Powered by RebelMouse

A 1960s effort to ban gas-powered cars offers lessons for today

In the late 1960s, California Senator Nicholas Petris nearly succeeded in banning gas-powered cars, a battle echoing today’s climate debates.

Scott W. Stern reports for Grist.

In short:

  • Nicholas Petris pushed for a ban on gas-powered cars in California starting in 1975, responding to growing concerns over smog and air pollution.
  • Despite initial ridicule, Petris’ bill passed the state Senate but was ultimately defeated due to intense lobbying by the auto industry.
  • The movement to phase out gas cars gained traction nationwide, influencing future emissions standards.

Key quote:

“The damage has been done The car is now looked upon like some kind of dangerous drug.”

— San Jose car dealer, reflecting on public sentiment

Why this matters:

The struggle to phase out gas-powered cars has a long history, revealing that industry resistance and public advocacy play critical roles in environmental change efforts.

Related:

grist.org
industrial power grid infrastructure
Credit: Aldward Castillo/Unsplash+

Pennsylvania study aims to identify power plant sites that can be reactivated

Funded with a $2 million federal grant, the program involves utility regulators and the nonprofit Team Pennsylvania.
Read the Full Article on www.wesanews.org
A view of downtown Los Angeles, California with palm trees in the forefront
Credit: Getty Images/Unsplash+

Latest climate report warns of major upheaval to California way of life

The dire projections come from the state’s Climate Change Assessment, which analyzes the impacts of changing weather patterns on the nation’s most-populous state.
Read the Full Article on www.nytimes.com
An aerial view of a sandy beach and a cliff
Credit: Gantas Vaičiulėnas/Unsplash+

A California town’s beaches are washing away. Can its residents turn the tide?

Rapid coastal erosion threatens coastal homes and economies, and as Super El Niño rounds the corner, a town is reckoning with the reality of climate crisis
Read the Full Article on www.theguardian.com
A baker placing baked goods on a tray
Credit: Pablo Merchán Montes/Unsplash+

How a Colorado bakery is using ancient grains to save water

As climate change brings hotter temperatures, worsening droughts and increasingly unreliable water supplies to the American West, Colorado farmers are turning to ancient grains and heirloom crops that require less water and can withstand harsh growing conditions.

Read the Full Article on coloradosun.com
A view of a beach with ice built up on the shore and in the water
Credit: ehrlif/Big Stock Photo

Great Lakes ice cover is shrinking fast. A century of data reveals why

The amount of ice on the Great Lakes has declined rapidly over the past four decades, but a warming climate might not be the only explanation for freezing fluctuations during the last century.
Read the Full Article on bridgemi.com
A bison standing in a field filled with grass and rocks
Credit: Colin + Meg/Unsplash+

Indigenous leaders have climate solutions. This group helps them get funding

The Indigenous Earth Fund recently awarded $1 million to Native-led projects that aim to restore the planet.
Read the Full Article on yaleclimateconnections.org
A seal or otter carrying a fish in a brown river
Credit: Getty Images/Unsplash+

Biodiversity crisis: Nature's collapse threatens humanity

Human activity is driving plants and animals to extinction at an unprecedented rate. As countries meet in Armenia to discuss ways to reverse nature loss, Deutsche Welle reveals how declining biodiversity is already harming people.

Read the Full Article on www.dw.com
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

www.ehn.org
Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

www.ehn.org
Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

www.ehn.org
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

www.ehn.org
silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

www.ehn.org
wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

www.ehn.org
Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.