Pollution “May Not Discriminate,” but the Louisiana Federal Court Judge Sure Does
Welcome back (after the long break) to Data for Climate Progress — your one-stop shop for all things climate at Data for Progress.
Welcome back (after the long break) to Data for Climate Progress — your one-stop shop for all things climate at Data for Progress. Catch us here every month for our latest climate polling, juicy insights, and can’t-miss reading lists.
As always, we’d love to hear from you — drop us (Grace Adcox and Catherine Fraser) a line at gracea@dataforprogress.org and catherine@dataforprogress.org. Forwarded this email? You can subscribe below.
The Green New Deal and Sen. Ed Markey Aging Like Fine Wine
Five years since Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Green New Deal in February 2019, new polling from Data for Progress finds that it is — still — incredibly popular. Sixty-five percent of voters support the Green New Deal, including 85% of Democrats and 64% of Independents. And Americans want their members of Congress to support it, too. Sixty-two percent of voters want their member to cosponsor the Green New Deal when it’s introduced this session of Congress. That includes a level of support among Democrats largely reserved for puppies, Dolly Parton, and buttered toast: 82%. Democratic members holding out on a GND — we have one question for you: What are you waiting for?!
SEC Weighs Requiring Businesses to Consider Existential Threat to Humanity
In March 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a climate disclosure rule, which would require some businesses to include information about potential climate-related financial risks in their financial reporting statements. Nearly two years later, the SEC appears poised to announce the final rule. Our recent survey with Unlocking America’s Future finds two-thirds of voters support the proposed SEC rule on climate disclosures, including 80% of Democrats, 65% of Independents, and 55% of Republicans.
Wondering What Wyoming, Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado Think About Carbon Removal? We Thought So.
In a new report with our friends at the National Wildlife Federation, we assess public perceptions of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in these four key states. We find that CDR technologies have strong support across all four states, though most voters are largely unfamiliar with CDR. In addition, we find that voters:
1️⃣ favor projects that meaningfully engage communities;
2️⃣ are split over whether the federal government or states should have primacy over underground carbon storage; and
3️⃣ support turning captured carbon dioxide into long-lived materials and are more skeptical of permanent underground CO2 storage.
The Green New Deal is 5!
DFP’s Climate Team raised a glass to the Green New Deal’s fifth birthday with a legendary climate champion from Massachusetts, Sen. Ed Markey.
Bet You Can’t Say This Five Times Fast: Progressive Political Economy of Carbon Removal
Our Senior Resident Fellow for Climate Innovation, Celina Scott-Buechler, sure can, though. She joined a February 13 panel celebrating the release of American University’s Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal new report – you guessed it – Agenda for a Progressive Political Economy of Carbon Removal, which she co-authored.
The report takes stock of the emerging carbon removal industry, and the potential for the industry – in its current form – to replicate past harms and injustices of development projects. Then, the authors chart a path for a just and progressive future carbon removal industry, where carbon removal is a tool to advance climate action, justice, democratic participation, and more. You can read the report here.
Prefer some pop culture with your carbon removal? Check out Grist’s feature on the report, “Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl flight shows what’s wrong with carbon removal.”
NWF, DFP, CDR Set to Compete at 2024 Paris Acronym Olympics
DFP’s Grace Adcox joined the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Sarah Kallgren and Dr. Simone Stewart, along with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s Rebecca Triche, to discuss DFP and NWF’s joint new report, Public Perceptions of Carbon Dioxide Removal in Wyoming, Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado, in a webinar hosted by the NWF this month.
Pollution “May Not Discriminate,” but the Louisiana Federal Court Judge Sure Does
Following a scathing federal ruling in Louisiana made by Judge James D. Cain that bars the EPA and DOJ from continuing their investigation into whether state agencies violated the civil rights of residents in St. James Parish, a new report from Data for Progress takes a look into how the parish ended up being known as “Cancer Alley” to this day. The report cites previous investigations and research from the likes of the EPA, Amnesty International, and even the United Nations demonstrating how residents in the parish have suffered from years of systematic and environmental racism due to egregious policy decisions made by the state of Louisiana. The report also finds that 56% of voters disagree with the recent ruling, including 73% of Democrats, 53% of Independents, and 44% of Republicans.
In response to EPA’s dropped investigation and Louisiana’s federal court ruling, RISE St. James’ Founder and Director Sharon Lavigne said it best:
“Hearing about Cancer Alley is one thing, seeing it is another. I started telling the EPA about all the people who were dying. They were overwhelmed with all the information I was giving them.
“We went to EPA because the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) isn’t helping us at all. In fact, LDEQ is fighting to put this plant two miles from our home. They should be helping us, we’re citizens. We are the people, we should be protected. And Louisiana is not protecting us and that’s why we went to the EPA.
“They dump everything in Cancer Alley. I think they want us to die. I think they want us to give up our land or just die. They want to come in here, take over St. James Parish, and build industry all along here. But they don’t realize that people live here.
“I blame our local leaders. I blame our state leaders for poisoning us and trying to take our lives. EPA doesn’t live here. We live here. State and local leaders should stand up for us, but they’re in the pocket of industry.”
Seriously, Judge James D. Cain, you could have done better!
Huge shoutout to both Grace and Catherine for this feature and their help on this project!
Five Years of the Green New Deal, by Sen. Edward J. Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
The Messy Truth of America’s Natural Gas Exports, by Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins (Shift Key)
Recycling Doesn’t Work—and the Plastics Industry Knew It, by Kate Aronoff (The New Republic)
Utility Workers Union Joins Push for Public Power on Long Island, by Julia Rock (New York Focus)