©2024 League of Conservation Voters
Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. Be sure to follow LCV on Facebook and Twitter.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
“Let’s make sure President Trump and Secretary Zinke listen to the public for a change and not just the polluters — that’s the message… Keep public lands in public hands.”
“We urge Congress to reject these dirty spending bills filled with harmful anti-environment policy riders and instead pass clean bills that offer justice to communities burdened by pollution and already impacted by the climate crisis—bills with robust funding to safeguard our air, water, lands.”
“Climate security is national security – this shouldn’t be up for debate. The Pentagon has long warned that climate change is a grave threat to our national security, and the Secretary of Defense says climate change threatens our military readiness today. Now even a bipartisan majority of Congress agrees – showing just how out of step President Trump and his polluter allies are in their efforts to put polluter profits ahead of our health and national security.”
“During the 2017 legislative session, Nevada lawmakers passed 11 bills that will usher in a renewed era of energy development for our state. All but two were signed into law by Gov. Brian Sandoval. These bills ranged in their purpose and intent, but together they will achieve what we have long sought — expanded access to clean energy and its benefits for all Nevadans, a welcome sign for low-income residents and communities of color dedicated to energy conservation and looking for reprieve from high utility costs.”
LCV IN THE NEWS:
Huffington Post: Senators to Trump: Hands Off America’s National Monuments
Washington Post: Trump’s monumental decisions, by the numbers
Business Insider: RANKED: The 10 best US senators for the environment
Hoy: Cámara Baja quiere recortar 528 millones de dólares en medioambiente
ThinkProgress: 46 Republicans buck party to help Democrats take down anti-climate action amendment
OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY:
Las Vegas Sun (NV): State can take lead on climate change
Las Vegas Review Journal (NV): Interior’s inbox fills with comments on national monuments review
Crain’s New York (NY): Skyrocketing tunnel cost | Mayor’s pricing calculus | A mere suggestion
Manhattan Times (NY): Transportation agenda released for candidates
SCV News (CA): Public Overwhelmingly Supports Keeping Monuments Intact
Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV): Groups, Senate Democrats urge Trump to keep monuments intact
Nevada Independent (NV): Public Comment Closes, Wait Begins for Decision on National Monuments
Albuquerque Journal (NM): More Than A Million Across U.S. Comment on Monument Reviews
Los Alamos Daily Post (NM): Heinrich, Udall On Support For National Monuments
CBS Denver (CO): Bennet Blasts Trump Administration Over Monuments Review
MILLIONS OF COMMENTS URGE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO KEEP PUBLIC LANDS IN PUBLIC HANDS: Throughout the 60 day comment period for the Trump administration’s “review” of national monuments, the Department of the Interior received more than 2.7 million comments in support of keeping existing protections in place for all monuments. Through the Our Lands, Our Vote campaign, LCV members submitted over 340,000 comments — making it clear that communities will not stand idly by while the Trump administration continues to attack public lands and waters. At the close of the comment period, LCV joined environmental allies and Senators Heinrich, Bennet, Cantwell, Cortez Masto, Schatz and Udall to call on the Trump administration to listen to the overwhelming public support for national monuments that help define who we are as a country The pressure is now on the Trump administration to listen to the broad coalition of people in this country who are opposed to this unprecedented review. But don’t just take our word for it — stories about the public pressure on the administration blanketed local TV and appeared in papers around the country. Read more here:
Huffington Post: Senators to Trump: Hands Off America’s National Monuments
Reuters: U.S. Interior Department Receives Over 2 Million Comments on Monument Review
Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV): Groups, Senate Democrats urge Trump to keep monuments intact
Nevada Independent (NV): Public Comment Closes, Wait Begins for Decision on National Monuments
CBS Denver (CO): Bennet Blasts Trump Administration Over Monuments Review
Albuquerque Journal (NM): More Than A Million Across U.S. Comment on Monument Reviews
Los Alamos Daily Post (NM): Heinrich, Udall On Support For National Monuments
CLIMATE SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY: A bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives affirmed this week that “climate change is a direct threat to the national security of the United States” by voting to defeat an amendment to remove that language from the National Defense Authorization Act. While this shouldn’t be up for debate to begin with, acknowledging climate change as a national security threat is a step in the right direction. The Pentagon has long warned that climate change is a grave threat to our national security, and the Secretary of Defense says climate change threatens our military readiness today. Now 46 Republican members of Congress agree, showing just how out of step President Trump and his polluter allies are in their efforts to put polluter profits ahead of our health and national security.
SIREN: TRUMP FILLS HIS SWAMP WITH OIL: A new investigation out from the New York Times and ProPublica is full of damaging information on the Trump administration’s appointees to teams created to roll back government regulations. All in all, the investigation found that there are 71 current administration appointees with deep industry ties and 28 who have potential conflicts of interest. In keeping with the administration’s prioritization of the interests of corporate polluters, the investigation found that appointees at the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency met privately and regularly with industry representatives.
IS THIS REAL LIFE? Sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between a day in the Trump administration and an episode of Saturday Night Live. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt did his best Melissa McCarthy impersonation this week while talking about his administration’s actions (or lack thereof) on climate change. Between launching senseless red herring attacks on Germany, a longtime U.S. ally, and pushing forward the idea that the country needs a televised debate on the widely accepted science of climate change, Pruitt did himself no favors and did nothing to improve the administration’s credibility on environmental issues.
PUSHBACK ON THE CLEAN WATER RULE REPEAL HEATS UP: EPA head Scott Pruitt has made no bones about his plans to roll back the Clean Water Rule and jeopardize the health of our waterways. Across the country, people are standing up to fight back. From Montana to Maine to Iowa to Colorado, the Trump administration’s commitment to padding the pockets of corporate polluters at the expense of our communities and businesses is being met with sharp rebuke.
BONUS READ: NEVADA LEADS ON CLEAN ENERGY: Despite the Trump administration’s complete leadership failure on energy, Nevada has been blazing a path to a new era of clean energy development. The Nevada legislature passed eleven bills this summer that take action on climate change and take concrete steps towards clean energy development, and all but two were signed into law by Governor Brian Sandoval. LCV’s Chispa and Climate Action programs in Nevada and the Nevada Conservation League worked to drive support for these measures.
WHY IT MATTERS: On Wednesday, a piece of ice larger than Delaware broke off from Antarctica, creating the largest iceberg ever. The threat of climate change is very real, and events like these illustrate just how damaging the harmful effects are. The breaks in the arctic ice shelf have grown progressively larger since 1995, underscoring just how important it is to take action on climate change before it’s too late.
COMING UP:
NEXT WEEK — LCV will be participating in Latino Conservation Week next week. Be sure to keep an eye out for what’s to come! #LCW2017
July 26th — The comment period for the Commerce Department’s review of marine monuments and sanctuaries closes.
©2024 League of Conservation Voters