Climate Change Solutions - January 18, 2022 | Newsletter

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Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

This is our first issue of 2022, and we are excited to start a new year keeping you up-to-date on climate policy on Capitol Hill and across the country.

Last week, EESI hosted our first briefing of the new year: Innovation as Climate Action: Advances in Weather Forecasting. An expert panel discussed how federal agencies collaborate with the private sector to advance climate action, inclement weather preparedness, and environmental justice.

If you missed last month's briefing series on upstream waste reduction, be sure to check out our article on its takeaways to get a full recap.

This issue also covers the $2.5-million Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize recently launched by the Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, bayscaping and other nature-based solutions to stormwater pollution in the Chesapeake, and a reflection article from former intern Mel Barnard.

Speaking of interns, please join us in welcoming EESI's new interns for the Spring 2022 semester - Emilie Austin of American University and Grace Parker of UNC-Chapel Hill. Welcome to the team, Emilie and Grace!

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

Starting on January 24, EESI will be operating from a new office. Please be sure to update your records! Our new address will be:
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
1020 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036

Headlines How Can the U.S. Tackle Waste? Key Takeaways from EESI's Reduce and Reuse Briefing Series [6 min. read] There's a reason "reduce" and "reuse" come before "recycle" in the famous environmental slogan. In the last briefing series of 2021, Reduce and Reuse: How to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Building Materials, Plastics, and Food, seven experts explained the climate impacts from the production of these materials and shared insights into policy mechanisms and resources that can be used to reduce upstream waste and increase material reuse. If you missed the three-part briefing series, read this article for some of the main takeaways. [click for more]
	New American-Made Challenge Prize Calls for Inclusive Energy Innovation [4 min. read] The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently launched a $2.5-million Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize as part of the American-Made Challenges program. The prize is intended to both reduce emissions and improve equity in renewable energy. [click for more]
	D.C. RiverSmart Homes Program Helps Protect the Chesapeake Bay Watershed [5 min. read] In response to an EPA mandate aimed at reducing pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment created technical assistance a program encouraging local residents to use nature-based solutions to stormwater pollution. [click for more]

On the Hill

January 3-14 Congress held hearings on hydropower and electric vehicles, referred a series of bills introduced in December to committee, and introduced legislation to strengthen air quality monitoring.

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing, Implications of Electric Vehicle Investment for Agriculture and Rural America. In the Senate, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on opportunities and challenges for hydropower.

H.R.6336 aims to prevent, suppress, and help communities recover from wildfires through fire management plans for federal lands and enhanced fire-fighting equipment. H.R.6147 would reestablish the Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative (DALCI). DALCI helped farmers and landowners in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin improve drinking water quality and mitigate flooding.

Additionally, Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) introduced the Technology Assessment for Air Quality Management Act (S.3507) which would provide $55 million over five years to the Environmental Protection Agency to update and expand its Air Sensor Toolbox.

See EESI's full environment and energy legislative trackers for January 3-7 and January 10-14.

EESI News, Briefings, and Fact Sheets

	Briefing: Innovation as Climate Action: Advances in Weather Forecasting EESI's first briefing of 2022 took place on January 12. Experts discussed the policies and programs that guide public-private partnerships, emerging weather forecasting technologies, and new business models enabling the government to more effectively tap into private-sector innovation. Watch the recording and download presentations here.
	Briefing: Reduce and Reuse: How to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Building Materials, Plastics, and Food Written highlights are now available for EESI's three-part briefing series on the climate impacts of waste: Building Materials: From Production to Reuse The Climate Consequences of Plastic Reducing Emissions by Reducing Food Waste
	Intern Reflections: When I Was an EESI Intern... [3 min. read] Former EESI intern Mel Barnard shares how their time with EESI helped focus their career goals, and discusses the importance of paid internships like EESI's. [click for more]
	Fact Sheet: Climate, Environmental, and Health Impacts of Fossil Fuels [6 min. read] The use of fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—results in significant climate, environmental and health costs that are not reflected in market prices. These costs are known as externalities. This fact sheet provides a survey of some of the externalities associated with fossil fuels. [click for more]

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EESI Around Town

EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette was quoted in a piece from Denver 7 local news about the Ford F-150 Lightning and what it means for the electric vehicle market.

Upcoming Events

Electrification 2022: Collaborating for a Clean-Energy Future
March 14-17

EESI is proud to be a supporting organization for the Electric Power Research Institute’s Electrification 2022 Conference & Exposition, March 14-17 in Charlotte, North Carolina. See old friends in the industry and make new ones, as EPRI resumes in-person collaboration on e-mobility, buildings and industrial applications—seeking solutions for a net-zero economy that work for everyone.

Keep at the forefront of our decarbonizing society with immersive pre-conference workshops, three executive-level plenary sessions with star speakers, 35 content-rich breakout sessions in seven tracks, and an exhibit hall showcasing the latest technology. Stay for the closing party at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Register by January 31 to receive discounted rates! #ElectricTogether

Thank You to EESI Team Members for Their Contributions to Climate Change Solutions:

Emma Johnson and Alison Davis - Layout, Design, and Content Editors

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

Climate Change Solutions - January 18, 2022

Featuring content on waste, weather forecasting, and nature-based solutions

Table Of Contents

Thank You to EESI Team Members for Their Contributions to Climate Change Solutions: