Climate Change Solutions - June 22, 2021 | Newsletter

Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

Today, get to the root of urban wood waste and see how one Michigan town is utilizing dead and diseased trees. Also, read how Montgomery County, Maryland, is continuing its climate planning virtually and how super-polluting hydrofluorocarbons are being phased down nationally.

We also spotlight the White House's big funding push for the Rural Energy Savings Program.

And don't miss our latest podcast episode with Anna Weber from the Natural Resources Defense Council discussing how the establishment of a National Disaster Safety Board could help nationalize disaster planning and preparedness, saving lives and money.

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

Headlines Turning Urban Wood Waste into Local, Sustainable Opportunities [3 min. read] When the emerald ash borer—an invasive beetle native to Asia—began killing thousands of city trees in Michigan, locals were left with few options to deal with the resulting wood waste. However, an innovative program called Urbanwood found a way to utilize the leftover wood waste in a way that stimulates local economies and supports Michigan communities. The program partners with local woodworking producers and businesses to reclaim urban wood waste and turn it into high-quality, sustainable wood products. [click for more]
	Montgomery County, Maryland, Brings Climate Planning to Life—Virtually [3 min. read] Creating a local-level climate adaptation plan is complicated and may be hard for people to understand. Montgomery County is trying to make the process more accessible by showcasing it on a virtual, interactive platform. On the website, you can read climate plan materials in seven languages, view climate science maps, share climate artwork and music, and much more. [click for more]
	EPA’s HFC Phasedown: How Regulatory Heat Is Advancing the Coolant Industry [4 min. read] On May 3, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a phasedown of the production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in appliances like refrigerators, heat pumps, and air conditioners, as it implements the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020. [click for more]
	Podcast: Episode 16 -- People Over Property: How a National Disaster Safety Board Will Save Lives [23 min. listen] Natural disasters upend communities every year, leaving people without vital resources like food and shelter. Climate change is only making these disasters more frequent and severe. Join us this week with NRDC Senior Policy Analyst Anna Weber as we explore how the establishment of a National Disaster Safety Board could help nationalize disaster planning and preparedness, saving lives and money. [click for more]

On the Hill

From June 7 to 18, Congress introduced several bills related to ocean and coastal issues as part of Capitol Hill Oceans Week the second week of June. H.R.3764 would advance ocean-based climate solutions, make coastal communities more resilient, and conserve and restore ocean and coastal habitats, biodiversity, and marine populations. H.R.3817 aims to improve coastal resilience by allowing states to participate in regional ocean partnerships. H.R.3748 would improve data collection and monitoring of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts.

Additionally, five bills related to water protection passed the House, including H.R.610, H.R.1144, and H.R.1921, which would protect the San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, respectively, and H.R.2008, which would reauthorize funds for nonpoint source pollution management.

Other notable bills include:

H.R.2477 would provide support for urban forests
H.R.3956 would provide for the continued implementation of the Climate and Health program by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
S.2085 would establish fees for carbon dioxide, provide rebates to low and middle income Americans, and invest in fossil fuel and environmental justice communities
S.2064 would direct the Secretary of the Treasury to issue Clean Energy Victory Bonds

See EESI's full environmental legislative tracker for June 7-11 here.
And see EESI's full environmental legislative tracker for June 14-18 here.

EESI News, Briefings and Fact Sheets

	White House Pushing for Major Expansion of Rural Energy Savings Program [4 min. read] Rural households pay an outsized amount of their income on energy costs, meaning that efficiency improvements and other cost-effective energy upgrades are badly needed. The Biden-Harris Administration’s $6 trillion budget request for Fiscal Year 2022 contains a $22 million request for the Rural Energy Savings Program, which can finance a wide variety of cost-effective energy upgrades for rural homes and businesses, such as weatherization, new HVAC, distributed renewable energy, electric vehicle charging stations, fuel switching, and much more. [click for more]
	Briefing: Towards the Energy System of Tomorrow As renewable energy infrastructure is scaled up across the country, moving that energy from where it is generated to the people who will use it is critical to meeting the country’s decarbonization goals. This briefing also covered how the transmission network can be constructed and maintained to maximize ecosystem conservation, respect Tribal lands, and increase the resilience of neighboring communities. Click to read the highlights now! [click for more]
	Put Your Donor-Advised Fund to Work for Climate Solutions! Do you have a donor-advised fund (DAF), and are you looking to help further equitable climate solutions? DAFs can be a great way to direct funding to the nonprofits you care about. The 2021 #HalfMYDAF challenge was created to encourage donors to grant out half the funds in their DAF by October 19—to power the causes they care so much about! [click for more]

EESI Around Town

EESI's High Speed Rail Fact Sheet was cited by Forbes.

Executive Director Daniel Bresette and Development Director Susan Williams were recently guests on a segment for KPC Radio.

Executive Director Daniel Bresette was quoted in a recent article by IHS Markit.

Upcoming Events

RESCHEDULED: Leveraging Grid Edge Integration for Resilience & Decarbonization
June 25
12 -1:30PM EST

From grid-integrated buildings to electric vehicles, today’s energy system is rapidly expanding and transforming—especially at the “grid edge.” Briefing panelists will discuss policy opportunities such as a federal energy efficiency resource standard, state level efforts, and the nexus between buildings, transportation, energy storage, and the grid. RSVP here.

Electrification 2021
Virtual forum series

This summer, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is holding a series of virtual forums to enable comprehensive collaboration and informative exchanges on electrification solutions.

A Net-Zero Energy System for All (June 28-30)

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

Sydney O'Shaughnessy - Layout, Design, and Content Editor

Emma Johnson - Communications Associate

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

Table Of Contents

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