Climate Change Solutions - March 30, 2021 | Newsletter

Welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

Of special note in environmental news, today is the first White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Meeting (WHEJAC), established by the Biden-Harris Administration's January Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis.

The Council will be providing recommendations to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council on how to address current and historic environmental injustices. Members of the WHEJAC were announced yesterday.

In this issue of CCS, we've outlined current federal programs assisting veterans in the transition to a green workforce, highlighted Virginia's plan to enhance coastal resilience, and dialed in on a new floating solar project in North Carolina.

Also, catch up with our Congressional Climate Camps in our latest podcast episode. If you like our podcast, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing.

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

Headlines Federal Programs Support Diverse Environmental Workforce Opportunities for Veterans [5 min. read] Veterans transitioning out of service bring a suite of valuable skills to the environmental field. Numerous federal programs offer opportunities in land management, agriculture, and conservation, helping to transition veterans to civilian careers while addressing the need for skilled workers in the natural resource field. Click to read about federal programs supporting veterans in transition to the low-carbon workforce. [click for more]
	Virginia’s Proactive Plan to Tackle Coastal Resilience [5 min. read] Virginia's shoreline spans over 7,000 miles, and its riverine coastal region is home to over 70 percent of its population, critical military and industrial infrastructure, unique ecosystems, Indigenous communities, and several historical sites of national importance. In October 2020, Governor Ralph Northam’s administration released the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Planning Framework, a comprehensive approach to coastal planning and adaptation. Read further to learn more about the Framework and what it means for Virginia's coasts. [click for more]
	Floating a New Solution for Solar Deployment [4 min. read] At the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina, the solar installation planned for 2021 may look different from a standard solar farm – the panels will float on water. Floating solar panels, dubbed “floatovoltaics,” can conserve land and water, and are often more efficient than land-mounted solar power. Click to read more about the project. [click for more]
	Podcast - Episode 10: ICYMI: Congressional Climate Camp 3: Lessons Learned from Past Congresses and Current Attitudes on Climate [17 min. listen] This week, Dan and Sydney discussed the key takeaways from the third Congressional Climate Camp, condensing the 2-hour briefing into just 20 minutes. Perfect for people who missed the briefing but still want to catch up with it on the go! [click for more]

On the Hill

From March 15 to 26, Congress introduced a total of 120 bills, resolutions, and amendments related to environmental and energy topics. Of these, 51 were in the Senate and 69 in the House. Committees in both chambers held several relevant hearings during this period.

Highlights

Many bills introduced during this period address waste management. For example, S.984 seeks to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act in order to reduce the production and use of single-use plastics. H.R.2101 offers a directive to the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants to zero-waste projects. Several other bills deal with issues related to water, including S.953, which plans to improve the reliability of water supplies and enhance drought preparedness, and H.R.2202, which repeals an exemption for hydraulic fracturing in the Safe Drinking Water Act.

On the topics of waste and water, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing entitled “Examining the Challenges Facing Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects,” discussing climate resilience, research and development, and workforce training in the context of enhancing U.S. wastewater infrastructure.

See EESI's full Senate environmental legislative tracker for March 15-26 here.

See EESI's full House environmental legislative tracker for March 15-26 here.

EESI Briefings and Fact Sheets

	News - Thank You for Making EESI a Top-Rated Nonprofit, for the 11th Year in a Row! [2 min. read] EESI is excited to announce that it has been awarded the GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Award again, for the 11th year in a row! So far, EESI is one of only two environmental nonprofits in Washington, D.C., to have earned a Top-Rated Award in 2021. [click for more]
	Briefing - Energy Efficiency Means Business Hear from experts about how federal energy efficiency programs create jobs and deliver direct meaningful savings to constituent homeowners, consumers, and businesses—all while reducing the stresses and strains on our energy system. Making investments in energy efficiency also encourages productive public-private partnerships and collaboration, improves the sustainability and resilience of our communities, and contributes to meaningful, near-term reductions in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. [click for more]
	Catch up with our Congressional Climate Camp Briefing Series EESI has had three Congressional Climate Camp briefings so far covering a wide variety of issues related to climate and legislation, catch up on them here: Congressional Climate Camp #1: Budget, Appropriations, and Stimulus Congressional Climate Camp #2: Federal Policies for High Emitting Sectors Congressional Climate Camp #3: Lessons Learned from Past Congresses and Current Attitudes on Climate

EESI Around Town

Executive Director Dan Bresette was featured in an Accuweather video about how extreme weather impacts low-income communities.

Senior Associate Miguel Yanez was quoted in a recent article in the Earth Island Journal on community energy projects in Scotland.

EESI's aviation fact sheet was cited in a recent article by MENAFN.

Upcoming Events

Expanding Clean Energy and Electrification Opportunities in Rural America
April 8
Online

As Congress begins to consider legislation to invest in infrastructure and mitigate the impacts of climate change, the Rural Energy Savings Program provides a successful model that leverages the community power of cooperatives to invest in change. RESP provides zero-interest 20-year loans to electric cooperatives or other eligible entities to make energy efficiency upgrades to individual households at no or very limited up-front cost to the resident.

This discussion will highlight some of the successes of the Rural Energy Savings Program and further opportunity as Congress considers infrastructure legislation.

RSVP here!

Federal Policy for Mitigation and Adaptation Win-Wins
April 30
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

Table Of Contents

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