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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today finalized a repeal of the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) – a move that will allow coal- and oil-fired power plants to emit more brain-damaging mercury, other harmful heavy metals, and dangerous soot. Those emissions put the public at greater risk of heart and lung disease, cancer, and premature death.

EPA also eliminated a common-sense requirement that power plants install cost-effective systems to continuously monitor the amount of pollution they emit — depriving communities of a powerful tool for ensuring power plants comply with air pollution standards and provide real-time data on their emissions.

“Trump’s EPA is making an attack on public health with the repeal of the 2024 MATS,” said Earthjustice Attorney Nicholas Morales. “This unlawful repeal will result in higher levels of mercury, soot, and other hazardous pollution into our air and communities. With this move, the Trump administration is wiping out health protections critical for protecting children from toxins like mercury just to save the coal industry some money.”

The repeal of MATS follows a two-year exemption the Trump administration granted to some of the nation’s dirtiest power plants, many of which had demonstrated their ability to meet the updated 2024 standards. In June 2025, community and environmental groups represented by Earthjustice and other counsel sued the Trump administration over this unlawful decision. The exemptions, issued in April and July, allow 71 coal power plants to release more mercury, arsenic, and other heavy metals, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that tighter limits are achievable and would protect children, pregnant people, and people with chronic heart and lung disease from toxic air pollution.

Background on MATS

Before MATS was established in 2012, there were no federal limits on how much mercury and toxic air pollution coal and oil -fired powered plants could emit. The standards led to a 90% reduction in mercury emissions, 80% drop in other metals, and helped save up to 11,000 lives each year. In 2024, the EPA strengthened MATS, building on what has become one of its most effective air pollution rules.

EPA’s own analysis of the 2024 rule found:

• $33 million in annual health benefits

• Minimal impact on electricity reliability, with no expected retirements

• Only 33 plants required upgrades to meet non-mercury metal standards.

For many coal plants, the 2024 standards simply require tuning up existing pollution controls already in place, and most covered facilities had met or were on track to meet the tighter limits. By scrapping those stronger safeguards and reverting to outdated standards, EPA is giving a lifeline to some of the dirtiest power plants in the country at the expense of public health.

The following are reactions from our clients and the coalition

“This announcement really hits home for us here in the Houston area where one of the nation’s largest and dirtiest coal fired power plants remains fully operational,” says Jennifer Hadayia, executive director at Air Alliance Houston. “The danger of coal plants like W.A.Parish (owned by NRG) are not theoretical; they have real quantifiable harms on people’s quality of life and health. Repealing the rules that curtail coal plant pollution means that mercury, soot, arsenic, and other harmful substances will continue to be in our air at unhealthy levels. And for what reason? Most of the remaining coal plants in the U.S. were already on track to meet the stronger standards. This repeal is a dog whistle to a dying industry and won’t make anyone healthier. Those of us working to truly protect public health from the harms of air pollution will continue to push for stronger protections from coal pollution.”

“This rollback is one more example of the Trump administration putting fossil fuel interests ahead of the American people,” said Anne Havemann, deputy director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The 2024 MATS rule created meaningful gains in public health at minimal cost. That’s environmental protection at its best.”

“For decades, Montanans have breathed toxic pollution from the dirtiest power plant in the nation,” said Anne Hedges, executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center. “The outdated, unreliable Colstrip plant has the highest rate of toxic air pollution of any similar coal plant in the nation. It is the only one of its kind that hasn’t installed modern pollution controls. People living downwind shouldn’t have to pay the price of this administration’s reckless disregard for human life through high medical bills and lower quality of life to treat health problems that are completely preventable. It’s heartless.”

“Repealing the 2024 MATS rule is the latest example of the Trump administration serving the fossil fuel industry instead of protecting public health. The excessive emissions of arsenic, mercury, and other toxic heavy metals cause the most harm to the people most in need of protection, including children, who are being exposed to these toxins during critical developmental windows,” said Lawrence Hafetz, legal director of Clean Air Council, headquartered in Pennsylvania, a state containing nine coal plants that would have been subject to improved standards.

“The Trump EPA’s decision to repeal the mercury standards is a direct attack on the health of Americans,” said Laurie Williams, Beyond Coal Campaign director of Sierra Club. “For years, these lifesaving safeguards have slashed the amount of toxic pollution coal plants dump in our air and water, keeping millions of Americans safe from heart attacks, asthma and premature deaths. Now, the president that promised to make Americans healthy again is deliberately weakening those protections and families will suffer preventable illness simply because he wants to give the coal industry another handout at the expense of our health. Americans deserve public health standards that are designed to protect people, not pad the profits of a dying industry that can’t compete with less expensive coal plants that rampantly pollute our air. But Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin have made their choice: help their buddies in the coal industry cut corners rather than prioritize the health and safety of our communities. The Sierra Club will fight this decision with everything we have to defend our communities from this dangerous and deadly rollback.”

“The coal industry is in decline, and dismantling clean air protections won’t bring it back,” says John Walke, senior attorney for NRDC. “It will only lead to more asthma attacks, more heart problems, and more premature deaths, especially in communities living in the shadow of coal plants. We have a right to breathe clean air, and we will fight for that right even if Trump’s EPA refuses to.”

“For over a decade, the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards have protected Americans from mercury and other dangerous pollutants emitted by coal plants, but now Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin are recklessly attacking these protections so their coal buddies can make a few more bucks,” said Sierra Club Climate Policy Director Patrick Drupp. “This is the complete opposite of making Americans healthy. By rolling back this commonsense, lifesaving protection, the Trump administration is making Americans sicker and unnecessarily exposing families and children to more dirty pollution that causes heart disease, cancer, and developmental disabilities. This is despicable and reckless, and we will continue to defend our communities from these health hazards caused by coal plants.”

“With so many of the nation’s coal plants concentrated in the Midwest, this decision sends an unmistakable signal that our communities are expendable,” said Brian Lynk, Environmental Law & Policy Center senior attorney. “Rolling back protections from toxic mercury pollution sacrifices public health to prop up a declining industry, even though it won’t change the fundamental economics driving coal’s decline. This administration is sticking its head in the sand while the rest of the world moves forward toward more affordable and less toxic energy sources.”

“This repeal is an unprecedented, unlawful, and unjustified reversal that flies in the face of congressionally mandated efforts to reduce hazardous air pollution from industrial facilities,” said Hayden Hashimoto, attorney at Clean Air Task Force. “EPA’s repeal puts polluters’ interests over public health by loosening the limits on emissions of air toxics from power plants, which the agency has previously recognized as the largest domestic emitter of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants. Allowing more emissions of air toxics puts Americans at greater risk for the benefit of a small number of particularly dirty coal plants.”

“Repealing these protections will allow coal plants to pour more mercury and toxic pollution into our air, which will then get into our water, food, and ultimately our children’s bodies. It’s a needless cruelty when modern pollution controls can provide greater safety,” said Surbhi Sarang, senior attorney at Environmental Defense Fund. “The Trump administration is willfully ignoring evidence that coal plants can reduce their pollution in readily available ways for reasonable cost – and American families will be the ones paying the price.”

Today, Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency dismantled a bedrock environmental and public health standard that protects Americans from mercury and other dangerous toxic air pollutants, such as arsenic, lead, and chromium. Rolling back the new and more protective Mercury and Air Toxics Standards will allow coal- and oil-fired power plants to emit more damaging pollution that puts the public at greater risk of heart and lung disease, cancer, and even premature death, as well as causing severe neurological damage to fetuses and children.

According to the Sierra Club’s Trump Coal Pollution Dashboard, reversing the 2024 improvements and reverting to the 2012 standards will allow the dirtiest coal-fired power plants to emit 50 percent more mercury pollution. In May 2025, the Trump administration exempted 68 power plants—including some of the biggest polluters in the nation—from MATS after soliciting exemption requests from big polluters over email.

The Sierra Club sued the administration for these unlawful exemptions.

In response, Sierra Club Campaign Organizing Strategist Bonnie Swinford issued the following statement:

“These protections from mercury and other toxic pollution existed to protect communities from reckless polluters. By repealing these protections, the Trump Administration is giving handouts to the coal industry elites– and waging war on the public’s ability to hold polluters accountable. We deserve protection from dirty and expensive plants like Kingston and Cumberland coal plants. We cannot allow the Trump Administration and utilities like TVA to run these coal plants with no input from everyday people. We must fight to keep the public in public power.”

In response, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Director Laurie Williams issued the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s senseless decision to repeal the mercury standards is a direct attack on the health of Americans. For years, these lifesaving protections have slashed the amount of toxic pollution coal plants dump in our air and water, keeping millions of Americans safe from heart attacks, asthma and premature deaths, and protecting our babies from permanent neurological damage. Now, the president that promised to make Americans healthy again is deliberately weakening those safeguards, and families will suffer preventable illnesses simply because he wants to give the coal industry another handout.

“Americans deserve public health standards that are designed to protect people, not pad the profits of a polluting industry that can’t compete with cheaper, reliable, renewable energy. But Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin have made their choice: help their buddies in the coal industry cut corners rather than prioritize the health and safety of our communities. The Sierra Club will fight this decision with everything we have to defend our communities from this dangerous and deadly rollback.”

Dear Leslie,

How do I deal with the frustration and anger that comes with having family members and friends who continue to fly and pursue other behaviors that worsen the climate crisis? They know better, yet they don’t act differently.

— Frustrated Climate Activist

Dear Frustrated Climate Activist,

Your anger and frustration are deeply relatable — and they’re happening for good reason. Your values and relationships are colliding, creating a painful rupture where you most long for shared ground. And your anger may be compounded by grief for the loss of species, cultures, and futures you know could be better protected if more people, like your loved ones, would take action.

That gap also creates a lopsided moral load. You’re actively confronting the difficult realities of our warming world and responding with care, while you perceive some of the people you’re most connected to turning away from that responsibility. 

Living with that tension doesn’t just hurt — it eventually exhausts the nervous system and erodes our capacity to stay connected.

Ask a Climate Therapist tackles your questions about how to navigate the emotional side of climate change, with leading climate-aware therapist Leslie Davenport. Have a question? Ask it here!

Before we go further, it may help to widen the perspective. It’s possible your family and friends hold a different view of what personal climate responsibility looks like. All of us participate in some activities that worsen the climate crisis, even if we’re trying to mitigate our impact (or create a positive impact) in other ways. It sounds like people in your life have decided they can’t give up flying right now, but maybe for them, positive action looks like voting for climate-forward policies, reducing consumption, or supporting initiatives you don’t see. Or maybe they care about the climate crisis but haven’t yet figured out what meaningful action looks like for them. Begin with curiosity about where they are and how they understand their responsibility. 

But let’s say your family and friends claim to care, but truly are not engaging in any way — you see them strolling past the most critical issues with eyes averted. In that case, their failure to take any form of action may feel like a personal betrayal.

Here’s the hard truth: You can’t carry both the planet and your loved ones on your back. What’s appropriate in the relationships you’re talking about — people you want to stay close with — is emotional detachment without emotional withdrawal. That means choosing where your responsibility for others ends and your boundaries begin. You can continue to love imperfect people while also sustaining a fierce allegiance to caring for the climate. 

You’re not required to be the climate conscience of every encounter and every conversation. 

Try selective honesty. When you’re moved to speak, you might say something like this: “I struggle with [name the specific behavior], because it hurts to see people I love act like climate impacts don’t matter.” Then step back and let the silence do the work. You may not get the response you hope for, but you’ll know you spoke up for what matters most to you, and it’s up to you to understand when that’s enough. 

People aren’t always moved to change immediately. Your words may land more deeply than you realize in the moment. 

Letting go of the constant urge to convince isn’t giving up. It’s choosing to invest your energy where it can be amplified — for instance, in a like-minded community, an action group, or connections with other people who do share your priorities.

This is our work: staying human in a burning world without burning ourselves out. Try to find places where your clarity and commitment are shared — that in turn will make it easier to engage in other places where they are not. Let your love for the living world be fed by relationships that give your nervous system a place to rest.

Holding this with you,

Leslie

I’m Leslie Davenport, a licensed therapist, educator, speaker, consultant, and internationally recognized voice on the emotional and psychological dimensions of climate change. If you’ve got a question about climate and mental health, please submit it here for a future column.

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Ask a Climate Therapist: How do I deal with friends and family who won’t stop polluting? on Feb 20, 2026.

National Nurses United today announced its endorsement of Dr. Aisha Wahab for California’s 14th Congressional District. As a California State Senator, Dr. Wahab brought her experience in public health and social work to fight for a single-payer health care system. Nurses are ready to work with Dr. Wahab to deliver on a progressive agenda that will improve the lives of our patients, immigrant neighbors, and all working people.

The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision today striking down Donald Trump’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act will do little to deliver meaningful relief to American consumers or businesses still paying the price for his chaotic trade agenda. Prices driven up by Trump’s tariffs will remain high, and the Court’s decision falls far short of restoring certainty to an economy warped by months of trade policy whiplash.

Tariffs affected by this decision amount to over $175 billion so far, with higher costs passed directly onto consumers while businesses pulled back on hiring and investment. Those costs are now baked into supply chains and balance sheets, and prices that have climbed since Trump took office are unlikely to come back down. The Trump administration has already signaled it will cobble together a patchwork of alternative legal authorities to preserve its trade regime, guaranteeing continued instability for businesses trying to plan, hire, and invest.

Groundwork Collaborative Chief of Policy and Advocacy Alex Jacquez reacted with the following statement:

“Any consumer looking for relief from tariff-driven price hikes did not find it at the Supreme Court today. The economic damage Trump has already done to business investment, manufacturing, and working families’ budgets will linger for years to come. Refunds for impacted businesses will take months or even years to process, and there is little reason to believe companies will pass those savings on to consumers. Trump must set aside his erratic tariff policy and instead pursue a trade agenda that protects workers, supports manufacturers, and doesn’t punish consumers.”

Email press@groundworkcollaborative.org to speak to a Groundwork expert about the economic costs of Trump’s trade agenda.

“The Hub” is a weekly round-up of transportation related news in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Check back weekly to keep up-to-date on the issues Clean Air Council’s transportation staff finds important.

Join Clean Air Council and Transit Forward Philadelphia to celebrate Transit Equity Day on 2/21 with food, speakers, and community activities. Register and learn more here!

Help choose a home for the city’s bus station of the future! The Philadelphia City Planning Commission needs input to plan the intercity bus station to keep riders safe and comfortable. Take the survey here.

Image Source: Greater Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Shapiro Administration Invests over $27 Million to Improve Traffic Safety Across Pennsylvania – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced an over $27 million investment through the Automated Red-Light Enforcement (ARLE) program to support 51 safety projects in 44 municipalities across the state. The program provides automated enforcement to improve safety at intersections where red-light running is an issue. Funding is supplied from red-light violation fines in Philadelphia. Philadelphia County had 6 projects awarded with a combined total of $13 million in funding.

Image Source: SEPTA

Fox29: SEPTA to end sale of Key Tix in March – The Key Tix program will be ending this March, after first launching in December of 2022. SEPTA has cited a significant decrease in demand for the mobile ticket platform. Key Tix allows riders to download a QR code as their ticket to be used at turnstiles on bus and metro service. Since allowing contactless payment on all modes since April 2025, Key Tix is no longer a needed alternative for riders, according to SEPTA. March 2nd is the planned last day of the program. Purchased Key Tix will remain valid for 180 days after purchase.

Image Source: The Inquirer

The Inquirer: NJ Transit riders from Philadelphia should expect service disruptions for the next four weeks – Modified schedules and fewer trains will be running on NJ Transit until March 15th. All lines, except the Atlantic City rail line, will be affected to upgrade the 116-year-old Portal Bridge. Commuters are advised to check weekday and weekend schedules here. The Portal Bridge is also used by Amtrak, so riders should be aware of possible delays to their routes, and the entire Northeast Corridor.

Other Stories

The Inquirer: Some Delco SEPTA riders will have 15 minutes added to their commutes, beginning Monday

BillyPenn: Options for Philly intercity bus terminal narrowed to three sites

The Inquirer: Lincoln Drive and dozens of other Philly roads get $13 million from PennDot

PhillyBurbs: Langhorne train station set for an overhaul. SEPTA wants input

The Inquirer: Cameras will soon enforce speed limits in five Philly school zones

6ABC: Philly’s Valentine’s Day trolley driver to retire after 40-year career

BillyPenn: SEPTA honors Caroline Rebecca LeCount, a civil rights icon who helped desegregate Philly’s transit system in the 1860s

Scalp exposure: New study finds harmful chemicals in almost all hair extensions Monica Amarelo February 20, 2026

More than nine in 10 hair extensions sold in the U.S. contain chemicals linked to serious health harms, including cancer and hormone disruption, a new peer-reviewed study finds.

The study raises concerns about extensions being an overlooked source of chemical exposure, particularly for Black women, who are the main users of these products and already face disproportionate health risks from exposure to certain personal care products.

Published in Environment & Health, the peer-reviewed study, by researchers at the Silent Spring Institute, centered on the most comprehensive public tests of hair extensions to date. Researchers analyzed 43 samples of synthetic and human hair extensions. Using a method of analysis that did not look for the presence of any particular substance, they detected 933 unique chemical signatures, identifying 169 distinct chemicals.

Since people may wear extensions for weeks or even months at a time, the findings suggest potential health risks linked to frequent use and exposure.

Harmful substances in study’s hair samples

At least one substance linked to cancer or reproductive harm was detected in 91% of hair samples. Among them were dibutyl phthalate, naphthalene and styrene, which are included in California’s Proposition 65 list of cancer-causing chemicals. 

Nearly 10% of samples contained organotin compounds, a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can interfere with hormone systems. Some levels exceeded European Union safety limits for consumer products. 

Organotins are largely unregulated in U.S. consumer products.

Elevated fluorine levels in some samples suggested the potential presence of the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, which are linked to immune suppression, cancer, harm to fetal development and other health harms.

Why this matters 

For millions of Black women and girls, hair extensions are a form of cultural and personal expression. A 2023 study found 70% of Black women reported wearing hair extensions in the previous year. 

Long-term use of the products may lead to potentially significant, cumulative exposure to chemicals. Prolonged wearing of extensions can bring harmful substances into direct contact with the scalp and neck. Heating or styling extensions may release chemical fumes. Breathing those fumes may be another way people are exposed.

The presence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in extensions is especially alarming. These substances interfere with the hormones that regulate reproduction and development, affect reproductive and birth outcomes, and increase the risk of certain types of cancer. These preventable exposures are particularly troubling, since Black women already face disproportionately higher rates of aggressive breast cancer and uterine fibroids.

These health risks do not happen in isolation. Depending on the manufacturing process, extensions may be treated with a mixture of hazardous substances, including synthetic dyes, flame retardants, waterproofing agents and harsh antimicrobial chemicals.

Disparities in beauty products

The Silent Spring Institute findings follow a 2025 Consumer Reports study that found chemicals detected in all 10 braiding samples analyzed. Together with that study, this research contributes to the growing literature on disproportionate chemical exposures in products marketed to Black women.

EWG last year released an updated analysis of 4,011 personal care products marketed to Black women. The results were stark: EWG’s Skin Deep® database rated only 21% of them low hazard, compared to 27% of products without any demographic marketing, which means there are fewer safe alternatives for Black women. 

Six percentage points may seem small, but they equate to thousands of products.

The results suggest a safety gap in products marketed to Black women that has persisted nearly a decade after EWG first documented these disparities, in 2016.

EWG’s 2025 report also contained good news. The presence of most of the common harmful chemicals found in 2016 decreased significantly, with one exception: undisclosed fragrance. 

But there’s still work to be done on the health risks of chemicals in beauty products. The updated analysis found the presence of quaternary ammonium compounds, linked to asthma and reproductive harm, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, and ingredients in hair straighteners and dyes associated with elevated risks of cancers in Black women, albeit in lower quantities than the 2016 report.

Risks similar to hair straighteners’ risks

Formaldehyde is a key ingredient in many hair-straightening treatments, helping to smooth hair when heat is applied.  

The National Toxicology Program classifies formaldehyde as known to cause cancer in humans, and long-term exposure is linked to leukemia and other types of cancer, risks the Food and Drug Administration has understood since at least 2008.

Short-term exposure to formaldehyde can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, shortness of breath and wheezing. Repeated exposure is associated with allergic reactions, asthma and other chronic respiratory problems. 

Large studies reinforce these concerns. Research from the National Institutes of Health involving more than 33,000 women found that frequent use of chemical hair straighteners – over four times a year – more than doubled the risk of uterine cancer, compared to the risk faced by non-users. 

Nearly 400 pages of FDA reports about poor product outcomes document consumer complaints of illness and injury linked to formaldehyde-based treatments. Because reporting was voluntary until 2022, the true toll is likely higher.

In EWG’s 2025 report, hair relaxers remain a high-hazard product, but the average hazard score had decreased from 8 to 5 since 2016. Relaxers still contain hazardous ingredients other than formaldehyde, including formaldehyde-releasing preservatives like DMDM hydantoin, which can cause skin reactions and slowly release small amounts of formaldehyde.

The risks are disproportionately greater for Black women, who are more likely to use chemical straighteners. In the NIH study, nearly 60% of women who reported ever using straighteners were Black.

Salon workers face even greater cumulative exposure because they repeatedly breathe in the hot fumes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that working with formaldehyde may increase the risk of fertility problems or miscarriage. 

Regulatory gaps leave consumers unprotected

Despite decades of evidence and internal FDA emails acknowledging their health risks, hair straighteners made with formaldehyde can legally remain on the market in some states, although it’s unclear how many are still for sale.

Concerns over formaldehyde in hair straighteners led some lawmakers to call for long-overdue federal action to protect consumers and workers. Some states, such as California and Maryland, have banned formaldehyde in cosmetics, forcing a shift in the market away from this and other dangerous ingredients.

Ingredient labeling for hair extensions is minimal or nonexistent, so it is nearly impossible for consumers to make informed choices and avoid harmful ingredients.

New York last year proposed legislation requiring manufacturers of synthetic braiding hair and extensions to disclose all ingredients. 

In Congress, the Cosmetics Safety for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act for the first time would direct the FDA to regulate synthetic braids and extensions. That piece of legislation was introduced, in 2025, as part of the Safer Beauty Bill Package. 

While some states, such as California, Maryland, Oregon and Washington, have banned  some harmful chemicals in cosmetics, most beauty products remain largely unregulated at the federal level.

What you can do

Everyone deserves to have access to beauty products that don’t raise concerns about harmful chemicals. 

Until regulation catches up by requiring disclosure of chemicals used in hair extensions and banning formaldehyde in hair straighteners, one option may be to try to lower your total chemical exposure. To do that, you would focus on swapping other products you use every day for less toxic versions of those products. 

Other tips:

• Be wary of marketing claims. Labels that boast a product is non-toxic or toxic-free don’t guarantee safety. For cosmetics products, check ingredient lists, and contact manufacturers when you’re unsure what’s in their products.
• Check products before you buy. Use EWG’s Skin Deep® database to search for hair care products, including hair dye, and other personal care items. Products are rated on a scale of 1 (lowest hazard) to 10 (highest hazard) based on their known chemical ingredients.
• Download EWG’s Healthy Living™ app. Scan barcodes while shopping to instantly check product ratings and find safer alternatives for personal care and cleaning products, and food.
• Look for EWG Verified® products. The EWG Verified mark means products meet EWG’s strictest standards for your health and are free from EWG’s chemicals of concern. Search for safer alternatives at ewg.org/verified.

The growing body of evidence makes clear that products marketed to Black women continue to carry disproportionate chemical burdens, from hair extensions and dyes to relaxers and other beauty products.

Until stronger oversight and transparency requirements are put in place, consumers must rely on independent resources to protect themselves and their families from hidden health risks in everyday products.

Areas of Focus Personal Care Products Cosmetics Family Health Women's Health Products worn for weeks may put millions in contact with toxic substances Authors Alexa Friedman, Ph.D. Monica Amarelo February 20, 2026

When Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last November he would support a massive new oil sands pipeline to the west coast, he presented the deal as a win for the climate alongside the economy.

As part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Carney signed with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, his government agreed to help support construction of a $16.5 billion project designed to capture carbon emissions from the oil sands industry and then bury those emissions underground.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has a long track record of failed projects and missed targets worldwide and is considered a false climate solution by many experts and environmental advocates.

But Carney claimed at the time that the CCS project, advanced by the oil industry group Pathways Alliance, would “drive down our emissions.” A federal government backgrounder on the agreement stated that the technology would assist in “making Alberta oil among the lowest carbon intensity-produced barrels of oil in the world.”

The Carney government made this bold announcement about the climate potential of CCS while only having “very limited” data about how much the Pathways Alliance project would cost and whether it was technically feasible, according to Department of Finance briefing notes ahead of a September 2025 roundtable meeting in Edmonton that DeSmog obtained.

“The [Pathways] project is at a very early stage of development, with few front end engineering (FEED) studies done and initial cost estimates based on very limited project information,” read the notes, which were released following a public records request.

Despite the government’s knowledge gaps around carbon capture, Carney went ahead and made the technology central to his climate plan. And in exchange for Alberta agreeing to support carbon capture, his Liberal government signed off on a potential new west coast pipeline that could transport 1 million barrels of oil per day to Asian markets.

As part of that deal, Carney also axed a proposed emissions cap on the oil sands, a rollback that his government seems to have privately previewed to oil producers months before the MOU announcement.

“We welcome suggestions on how to ensure emission reductions are achieved in the oil and gas sector, and in the oil sands in particular, without imposing a cap on production,” the notes read.

Asked by DeSmog about that specific discussion, a Department of Finance spokesperson explained in an emailed statement that the government “was seeking feedback from oil and gas companies who claimed that the proposed oil and gas emissions cap would cap production and be counter-productive to emissions reduction goals.” 

“The goal of the roundtable was to gather more information from key stakeholders across the energy sector in Edmonton about the pressing challenges they are facing,” the spokesperson added.

Pathways Alliance didn’t respond to DeSmog’s request for comment.

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The briefing notes obtained by DeSmog were created to provide “speaking points” and background to Liberal Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne as he prepared for a September 2025 meeting with top oil and gas executives in Edmonton, Alberta.

The executives had been invited to provide input on the Carney government’s upcoming federal budget. “What are the most pressing challenges facing your sector?” Champagne planned to ask, along with “What top priorities would you like to see reflected in the next federal budget?”

This was part of a series of 50 roundtables led by cabinet officials in 27 cities across every Canadian province and territory. “These consultations are a staple of the annual budget process and the input received helped guide Budget 2025,” the spokesperson explained. 

Industry attendees at the event would include leaders from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Cenovus, Suncor, Imperial Oil, ARC Resources, Tourmaline Oil, Enbridge, Canadian Natural Resources, ConocoPhillips, TC Energy, Pembina Pipeline, Southbow, and TransAlta.

Champagne was instructed in the briefing notes that the executives would request substantial changes to Canada’s climate regulations at the meeting. The briefing notes reference an open letter published by Canadian oil and gas CEOs in March, where they’d demanded a “rapid, dramatic regulatory restructuring to enable investment in critical oil and gas infrastructure across Canada.”

The finance minister was prepared to reassure them. His Liberal government was working to “boost investor confidence, speed up project development and strengthen the economy by increasing competition and productivity,” according to his speaking points.

He would assure Canada’s oil and gas industry that “the Government of Canada has taken ambitious actions to make sure the resource sector can further contribute to Canada’s economy.”

Limited Knowledge About Carbon Capture

The briefing notes stated that several executives set to attend the Edmonton meeting were members of the Pathways Alliance, which had launched in 2022 with a goal of achieving “net zero emissions by 2050” in Canada’s oil sands industry.

Despite running national ad campaigns touting carbon capture and sending delegates to COP climate summits, Pathways seemed to have made very little actual progress over the years on moving its proposed CCS project forward.

By the time the Edmonton meeting happened last fall, Pathways hadn’t yet begun “detailed engineering and design” on the project or undertaken any preliminary work including “clearing of right-of-ways and pipeline construction and commissioning.”

Yet in early November, the Carney government released its Budget 2025, which extended CCS tax credits by five years, now stretching from 2031 to 2035. “Updates will be provided in due course as work advances on the project,” the spokesperson wrote.

Later in November, however, despite lacking basic information about how the project would be funded and engineered, the Carney government assured the country that carbon capture would result in “some of the lowest carbon-intensity oil produced in the world.” 

Why was Carney so intent on a pipeline deal that hinged on financially uncertain and largely unproven climate technology?

According to the prime minister’s former Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino, climate has always been a secondary concern. A key goal for the Carney government, Mendicino explained at a Toronto conference in January, is “to increase our oil production.”

The post Carney Government Knew Carbon Capture Was ‘Very Limited,’ Docs Show appeared first on DeSmog.

A version of this piece was featured in Food Tank’s newsletter, typically released weekly on Thursdays. To make sure it lands straight in your inbox and to be among the first to receive it, subscribe now by clicking here.

Here at Food Tank, we talk a lot about the power of optimism and community solidarity to combat feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. And these are not abstract conversations! On the ground around the world, true food system transformation starts with local success stories like the one I want to share with you today.

Over the past couple years, Kenya has celebrated a number of local agroecology wins that can illuminate the path forward for countries around the globe.

The story starts in Murang’a County, a predominantly agricultural county in south-central Kenya. In 2022, leaders there passed the Agroecology Development Act and enacted a 10-year agroecology policy. The legislation was the first of its kind in the country—and was a powerful recognition of the transformative effects of agroecology, from food systems to climate resilience to youth empowerment to Indigenous food sovereignty.

Since then, momentum has grown! Last year, four more counties launched their own agroecology policies, and five more have advance legislation in the works with support from organizations like the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management Association (PELUM).

PELUM is a network of civil society organizations working with small-scale farmers in East, Central, and Southern Africa to strengthen agroecology through policy work, network capacity development, knowledge sharing, and more.

“Agroecology has been feeding the world and will continue to feed the world,” Rosinah Mbenya, the Country Coordinator for PELUM Kenya, told me on the Food Talk podcast this week.

And national leaders have taken notice, too. In 2024, Kenya adopted the National Agroecology Strategy for Food System Transformation, which aims to promote a sustainable transformation of Kenya’s food and agriculture systems to build nutrition security, climate-safe livelihoods, and social inclusion. By integrating and coordinating local approaches at the national level, the Strategy is helping Kenya bring about more resilient, long-lasting change than county-level governments alone could.

Agroecology is “a practice, a science, and a social movement,” Million Belay, General Coordinator of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, tells Food Tank.

And as Rosinah explained on Food Talk this week, other legal wins in Kenya have helped build a brighter food system. A recent court decision affirmed farmers’ right to save, share, and exchange seeds—which had not always been guaranteed, she said. And last summer, Kenyan policymakers banned more than 75 pesticides and tightened restrictions on hundreds more that are linked with health complications and climate impacts.

“Agroecology builds resilience,” she said. “In Africa, we need solutions that enable the community to be adaptive to climate change.”

But investment is still lagging far behind, she said. The public demand and policy frameworks are falling into place, and it’s time for the private sector to step up and scale up agroecology.

“There is a lot of work that needs to go into capacity-building,” she said, but without investments into landscape transformation, youth- and women-focused initiatives, and other on-the-ground efforts, “there’s usually that gap. But I’m looking forward to seeing more investments so that we can have increased financing and attention.”

I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to my whole conversation with Rosinah Mbenya of PELUM Kenya on Food Talk by clicking here.

Rosinah reminded me that local steps matter toward building a better food system for the next generation! Making a change in your neighborhood, in your city, or in your county can have much wider ripple effects across your entire country or even continent. I hope you’ll keep the momentum going by sharing grassroots progress in your communities.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of McKay Savage, Unsplash

The post The Local Step that Changed an Entire Country’s Approach to Agroecology appeared first on Food Tank.

If you want to eat chocolate and do better for the planet, dark chocolate is by far your best bet. 

That’s one key takeaway from a study that compared different types of chocolate for their environmental effects. It found that the major environmental burden of this sweet treat lies within the ingredients used to make it—the main culprits being palm oil, and milk. 

Focusing on the emerging chocolate market in Turkey, the researchers compared four types—dark, milk, white, and compound chocolate (where some cocoa butter is substituted by fats like palm oil.) For each type, they carried out a life cycle analysis, capturing everything from the field impacts where ingredients were grown, through to packaging and retail. They calculated impact across 18 categories, including global warming potential, land, water, and energy use.  

Out of this comparison, dark chocolate emerged as the clear sustainability victor, with a smaller footprint than all other chocolate types across several impact categories. 

Dark chocolate had a global warming potential of 2.32 kilograms of CO2-equivalent, which was almost half that of white chocolate, at 4.06 kilos per CO2-eq. It also excelled on land use, requiring only half of what white chocolate did, and used less water than white, milk, and compound chocolate. It also had the lowest freshwater and terrestrial pollution impact of all. 

By comparison, compound chocolate used large amounts of freshwater and had a high marine pollution impact. White chocolate, meanwhile, had the highest global warming impact of all four, as well as the biggest water and pollution footprint overall. 

 

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When they looked through the lifecycle data, the researchers discovered that chocolate ingredients accounted for these differences, driving the bulk of the environmental burden in every case. The milk powder used to make milk and white chocolate relies on the land-, water-, and emissions-intensive dairy farming. The palm oil that replaces cocoa fats in compound chocolate comes from vast palm plantations that give this chocolate type a hefty water and pollution impact.  

Other lifecycle factors like chocolate production method, energy use, and transport methods did contribute to the overall footprint of each chocolate, but they were overshadowed by the ingredient impacts. In fact, raw materials contributed 60% of chocolate’s environmental burden overall, and most of that was driven by milk and palm oil production. 

The lack of both these ingredients in dark chocolate explains why it had a higher sustainability score. But it’s still not a perfect sweet treat. Despite using little or no milk, the biggest impacts from dark chocolate came from the terrestrial, freshwater and marine pollution caused by the larger share of cocoa cultivation needed to make this product.

Ultimately, this was the study’s point: different ingredients create trade-offs, and also harbor the biggest opportunities for change along the production chain of each chocolate type, including dark. Tweaking chocolate recipes to avoid or reduce those key impact hotspots is therefore the most powerful way to reduce their environmental burden, the researchers suggest. 

In the meantime there’s a step every chocolate-lover can take: eat a little more dark chocolate and a little less milk. And that’s hardly a struggle. 

Konar et. al. “Life cycle hotspots in chocolate production: Ingredient formulation, processing technologies, and pathways toward sustainable confectionery systems.” Science of the Total Environment. 2026.

Image: ©Anthropocene Magazine

One day, you’ll appreciate drinking recycled toilet water. 

Urban populations are growing as water supplies are dwindling, often due to worsening droughts. In response, some communities are treating wastewater, rendering it perfectly safe for consumption. It is so pure, in fact, that if a treatment facility doesn’t add enough of the minerals the filtering process strips out, it could do serious damage to the human body. And trust me — it tastes great, too.

Cities throughout the American West are already recycling water, easing pressures on dwindling supplies. Now here’s a thought experiment: How much would you pay on your utility bill for the privilege of reused water, if it meant avoiding shortages and rationing in the future? A recent survey offers one answer. Residents of small communities of fewer than 10,000 people said they’d be willing to drop an average of $49 to do so. That money would underwrite water reuse programs, including rain capture systems. “I do think it is a bipartisan issue,” said Todd Guilfoos, an economist at the University of Rhode Island and co-author of the new paper. “It’s often just cheaper than some of the other available solutions.”

Wastewater recycling is not some far-out, prohibitively complicated technology. Western states are already doing a lot of it: A study published last year found that Nevada reuses 85 percent of its water, and Arizona 52 percent. Water agencies do this with reverse osmosis, passing the liquid through fine membranes to filter out solids before blasting it with UV light, which destroys any microbes. On a smaller scale, apartment buildings can house their own treatment infrastructure, cycling water back into units for nonpotable use, like flushing toilets.

Glasses containing raw sewage, plant effluent filtered, and recycled water are displayed at an advanced water purification facility in 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
Bob Riha, Jr. / Getty Images

On the municipal level, though, it’s expensive to build such facilities and run them continuously — it takes a lot of energy, for instance, to force water through those membranes. For a small community, charging each household $49 per month wouldn’t be quite enough to get a system up and running. “While that might be enough for operating, that doesn’t include what it would cost to actually build whatever water reuse infrastructure that you would need,” Guilfoos said. That’s when a town can turn to federal or state grants, or maybe utilize municipal bonds, to break ground. “I think communities need a little bit of a bump, actually, to get there,” Guilfoos added. “I think usually it’s in the face of some crises that these things end up getting built.”

Those crises are piling up across the U.S. Droughts are forcing some rural areas to pump more and more H2O from aquifers, depleting them. Tapped unsustainably, these underground supplies can collapse like an empty water bottle, making the land above sink, a phenomenon known as subsidence. This is a particularly pernicious problem in agricultural regions — California’s San Joaquin Valley has sunk up to 28 feet in recent decades, to offer just one example. 

If supplies dwindle, a small community would have no choice but to ration water. Getting more efficient about using what we have can help, like encouraging the adoption of thriftier toilets and spraying less on lawns, as Las Vegas has done. (Those thirsty patches of green are in general an environmental mess, beyond their use of water.) But to truly get more sustainable, a community will have to recycle the H2O it has no choice but to use. 

Read Next Los Angeles just showed how spongy a city can be Matt Simon

What’s interesting about this study, says Michael Kiparsky, director of the Wheeler Water Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, is the apparent overcoming of the “yuck factor.” “There’s a visceral reaction to drinking reused water, particularly reused wastewater, that’s totally understandable,” said Kiparsky, who wasn’t involved in the research. “But over time, that has faded as the notion of reusing water to augment water supplies, including for drinking water, has become increasingly legitimized.” 

At the same time, simple infrastructural improvements can capture heaps of another supply that’s readily wasted: rain. That $49 a month could fund bioswales, for instance — ditches full of vegetation that not only collect stormwater, but provide habitat for native plants and pollinators. Cities like Los Angeles are making themselves more “spongy” in this way, with roadside plots of land that collect runoff in subterranean tanks. Elsewhere, architects are building “agrihoods” around working farms that store precipitation to hydrate their crops through the summer.

In the American West, farmers are also having to contend with water whiplash, meaning years of plenty followed by years of desiccation. Generally speaking, rain is falling more heavily because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, increasing the bounty. But so too does climate change exacerbate droughts, making wastewater reuse especially welcome on farms. “All of this makes the water supply less certain in any given year, and more volatile from year to year,” said Tom Corringham, a research economist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who wasn’t involved in the new paper. “So any strategies that we can find that can smooth out the water cycle are beneficial.”

In addition to recycling wastewater, farmers are recharging the aquifers beneath their feet: When rains fall heavily, and there’s a surplus of water, channels divert fluid into “spreading grounds” — basically big dirt bowls built into the landscape. That allows precipitation to percolate back into the ground, reducing loss from evaporation, replacing what’s been drawn out, and helping avoid land subsidence. Then, when needed, a farm can pump the water back out of the ground, in which case it doesn’t need to draw from, say, a dam, leaving more water for others to use.

Together with wastewater reuse, aquifer recharge can help bolster the water system for the climatically perilous years ahead. As metropolises like Mexico City and Cape Town run the risk of running out of water, drinking recycled wastewater will be a whole lot more appealing than losing hydration entirely. 

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Would you pay $49 a month to drink recycled wastewater? on Feb 20, 2026.

Peggy Shepard walked into her living room on Tuesday morning when her husband told her Jesse Jackson, the civil rights titan from South Carolina, had died. “Immediately tears started coming,” said Shepard, co-founder and executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a New York City-based nonprofit. 

Nearly 40 years ago, Jackson had altered the course of Shepard’s life. In the late 1980s, she was working as an editor at Time-Life Books, when a colleague mentioned an organizing meeting for Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. “I walked into this Saturday meeting, and I walked out on air,” Shepard recalled. “Two hours later, I’m the press secretary for the Jackson campaign in Manhattan.”

That campaign — which would prove groundbreaking for Shepard and the country — pushed issues that had rarely been centered in national politics. Jackson made environmental justice, a term Americans were largely unfamiliar with at the time, a key plank of his second presidential run. He called for a national energy policy that would make offshore oil drilling obsolete, a plan to phase out nuclear energy, measures to reduce tailpipe pollution from cars, a conservation strategy to restore the nation’s wetlands and forests, and a federally sponsored workforce in the style of the New Deal Civilian Conservation Corps. (The Biden administration launched a similar program, the American Climate Corps, in 2024, but shuttered it days ahead of President Trump’s return to office last year.) 

“Being in the Jesse Jackson campaign led to everything I’m doing right now,” said Shepard of the volunteer job that took her across New York City and exposed her to stark disparities between neighborhoods, especially in pollution burdens. “If I hadn’t gone to that Saturday meeting, I’m not sure that I’d be sitting here today in this position.”

Jackson marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., transformed American politics with his two historic presidential campaigns, and inspired countless organizers — including environmental justice advocates — along the way. In his later years, he began making connections between segregation in Greenville, South Carolina, where he was born, and the toxic drinking water in Flint, Michigan. 

He died Tuesday at his South Side Chicago home, surrounded by family. He was 84. Jackson had been in declining health since a 2015 Parkinson’s diagnosis that was later revised to progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurodegenerative disorder. 

“Our father was a servant leader,” the Jackson family said in a statement. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family.”

Cheryl Johnson, who runs the Chicago-based environmental justice nonprofit People for Community Recovery, was about 10 years old when she first saw Jackson in person. It was a grade-school field trip to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the prominent civil rights nonprofit he founded in 1971, headquartered on the South Side. The towering figure left a lifelong impression on her. 

“I always remember he would say, ‘up with hope, down with dope,’” she said, recalling Jackson’s stockpile of charismatic appeals. “To see him fighting, at that particular time, for the right to be black in America, was an inspiration for me that I followed for many, many years,” Johnson said.  

From the television set to magazine covers, Johnson grew up with Jackson in the background. Her mother, Hazel Johnson, founded People for Community Recovery, one of the first environmental justice organizations in the country, and worked with Jackson several times during the Clinton administration. Today she’s remembered as “the mother of the environmental justice movement.” Cheryl Johnson never worked directly with Jackson on environmental issues in Chicago, but the two “would have discussions on the phone,” she said. “He got it.”

Jackson was often pragmatic, not allowing environmental concerns to outweigh what he believed Black communities needed. In 2021, he successfully urged Illinois lawmakers to propose legislation making it easier to build a natural gas pipeline to the rural Pembroke Township south of Chicago, once referred to as the largest Black farming community in the Northern U.S.  

“A secure source of energy would help kickstart other development — and in turn create jobs and generate hope,” Jackson wrote in an op-ed in support of the plan. As of this year, the pipeline is delivering natural gas to over 100 residents. 

Jackson also took an active interest in the Flint water crisis, showing up repeatedly and lending support. In early 2016, Melissa Mays filed a lawsuit against the city of Flint, Michigan, for exposing nearly 100,000 residents to unsafe water contaminated with lead, a toxic metal linked to developmental delays, cardiovascular issues, and infertility. 

Mays, a longtime Flint resident and a then-emerging clean water activist, remembers sitting in front of cameras and answering questions about her lawsuit when, unexpectedly, Jackson walked through the doors. “He walks right up to us to ask if he can say something,” she said. 

Not long after, Jackson declared that officials should put “tape around the city, because Flint is a crime scene.” Mays said the moment validated her concerns and in part kicked off a longtime friendship between the two. Jackson returned to Flint repeatedly, helping turn the water crisis into national news and criticizing the Obama administration for not sufficiently responding to the crisis. He made his last public appearance in Flint in 2024 to visit the Flint Southwestern Classical Academy to highlight the importance of voting.  

“He was not afraid of anybody,” Mays said.

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Jesse Jackson’s vision for America embraced environmental justice on Feb 20, 2026.

Hearings began Thursday in the first major climate suit of a multinational oil company in France. Judges will decide if oil giant TotalEnergies must curb its production of fossil fuels to keep its emissions in check. Among those following the case are African campaigners now rallying against a controversial pipeline backed by the oil giant.

Read more on E360 →

On February 17, 350PDX’s illustrious puppets will march down Mississippi Avenue in the Portland Mardi Gras parade, sharing information about climate justice and bringing joy to our community. On February 25, we’ll gather for a very different kind of event, an Action Night that takes a look at the use of tear gas in Portland. You can learn more about Action Night here and watch a trailer for the short film we’ll be screening that night here.

Now, let’s jump into our newsletter which features updates on: Oregon’s legislative session, fossil fuel resistance, forest defense, PCEF defense, arts team, book club, volunteer spotlight, and neighborhood teams.

Oregon’s Legislative Session

And so it’s begun! Oregon’s 2026 Short Legislative Session started on Monday. We have just over a month to make some meaningful changes for the state, so let’s do it. 350PDX’s Legislative Priorities can be found here. Included on this list are the top bills we’re focusing on this session and how you can take action to advance these priorities. This page will be updated on a regular basis, so keep the link handy to find ways to participate in this legislative session with us.

Top priorities this week: 

• • Thursday (2/5) at 1:00pm: Climate Resilience Superfund Bill (SB 1541) hearing. Join us and the Make Polluters Pay coalition down in Salem or virtually to support this bill as it heads to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire. The deadline to submit written testimony on this is Saturday, February 7, at 1:00pm. Testimony toolkit & info on how to submit testimony here.

• • Wednesday (2/14) at 3:00pm: The 1.25% for Wildlife Bill (HB 4134) has a hearing in the House Revenue Committee. The deadline to submit testimony is February 6 at 3:00pm. Testimony toolkit & info on how to submit testimony here.

  • Monday (2/16): RSVP for the Make Polluters Pay Advocacy Day in Salem

  …and more! Check out the Legislative Priorities page for info about other bills we have our eyes on, such as a balcony solar bill, nuclear energy study bill, and a couple of bills designed to increase transportation accountability.

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

Last month we helped put on the “What’s the Deal with Data Centers?” Rumble on the River Community Forum, the 28th Rumble in the ongoing series. Nearly 250 people attended! Here is the recording of the forum. Join us in jumping into action about this topic by urging your legislators to say NO to a corporate land grab that would bring 1,700 acres of world class farmland in Hillsboro inside the Urban Growth Boundary so it’s available for industrial development, likely for building new data centers.

The Fossil Fuel Resistance Team meets again on Tuesday, February 10 at 5:30pm on Zoom. New members are welcome; reach out to dineen@350pdx.org for the link to join or for an orientation.

Forest Defense Team

Thanks to everyone who sent in comments about the draft State Forest Management Plan last month. The Forest Defense Team, along with other environmental groups, made a successful pitch to OPB; read April Erlich’s story about our concerns.

Join the Forest Defense Team at 11:00am on Saturday, February 21 for a 2 mile walk around Mt. Tabor. We will talk about the importance of forests, how Oregon state forests are managed, and ways to get involved. Meet at the base of the Mt. Tabor Stairs near SE 69th Street and SE Yamhill Street. More details in the 350PDX calendar!

Invite a friend to Slough Fest! 350PDX is joining other groups in hosting a series of early spring events to introduce more Portlanders to the hidden habitat treasures of the Columbia Slough, February 28-March 8. These experiences are designed to grow public awareness about the City’s upcoming Environmental-Zone remapping process. Tentative date: Sunday, March 1, 1:00-3:00pm at Wilkes Park; check the 350PDX calendar later this month for details.

Reach out to Tyler@350pdx.org to join an upcoming Monday evening meeting. 

Defend PCEF from being Diverted to Police

WHAT: Oral arguments in defense of PCEF, wear green!

WHEN: Friday, February 13, 1:00pm

WHERE: Multnomah County Courthouse, 1200 SW 1st Ave, Portland

We’re showing up in solidarity for oral arguments challenging a ballot measure to divert 25% of PCEF to the Portland Police. Can you join us?

The Portland Police Association and a wealthy downtown developer want to raid the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), redirecting 25% of funds to pay for more cops—to the tune of about $200 million/year! This is a gross misuse of PCEF, which is a first-of-its-kind investment in climate resilience and community benefit for Portlanders most impacted by climate change.

The police union is attempting to place an initiative on Portland’s November ballot asking voters to undermine PCEF’s purpose. 350PDX and our partners, including the Coalition of Communities of Color, oppose this misguided and likely unconstitutional initiative. Several of our partners filed a legal challenge in December to stop this measure from reaching the ballot. Join us in defending PCEF!

Team Updates Arts Team

The 350PDX Arts Team needs puppeteers to give life to climate puppets, and march them one mile down N Mississippi St on Mardi Gras, February 17, 5:30-8:00pm! We have lots of puppets: trees, spotted owls, mushrooms, a heron, a river spirit, butterflies, beavers; and so far we only have twelve puppeteers. So — we need you!

photo: Irene Tejaratchi Hess

Last year’s Mardi Gras Parade puppets brought climate awareness to the cheering crowd and also gave a voice to our animal and plant world.

If you’d like to help drive puppets from 350PDX to the starting point of the parade, we need you too!

Also, consider helping at Artbuild this Sunday, February 8, 1:00-4:00pm. We’ll do finishing touches on our new puppets, and add parade lights to our bigger puppets.

If you can puppeteer or drive puppets or would like to help at Artbuild, reach out to Donna at murph1949@aol.com.

Thanks, the Arts Team – Donna, Lauren, Dannika, Allison

Book Club

The 350PDX Book Club meets every month on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. Every other month is in person and the others are virtual. Reach out to books@350PDX.org with any questions or to join our list, and please RSVP so we can inform you of any meeting changes! 

Join our next gathering on Wednesday, February 4 at 6:30pm. UPDATED LOCATION: Google Meet (click here to join). We’ll discuss The Story is in Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis, by Osprey Orielle Lake.

Save the date for our next meetings:

• Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30pm (Virtual) – Book to be selected in February

• Wednesday, April 1 at 6:30pm (350PDX Office) -TBD fiction book; voting starts soon!

• Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30pm (Virtual) – Book to be selected in April

SW Team

The Southwest Neighborhood Team includes neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland. We work together to raise awareness of the climate emergency.

Our street corner demonstrations continue weekly in February, every Friday from 3:00-4:00pm at SW Multnomah & SW 35th Avenue. We gain attention with our climate action signs in a highly visible location. Street parking is available or reach us via bus or bike. We have extra signs to share!

GET CONNECTED: Join our monthly Zoom meeting on Monday, February 16th, from 6:30-7:30pm.  We’ll be discussing new ideas for outreach efforts in 2026. To get involved, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

 350PDX Washington County Team

Our next gathering will be our regular monthly online meetup at 6:30pm on Tuesday, February 10. We’ll be tracking and supporting a number of bills in the 2026 Oregon Legislature and are considering putting on a second Electrification and Sustainability Fair in Hillsboro/Washington County this summer.

We always welcome newcomers to our events and to our monthly online meetings (6:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month). For the link, join us here or contact us at 350washco@gmail.com.

Volunteer Spotlight Scott Killops

When Scott retired from Intel in 2021 after a 30-year career ending in a long stint in Software Program Management, he knew he wanted to spend some of his time “doing something about climate change.” He eventually found his way to the 350PDX Forest Defense Team where he discovered a super warm and welcoming group doing good work. He has stayed ever since.

Over the last three years, Scott has been involved in each of the team’s campaigns, but he currently spends most of his time on the State Forests campaign. It turns out that being a former Software Program Manager is a good fit for attending hours-long Board of Forestry meetings on Zoom, reading Forest Management Plans that run into the hundreds of pages, and writing and submitting comments on stuff like Forest Carbon Accounting. Who knew?

Beyond 350PDX, Scott takes his dog Maisie and his daughter’s dog Juno hiking in the Columbia River Gorge almost every day. He’s also an old-time fiddler and can be found in a jam at the Portland NW Hostel most Thursday nights. And he enjoys spending lots of time with his three grandkids.

Thank you for reading our monthly newsletter. We hope to see you soon!

With gratitude,

Cherice, Dineen, Irene, Jessica, and Noelle

The post 2026 February Newsletter! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Back yards in Florida range from grassy fenced suburbs to sandy beach views, screened pools to oak-shaded forests, and all of them can be good places to spot birds. The Great Backyard Bird Count...

Grand Staircase-Escalante Needs Your Voice!

 

As you’re likely aware by now, Utah’s congressional delegation is expected to introduce a “Joint Resolution” in Congress that, if passed, would undo the current management plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This is an “all hands on deck” moment for everyone who loves the monument, Utah’s redrock country, and public lands across the country. 

Both houses of Congress will get back to business on Monday, February 23. In the meantime, SUWA has been busy mobilizing supporters to contact (or meet with) their members of Congress and urge them to oppose the joint resolution. Click here to learn what actions you can take now, from wherever you live. You can also get up to speed on this issue by reading recent media coverage in the Salt Lake Tribune, Durango Herald, Rocky Mountain Public Radio, Center for Western Priorities, and Writers on the Range.

If you missed our Emergency Webinar in Defense of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on February 9, we encourage you to watch it here. SUWA Legal Director Steve Bloch will also be speaking on this subject at the Great Old Broads for Wilderness “Lunch and Learn” webinar on February 26.

Finally, if you haven’t already done so, we urge you to take action on our website. If you live outside of Utah, reach out to a member of SUWA’s Grassroots Organizing Team to get more involved and find out if your member of Congress is one who could cast a deciding vote. We’re currently focusing grassroots pressure on Montana, Idaho, the Western Slope of Colorado, Nebraska, the greater Philadelphia area (including both Pennsylvania and New Jersey), and Maine. Thanks for speaking up for Grand Staircase!

Photo © Ray Bloxham/SUWA

Help Us Kick Off the 2026 Stewardship Season in Early March!

 

Our Stewardship Program’s 2026 season kicks off in less than two weeks. Please consider joining us early this year to help build the momentum we need for a successful year of hands-on conservation.

Got a touch of spring fever? We’re looking for volunteers to join us from March 5-7 for our very first project in sunny southwest Utah, where a rolling sea of pale sand dunes punctuated with stately ponderosa pines supports a population of rare, endemic tiger beetles. We’ll work on habitat protection with rangers, installing a wooden, low-impact fence to protect the wild parts of this landscape and promote responsible outdoor recreation. Don’t miss this great opportunity to experience and help conserve a unique Utah landscape. Click here to learn more about this project and apply!

Our complete 2026 Stewardship Calendar can be found here. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Stewardship Program staff at volunteer@suwa.org.

Photo © Ray Bloxham/SUWA

Coalition Files Lawsuit Over Illegal Highway Approval through Red Cliffs NCA

 

Earlier this month, a coalition of six local, Utah-based, and national conservation organizations, including SUWA, sued the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for illegally reapproving the four-lane Northern Corridor Highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area near St. George. Conservation groups filed the lawsuit after learning that the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) would be starting ground-disturbing activities for the highway’s construction despite the BLM having yet to approve a required highway development plan.

The proposed Northern Corridor Highway would carve a high-speed highway through designated critical habitat for the threatened Mojave desert tortoise. It would damage iconic redrock landscapes, disrupt treasured outdoor recreation opportunities, and set a dangerous precedent for congressionally protected public lands across the U.S.

Abandoning their previous scientific findings, the federal agencies’ recent decision reversed a December 2024 rejection of the same proposal by the BLM and Fish and Wildlife Service and marks the eighth time the controversial highway has been considered. The project has been stopped on seven previous attempts over concerns related to wildlife, public safety, legal compliance, and community opposition.

>> Read the coalition press release

Photo courtesy of Conserve Southwest Utah

Meet Canyon Keepers: SUWA’s Monthly Giving Program

 

Monthly giving provides a strong and reliable foundation that allows SUWA to focus on our most pressing work: defending against threats of public land privatization and development, fossil fuel leasing, agency mismanagement, and other forms of exploitation.

Our monthly donors have been part of SUWA’s story for years. This circle of members, whose dependable contributions support our work year-round, are now called “Canyon Keepers.” If you’re already a monthly donor, thank you! If not, we hope you’ll consider becoming one.

Becoming a Canyon Keeper is simple. It only takes a few minutes to set up, and once you do, your gift renews automatically each month. You can increase, decrease, or pause your support at any time.

To welcome you to the Canyon Keepers circle, we’ll send you a limited-edition Canyon Wren canvas bag to show our gratitude.

>> Click here to become a Canyon Keeper today!

Artwork by Riley Lubich

Join Our Salt Lake City Team!

SUWA is hiring for two positions:

• A Summer Law Clerk in our Salt Lake City Office. Summer law clerks have the opportunity to work with SUWA’s legal team on ongoing litigation and policy advocacy. SUWA accepts applications from rising 2L and 3L students with preference for 3Ls. Learn more and apply by Friday, Feb. 27.
  
  
• A Utah Grassroots Organizer in our Salt Lake City Office. The Organizer recruits, trains, and mobilizes volunteers, students, community members, Tribal partners, and allied organizations to protect Utah’s wildlands. This role combines base-building, campaign organizing, rapid response mobilization, coalition leadership, and public education. Learn more and apply by Wednesday, March 4.

The post February 2026 Redrock Report appeared first on Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

Join Sustainable Northwest for the first webinar of the year to review Oregon’s 2026 Legislative Session, which will be adjourning in early March. The webinar will cover timely topics like the Funds for Oregon Resilience, Growth, and Energy (FORGE) Act, affordable financing programs (Upgrade and Save), Climate Resilience Superfund, Balcony Solar, residential solar consumer protection, utility scale solar siting, virtual power plants, and more. 

• Presenters will include:
• Ben Brint, Senior Climate Program Director, Oregon Environmental Council
• Angela Crowley-Koch, Executive Director, Oregon Solar+Storage Industries Association
• Lauren Link, State Policy Advisor, The Nature Conservancy

Register

The post Webinar: Making Energy Work for Rural Oregon first appeared on NW Energy Coalition.

Registered nurses at MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae, California, condemn management for proceeding with a two-day lockout following the RNs’ one-day strike at their hospital on February 18.

The Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Association is working to advance agroecological principles and practices in East, Central, and Southern Africa. Their Kenyan chapter, PELUM Kenya, engages in advocacy, networking, knowledge sharing and capacity building to support the country’s smallholder farmers produce food in a way that heals the planet and supports their livelihoods.

“Agroecology has been feeding the world and will continue to feed the world,” Rosinah Mbenya, PELUM Kenya’s Country Coordinator, tells Food Tank.

The organization advocates for practices including organic, regenerative, conservation, bio-intensive, and biodynamic agriculture; family farming; agroforestry; and permaculture. They do not promote genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or the use of synthetic agricultural inputs.

Some critics of agroecology believe this approach is only for small-scale farmers, Mbenya explains. But she disagrees, stating that the practices can also be used in larger operations. “I think it’s the future,” she says.

But investment is needed to help farmers transition to agroecological techniques at scale. When compared to the financing available for conventional farming, the amount directed toward agroecology “is still very, very low,” Mbenya tells Food Tank. This is something both the private sector and governments will have a role to play in addressing, she says.

“We really need to ensure that we…are fast tracking the investments in agroecology, because there is a lot of work that needs to go into capacity building,” Mbenya says. But she remains hopeful this can be done. “I’m looking forward to seeing more and more investments, more and more interest in the agriculture sector.”

Listen to or watch the full conversation with Rosinah Mbenya on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to learn more about recent policy wins for farmers, what’s attracting the next generation of Kenya’s young people to pursue careers in agriculture, and the financing that will catalyze an agroecological transformation.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of PELUM Kenya

The post PELUM Kenya Is Advancing a Vision for Climate-Smart Farming appeared first on Food Tank.

Today, Center for Food Safety (CFS) issued the following statement from George Kimbrell, Legal Director at Center for Food Safety, in response to the Trump administration’s February 18, 2026 Executive Order concerning glyphosate:

“This Trump Executive Order follows a long pattern from the administration: sound and fury, ultimately signifying nothing. Executive orders do not have the force and effect of law without new authority from Congress and here cannot magically give Monsanto immunity for the harms of its toxic glyphosate products. In addition to being legally meritless, the EO is factually unmoored from reality. The Trump Administration has demonstrated no threat to the continued availability of glyphosate, and in any case there are literally hundreds of other herbicides available to farmers and others. This EO is a transparent attempt to influence the Supreme Court to grant glyphosate-maker Monsanto/Bayer and other pesticide behemoths immunity from liability for the harms caused by their products. It also represents the Trump administration betraying MAHA yet again and a feeble attempt to divert attention from the disastrous effects of Trump tariffs on the farming community.”

Background

For over twenty five years, Center for Food Safety has worked to improve pesticide regulation and build a better, more regenerative future of food. Among other landmark cases on behalf of the public interest, a CFS lawsuit resulting to a federal court in 2022 holding that EPA’s cancer safety findings for glyphosate were contrary to both the law and scientific standards, and striking them down