Climate Change Solutions - March 29, 2022 | Newsletter

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Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

This high-powered issue covers a new book on how emissions differ between barrels of oil—and what that means for policy—and a Senate hearing on challenges and opportunities facing hydropower. We also profile the innovative financing mechanisms being used in electrify every building in Ithaca, New York.

Also, check out the next a-maize-ing installment of our five-part series on sustainable agriculture, focusing on no-till farming and its benefits for soil and climate.

But that's not the final straw. The Climate Conversation podcast covers nature-based farming in Puerto Rico featuring local experts Dr. Gladys Gonzalez Martinez and Dr. Katia Avilés-Vázquez.

And we received a dispatch from former EESI intern Joseph Glandorf reflecting on how his time at EESI helped him find his place in the climate justice movement.

Have a climate solution? Send tips to Savannah Bertrand!

Senior Policy Associate and Solutions Editor Amber Todoroff will be leaving EESI this week—Amber has been a crucial part of EESI's policy work over the past three years, including guiding the content and publication of this newsletter every two weeks. Thank you Amber for all of your hard work and wishing you all the best!

Headlines Q&A: How Measuring the Differences Between Barrels of Oil Improves Climate Policy [6 min. read] A recently published book, No Standard Oil: Managing Abundant Petroleum in a Warming World, unveils new research into the ways oil and gas chemical compositions and operations differ between extractive sites, processing facilities, and shipping modes, with some products having a much more significant climate impact than others. EESI sat down with the author, Deborah Gordon, who is also a member of our Advisory Board, to discuss her research and its public policy and private sector implications. [click for more]
	Senate Committee Highlights Opportunities to Advance Hydropower [3 min. read] Hydropower provided 7.3 percent of the total electricity generated in the United States in 2020, enough to power 7 million homes. Aging infrastructure, bureaucratic hurdles, and declining reservoir levels have hampered the upkeep and development of this energy resource. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee recently held a hearing to discuss these issues along with potential solutions. [click for more]
	Ithaca’s Creative Approach to Financing Carbon Neutrality Goals [4 min. read] Last November, Ithaca’s city council voted to decarbonize and electrify all buildings in the city through a new Efficiency Retrofitting and Thermal Load Electrification Program, thereby taking a major step towards its carbon neutrality goal. Ithaca, New York, was the first city in the country to commit to fully decarbonizing and electrifying all its buildings, and relied on innovative financing mechanisms to leverage private capital for the projects. [click for more]
	Article Series: Agriculture and Climate No-Till Farming Improves Soil Health and Mitigates Climate Change [4 min. read] The climate crisis and years of unsustainable farming practices in the United States have resulted in soil erosion, pollinator loss, farmworkers and livestock exposed to extreme heat, and other adverse impacts. No-till farming is one of the many sustainable agricultural practices that can help farmers mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. This article is the third in EESI’s five-part series on sustainable agricultural practices and supporting policies. [click for more]

On the Hill

Between March 14 and March 25, there were hearings on public transportation and the 2023 Farm Bill and new bipartisan environmental legislation was introduced.

The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee held a hearing to review opportunities for advancing public transportation under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L.117-58). The law authorizes up to $108 billion over the next five years to support federal public transportation projects such as replacing transit vehicles with low- and no-emissions models.

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that could be included in the 2023 Farm Bill to help mitigate climate change. To learn more about agriculture and climate, check out EESI’s article series on policies and practices supporting sustainable agriculture.

Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and David Rouzer (R-N.C.) introduced the bipartisan Championing Local Efforts to Advance Resilience (CLEAR) Act (H.R.7178) which would create a new grant program to establish and maintain state and tribal resilience offices and develop and implement resilience planning.

Additionally, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) reintroduced a bipartisan bill (S.3906) that would help small businesses access broadband internet. To learn more about broadband access, check out EESI’s issue brief, Closing the Digital Divide: How Rural Broadband Benefits Communities and the Climate.

See EESI's full environment and energy legislative trackers for March 14-18 and March 21-25.

EESI News, Briefings, and Fact Sheets

	Answering the Call to Climate Action as an EESI Intern [3 min. read] Joseph Glandorf was a policy intern with EESI in the fall of 2020. He says: "My time at EESI helped me dive deeply into environmental and climate policy, enabling me to feel more closely and personally connected to this work and identify what I find most meaningful within it." Read his full intern reflections to see what he is up to now! [click for more]
	Briefing: Climate Adaptation Programs across Agencies In the third edition of our Agencies in Action briefing series, panelists discussed adaptation-focused federal programs administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and other agencies, and why these programs are important for districts across the country. If you missed the briefing, you can watch it here. Written highlights will be published soon!
	New Podcast Episode! How Puerto Rico’s Food Sovereignty is Rooted in Sustainable Agriculture [33 min. listen] In Puerto Rico, sustainable agriculture practices are helping residents regain food sovereignty and break free from the roots of colonialism. Investing in and supporting the farmers who are cultivating these techniques will help Puerto Ricans reduce their dependence on foreign imports, help make food systems more resilient to extreme weather, bolster the local economy, and provide more options for a healthy diet. [click for more]

We couldn't have done it without you!

Because of your kind and generous reviews, EESI has been named a 2022 Top-Rated Nonprofit by the highly-acclaimed GreatNonprofits for the 12th year running!

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to a sustainable, resilient, and equitable future!

EESI Around Town

EESI's fact sheet on the growth in greenhouse gas emissions from commercial aviation was cited in an article in CNN about the climate impact of flights detouring to avoid Russian airspace.

An EESI article on rural EV adoption was cited in a piece from Business Insider about efforts in the public and private sectors to increase access to EV charging stations in rural areas.

Upcoming Events

Justice40: The Path Forward for the Administration's Environmental Justice Initiative
Friday, April 8
1:00pm - 2:30pm

In January 2021, President Biden signed "Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad." The executive order launched a new initiative, Justice40, which aims to target 40 percent of the benefits from specific federal investments—such as those for clean energy, energy efficiency, and water infrastructure—to “disadvantaged communities.”

During this briefing, experts will discuss the transformative potential of Justice40 as well as the current status of the initiative. Panelists will describe the wide range of benefits frontline communities could realize from fair and just implementation of the initiative. RSVP here.

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 - March 29, 2022

Featuring content on oil emissions, hydropower, and sustainable agriculture

Table Of Contents

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