Climate Change Solutions - April 13, 2021

Welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

Last week the Biden-Harris Administration introduced a budget for fiscal year 2022 that includes "major new climate change investments—an increase of more than $14 billion compared to 2021—across nearly every agency...". The budget reflects the all-of-government approach to tackling climate change of the new administration. Some of those call-outs include:

• $1.7 billion for energy retrofits for homes, schools, and Federal buildings
• $1 billion for leading-edge research and development, including a new "Advanced Research Projects Agency for Climate"
• $936 million for a new Accelerating Environmental and Economic Justice Initiative for the Environmental Protection Agency
• An increase of more than $450 million to facilitate climate mitigation, resilience, adaptation, and environmental justice projects in Tribal communities
• $300 million in new investments in the next generation of agriculture and conservation, including support for private lands conservation, renewable energy grants and loans, and the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps

In the spirit of Earth Month, we sat down with EESI founder and former Congressman Richard L. Ottinger to get his perspective on climate action over the years.

We also dove into the world of plastic waste in our latest podcast episode. With help from award-winning reporter and producer, Emma Schwartz, we gained valuable insight on where our plastic waste ends up and how to improve domestic plastic recycling.

Also, we explored how new legislation plans to support coal communities on the road to decarbonization and the pathways for decarbonizing the industrial sector. And if you missed the American Council on Renewable Energy Policy Forum, we've got you covered with a 3-part article series breaking down the key panels. 

And don't miss our latest intern reflection - this time from Guille Pelaez and her time as a development intern in 2017.

Have a climate solution? Send tips to Solutions editor Amber Todoroff!
 

Headlines EESI Co-Founder and Former U.S. Representative Richard L. Ottinger Reflects on Congress and Climate Change [3 min. read] Ahead of Earth Day 2021, the EESI team caught up with EESI co-founder and former U.S. Representative Richard L. Ottinger. He was one of the earliest environmentalists in Congress when first elected in 1964 and is still passionate about his work on climate change solutions, including through his service as EESI's Board Chair Emeritus. Click to read our conversation with him! [click for more]   Coal Community Investment Bill Seeks to Drive a Just Transition to Clean Energy [3 min. read] Rapid nationwide decarbonization is essential to meet emission reduction goals, but communities with coal-dependent economies are already suffering from the energy and economic transition.  Recent proposed legislation seeks to address the disparities coal-dependent communities face and help mitigate the shock from the coal industry’s decline. In early March, Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced the American Jobs in Energy Manufacturing Act of 2021 (S.622), which would provide $8 billion in tax credits to spur domestic clean energy manufacturing while supporting targeted job creation in affected rural communities. [click for more]   House Energy Committee Explores Industrial Climate Policies in CLEAN Future Act [5 min. read] Cement, iron, steel—the industrial sector produces goods and raw materials present everywhere in our everyday lives. Over 22 percent of U.S. and global climate emissions are from the industrial sector, which spans hundreds of industries—from chemicals to aluminum—and relies on a large quantity of energy and heat. This wide-ranging diversity, combined with its global nature, makes the industrial sector particularly challenging to decarbonize. On March 18, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing, The CLEAN Future Act: Industrial Climate Policies to Create Jobs and Support Working Communities, about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial sector. [click for more]   All About ACORE: EESI Breaks Down Key Panels  On March 10 and 11, industry and government leaders convened online for the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Policy Forum. Speakers included key policymakers such as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, as well as several energy experts in the public and private sectors. Seeking ways to drive a just transition to a clean energy future, panelists discussed advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion; developing smarter tax policies; and upgrading nationwide infrastructure while repowering the economy. Read each part in this article series: Part 1: Building a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Renewable Energy Workforce [3 min. read] Part 2: Tax Policies for the Energy Transition [4 min. read] Part 3: Priorities for an Infrastructure Plan [3 min. read]

On the Hill   From March 29 to April 9, Congress introduced a total of 38 bills, resolutions, and amendments related to environmental and energy topics. All legislation introduced during this period was in the House.   Highlights   Congress experienced a lull in introducing legislation and holding committee hearings, as members of both the Senate and House were occupied by state and district work over the last few weeks. Nonetheless, a few bills were introduced in the House during this period, some of which dealt with environmental justice issues. For example, H.R.2434 and H.R.2397 propose cumulative impact assessments as a tool for environmental justice and enhanced regulatory action by federal agencies. Other bills introduced during this period address the topic of waste. Among these, H.R.2396 and H.R.2238 seek to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to improve the safe disposal of coal combustion residuals and single-use plastics, respectively. See EESI's full environmental legislative tracker for March 29-April 9 here.

EESI News, Briefings and Fact Sheets   Reflections - EESI Internship Set Guille Pelaez on a Path to a Career in Energy Workforce Development [3 min. read] Guille Pelaez was an EESI Development intern in the summer of 2017. According to Pelaez her "experience was so valuable, from learning about the fundraising side of a nonprofit to witnessing nonpartisan commitment to climate action and a clean energy future." Click to read more about her experience and how it set her up for her career! [click for more] Podcast - Episode 11: Can I Recycle That? A Look into the Plastic Economy In 2018, 36 million tons of plastic was produced in the United States. But where does this plastic end up? And is it all recyclable? These are the questions Dan and Sydney explored in this week’s episode—with help from Emma Schwartz, an award-winning reporter and producer. Schwartz and her team worked extensively on this topic for their recent Frontline film, Plastic Wars. [click for more]

EESI Around Town   EESI's fossil fuel subsidies factsheet was cited by CBC News, Upstream Online, and The Houston Chronicle.   A coalition letter co-led by EESI in support of $25 million for the Rural Energy Savings Program was covered by Daily Energy Insider.   Upcoming Events   Protecting Vulnerable Communities from Climate Impacts April 16, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm EST Online Climate events like sea-level rise, extreme precipitation, and dangerous heatwaves and cold snaps—like the one Texas recently endured—stress already vulnerable affordable housing stock and disproportionately impact low-income, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. This briefing hosted in coordination with the National Housing Trust and the Natural Resources Defense Council (national partners with the Energy Efficiency for All project) discusses the challenges and opportunities involved in protecting physically and socially vulnerable communities from the worst impacts of climate change.  RSVP here! Climate Adaptation and Resilience: The Road to COP26 April 19, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm EST Online Join us for a briefing on raising global ambition to fund and implement climate adaptation and resilience. During Earth Day week, the Biden-Harris Administration will host the Leaders Summit on Climate and will unveil its new greenhouse gas reduction goal—the U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution—under the Paris Agreement. This briefing will highlight the complementary global efforts to advance climate adaptation and resilience in the lead-up to COP26. RSVP here! Rethinking Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: Policies and Programs to Address Waste April 20, 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm EST Online Join us for a briefing on local, state, and federal policies and programs as well as new technologies that will make you rethink waste management, who is responsible for waste, and whether waste is worthless. The United States generates nearly 300 million tons of municipal solid waste per year—or almost one ton of waste per person, the most per capita in the world. About half of this waste ends up in landfills, which account for 15 percent of human-caused domestic methane emissions and threaten local water sources with toxic liquid. This briefing will feature speakers from cities, states, and the private sector working to reduce and reuse a variety of waste types. Experts will discuss their programs and the policies that are helping them succeed. RSVP here!   Federal Policy for Mitigation and Adaptation Win-Wins April 30 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST Online Lowering greenhouse gas emissions is critical to mitigating the effects of climate change over the long term, but communities are already experiencing the impacts of a changing climate. This briefing, the fourth in EESI's Congressional Climate Camp Series, will discuss federal policy to support strategies that accomplish both mitigation and adaptation goals to maximize climate responsiveness and preparedness. Speakers will be announced soon. RSVP here! Building to Zero May 17-20 Online This Electric Power Research Institute event will address decarbonization, affordability and productivity with ambitious, equitable and community-centered solutions. Read the agenda here and RSVP here! EESI is a media partner for this event. Reuters Transform USA 2021 May 4-5 Online Sustainability is no longer at the fringes of business strategy; it is intrinsic to any successful business’s future. We know what we need to do, and why, the question now is "how." The world’s most forward-thinking leaders will bring their passion, experience, and expertise to guide you through the most business-critical issues so that you can forge a robust and achievable roadmap to make your business clean, resilient, and just. RSVP here! EESI is a media partner for this event. Thank You to EESI Team Members for Their Contributions to Climate Change Solutions: Sydney O'Shaughnessy - Layout, Design, and Content Editor Amaury Laporte - Communications Director As well as all EESI Staff, Interns, and Fellows who write and review content!   Environmental and Energy Study Institute  Daniel Bresette, Executive Director   EESI is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan Congressional caucus to provide timely information and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path.   www.eesi.org                 CFC #10627