environmental justice
Newsletter
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California exempts prisons from workplace heat protections despite risks to inmates
California prisons are excluded from new indoor heat regulations, raising concerns as extreme heat poses a growing risk to incarcerated workers.
In short:
- Many California prisons, built in hot areas without air conditioning, expose inmates to severe heat during work, risking illness and death.
- New state heat regulations exclude prisons due to cost concerns, though advocates urge immediate protections for inmates.
- Proposition 6, a November ballot measure, seeks to end forced prison labor and related punishments.
Key quote:
“It’s all about restoring human decency and monetizing rehabilitation over exploitation.”
— Lawrence Cox, advocacy and organizing associate, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
Why this matters:
Inmates face growing dangers from heat as climate change worsens. Without proper workplace protections, health risks and deaths will likely rise in already overheated prisons. Forced labor under unsafe conditions raises legal and ethical concerns.
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Newsletter
Indigenous leaders urge SEC to examine fracking firms in Patagonia
The Mapuche Confederation of Neuquén has asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate environmental risks posed by fracking in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta region.
Katie Surma and Keerti Gopal report for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The Mapuche Confederation delivered a letter to the SEC calling for a probe into the environmental and cultural harm from fracking operations in Patagonia.
- The letter highlights methane gas leaks, fracking-induced earthquakes and toxic emissions affecting local communities.
- The Mapuche also allege that U.S.-listed oil companies violate environmental practices abroad that they follow in their home countries.
Key quote:
"Our culture is threatened, our territories are invaded and contaminated, our flora and fauna are poisoned, our air is affected by chemicals and our soil is shaking at the same time as uncontrolled exploitation."
— Co-signers of the letter, including Jorge Nawel, leader of the Mapuche Confederation of Neuquén
Why this matters:
Fracking in Vaca Muerta threatens both the environment and the health of Indigenous communities. The Mapuche are urging greater transparency to ensure that U.S. investors are informed about the risks linked to these operations.
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Newsletter
Trump targets Biden and Harris over hurricane response in Georgia visit
Former President Donald Trump plans to tour hurricane-stricken Georgia, criticizing the Biden administration's response to the disaster.
In short:
- Trump accused President Biden and Vice President Harris of inaction during Hurricane Helene while campaigning in Pennsylvania.
- Trump will receive a briefing in Georgia and distribute relief supplies, while Biden plans to visit impacted areas later in the week.
- Both Biden and Harris expressed condolences and outlined federal disaster support, but Trump framed their efforts as insufficient.
Key quote:
“I know that everyone here sends their thoughts and prayers for the folks who have been so devastated by that hurricane and the ensuing events, in Florida, in Georgia, the Carolinas and other impacted states.”
— Vice President Kamala Harris
Why this matters:
Reality check: The Biden administration has approved disaster declarations designed to help storm survivors get the resources necessary to begin recovery efforts.
Democrats point to Project 2025, which powerful Trump supporters and funders endorse, as evidence that a second Trump administration would gut FEMA and funding for federal flood insurance. During his time as president, Trump rolled back more than 100 rules and policies meant to protect the environment and address climate change and climate-warming emissions.
Read more: The climate impact of a potential second Trump term
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Newsletter
Credit: Daniel Bone/Pixabay
Leonard Leo’s group criticizes efforts to educate judges on climate issues
A rightwing think tank tied to Leonard Leo is accusing a nonprofit’s climate change seminars for judges of unfairly influencing the judiciary to favor climate lawsuits.
In short:
- The Environmental Law Institute’s (ELI) Climate Judiciary Project offers neutral education to judges on climate science for use in related litigation.
- The American Energy Institute (AEI), a pro-fossil fuel think tank, alleges that the program unfairly supports plaintiffs in climate cases, releasing a report claiming bias.
- AEI’s report was edited and promoted by CRC Advisors, a PR firm chaired by Leonard Leo, known for shaping the conservative US judiciary.
Key quote:
"ELI’s seminars are giving judges the ABCs of climate change, which is a complicated subject that they ought to know about."
— Kert Davies, director of special investigations at the Center for Climate Integrity
Why this matters:
Climate-related litigation could hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their role in the climate crisis. Efforts to educate judges about climate science may be key to ensuring fair and informed legal outcomes in these cases.
Related: After Supreme Court ruling, judges take the lead on environmental regulation
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Newsletter
Credit: digimax/Big Stock Photo
Alaska Native community moves to escape climate-driven permafrost loss
Alaska’s Newtok village is relocating to Mertarvik after climate change destroyed homes and infrastructure by melting permafrost and eroding coastlines.
Rick Bowmer and Mark Thiessen report for The Associated Press.
In short:
- Erosion and melting permafrost have devastated Newtok, forcing its remaining residents to relocate to a new site, Mertarvik.
- The move, which began in 2019, marks one of the first large-scale climate-driven relocations of an Alaska Native village.
- The relocation faces high costs and logistical hurdles, with other villages facing similar climate threats but no clear funding for moves.
Key quote:
"Living with my great-grandmother was all I could remember from Newtok, and it was one of the first houses to be demolished."
— Ashley Tom, former Newtok resident
Why this matters:
Alaska is warming faster than the global average, threatening Indigenous communities' homes, culture and way of life. Without long-term solutions and funding, these relocations may only be the beginning of widespread displacement across the Arctic.
Related: Melting Alaskan permafrost releases dangerous mercury levels
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Credit: jaddingt/Big Stock Photo
CNX’s controversial fracking study sparks debate in Pennsylvania
CNX Resources claims their fracking operations pose no public health risks based on a self-funded study, but climate activists argue the findings contradict peer-reviewed science and past reports of harm to nearby residents.
In short:
- CNX Resources, a major Pennsylvania gas producer, released a study downplaying health risks from fracking, sparking criticism from environmentalists.
- The study comes as CNX seeks federal funding for a hydrogen project, but opponents argue it overlooks proven health hazards from fracking, such as polluted air and water.
- Activists and researchers question the study’s scientific rigor, arguing that its findings are not supported by long-term or comprehensive data.
Key quote:
"CNX’s radically dishonest and irresponsible fracking report fails the fundamental tests of scientific integrity."
— Alex Bomstein, executive director of Clean Air Council
Why this matters:
Fracking has long been linked to serious health risks, particularly in communities near drilling sites. As CNX pushes to secure public funds, critics fear that flawed data may lead to environmental and public health sacrifices for the sake of industry profits.
Related EHN coverage:
- A Pennsylvania fracking company with more than 2,000 environmental violations was selected for federal environmental justice funding
- Fracking chemicals “imbalance” the immune system
- Fractured: The body burden of living near fracking
- Fractured: Harmful chemicals and unknowns haunt Pennsylvanians surrounded by fracking
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Newsletter
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Aging infrastructure and climate change leave power grid vulnerable
Climate change and poor maintenance of the power grid are intensifying wildfires like the 2024 Smokehouse Creek fire, which devastated Texas, destroyed homes, and took two lives.
In short:
- The Smokehouse Creek wildfire, sparked by a utility company’s equipment, burned over a million acres and killed two people in Texas.
- Experts say the U.S. power grid is outdated, built for less extreme weather, and vulnerable to the growing impacts of climate change.
- Public ownership of utilities is being debated as a possible solution to rising energy costs and the push for a greener grid.
Key quote:
“The grid in the United States is not built for significant weather events. It's built for normal everyday usage based on a climate of the 1950s or 1960s. The increased heat is contributing to outages and causing challenges of extreme heat for utility workers.”
— Jim Harrison, director of renewable energy at the Utility Workers Union of America
Why this matters:
As climate change drives more extreme weather, aging power infrastructure increases the risk of catastrophic events like wildfires. Without major upgrades to the grid, the U.S. faces rising costs, energy instability and public safety concerns.
Read more: Heat waves threaten power grid stability with potential blackouts
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