All articles tagged with #environmental regulations
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson criticized the Supreme Court for appearing to favor corporate interests in a case challenging EPA's vehicle emissions regulations, raising concerns about the court's impartiality and the influence of moneyed interests, though her dissent was countered by other justices and legal experts.
President Trump proposed increasing US auto tariffs to protect domestic auto manufacturing and signed legislation repealing California's electric vehicle sales mandate, including stricter pollution standards, citing support for American industry despite environmental concerns and opposition from automakers and environmental groups.
President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to expedite environmental and other regulatory approvals for companies investing $1 billion or more in the U.S., though details on bypassing traditional processes remain unclear. This move aligns with Trump's broader agenda to boost domestic oil and gas production and reduce regulatory barriers, despite criticism from environmental groups and experts who warn of potential setbacks to public health and climate progress.
The General Motors EV1, the first modern mass-produced electric vehicle from a major automaker, was a pioneering car that introduced technology still used in today's EVs. Despite its innovative design and passionate fanbase, GM produced only about 1,000 EV1s before discontinuing the model in 1999, largely due to changing environmental regulations and high production costs. Most EV1s were eventually destroyed, but the car's legacy lives on as a precursor to the current electric vehicle market, with GM and other automakers now fully embracing EV technology.
SpaceX is set to conduct another test of its Starship rocket, aiming to accelerate its development despite environmental regulatory challenges. The Trump administration's potential easing of these regulations could facilitate more frequent launches, aligning with Elon Musk's vision of making humanity a multiplanetary species. However, environmental groups are concerned about the ecological impact of the launches and are pursuing legal action to ensure compliance with environmental laws.
Former President Donald Trump has selected Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with plans to significantly roll back climate regulations. This move aligns with Trump's broader agenda to reduce federal oversight on environmental issues, potentially impacting climate change policies.
US oil executives are optimistic about Donald Trump's expected rollback of environmental regulations, which they believe will benefit the industry. Despite Trump's promises to boost oil production, analysts predict that production levels will not significantly increase due to investor focus on returns over growth. While Trump's deregulatory push may lower prices at the pump, it could also negatively impact the US shale sector. The industry hopes for legislative reforms to streamline permitting processes, but large oil companies are expected to continue efforts to reduce emissions.
President-elect Donald Trump plans to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement and open national monuments for drilling, according to reports. His transition team, including former officials David Bernhardt and Andrew Wheeler, is preparing executive orders to reduce federal land protections and eliminate environmental justice offices. Trump aims to promote fossil fuel production and reduce regulations, reversing policies from the Biden administration. He also intends to appoint an "energy czar" and terminate a permit pause on new natural gas export terminals.
Donald Trump has pledged to dismantle Biden's climate policies, focusing on deregulating the oil and gas industry. This includes rolling back rules on methane emissions and lifting pauses on liquefied natural gas exports. While industry leaders support these changes, environmental advocates warn that undoing these regulations could take years and face significant legal challenges. The shift is expected to create "regulatory whiplash" and impact smaller energy operators.
The California Supreme Court has ruled in favor of UC Berkeley's plan to build student housing on People’s Park, dismissing a lawsuit from neighborhood groups and activists who argued the project violated environmental regulations and would create excessive noise. The decision, influenced by a new state law AB 1307, allows the university to proceed with constructing 1,100 student beds and 100 supportive beds for formerly homeless residents, addressing a significant housing shortage.
Ahead of the EU elections, far-right groups are mobilizing farmers across Europe to protest against environmental regulations that they claim threaten traditional farming practices. These protests, supported by parties like the Flemish Interest and figures like Hungary's Viktor Orban, highlight the political divide between environmentalists and populist forces. The demonstrations aim to challenge the EU's Green Deal climate pact, which seeks to make the bloc climate-neutral by 2050 but has faced backlash from the agricultural sector.
Senate Democrats have launched an investigation into an alleged quid pro quo offer from Donald Trump to oil executives, where he reportedly promised to roll back environmental regulations in exchange for $1 billion in campaign contributions. The investigation, led by Senate budget committee chairman Sheldon Whitehouse and Senate finance committee chair Ron Wyden, seeks details from eight oil companies and the American Petroleum Institute. The API dismissed the probe as a distraction, while Trump continues to seek campaign funding from the fossil fuel industry.
Senate Democrats have initiated an investigation into former President Donald Trump's alleged offer to oil executives to roll back environmental regulations in exchange for $1 billion in campaign donations. The probe, led by the Senate budget and finance committees, targets petroleum firms whose executives reportedly attended an April dinner where Trump made the proposal. The investigation underscores concerns about potential abuses of power and the influence of big oil on policy decisions.
A coalition of 25 state attorneys general, led by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, filed a legal challenge against the Biden administration's recent environmental regulations targeting gas-powered car emissions and promoting electric vehicles. The challenge, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, seeks to declare the new rules unlawful, arguing that they impose unworkable emissions standards and force expensive EVs on families, workers, and farmers. The regulations, which aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, have faced criticism from various state officials, lawmakers, and industry groups, as well as a decline in the share of Americans considering an EV purchase.
The Biden administration has increased the royalties that fossil fuel companies must pay for drilling on public lands, marking the first rate hike in a century. This move aims to end the historically low fees enjoyed by the industry and align federal rates with those charged by states and private landowners. The new rules, part of a broader push for environmental protection and renewable energy expansion, are expected to raise costs for fossil fuel companies by about $1.5 billion through 2032.