Industry and consumers push back against moves to dismantle Energy Star program

Decades after launching one of the federal government’s most widely used energy-efficiency programs, the Trump administration is now seeking to eliminate Energy Star as part of a broader rollback of environmental protections.

Elizabeth Kolbert reports for The New Yorker.

In short:

The Energy Star program, established in 1992 and credited with major energy savings and emissions reductions, is reportedly on the chopping block under the Trump administration’s restructuring plans for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The proposal has prompted widespread pushback from businesses, cities, and lawmakers, with over a thousand groups urging continued funding, citing the program’s low cost and large financial benefits to households.
The move is part of a broader federal effort to dismantle climate-related policies, including lawsuits against states with local climate initiatives and cuts to scientific climate programs and databases.

Key quote:

“I think what we’re seeing is they’re going after programs because they’re popular. They’re going after programs because people will notice, because they are in the process of repudiating the social contract.”

— Joe Goffman, former head of the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation under Joe Biden

Why this matters:

Energy Star is a voluntary labeling system that helps consumers identify energy-efficient products, from refrigerators to water heaters. Its blue label is one of the few widely recognized government signals in the marketplace, guiding millions of purchases and encouraging manufacturers to exceed minimum efficiency standards. Killing the program undermines an initiative that slashes electricity use and carbon emissions with minimal taxpayer investment.

www.newyorker.com

Credit: Jesse Schoff/Unsplash

A new wildlife assessment shows alarming declines and a few bright spots

An update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, the global scientific authority on the status of species, underscores the immense challenges facing species in a world transformed by humans but also offer exciting new evidence of how the right interventions can help them survive.

Read the Full Article on

www.nytimes.com

Industry and consumers push back against moves to dismantle Energy Star program

Researchers are reanimating 40,000-year-old microbes

A new wildlife assessment shows alarming declines and a few bright spots

'Not up for discussion': Brussels rejects Washington's pressure on climate rules

Senate nixes management plans to open access for fossil fuels

Inside Trump’s foray into mineral ownership

The hidden cost of ultra-processed foods on the environment: ‘The whole industry should pay’

This data scientist sees progress in the climate change fight

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.

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.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

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

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

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.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

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