April Fools!! Happy Friday everyone! In this month's issue, we'll hear from a long time friend of the newsletter, Max Kent, as he gives us an overview of the Green Jobs market.  Next up, we'll take you through some headlines from this past month; you're definitely going to want to click the link to our blog to read all of them. Last, but certainly not least, we'll take you through the next period in environmental policy that was shaped by some crazy environmental disasters.  Enjoy!

Wage Percentiles for Green Jobs / Image courtesy of Max Kent

Featured Writer - Max Kent

This month’s featured writer is Maxwell Kent. Max currently resides in Washington D.C. where he works as a state and local policy analyst. He graduated from Macalester College in 2020 after studying political science, economics, and data science. He went on to earn a Masters in Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse, with a specialization in data analytics. He is interested in economic and social impact analysis, particularly in ways that benefit environmental sustainability. During his free-time he loves running, exploring the city, cooking new foods, and digging into data on a range of topics.

Max takes an interest in all things data, especially when they converge on economic and environmental impacts. His piece this week dives into the Green Jobs market with some really cool and insightful data and trends from one of the fastest growing industries. Covering everything from salary ranges to overall job growth, the data Max presents and the conclusions that are drawn demonstrate something that we already knew; green jobs are on the rise! If you’ve considered getting into the industry, wondered what it would be like, or even simply curious as to what constitutes a ‘green job,’ click the link below to read Max’s full piece!

Interested in being a Featured Writer? Fill out this survey and let us know!

Weekly Headlines

United Nations to Draft Plastic Pollution Treaty by 2024 (AP, Reuters, Yale360)

• UN negotiators came to an agreement earlier this month to create a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution by 2024.

• The agreement will cover the entire lifecycle of plastics; production, use and disposal.

• Included in the agreement is a possibility for a full ban on single use plastics, signaling a stern approach to the growing issue.

State of Union Speech Touches on Climate Action (Associated Press, Insider, CNN)

• Earlier this month, Biden addressed the nation in a State of the Union speech that touched on Russia, COVID, inflation and climate change.

• The climate portion of his talk focused on the infrastructure law and the jobs that will go along with updating the country’s outdated infrastructure, including his national network of EV charging stations.

• By passing portions of the unsuccessful Build Back Better Act, Biden claimed that families could save $500 per year through tax credits, clean energy production and EV price reductions.

• However, not all parties were satisfied as climate groups continued to call on the administration for further climate action.

Climate Impacts Include Pond Hockey, Pregnant Women and the Iditarod (19thNews, AP, Anchorage Daily)

• Among other obvious impacts, climate change has already begun impacting our daily lives for those of all ages and demographics.

• The most recent IPCC report included a section on how climate change is dangerous for maternal and fetal health; primarily extreme heat and natural disasters.

• Meanwhile, warmer temperatures have led to a drop in lake ice around the country and less than ideal conditions for winter traditions such as the Iditarod.

Extreme Weather, Drought, Flooding and Heat Now Widespread (The Guardian, AP, Reuters, New Humanitarian, The Hill)

• Both the Arctic and Antarctic have seen temperatures 50°F or more above average in unprecedented heatwaves.

• The Great Barrier Reef has been observed in yet another mass coral bleaching event and scientists are not sure if it will survive this one.

• Meanwhile, a tropical cyclone in Mozambique has impacted 400,000 while a four year drought and deforestation are turning Madagascar farmland unusable.

• If these headlines sound like you are reading a doomsday scenario, you’re correct (and these are just the ones I decided to include).

Warming Winters with Less Snowpack Harms Fight Against Wildfires (AP, Climate Signals)

• Each winter, controlled burns in the American West are crucial to fighting wildfires during the fire season.

• Snowpack allows teams to use controlled fires to reduce the fuel density on forests and reduce a firestorm’s explosive potential.

• However, warmer and shorter winters, combined with less snow has made this task more complicated and less effective.

To read more headlines from this week, and maybe even crack the code to love, click below.

Pond hockey on Nick's backyard pond rink / Image Courtesy of Nick Moore

Environmental Policy 1975-1979

Dearest ClimateRoots readers,
 

We hope spring has sprung wherever you are!

In this month's issue, we are continuing on our exploration of domestic environmental policy, but this time we will be focusing on the years 1975-1979 and two major environmental disasters that shaped what the public was focused on. Most of the major policies that were passed during this time were amendments to acts we have already covered in previous issues (check them out here), but there are a few gems you probably have never heard of! Lets jump into it: 

1975- Cutting Aid to Polluters

Following the success of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, the EPA passed regulations that require “... federal agencies withhold contracts, grants or loans to industrial and manufacturing plants…” that violate the standards set in place by the Clean Air Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (OA US EPA, 1975 Press Release). Additionally, any violating facilities or organizations were placed on a list by the EPA and in collaboration with the states. The EPA stated they planned to, “…use the list of violating facilities primarily as a tool to bring about voluntary compliance with clean air and water standards from any organization desiring to receive Federal funds” (OA US EPA, 1975 Press Release). 

1976- The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

The Toxic Substances Control Act is meant to protect the public from risk or injury due to the production, importation and use of toxic chemicals. Specifically, TSCA gives the EPA the power to, “require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures” (OP US EPA). Some of the major chemicals that are regulated under the TSCA are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, radon and lead-based paint. 

Besides the policies that were enacted or updated during this period, 1975-1979 saw two massive environmental disasters. The Love Canal disaster of 1978 sparked national outrage when residents of Love Canal, NY discovered that the town was “...contaminated by buried leaking chemical containers…” (OA US EPA). The story of Love Canal began in the early 1940s, when the Hooker Chemical Company, a producer of chlor alkali products, began dumping their chemical waste in Love Canal. By 1952, the Hooker Company had dumped 22,000 tons of chemical waste into the canal (OEC - Timeline of Events at Love Canal). In 1953 the Hooker company sold the Love Canal property to the Board of Education of Niagara Falls for approximately one dollar. They did so under the condition that they would not be responsible for “... any future damages due to the presence of buried chemicals”(OEC - Timeline of Events at Love Canal). By 1955, the school board had built and opened the 99th Street Elementary School and sold the remaining land to citizens of Love Canal to build new residences. It wasn’t until the late 1970s that the presence of the buried chemicals was brought to the attention of the  public, with increased precipitation in the year prior causing the already rusted chemical drums to burst, causing decades old chemical waste to reach the surface. President Carter declared the situation a state of emergency and eventually relocated 700 families, after years of protest and concern over the long term impacts on public health. Love Canal had a significant impact on subsequent federal policies as well with an emphasis on man made toxins. In 1978 alone the EPA set new standards for lead air pollution and phasing out Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). 

The national focus on the harmful effect of toxins and chemicals was only amplified by the meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg, PA. In 1979, “Cooling water, contaminated with radiation, drained from the open valve into adjoining buildings, and the core began to dangerously overheat” (Three Mile Island Disaster - HISTORY). Due to human error during the shutdown process, the core was 1,000 degrees from a complete meltdown, which would have resulted in deadly radiation, though by the end of the crisis, no one besides plant workers were thought to have been exposed (Three Mile Island Disaster - HISTORY). This incident created fear surrounding the safety of nuclear power, and “its aftermath brought about sweeping changes involving emergency response planning, reactor operator training, human factors engineering, radiation protection, and many other areas of nuclear power plant operations” (“Backgrounder on the Three Mile Island Accident”). These incidents set the stage for the environmental policies that we will cover in our next issue, which will be focused on the years 1980-1984.

To read this full piece with works cited, check it out on our blog!

Ryan and his Mom skiing at Grand Targhee  / Image Courtesy of  Ryan Scerbo

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