Portland ranked 21st for solar energy capacity among the nation’s leaders. The results come from the seventh edition of Shining Cities: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy, a new report released today by Environment Oregon Research & Policy Center. It is the most comprehensive survey available of installed solar capacity in major U.S. cities.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, Environment Oregon has released a list of “Fifty environmental activities kids can do at home” as a resource for families across the state. With Oregon schools physically closed for the school year, for social distancing purposes during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this set of activities aims to provide a broad array of easy-to-do endeavors for Earth Day and beyond.
Environment America Research & Policy Center is submitting comments on behalf of 102 organizations today, urging the Environmental Protection Agency to dramatically reduce the massive levels of pollution dumped by agribusiness facilities into America’s waterways. The comments are in response to the agency’s decision not to update permit standards for meat and poultry plants -- despite the Clean Water Act’s requirement to do so.
Oregon is moving backwards, both when it comes to its recycling rate and waste reduction efforts, according to a new study from Environment Oregon Research & Policy Center. The second annual State of Recycling in Oregon highlights structural challenges, the rise of plastic, the effects of failing to recycle, plastic-to-fuel efforts, and trends in the state’s recycling data.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released two proposals today to roll back clean water protections against waste from coal-fired power plants. The first proposal would overhaul wastewater rules, drastically weakening safeguards that prevent utilities from discharging toxic pollutants like arsenic, lead and mercury into America’s waterways. The second proposal would significantly extend closure dates for coal ash disposal sites, allowing utilities to continue storing toxic coal debris in ponds that can leak or overflow, for decades.
Environment Oregon Research and Policy Center is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to getting things done.
