress and uncertainty associated with living in at-risk areas can have lasting effects on mental health and community cohesion. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on insideclimatenews.org 29 March BERKELEY REVERSES ITS BAN ON NATURAL GAS IN NEW HOMES AFTER A LEGAL SETBACK Berkeley, California, has agreed to repeal its pioneering ban on natural gas hookups in new homes, a move that casts doubt on similar bans across the country. Brad Plumer reports for The New York Times. In short: * Berkeley's decision came after a legal challenge by the California Restaurant Association and a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. * The repeal raises questions about the future of over 140 similar ordinances nationwide, aimed at combating climate change. * Other cities may still pursue climate goals through building efficiency standards and alternative strategies to natural gas. Key quote: “To comply with the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, we have ceased enforcement of the gas ban. Berkeley will continue to be a leader on climate action.” — Farimah Brown, city attorney for Berkeley Why this matters: Despite this setback, options remain for local governments to encourage building electrification through building codes, air emissions standards, and regulation of natural gas distribution, provided these measures align with EPCA stipulations and other federal laws. In 2021, EHN’s Kristina Marusic presented evidence that natural gas production can be linked to lower birth weights in a national study. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on www.nytimes.com 29 March GRAY WHALES FACE A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD AFTER A SIGNIFICANT DIE-OFF A recent study suggests the dramatic increase in gray whale deaths along the Pacific Coast over the last six years may be due to a critical shortage of food in their Arctic feeding grounds. Susanne Rust reports for Los Angeles Times. In short: * The gray whale population has suffered a dramatic decline, with more than 700 whales found dead since 2018, raising questions about their survival. * Researchers pinpoint a drop in Arctic and sub-Arctic food supplies as a primary cause, though the exact reasons for this scarcity remain unclear. * This die-off provides a crucial data point for understanding and potentially addressing the challenges faced by marine life in changing oceanic environments. Key quote: "We didn’t find any evidence of anything that looks like an infectious disease. There were no telltale signs of infection of any kind." — Padraig Duignan, pathologist at the Marine Mammal Center Why this matters: Gray whales along the Pacific Coast have experienced significant die-offs, tentatively attributed to changing Arctic conditions and a decline in their primary food sources. Some researchers have observed a direct correlation between these die-offs and both the levels of Arctic sea ice and the biomass of benthic amphipods, a key food source for the whales. EHN’s coverage: The century began with a great deal of optimism around marine protected areas as tools to protect the oceans. Two decades later, conservation goals and fishing interests remain at odds. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on www.latimes.com 29 March MICHIGAN NUCLEAR PLANT GETS A FINANCIAL BOOST FOR REVIVAL A significant federal loan guarantee has been provided to restart a nuclear power plant in Michigan, signaling a shift in the U.S. energy strategy. Ivan Penn reports for The New York Times. In short: * The Biden administration offers a $1.52 billion loan to Holtec International for the Palisades plant in Michigan, aiming to keep it operational until 2051. * This initiative is part of a broader push to sustain and rejuvenate the nuclear energy sector in the U.S., amidst concerns about aging infrastructure and the high costs of constructing new plants. * Nuclear energy, a key player in the carbon-free electricity game, is seen as essential for meeting future energy demands without exacerbating climate change. Key quote: "Nuclear power is our single largest source of carbon-free electricity, directly supporting 100,000 jobs across the country and hundreds of thousands more indirectly." — Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. Energy Secretary Why this matters: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed in 2021, allocates billions of dollars towards modernizing America's power infrastructure, with a significant portion earmarked for advancing nuclear technology. This includes funding for the development of small modular reactors, which are seen as a safer, more flexible, and cost-effective option compared to traditional large reactors. Small-scale clean energy and low carbon technologies—such as solar panels, smart appliances and electric bicycles—are more likely to push society toward meeting climate goals than large-scale technologies, according to a 2020 study from a team of international researchers. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on www.nytimes.com 29 March MACRON CRITICIZES THE EU-MERCOSUR TRADE AGREEMENT FOR INSUFFICIENT CLIMATE ACTION In a recent speech, French President Emmanuel Macron slammed the current EU-Mercosur trade pact negotiations, calling for a deal with robust climate and biodiversity measures. Sarah Morland reports for Reuters. In short: * Macron highlighted the deal's lack of focus on climate change and biodiversity, urging for a renegotiation to include these crucial elements. * Despite Brazil's readiness to sign, France, citing concerns for its farmers and environmental standards, stands firm on demanding a greener agreement. * The French president emphasized the need for direct investment and international cooperation in environmental initiatives, particularly with Africa. Key quote: “There is nothing that takes into consideration the subject of biodiversity and climate – nothing.” — Emmanuel Macron, president of France Why this matters: There is a growing recognition of the importance of integrating considerations for biodiversity and climate change into trade agreements. This shift aims to ensure that global trade supports, rather than undermines, environmental sustainability and climate goals. Joe Roman argues that we need to change how we relate to wildlife, putting their health, and our own, before commercial interests. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on www.reuters.com 29 March EUROPE'S CLIMATE POLICY OPINIONS VARY AHEAD OF ELECTIONS A new survey debunks the notion of a broad green backlash against climate policies in Europe, suggesting a majority still favors more ambitious action. Rosie Frost reports for Euronews. In short: * Voters in Germany, France, and Poland show strong support for more aggressive climate policies, despite some skepticism about specific measures. * Regulatory restrictions on gas, oil heating, and internal combustion engines are unpopular, while investments in green infrastructure enjoy wide support. * Opposition to more ambitious climate action remains stable, not increasing significantly despite fears of a green backlash. Key quote: “Parties should not waste the coming months outbidding each other over how to cater to imagined climate fatigue but compete over concrete recipes to green the economy." — Survey authors Why this matters: Surveys and studies consistently show that Europeans are worried about climate change and its potential to cause natural disasters, economic instability, and health issues. Many Europeans believe that their governments and the European Union should take more aggressive measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to renewable energy sources, and invest in sustainable infrastructure. Brian Bienkowski wrote that a 2022 climate change plan in the European Union would sacrifice carbon-storing trees, threaten biodiversity and outsource deforestation. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on www.euronews.com 29 March MIDWEST STATES GRAPPLE WITH AN UNUSUAL EARLY WILDFIRE SEASON Wildfires are surging across the Midwest this spring, fueled by a notably dry and warm winter. Kristoffer Tigue reports for Inside Climate News. In short: * Midwest states are witnessing a dramatic uptick in wildfires this spring, already contending with hundreds of fires due to dry conditions. * Officials warn the recent snow and rain are unlikely to alleviate the dry spell, potentially extending the wildfire season. * With climate change influencing fire behavior, the Midwest faces longer fire seasons and more severe wildfires, challenging traditional firefighting strategies. Key quote: "We’re seeing extreme fire behavior, red flag warnings in March, which we normally don’t see." — William Glesener, wildfire operations supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Why this matters: Wildfires have grown larger and more intense in recent years, putting lives at risk and causing profound impacts on natural ecosystems and communities. From 2017 to 2021, the average annual acreage burned by wildfires in the U.S. was 68% greater than the yearly average from 1983 to 2016. This increase in wildfires is stressing budgets at all levels of government, prompting the need for better planning and mitigation measures. LISTEN: Carlos Gould on wildfire smoke and our health. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on insideclimatenews.org 29 March INDOOR FARMING'S IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT SCRUTINIZED AMID TECH ADVANCES Amid rising environmental concerns, high-tech indoor farms present a paradox, offering water-efficient agriculture that heavily relies on energy from fossil fuels. Anna Phillips reports for The Washington Post. In short: * High-tech greenhouses and vertical farms provide controlled environments for crops, potentially mitigating the impacts of climate change on agriculture. * These systems use a significant amount of energy, mainly from burning fossil fuels, to create perfect growing conditions. * The industry is growing, with an increase in greenhouse space and a notable market presence in some regions, despite the energy concerns. Key quote: "It's a lot of the same technologies you'd see in a building for human comfort, but being put to use for plants. There’s extraordinary water efficiency in these facilities, but energy is really the Achilles’ heel." — Jennifer Amann, senior fellow at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Why this matters: One of the standout benefits of high-tech indoor farming is its remarkable water use efficiency. However, the energy demands of high-tech indoor farms can be substantial. Farms powered by renewable energy sources, like solar or wind, can offer a more sustainable alternative, significantly reducing the operation's carbon footprint. In 2019, EHN visited West Coast cannabis growers committed to nudging the fledgling industry in a chemical-free, Earth-friendly direction. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on www.washingtonpost.com 29 March PIPELINE DEBATE HEATS UP IN MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN Pipeline's future stirs political waves in Michigan and Wisconsin, spotlighting a contentious debate over environmental risks and economic benefits. Rebecca Halleck and Dionne Searcey report for The New York Times. In short: * Line 5's debate straddles tribal sovereignty, environmental risks, and job prospects, underlining a significant clash between economic benefits and ecological safety. * With both states being crucial in the electoral map, the pipeline's fate might sway voters' opinions amidst broader environmental and energy discussions. * Legal challenges in Michigan and Wisconsin add to the controversy, with both states seeking solutions that address tribal rights, environmental concerns, and energy demands. Key quote: The pipeline is “a ticking time bomb in the heart of the Great Lakes.” — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Why this matters: Stretching more than 645 miles and carrying millions of gallons of oil and natural gas liquids daily, the pipeline's potential for catastrophic leaks poses significant risks to the Great Lakes region, a critical source of fresh water for millions and a biodiverse ecosystem. Proponents of the pipeline, including some labor groups and industry advocates, argue that Line 5 is essential for sustaining thousands of jobs and is critical for the regional economy, supplying refineries and providing energy resources. Native tribes argue that the pipeline's operations infringe upon their sovereign lands, violating treaty rights established over centuries. These communities emphasize the importance of preserving their ancestral territories not just for cultural reasons but also for their inherent environmental value. Keep reading...Show less Read the Full Article on www.nytimes.com Worth Repeating 'PM 2.5 exposure from wildfires was more deadly, and longer-lasting, than fine particle pollution from other urban sources.' 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