LOS ANGELES (November 19, 2008) – Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger concludes the two-day Global Climate Summit, an event designed to engage national and international leaders in global warming solution discussions and raise awareness about the upcoming global climate treaty meeting in Poland this winter. Several U.S. governors and internationally-recognized leaders from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Indonesia, Mexico and the European Union attended the summit. Participants discussed greenhouse gas reporting between countries and states, transportation, deforestation, global trade, and new approaches to energy.

WASHINGTON (November 19, 2008) – In another blow to our nation’s waterways, the Bush Administration proposed a rule that would leave streams, rivers and lakes nationwide vulnerable to contamination by development and construction runoff, including metals and other toxic pollutants.

NEW YORK (November 19, 2008) – Video game consoles nationwide use about as much electricity in a year as every home in San Diego combined, and can significantly add to consumers’ electric bills, according to a new report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) today. Much of this energy use is consumed by machines that are left on, but not in use.

WASHINGTON (November 18, 2008) –The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) announced today the receipt of a $750,000 grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF). The grant will enable NRDC to conduct a thorough analysis using economic models to answer questions surrounding the emission allowances to be distributed by the government under a cap-and-trade approach to combating climate change.

WASHINGTON (November 19, 2008) -- Ceres has joined with five leading U.S. corporations - Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, Starbucks, Sun Microsystems and The Timberland Company - to announce the launch of a new business coalition, Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP), calling for strong U.S. climate and energy legislation in early 2009. . The group’s key principles include stimulating renewable energy, promoting energy efficiency and green jobs, requiring 100-percent auction of carbon allowances and limiting new coal-fired power plants to those that capture and store carbon emissions.

WASHINGTON (November 19, 2008)  -- Six groups came together to draw attention to the global water sanitation crisis. Around the world, 2.5 billion people lack basic sanitation facilities. They do not have a clean and safe place to relieve themselves. At any one time almost half of the developing world’s people are suffering from diseases associated with lack of water, sanitation and hygiene. However, solutions are available now and are a good investment. According to the World Health Organization, every dollar spent on proper sanitation by governments generates on average $9 in economic benefit.

Through a few simple steps, you can reduce the environmental impact of your holiday season.

Any government assistance to revive the ailing American auto industry should come with guarantees of improved fleet fuel efficiency.

NEW ORLEANS – Building on several years of dialogue, and against the backdrop of rising electricity demand, senior representatives from the U.S. environmental community and electric power sector today called on state regulators to actively consider ways to increase energy efficiency within the electric utility industry.

WASHINGTON (November 18, 2008) – President-elect Barack Obama today delivered a strong global warming policy announcement, reaffirming his commitment to stop the climate crisis and invest in clean energy that will power our nation without warming the planet, according to policy experts and scientists at the Natural Resources Defense Council. The policy President-elect Obama called for today, cap and trade, is supported by NRDC. It is a declining limit on global warming pollution that will generate revenue to fund investments in clean energy.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed an executive order to facilitate renewable energy project development in the state, and he proposed draft legislation to increase California's reliance on renewable energy to 33 percent by 2020

Green Groups Issue Recommendations to President-Elect; obama

WASHINGTON, DC (November 17, 2008) – The Bush administration announced another parting gift for Big Oil today in the form of new oil shale regulations. The Department of Interior released new draft regulations for a commercial oil shale industry on 2 million acres of public lands in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. The leasing of land for oil shale has been heavily criticized by environmental groups due to concerns over significantly increased water usage, global warming emissions, and toxic waste.

SACRAMENTO (November 17, 2008) – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today presented draft legislation to increase California’s renewable energy portfolio standard from 20 percent by 2010 to 33 percent by 2020. He also signed an Executive Order directing key state agencies to remove barriers to renewable development and focus resources on California’s renewable energy project approval process in a way that facilitates renewables and protects the state’s sensitive and wild places. The Executive Order also re-affirms the Governor’s support for a number of existing initiatives, including the state’s energy efficiency goals and the renewable energy transmission initiative and western renewable energy zones processes.

WASHINGTON, DC (November 12, 2008) – Today, the nation’s highest court issued its decision regarding the Navy’s use of mid-frequency active sonar during training exercises in southern California.  

LOS ANGELES (November 10, 2008) – The Federal Maritime Commission violated environmental laws when it attempted last month to block clean truck programs at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, according to a lawsuit filed today in California federal court by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Sierra Club and the Coalition for Clean Air. The programs, which went into effect October 1, will protect millions of southern Californians from toxic diesel air pollution spewed by thousands of obsolete trucks that haul cargo to and from the ports, which together are the largest source of diesel pollution in the region. A similar attempt to block the clean truck programs by the American Trucking Association was rejected by a federal judge in September. The maritime commission failed to consider the public health and environmental damage that would result from its intervention, thereby violating several bedrock environmental laws, according to the lawsuit filed today.

WASHINGTON, DC (November 10, 2008) – The National Electric Reliability Council (NERC) "Special Report on Electric Industry Concerns on Reliability Impacts of Climate Change Initiatives" issued today reinforces the view that delays in crafting a national climate policy are hurting the reliability of the electric grid. The report also asserts that the nation’s power grid needs upgrading to accommodate generation from renewable, clean power supplies.

While Californians will likely reject poorly-conceived clean energy measure Proposition 7, the state's legislature must continue to pursue responsible clean energy plans.

Missouri’s new clean energy statute would save consumers money, as well as reducing harmful carbon emissions.

USDA Biotech Regulations Could Allow Drugs in Food