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.

ICYMI – LCV’s Interactive Timeline of Trump’s First 100 Days

QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

“Never in LCV’s history have we taken this step. The permanent protections President Obama established for the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans were won with years of research, lobbying and organizing. Offshore drilling and the associated threat of devastating oil spills puts coastal economies and ways of life at risk while worsening the consequences of climate change. Now, President Trump is trying to erase all the environmental progress we’ve made, and we aren’t about to go down without a fight.”

• Gene Karpinski, President of LCV, on the decision to launch LCV’s first legal challenge

“This budget deal shows that the public’s opposition and outcry against Donald Trump’s radical agenda to favor polluters over health and safety is having real results. His unconscionable cuts to the EPA, clean energy funding, and regional watershed programs—as well as his proposal to build an immoral and anti-environmental border wall—were all rejected for now. We applaud the members of Congress who stood strong against these threats.”

• Alex Taurel, LCV Deputy Legislative Director, on the budget deal

“Today’s decision may make it easier for President Trump and Scott Pruitt to scrap the Clean Power Plan and allow unlimited carbon pollution to spew from power plants, fueling climate change and endangering the health of everyone in this country. However, it does nothing to change the fact that our government has an obligation to limit carbon pollution and fight climate change. The court may let President Trump and Scott Pruitt off the hook for their dangerous delay tactics, but we won’t.”

• Sara Jordan, LCV Legislative Representative, on the US Court of Appeals decision to stop work on a case concerning the Clean Power Plan

LCV IN THE NEWS

AOL: Leading scientists for Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls Panel: Climate change is serious threat
Bloomberg: Trump’s Arctic Plan Challenged by Environmental Groups
WaPo: ‘It can’t just be a march. It has to be a movement.’ What’s next for climate activists?
WaPo: Environmental groups sue Trump administration over offshore drilling
International Business Times: Hog Farms Spray Pig Urine, Feces Into Air Around North Carolina’s Black Communities
HuffPost: Senate Democrats Introduce Bill To Completely Ditch Fossil Fuels By 2050
ThinkProgress: New effort aims to inspire the next generation of pro-environment women candidates
Greenville News: COMMENTARY: Clean air, water aren’t free

THIS WEEK

NOT A DRILL: LCV Launches its First Legal Challenge on Trump’s Drilling Order

For the first time ever, LCV launched a challenge this week to fight President Trump’s efforts to expand offshore drilling. LCV is joining with other conservation and Alaska Native groups in the suit. The lawsuit argues that Trump’s order oversteps constitutional and statutory authority by reversing President Obama’s permanent protections for areas of the Arctic and Atlantic.

A DEEPER LOOK AT EPA… AGAIN: Pruitt Accused of Improper Involvement in Suits

Senators Carper, Whitehouse, Booker, Markey, and Harris sent a letter to Administrator Pruitt accusing him of violating his own ethics agreement. The letter alleges that Pruitt failed to seek proper authorization before becoming involved in a case regarding ozone standards set by the Obama administration. Pruitt had been involved in this case as a plaintiff while Oklahoma Attorney General and had agreed to recuse himself from litigation in which he represented Oklahoma for one year after being confirmed unless given consent by federal officials. This was the second time in five weeks that Pruitt had been accused of breaking his word.

TAKING TO THE STREETS: People’s Climate March Draws Hundreds of Thousands

On Saturday, LCV joined hundreds of thousands of marchers and took to the streets of Washington, DC at the People’s Climate March to protest the Trump administration’s climate policies. Starting at the Capitol, demonstrators marched to the White House to make their voices heard. Marchers expressed support for various environmental issues through chants and creative signs. Two activists from LCV’s CHISPA program spoke at the kickoff press conference and closing rally. Following the march, LCV hosted a training with EMILY’s List and other environmental groups to train the next generation of female, pro-environment lawmakers.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: Kids Suing Over Climate Head to the White House

A group of kids, ranging in age from 9 to 21, who are suing over the need to act on climate change, participated in the People’s Climate March on Saturday. The kids joined thousands of people in Washington, DC to advocate for stopping climate change and to protest the Trump administration’s policies.

GEORGIA’S ALWAYS ON MY MIND: Atlanta Strives for 100% Clean Energy by 2035

Joining a growing list of U.S. cities that are going green, Atlanta approved a measure that requires the city to get all of its electricity supplies from renewable sources, including wind and solar power, by 2035. Atlanta is now the 27th city to pledge a 100% clean energy goal.

COMING UP

“Monumental” Rally This Saturday in Utah: Interior Secretary Zinke is expected to be met by hundreds of public lands supporters in Salt Lake City on Saturday ahead of his visit to the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah.  The protections enjoyed by these and other majestic and culturally-important public lands are at risk of being eliminated as part of the unprecedented review Zinke is undertaking of America’s national parks and monuments.

All Eyes on Paris: Rumors continue to fly about whether President Trump will attempt to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement with more meetings reportedly coming next week.

One Week to Go: Polluter allies have one week left to force a Congressional Review Act vote on BLM’s methane rule, which reduces dangerous air pollution from the oil and gas industry on public lands while reducing the waste of a taxpayer resource.