G2. Local Greens

A group of conservation and historical organizations is suing the Trump administration over Interior department policies that erase history and science from America’s national parks.

The lawsuit filed yesterday lists Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron as defendants. It asks the court to declare that Burgum’s order calling for the review or removal of information or signage at national parks that “disparages Americans past and living” is illegal. Under the order, parks and historical sites across the country have altered or removed content related to racism, slavery, sexism, and LGTBQ+ rights, Indigenous history, climate change, and “other core elements of the American experience,” according to the lawsuit.

“We the people deserve and demand a national park system that tells true stories of Black communities, Indigenous tribes, and countless other fascinating chapters of our history,” said Alan Spears of the National Parks Conservation Association. “As Americans, we deserve national parks that tell stories of our country’s triumphs and heartbreaks alike. We can handle the truth.”

A separate lawsuit also filed yesterday argues that the Interior department’s decision to remove the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument in New York City violated a federal law that allows national parks and monuments to fly flags that provide historical context.

Quick hits New lawsuits argue the Trump administration is erasing history

National Parks Traveler | Associated Press | Politico | Reuters | The Hill | Washington Post

Analysis: Why privatizing public land won’t solve the housing crisis

Scientific American

Pacific Crest Trail hikers banned from border wall under new rules

Backpacker

New Mexico’s public lands protections weakened by Project 2025

KRWG

Opinion: Why Nevada’s public lands, and our senators’ votes, matter now

Nevada Current

Trump’s EPA decided climate change doesn’t endanger public health. Evidence says otherwise

High Country News

A land dispute in Colorado’s San Luis Valley pits a billionaire’s request for a 233-acre privacy buffer against local grazing rights

Colorado Sun

A new bipartisan geothermal bill Is about to heat up the house

Heatmap

Quote of the day

National parks are not propaganda tools nor should they be used for partisan purposes. They exist to preserve and interpret the full American story, not just the parts that make some politicians comfortable. Erasing history doesn’t make it go away, it just makes it more likely to repeat itself. And harkens back to some very dark and dangerous times in world history.”

—Emily Thompson, Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks

Picture This @carlsbadcavernsnps

A new study has revealed an extraordinary variety of baryte and celestine speleothems in Lechuguilla Cave. These include stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, coralloids, wall crusts, floor crystals, snow, frostwork, and pool crystals. The baryte speleothems are typically made up of pure baryte, whereas celestine is found in the most diverse assemblages of minerals recorded in the cave. This includes the first record of the extremely rare cave mineral strontianite in Lechuguilla Cave. Radiometric dating demonstrates that many of the speleothems started forming during the Pleistocene and are still growing today. The study was led by Max Wisshak @speleophoto (Senckenberg Institute, Germany) and is based on observations and samples from two recent mineralogical expeditions into the cave.

Wisshak M, Birkenstock J, Schröder-Ritzrau A, Frank N, Barton HA & DuChene HR (2026): Exceptional variety of baryte-celestine-series speleothems in Lechuguilla Cave (New Mexico, USA). International Journal of Speleology, 55: ijs2585.

Photos by Max Wisshak 

Featured photo: An interpretive sign about Indigenous history at Grand Canyon National Park, Wikimedia Commons

The post Coalition sues the Trump administration for attempts to erase history appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

The MP representing Balcombe, site of a controversial oil well in West Sussex, has asked the government how water supplies could be affected by the onshore industry.

Mims Davies MP, who represents Balcombe. Photo: House of Commons

Last year, Mims Davies, Conservative MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield, urged the government to withdraw the licence for the Balcombe site because of the risk of water pollution to the Ardingly Reservoir, which supplies the area’s drinking water.

This week, in a parliamentary question, Ms Davies asked the energy secretary, Ed Miliband:

“what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of

(a) onshore oil developments in the UK on areas of significant housing growth such as the Ardingly Reservoir catchment and

(b) those developments on drinking water.”

The energy minister, Michael Shanks, replied:

“Local planning authorities and the Environment Agency are responsible for assessing the impact of onshore oil and gas developments on housing and drinking water respectively.

“The North Sea Transition Authority regulates exploration and development licensing for England’s onshore oil and gas resources on behalf of the Secretary of State. Licence holders require further consents and permits before any operations take place.”

Balcombe residents have repeatedly warned of a plausible contamination link between Ardingly and the Angus Energy well site at Balcombe.

When reservoir levels are low –below 28% in October 2025 – water is pumped from the River Ouse to manage supplies. Tributaries of the Ouse are about 10m from the Balcombe well site.

• Last week, Angus Energy failed to meet the planning deadline for the start of a well test at Balcombe. West Sussex County Council told DrillOrDrop the site’s planning permission had now lapsed.

¡An electrifying performance! Puerto Rico’s energy issues in the national spotlight Juan M. Muñoz … Wed, 02/18/2026 - 9:50 am

Campaigners have questioned council officials about whether a “viable” planning application is likely for the Horse Hill oil production site in Surrey.

Horse Hill oil site in January 2026. Photo: Used with the owner’s consent

The site, near Redhill, was stripped of its planning permission in June 2024 following a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court.

Since then, there have been multiple delays to clear the site and submit a new planning application.

Last month, Surrey County Council said it expected key application documents by mid-February.

But correspondence between council planners and the campaign network, the Weald Action Group, indicates the application submission has been delayed again.

The Weald Action Group said the focus of the Horse Hill parent company, UK Oil & Gas plc, had “moved away from onshore oil and gas altogether”:

“it is therefore increasingly difficult to understand why the Council continues to assume that a viable planning submission at Horse Hill is forthcoming.”

Sian Saadeh, Surrey County Council’s assistant director of planning, replied this week

“We are in regular contact with the applicant who has provided information setting out the proposed timeframe and details for the submission of the necessary information to allow the redetermination of the application.”

She added:

“It is reasonable for the Council to continue to act on the basis that a planning application is forthcoming. 

“I appreciate however that this submission has been delayed and therefore this position does remain under review, if it appears that the operator’s position has changed. 

“Recently we have had communication that a submission should be imminent in February once two final supporting documents have been completed. A full public consultation will be undertaken once the submission has been received.”

Horse Hill oil site in January 2026. Photo: Used with the owner’s consent Horse Hill oil site in January 2026. Photo: Used with the owner’s consent Enforcement concerns

Weald Action Group also raised concerns about the level of county council enforcement against oil companies in Surrey.

It said the Horse Hill operator had been allowed to cease oil production voluntarily, four months after planning permission had been quashed.

Another company, Angus Energy, drilled a sidetrack well at Brockham, even though Surrey County Council twice told the company it did not have planning permission for the work.

Weald Action Group said:

“it is difficult not to feel concerned that these operators view enforcement action as something that is negotiable and the consequences of acting unlawfully as minimal.”

The group asked:

“what reassurances can the Council provide that its planning system is being applied robustly? If a pattern of unlawful activity is seen to have no meaningful consequence, it is obvious that this sends a clear signal to UKOG (and other operators) that delay and non-compliance will be tolerated.” 

Ms Saadeh said it was “established good practice in planning enforcement” to seek a negotiated or voluntary remedy.

She said the purpose of planning enforcement was to remedy the planning harm from any breach of planning control and “not to only act punitively”:

“A negotiated remedy is always therefore sought as a first option and this will also usually result in a quicker remedy than the serving of a formal notice which may be followed by appeals or legal action during which time the planning harm may be continuing.

“It was therefore appropriate for us to follow this approach in respect of Horse Hill and this ultimately had the desired result of the cessation of the extraction.”

Ms Saadeh added:

“there has been continued negotiation and discussions regarding the removal of equipment from the site and its restoration. There was initial positive action by the operator with equipment removed from the site to ensure that the well was no longer functional alongside the removal of other ancillary equipment. 

“Discussions remain active with recent meetings having taken place.  From the Council’s perspective, engaging in these discussions does not prevent the Council from taking formal enforcement action if we deem it now necessary and expedient to do so. 

“Those options, including all possible formal enforcement action options, remain under active consideration by the team and work is on-going in this respect. 

“I have asked that the team update me in no more than a month’s time as to how this has progressed and I will ensure you are updated at that time as well.”

WAG also raised concerns about possible damage to the Horse Hill site liner on the perimeter bund.

Ms Saadeh said she had passed on the concerns to “relevant enforcement officers” and it was being investigated. She said she had also told the Environment Agency.

• The next meeting of Surrey County Council’s planning meeting is on Wednesday 25 February 2026 at 10.30am in the council chamber, Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate RH2 8EF. Agenda

A year at Horse Hill

28 January 2026: Council still waiting for Horse Hill information

17 December 2025: Horse Hill – key details delayed

26 November 2025: Key information promised before Christmas

26 June 2025: No site clearance at Horse Hill one year on from Supreme Court ruling

26 March 2025: Horse Hill judgement – 9 months on and no date for final site clearance

26 February 2025: No date for site clearance and council seeks new details

Health, environmental groups challenge the Trump EPA’s harmful, unscientific, and illegal repeal of the endangerment finding and elimination of clean vehicle standards.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 18, 2026) — A broad coalition of health and environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency today over its illegal determination that it is not responsible for protecting us from climate pollution and its elimination of rules to cut the tailpipe pollution fueling the climate crisis and harming people’s health.

The case, filed in the D.C. Circuit, challenges the Trump EPA’s rescission of the 2009 endangerment finding, which found that climate pollution is a threat to public health and welfare, and the elimination of the vehicle emissions standards. 

The case was brought by:

• The American Public Health Association, American Lung Association, Alliance of Nurses for a Healthy Environment, Clean Wisconsin, represented by Clean Air Task Force,
• Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), Clean Air Council, Friends of the Earth, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC), and the Union of Concerned Scientists, represented by Earthjustice, and
• Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Law & Policy Center, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Public Citizen, and Sierra Club.

The named defendants are EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and EPA itself as an agency.

Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA is legally required to limit vehicle emissions of any “air pollutant” that the agency determines “cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.” In 2007, the Supreme Court held in Massachusetts v. EPA that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases unambiguously are “air pollutants” under the Clean Air Act and told EPA to determine, based on the science, if that pollution endangers human health and welfare. EPA made that determination in 2009, which led to new standards for vehicles. It built on that finding when issuing other standards.

In its repeal, the Trump EPA is rehashing legal arguments that the Supreme Court already considered and rejected in Massachusetts v. EPA.

Along with the repeal of the endangerment finding, the EPA eliminated all carbon emissions standards from vehicles. The EPA’s clean car standards set in 2024 would save drivers of new cars an average of $6,000 over the lifetime of their vehicles. The EPA’s own analysis found that eliminating the vehicle standards will increase gas prices, force Americans to spend more on fuel, and be a net negative for the economy.

Quotes from Plaintiffs: 

“With this action, EPA flips its mission on its head,” said Hana Vizcarra, senior attorney at Earthjustice. “It abandons its core mandate to protect human health and the environment to boost polluting industries and attempts to rewrite the law in order to do so. Earthjustice and our partners will defend what we all know to be true: climate pollution is harming our health, welfare, and economy and EPA has an obligation to control these harmful emissions.”

“Here in the Inland Valley, climate change isn’t some abstract future threat—it’s something our families live with every day. It’s parents worrying about their kids’ asthma as diesel trucks rumble past schools and neighborhoods. It’s workers commuting through smog and extreme heat, and families cutting short time outdoors because the air simply isn’t safe to breathe, it’s wildfires and flooding,” said Ana Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice. “By trying to repeal the endangerment finding and weaken vehicle greenhouse gas standards, the Trump administration’s EPA is abandoning its legal duty to protect communities like ours. That decision would lock in more pollution, more dangerous heat, and more health risks—threatening our well-being, our local economy, and our children’s future. We won’t stand by while climate denial becomes official policy and puts the Inland Valley at risk.”

“The Endangerment Finding has been the backbone of climate policy for 17 years, protecting us from air pollution that endangers public health and welfare — including greenhouse gases that are driving climate change,” said Lawrence Hafetz, Clean Air Council’s Legal Director. “By repealing the finding, we are sweeping the single deadliest type of pollution, climate pollution, under the rug. Deadly floods, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes are harming our health, our communities, and our economy. This climate chaos plan is decimating the EPA’s ability to act when we need protections more than ever.”

“Today’s lawsuit makes clear that we will not idly stand by while EPA blatantly refutes its core mission to protect the environment and public health from dangerous pollution,” said Hallie Templeton, Legal Director for Friends of the Earth. “The science is overwhelmingly clear that greenhouse gases cause harm, yet the Trump administration has unlawfully chosen to benefit polluters at the planet’s expense. We will keep fighting and holding these bad actors accountable in court for their lawlessness.”

“The EPA’s rollback of the endangerment finding is a devastating decision that goes against the science and testimony of countless scientists, health care professionals, and public health practitioners,” said Ankush K. Bansal, MD, DCM, FACP, FACPM, SFHM, Physicians for Social Responsibility Board President. “It will result in direct harm to the health of Americans throughout the country, particularly children, older adults, those with chronic illnesses, and other vulnerable populations, rural to urban, red and blue, of all races and incomes. The increased exposure to harmful pollutants and other greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel production and consumption will make America sicker, not healthier, less prosperous, not more, for generations to come.”

“Revoking the Endangerment Finding sets our country down a dangerous path that will have unimaginable consequences for so many. It ignores the real harms that people and communities like ours along the Rio Grande in South Texas are already experiencing from declining rainfall, heat, and fragile ecosystems,” said Tricia Cortez, Executive Director of Rio Grande International Study Center. “We have a moral obligation to our current and future generations to protect their future and the well-being of our planet’s climate. We must act now to tackle and reduce all sources of harm. We need our national leaders to do everything in their power to protect our human race, and to leave behind a habitable and thriving world for those to come after us.”

“EPA’s repeal of the endangerment finding and safeguards to limit vehicle emissions marks a complete dereliction of the agency’s mission to protect people’s health and its legal obligation under the Clean Air Act. This shameful and dangerous action by the Trump administration and EPA Administrator Zeldin is rooted in falsehoods not facts and is at complete odds with the public interest and the best available science. Heat-trapping emissions and global average temperatures are rising—primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels—contributing to a mounting human and economic toll across the nation. This anti-science administration must be held to account for evading its responsibility to help address this acute crisis and we’re going to help make sure that happens,” said Dr. Gretchen Goldman, president and CEO at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“Ignoring the scientific evidence of the threat climate pollution poses to the health of all of us sends a very wrong message to communities across the nation and around the world. EPA has a duty to consider the well-being and safety of all, and the science is clear; climate change and air pollution threaten everyone’s health,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, Chief Executive Officer of the American Public Health Association. “To reverse course now, and to also repeal limits on climate pollution from vehicles, puts everyone in the country at risk of experiencing serious and preventable harm. It also weakens our nation’s ability to address the severe health impacts caused by climate change.”

“EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO, American Lung Association. “Repealing the Endangerment Finding and vehicle emission safeguards weakens important protections against air pollution that harm lung health. On behalf of the millions of people living with lung disease and everyone who breathes, the American Lung Association is committed to upholding the law and protecting public health.”

“We need to call the Trump Administration’s repeal of the Engagement Finding what it is – climate denialism and the EPA abandoning its responsibility to protect us from climate change,” said Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN, Executive Director, Alliance of Nurses for a Healthy Environment. “The EPA is legally required to protect against air pollution that endangers the public’s health. It’s time that the EPA be held accountable for these reckless actions and get back to its mission to protect human health and the environment.”

“Repealing the endangerment finding and vehicle emissions standards are among the most destructive and irresponsible actions taken by the Trump EPA to date,” said Katie Nekola, General Counsel, Clean Wisconsin. “The dangers of climate change are becoming ever more apparent as Wisconsin experiences record heat, toxic air from wildfire smoke, and extreme weather. The EPA is ignoring its legal duty to protect our communities from the heath harms of greenhouse gas emissions in its zealous pandering to big oil, gas and coal interests.”

“As the nonpartisan National Academies stated last fall, the endangerment finding ‘was accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence.’ No amount of legal sophistry from this administration or EPA can evade the well settled statutory requirements and those scientific conclusions,” said Frank Sturges, Attorney at Clean Air Task Force (CATF). “The Clean Air Act’s requirements are simple: protect public health and welfare from air pollutants that endanger them. On the law and on the science, greenhouse gases fit that bill. To protect public health and the environment, we will challenge this unlawful action in court, and when the dust settles, we will prevail.”

“We’re suing to stop Trump from torching our kids’ future in favor of a monster handout to oil companies,” said David Pettit, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute. “Nobody but Big Oil profits from Trump trashing climate science and making cars and trucks guzzle and pollute more. Consumers will pay more to fill up, and our skies and oceans will fill up with more pollution. The EPA’s rollbacks are based on political poppycock, not science or law, and the courts should see it that way.”

“Taking away the endangerment finding doesn’t protect families — it abandons them,” said Conservation Law Foundation Senior Vice President for Law and Policy Kate Sinding Daly. “This scientific determination has for years served as the bedrock of our nation’s efforts to curb deadly pollution and safeguard public health and welfare. Taking it away only absolves the EPA of acting on behalf of every family in the country. We won’t let that stand and we’re prepared to take this fight to court to ensure our communities aren’t left to bear the consequences of unchecked climate-warming pollution.”

“Repealing the Endangerment Finding endangers all of us. People everywhere will face more pollution, higher costs, and thousands of avoidable deaths,” said Peter Zalzal, Distinguished Counsel and Associate Vice President of Clean Air Strategies at Environmental Defense Fund. “The Trump EPA’s action tramples mountains of scientific evidence, ignores the law, and is fundamentally at odds with EPA’s core responsibility to protect us from dangerous pollution. We are challenging this action in court, where evidence matters, and we will continue working together to build a better, safer and more prosperous future.”

“This is not a mere rollback. EPA is attempting to completely disavow its statutory authority to regulate greenhouse gases from motor vehicles. After two decades of scientific evidence supporting the 2009 finding, the agency cannot credibly claim that the body of work is now incorrect. This reckless and legally untenable decision creates immediate uncertainty for businesses, guarantees prolonged legal battles, and undermines the stability of federal climate regulations.  EPA cannot be permitted to abandon its responsibility to protect public health and welfare,” said Brian Lynk, Senior Attorney, Environmental Law & Policy Center.

“The Trump EPA’s slapdash legal arguments should be laughed out of court. Undercutting the ability of the federal government to tackle the largest source of climate pollution is deadly serious, but the administration’s legal and scientific reasons for doing so are a joke,” said Meredith Hankins, legal director for federal climate at NRDC.  

“The repeal of the EPA’s endangerment finding is illegal, and if allowed to stand, it will have devastating impacts on public health and a livable climate for decades,” said Adina Rosenbaum, attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group.

“The Trump administration’s reckless decision to rescind the Endangerment Finding and strip the EPA of its primary authority to regulate greenhouse gases will have disastrous consequences for the American people, our health, and our shared future,” said Joanne Spalding, Director of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program. “In the early 2000s, the Sierra Club brought the first-ever lawsuit seeking federal greenhouse gas standards under the Clean Air Act, and as a result, these protections became a reality. Nearly 25 years later, we’re taking Lee Zeldin and Donald Trump’s EPA to court because people should not be forced to suffer for this administration’s blind allegiance to the fossil fuel industry and corporate polluters. This shortsighted rollback is blatantly unlawful and their efforts to force this upon the American people will fail.”

The Bay Area is facing its biggest threat to public transportation in decades. With a looming fiscal cliff, major transit agencies—including BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit—may soon have to make difficult decisions to close stations, reduce frequencies, and shorten hours of operation. The changes are stark and could mean that agencies like BART will have to close two of its lines and more than a dozen of its stations. Consequently, riders will wait dramatically longer for their trains and will have to switch trains more often to get to their final destination.

Failure to act now will mark the start of public transit’s slow demise in the Bay Area."

Greenbelt Alliance is endorsing a new transit funding measure in five Bay Area counties called Connect Bay Area, joining a powerful coalition of advocates to save the Bay Area’s public transit. 

The campaign is currently gathering signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot, and we need your support to sign the petition at an in-person event in your county! 

Learn how you can support below:

How We Got Here

Funding for transit agencies in the Bay Area relies heavily on fares and local revenue sources, so when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and ridership plunged, a substantial amount of that funding disappeared. For a while, agencies were able to stay afloat due to the federal relief stimulus, but that has quickly dried up, and California has not stepped in to address those deficits. Without yearly State funding and with ridership only slowly recovering to pre-pandemic levels, agencies are not seeing the revenue needed to continue operating at full capacity.

To put this into perspective, here is what will happen in 2027 if we do not pass the transit measure:

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)

• The Blue line (Balboa to Dublin-Pleasanton) and Grey line (OAK airport) will close
• 15 stations with the lowest ridership will close, including Millbrae and Warm Springs
• 70% reduction in train hours and 24% reduction in system miles
• The agency will face a $355-$385 million budget deficit (30% of the operating budget)
• Without a funding pathway by the end of 2027, BART may have to stop all operations

SFMTA Muni

• There will be a 50% cut of Muni services 
• There will be an elimination of fare discounts and pass programs for youth and seniors
• The agency will face a $322-$398 million budget deficit (25% of the operating budget)

AC Transit

• There will be a nearly 40% cut to services
• The agency will face a $51-$72 million budget deficit (10% of the operating budget)

Caltrain

• The agency will run 1 train per hour and cut all weekend service
• The agency will face a $65-$76 million budget deficit (42% of the operating budget)

These monumental disruptions to operations are direct consequences of the fiscal cliff. However, it does not account for the myriad ramifications down the road for managing traffic, tackling climate change, meeting our housing needs, and ensuring an affordable California for all.

“Fuming” with Greenhouse Gases

With 41% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions coming from the transportation sector, losing major parts of our public transit system will allow for even more cars on the road and weaken our ability to fight the climate crisis. Without BART, drivers can expect their commute to extend by 12 more hours per week and see traffic across the Bay Bridge surging by 73%. This means less time with family and friends doing the things we love. 

In the long term, this may lead to worsening climate hazards, including droughts, flooding, and wildfires. More cars will also be a direct threat to our health and well-being, causing more air pollution, compromising air quality, and leading to higher rates of respiratory-related illnesses. By maintaining our public transit system, we can reduce GHG emissions and avoid these catastrophic changes to our communities.

Communities Connected to Transit

Three words encapsulate our housing abundance strategy: transit-oriented development (TOD). In the last two decades, many urbanists have turned their attention to creating walkable, affordable, and resilient communities that are well-connected to the places where people work, study, and play. A cornerstone of this vision is built on the idea that we should promote more homes near our public transit corridors.

BART TOD projects like MacArthur Station provide residents access to the vibrant Temescal neighborhood, while allowing easy access to commute to downtown Oakland or San Francisco. Even new project proposals like the Caltrain-adjacent Hillsdale Reimagined in San Mateo demonstrate the durability of TOD in renovating underutilized buildings and turning them into lively community spaces. 

That is why Greenbelt Alliance co-sponsored Senate Bill 79 in the California legislature, which makes it easier and faster to build homes near public transit. While SB 79 is now law, the risks of public transit’s fiscal cliff diminish the law’s application by making fewer sites viable for TOD upzoning. Other proposed TOD projects funded by transit agencies will likely be reevaluated, too. This could all delay much-needed affordable housing in the Bay Area and worsen the housing crisis.

How to Save Our Public Transit

In light of the fiscal cliff and its many consequences, communities and advocates have organized to create a new regional transportation ballot measure. Dubbed Connect Bay Area, the measure will create a ½ cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties; San Francisco County will have a 1-cent sales tax. Taxes collected from this measure will be used to fund the transit operations for BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit while also funding transit transformation improvements to safety, cleanliness, convenience, and seamless integration of transit services. 

Last year, the measure passed its first hurdle as SB 63 and is now in its signature-gathering phase. By adding your name to the petition at one of our events, you will help us qualify for the 2026 November midterm election! Please continue staying connected to the campaign and we hope to see you at one of our events in the future.

The post Sign Petition To Save Bay Area’s Public Transit appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.

Calling all climate-smart development enthusiasts: apply to join Greenbelt Alliance’s Climate SMART Development Endorsement Program (DEP) Committee.  The DEP Committee meets monthly to review, discuss, and select proposed development projects for endorsement that meet our  SMART—Sustainable, Mixed, Affordable, Resilient, Transit-Oriented—criteria and vision. These development projects advance the right kind of development in the right places across the Bay Area. (see the projects we have endorsed). 

 Applications are now open until March 17, 2026. Fill the form below to apply:

We are looking for additional members from across the Bay Area who share our climate SMART—Sustainable, Mixed, Affordable, Resilient, Transit-Oriented—vision, and professionals with expertise in housing equity, sustainability, finance, and environmental design. We would like this committee to accurately reflect a diversity of ages, professions, backgrounds, and genders, as well as employment status, including those who are in school, employed, or retired.

The meetings are currently held via Zoom every 3rd Wednesday of the month, for 1 hour, with occasional ad hoc meetings. The new committee members would attend their first meeting in April 2026.

The goals of the Climate SMART Development Endorsement Program are:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate impacts. 
• Promote equity, foster community resilience, and protect the most vulnerable. 
• Prioritize natural and green infrastructure solutions to enhance and protect natural resources and urban environments. 
• Preserve and restore ecological systems that enhance natural system functions, services, and quality and that reduce risk.

Why Join?

By promoting climate-smart development, we can create thriving, resilient neighborhoods with ready access to transit and housing for everyone. We can continue to protect the Bay Area’s greenbelts from sprawl development, preserving our open spaces for generations to come. As a trusted advocate of both open spaces and climate-smart communities, Greenbelt Alliance is in a unique position to help infill development projects move forward.

The Development Endorsement Program and Committee provides an essential environmental perspective on building housing within existing communities in the Bay Area. We pursue the SMART goals to achieve our mission of ensuring that the Bay Area’s lands and communities are resilient to a changing climate.

If you have any questions about this committee, please contact Andrew Ha at aha@greenbelt.org.

What We Are Looking For?

Title: Climate SMART Development Endorsement Committee Member
Deadline to apply: March 17, 2026
Responsibilities: All members of the Development Endorsement Committee are required to fulfill the following duties:

• Attend the 8-12 Development Endorsement Committee meetings each year.
• Review information about each development prior to the committee meeting.
• Come prepared with a high-level understanding of project(s) being reviewed and any initial questions
• Become familiar with Climate SMART Development Endorsement Guidelines and evaluate each project based on these criteria.

 

Header image: Karl Nielsen/Greenbelt Alliance

The post Join Our Climate SMART Development Endorsement Committee appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.

Dear Friends,

The Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) has officially released the hearing notice for the upcoming appeals hearing regarding the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Consistency Determination for the Delta Tunnel. This is a critical moment for community in our fight to protect the Delta.

Click here to read the full official notice, or see below for a snapshot of what it contains:

• Hearing Dates: Thursday, February 26 and Friday, February 27, 2026
• Start Time: 9:00 AM
• In-person Location: California Natural Resources Agency – 715 P Street, Room 221, Sacramento, CA 95814
• Virtual Option: Join as an attendee online via Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88406543651
  or call in at 1 (669) 900-6833 (webinar ID: 88406543651)

Register for the Training!

Public Comment Community Training: Mark Your Calendar

Restore the Delta and San Francisco Baykeeper will host a public comment training on February 19, 2026!

Join us to learn:

• What to expect at the Council hearing
• How to participate virtually or attend in person
• And how your voice can make a difference

This is your opportunity to learn what this means for the future of the Delta Tunnel and how to show the Council that the community stands united against the Delta Tunnel!

What is the Hearing For?

The Delta Stewardship Council will have a meeting on February 26 and 27th to hear from the Department of Water Resources (DWR), which has officially submitted a Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan to the Delta Stewardship Council for the Delta Conveyance Project. 

• By submitting the Certification of Consistency, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) is stating that the Delta Tunnel aligns with the “coequal goals” and provides a reliable water supply for California while protecting and restoring the Delta ecosystem.

We know that to be untrue!

• Restore the Delta and our partners have filed a formal appeal to challenge this determination. DWR’s plan ignores the best available science, threatens our water quality, and disregards the people who live and work in the Delta. 

We thank you time and time again for showing up for the estuary we call home. We hope you can join us in making your voice heard!

In solidarity,
– The Restore the Delta team

SAVE THE DATE: Northwest Transmission Summit

Join us May 7 & 8 in Boise, Idaho to discuss how we can reinforce and expand our transmission system to meet our region’s needs and build toward our prosperous future.

Learn More

Federal and Regional Updates 

With other public interest groups, we are challenging the Department of Energy’s illegal emergency order forcing Washington’s last coal plant to operate past its planned retirement date. 

Read our joint op-ed with Climate Solutions and Washington Conservation Action in The Seattle Times and more about the order in The New York Times. 

Join us in speaking up for salmon and a strong regionally supported Fish & Wildlife Program  

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC) is updating its 5-year Fish and Wildlife Program – a regional plan for mitigating harm to endangered native fish affected by hydropower operations on the Columbia and Snake rivers. 

With the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement abandoned and continued efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act, the NPCC 2026 Fish and Wildlife Program is the best path to mitigate further harm to fish from hydropower operations in the Columbia and Snake rivers and make actionable progress towards recovery goals. We are working with our partners at Save Our Wild Salmon and the Columbia Snake River Campaign to encourage participation in this process. 

Submit your comments by March 2 to help ensure that the final plan: 

• Includes elevated “spill” over the dams through August 31 to help protect outmigrating juvenile salmon and steelhead. 

• Emphasizes holding Bonneville Power Administration accountable to its obligation to protect and enhance all fisheries impacted by the hydro system. 

• Acknowledges Lower Snake River dam breaching as a necessary measure.   

The Fish & Wildlife amendment is the first part of the NW Council’s five-year planning process. The second part will come this summer when the Council releases the 9th Power Plan for public comment. This is a great opportunity to urge NPCC to chart a course towards affordable, efficient, and reliable energy that also protects and restores abundant fish populations. 

Submit Your Comment

Washington 

2026 Legislative Session Updates  

The 2026 Legislative Session is in full swing! This “short” session runs through March 12. We are tracking and collaborating on bills related to data centers, wildfire, affordability, distributed energy resources, the Clean Energy Transformation Act, and more. Keep an eye out for our weekly emails that list opportunities to testify and follow along. If you have any questions, please reach out to charlee@nwenergy.org.  

Our work on the Governor’s Data Center Workgroup, and after has led to a couple of bills that are now making their way through the legislature. Driven by rapidly growing energy demand for data centers in our region, tech industry load could add the equivalent of an additional 2-4 Seattles to the grid by 2030. In the face of this unprecedented growth, we need to protect ratepayers, grid reliability and the environment. Two data center bills would do that:  

• The main bill, HB 2515 / SB 6171, will help protect affordability and reliability for consumers and will help ensure that data center companies are being transparent and are prioritizing new clean energy. HB 2515 made it through House committees and passed the House Floor on February 14. While still a strong bill, a few important pieces of the bill were lost through the process and we will be working to see if we can restore those on the Senate side. 

• The second bill, SB 5982 / HB 2245, will ensure that Washington’s clean electricity law, CETA, applies to all electricity used by data centers. That bill passed through Senate committees and passed the Senate Floor on February 11.   

The two bills were also selected as one of the Environmental Priorities Coalition’s (EPC) 2026 Priorities, which means that a larger group of environmental organizations in the state are aligned in support of the bills. Here is the EPC’s one-pager that has more details on the contents of the bills. You can also read more about them in The Seattle Times and Axios.  

Caitlin Krenn, Climate and Clean Energy Director at Washington Conservation Action, Zachariah Baker, NWEC Regional and State Policy Director, and Leah Missik, Washington Legislative Director at Climate Solutions, testifying in support of SB 6171 in Olympia. Linda Garcia and Jeff DeLuca from the Washington State Community Action Partnership pictured in the row behind the speakers also testified. The companion bill in the House – HB 2515 – became the vehicle for the bill and passed the House Floor on Feb. 14. 

Oregon 

Energy Justice Leaders End-of-Year Celebration 

At the end of January, we celebrated the completion of the third year of the Energy Justice Leadership Program virtually and in person in Portland and Talent. 

NWEC Policy Associate Alessandra de la Torre was able to join participants in Talent, and shared carne asada and tamales made by one of the EJ leaders. 

“It was beautiful to hear about what participants loved the most and learned from the program as well as how to continue to improve it,” de la Torre said. 

Oregon Legislative Session Underway 

The Oregon Legislature kicked-off the 2026 “short” session earlier this month. The session runs through March 8. NWEC is not leading bills this session, but supporting partners in their efforts.  

Montana 

NorthWestern Energy Releases Draft 2026 Integrated Resource Plan  

Every three years, NorthWestern Energy (Montana’s largest Investor-owned utility) must produce an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)—a long term planning study that outlines different options for how the utility will meet its customers’ power needs over the next 20 years. It includes the forecasting of future electricity demand as well as an evaluation of how it will use (or develop) energy resources to meet that demand. On January 13, NorthWestern Energy (NWE) released its draft 2026 IRP to the public, and the utility is now accepting comments on the draft as part of its own (pre-regulatory) process.  

This year’s IRP is particularly important due to three recent and potentially game-changing occurrences across Montana’s electric service landscape.  

First, NWE recently announced a proposed merger with Black Hills Energy—a South Dakota-based, regional utility company. This is only the second time in a quarter century that a major utility merger has been proposed in Montana. NWEC is examining this merger closely for potential impacts on clean energy resource development and energy affordability. 

Secondly, NorthWestern recently acquired almost 600 MW of Colstrip—the aging and polluting coal-fired power plant in eastern Montana—making it the majority owner of the plant. Almost immediately, NWE filed documents with FERC to transfer the 370 MW Puget Sound Energy portion into a new, unregulated merchant company. Their stated intent is to sell power from this share of the plant outside of the regulatory structure, likely to a new large load customer.  

And thirdly (speaking of large loads), NWE has announced intentions to provide 1,400 megawatts (MW) of power to several new data centers proposed in Montana. For perspective, that’s nearly twice as much power as its average load in the entire state. NWEC is deeply involved in the emerging issue of data center development in Montana, its implications on residential rates and water resources.  

So, while a lot is at stake this planning cycle, unfortunately NorthWestern’s draft IRP has numerous deficiencies:  

• It fails to consider climate-altering greenhouse gas pollution; 

• It overvalues fossil fuel generation resources, while undervaluing low-cost renewables like wind, solar and battery storage; 

• Its goals for achieving energy savings through conservation and energy efficiency programs are anemic, at best; 

• It proposes extremely expensive nuclear power as the eventual replacement for Colstrip, while not accounting for the full cost of plant construction and its impact on customers. 

NWEC is reviewing the IRP in greater detail, and we will be providing comments in the coming weeks. The public comment period remains open until March 12, after which NWE will submit its plan to the Montana Public Service Commission for official regulatory review and approval. We encourage all interested stakeholders to provide input during these public processes and to tell NorthWestern Energy that it must do a better job of investing in and providing clean, affordable energy to its customers.   

Idaho 

Idaho Power’s Plans to Address Load Growth  

Growing energy demands due to new large loads is the hot topic in energy planning today. Whether it’s data centers for artificial intelligence, booming populations, or electrification to protect our climate, demands for new energy are growing across the region. As we look at state-level actions to address this issue, Idaho Power provides an example of a regulatory structure to help ensure growth pays for growth.  

New large customers are subject to Idaho Power’s Large Load Tariff that defines the costs and requirements for taking electric service. The public tariff setting out the prices the customer will pay and the terms of taking service is a transparent process to ensure the entity takes service on par with other customers. New customers must also comply with “Rule H” which ensures the new entity pays its share of the wires, poles, and substations they require. When it comes to planning generation and transmission to meet new demands, Idaho Power only includes customers who have a meaningful commitment to actually interconnect. This approach avoids overbuilding the system for customers who never arrive and thereby shifts costs onto local customers.  

This Idaho approach is one way to address new large loads, and as mentioned above, we are leading the effort in Washington to pass state-wide legislation to address data center loads. We will continue to use all of our tools and opportunities to address the issue across the region.  

Idaho PUC Reviewing Wildfire Management Plans 

NWEC efforts to address increasing utility wildfire liability and costs continue. Each state has a different approach to the same two issues: how to ensure utilities are proactively planning to protect energy infrastructure and how to address a utility’s liability for wildfire damages. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has initiated its first review of utility plans that, if approved and followed, should address these issues.  

NWEC Policy Associate Alessandra de la Torre has engaged in most Wildfire Management Plans in the region, assessing the protections for public interests and reviewing utility plans to ensure cost effective investments. NWEC is recommending best practices discovered in other plans and techniques to ensure customers are protected from the impacts of utility-caused wildfires. Two key areas we are exploring are how to determine whether a utility investment is a cost-effective approach to reduce wildfire risks and how utilities can provide customers with local solutions when service is interrupted.  

Join us in shaping a brighter energy future for people, salmon, and the climate—give to NWEC now and help advance affordable and equitable clean energy across the Northwest.

Donate

The post February 2026 Newsletter first appeared on NW Energy Coalition.

In a letter directed at senators, President Theodore Roosevelt’s relatives spoke up in opposition to a proposed copper mine upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota, proclaiming that President Roosevelt would be “appalled” by the project. The family warns that overturning the 20-year mining ban via a Congressional Review Act resolution would set a dangerous precedent that threatens public land protections across the nation.

The letter points out that conservation was once a pillar of the Republican platform, and critiques the party’s retreat from the environmental legacy of Roosevelt, who protected around 230 million acres of public lands during his presidency. “T.R. was active in preserving our greatest wilderness terrain on both the East and West coasts — it became one of the greatest enduring legacies of his life,” the letter states. “It is now time for all of you to get in the arena with him.”

The letter was signed by Roosevelt’s great-grandsons Ted IV, Tweed, and Mark, and his great-great-grandson Kermit III.

Judge orders restoration of Philadelphia slavery exhibits

A federal judge has ordered Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to restore displays discussing slavery at a National Park Service site in Philadelphia where George Washington lived as president. The exhibit, which details the lives of nine enslaved people, was removed last month as part of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14253, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” In a ruling yesterday, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe stated that an agency “cannot arbitrarily decide what is true, based on its own whims or the whims of the new leadership” and ruled that the exhibit’s removal violated a long-standing agreement requiring that the federal government consult with the city before making any changes to the site.

Quick hits A highway through tortoise habitat? What the Northern Corridor’s revival means for southern Utah

Salt Lake Tribune

Judge orders slavery exhibit to be restored after Trump administration removal

Washington Post | Politico | CBS News | The Guardian | Los Angeles Times | New York Times | CNN

Feds to move ahead with Colorado River plans after states don’t reach deal

New York Times | Colorado Politics | The Land Desk | Fox13 | KNAU | Aspen Times | AZPM | Colorado Sun

Trump nominates hospitality executive to lead National Park Service

KUNC | More Than Just Parks | Newsweek | Deseret News

Tribes grant the Colorado River legal personhood. Can this help save it?

BBC

Editorial: Public land management requires a thoughtful steward, not a bulldozer

Las Vegas Sun

Former National Park Service director reflects on layoffs, deep cuts

OPB

Arizonans in Congress make latest push to make Chiricahua National Monument a national park

Arizona Daily Star

Quote of the day

As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto ‘Ignorance is Strength,’ this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims — to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not.”

—US District Judge Cynthia Rufe, ruling on the removal of a slavery exhibit at a National Park Service site, CNN

Picture This @yosemitenps

Happy Valentine’s Day from Yosemite National Park! We’ll never take you for granite.❤️

Can you spot the heart on the face of El Capitan? This shape was likely formed from either one very large rockfall or, more likely, several smaller ones that carved the heart over time. The point of the heart is formed by two intersecting rock fractures called joints. The curving arches that form the rounded parts of the heart are potentially a result of rocks falling away from beneath.

We think that’s pretty rock solid!

Featured photo: President Theodore Roosevelt at Yosemite National Park in 1903. National Park Service

The post Teddy Roosevelt’s descendants call on Congress to protect public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Planning consent at the controversial Balcombe oil site in West Sussex has lapsed, officials confirmed today.

Opponents of oil operations outside the Balcombe site in 2013, where the then operator, Cuadrilla, drilled a new well. Photo: Used with the owner’s consent

The site operator had been required to start testing a well drilled more than 10 years ago by last Friday (13 February 2026). It also had to give notice of the work to West Sussex County Council at least a week before the deadline.

DrillOrDrop reported last week that there had been no notification from the current operator, Angus Energy.

Today, we asked West Sussex County Council whether planning permission had lapsed if no work on the well test had begun by the deadline. A spokesperson said:

“Yes, permission has now lapsed”.

We understand there are no other current permissions for the well site in woodland at Lower Stumble.

The council spokesperson also said:

“We have not received any notification about the well test or the Lower Stumble site from Angus Energy or its agents in the past week.”

Asked whether any work had been carried out at the site in the past week, the council said:

“Not that we are aware of”.

We also asked about what action the council would now take. The spokesperson said:

“The county council will consider the operator’s intended next steps and take action as necessary”.

The council said Angus Energy had been expected to make a statement to the financial markets today.

At the time of writing, no online statement has been published.

The Balcombe oil site has been unpopular with many villagers since plans for the new well were first made public in late 2009.

The drilling operation in summer 2013 prompted daily anti-fracking protests and later inspired nationwide campaigns against the UK onshore oil and gas industry.

The village campaign group, Frack Free Balcombe Residents’ Association (FFBRA), took three legal challenges to the Royal Courts of Justice in London against planning permission at the site .

Last week FFBRA said:

“We won’t quite believe it until the deadline has passed but we are counting the days now with growing excitement. We’ve been watching the site closely in the last few weeks and to our great relief it has remained quiet.”

Sue Taylor, a former FFBRA chair said:

“We look forward to West Sussex County Council enforcing the restoration of the site”.

West Sussex’s planning committee unanimously refused permission for the well test in March 2021. This was despite a recommendation to approve by planners.

Angus Energy successfully appealed against the refusal when a planning inspector overturned the council’s decision in February 2023. A condition of the permission set a three-year deadline for the start of work.

There has been limited activity at the Balcombe site since the 2013 drilling.

An oil and gas site in East Yorkshire has got a go-ahead for reservoir stimulation, the site operator announced this morning.

Rathlin Energy said the Environment Agency (EA) had issued a variation to the environmental permit at the West Newton-A site.

The company had sought permission to inject oil-based fluid and proppant into the target reservoir at pressures high enough to fracture rocks.

The proposed operation is designed to improve the flow of oil and gas at the West Newton A2 well at Fosham Road, Marton.

A statement on Rathlin’s website this morning said the permit variation was subject to pre-operational conditions.

The company said:

“This key regulatory milestone clears a major hurdle in the company’s path toward development and eventual production at West Newton, strengthening Rathlin’s ability to advance its UK onshore assets within a responsible environmental and social governance framework.”

Reabold Resources, the major investor in Rathlin, said this morning:

“The Company believes that the planned recompletion of the WNA-2 well is a low risk and low cost activity that will further derisk the project and provide important information in optimising future production wells.

“The Company is confident that West Newton will prove to be an important strategic asset to the UK as the country looks to secure domestic energy supply and affordable energy.”

Last year, opponents of the variation questioned the safety of the process proposed for West Newton-A in the Kirkham Abbey Formation (KAF).

The local campaign group, West Newton Said No, quoted a scientific paper which said the porosity and permeability of the formation “vary significantly over short distances”. This led to “high uncertainties when predicting subsurface fluid flow and posing a massive challenge when reservoir modelling the KAF”, the paper concluded.

Before the West Newton operation can go ahead, the operator will need to submit for approval a hydraulic fracture plan. This must set out how seismic activity would be mitigated and monitored.

The Environment Agency defines reservoir stimulation is also known as “low volume hydraulic fracturing, proppant
squeeze or minifrack”. It said:

“The difference between high-volume hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” and reservoir stimulation is the smaller quantity of fluid used.”

DrillOrDrop asked the industry regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority, whether there were formal definitions of reservoir and well stimulations. The organisation said:

“The NSTA dos not have formal and separate definitions of well stimulation and reservoir stimulation.”

Permit notice

Variation notice

Decision document

Activity at West Newton-A Photos used with the owner’s consent. 12 February 2026

Local people spotted activity at the West Newton-A site last week (Thursday 12 February 2026) and contacted Rathlin Energy.

A spokesperson for Rathlin said:

“The work you are referring to is routine wellhead maintenance that Rathlin Energy (UK) Limited undertakes annually. This has been done over the last few years in the same way, which is slightly odd that it hasn’t been picked up on/queried previously. The maintenance team has been on site for a couple of days now and will be finished tomorrow I am reliably informed.

“At the moment, I don’t have any update on the reinstatement of the community liaison meetings/comms. As soon as I know more I will, of course, let you know.”

Screenshot

Statement from Executive Director Jim Warren — A North Carolina business court judge yesterday dismissed a groundbreaking climate lawsuit filed by the Town of Carrboro against Duke Energy Corporation in December 2024. While we are disappointed and disagree with the result, Carrboro is evaluating all of its options, including appeal.

NC WARN is honored to be assisting the Town of Carrboro alongside the Center for Biological Diversity in this case.

###

Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes. 

The post Judge Sides with Duke Energy in Climate Deception Lawsuit — Statement from Executive Director Jim Warren appeared first on NC WARN.

By Quentin Scott, Federal Policy Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN)

I recently celebrated my 5th anniversary at Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), and I realized that, when I started here, I never could’ve imagined what an incredible journey it would be. From the life-long friendships I built to achieving historic climate victories that felt nearly impossible a generation ago.

Some moments still feel surreal — spending nearly two years organizing in West Virginia to pressure Senator Joe Manchin to support Build Back Better (the precursor to the Inflation Reduction Act), being one of six people sitting in the Senate Gallery to watch Vice President Kamala Harris cast the monumental tiebreaking vote to pass the historic Inflation Reduction Act (thank you Senator Chris Van Hollen), and leading a march and rally at EPA Headquarters to pressure the Biden Administration to finalize historic rules to reduce pollution from power plants. These are some of my fondest memories and proudest professional accomplishments that I will never forget.

However, this past year, it has been tough to watch many of our accomplishments as a climate community be swept away by the stroke of the presidential pen. In 2026, our fight looks different. I now organize rallies at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to protect basic climate science, advocate on Capitol Hill for common-sense investments into affordable and job-creating clean energy, and desperately push back against attacks on critical climate programs and laws from the hostile Trump Administration.

I am often asked what keeps me hopeful in spite of the political chaos and intensifying climate crisis. The answer is simple: my colleagues and science. First, CCAN’s state and local teams are achieving big victories to make up for federal backsliding. And second, solar geoengineering research. Yes, I said solar geoengineering research. 

Solar geoengineering or solar reflective methods (SRM) are activities intended to cool the Earth by temporarily reflecting 1-2% of incoming sunlight away from Earth. It’s no substitute for cutting carbon pollution, but it could help avoid the worst impacts of climate change as we complete the clean-energy transition. However, before decision-makers can make informed decisions on the uses of SRM, we need responsible and transparent research.   

I’m glad that, while CCAN continues to fight as hard as ever to decarbonize, we are also taking some time to think about what happens if decarbonization efforts are too little or too late to avoid the worst-case impacts of climate change. Coming up even a little short of our goals could mean tens of thousands of avoidable deaths, millions of people displaced, and trillions of dollars in global damages. That’s why we need trustworthy, transparent SRM research conducted in the public interest. 

I’ve now joined a new community of SRM research advocates who are small in number but passionate to solve the climate crisis, frustrated by Trump’s attacks on mitigation and adaptation efforts, and committed to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. SRM research advocates understand better than most what’s at stake when we talk about SRM. The hopes, risks, and absolute need to understand the impacts of SRM before any future decision maker decides to use it.

In a world of uncertainty, it’s almost certain that global warming will cross the Paris Agreement goal of staying below 1.5°C of warming. Every tenth of a degree above that threshold reduces our understanding of our climate and increases the risks to our communities, economies, and way of life. What does that mean for our most vulnerable? What actions may future desperate leaders take to protect their communities from escalating risks of climate change? 

These are the questions that fuel SRM research. Academics and researchers across the globe are working tirelessly to answer how SRM might affect weather patterns, food systems, and health, but we need more data, resources, and trained scientists to truly understand the risks and benefits.    

As the planet nears and likely exceeds the 1.5°C Paris limit, understanding every tool available becomes urgent. We can’t afford to wait another decade to fund this work. Responsible, government-led research and open public dialogue are essential to ensure SRM decisions—if ever made—are informed, democratic, and ethical. 

I believe civil society can do two things at once: stay laser-focused on decarbonization AND researching SRM techniques in case we ever have to consider a plan B. Working at CCAN gives me great hope that we’re not just fighting the climate fights of today, but anticipating the challenges of tomorrow.   

About the author: Quentin Scott (he/him) joined CCAN in January 2021 as part of the newly created CCAN Federal Team. He moved from Chicago specifically to build political will for groundbreaking national climate and climate justice policies. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, he got a first-hand look at the two Americas and sought to bring the two Americas closer together through advocacy.

Before joining CCAN, Quentin was chief of staff for an Illinois State Representative and a legislative correspondent in the US House of Representatives, and has led numerous issue and candidate campaigns across the Midwest and East Coast. In his roles, he has stood with neighborhood groups to hold industrial polluters accountable in communities of color and looks forward to bringing that fight to the federal level. 

The post A Climate Activist’s Journey and Call for Research into Potential Plan B  appeared first on Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

Europa Oil & Gas, the company behind plans for lower-volume fracking at Burniston, in North Yorkshire, has indefinitely adjourned its general meeting planned for the end of this month and announced a new one.

A statement from the company said there would be a new general meeting on 3 March 2026 for shareholders to vote on a share placing and expanded retail offer.

In a previous statement, reported by DrillOrDrop, Europa warned it could go out of business if shareholders did not approve a £3.5m fundraising.

That money would be used to drill a well in Equatorial Guinea and for the company’s “ongoing working capital needs”. The fundraising will go ahead at the new meeting.

A previous retail offer to raise £350,000, has been expanded to £641,177.

The new meeting is at 11am at the offices of Tennyson Securities, Second Floor, 26 Caxton Street, London, SW1 0RJ. 

Early reaction to President Trump’s nominee to run the National Park Service ranged from skepticism to outright hostility. Statements from conservation groups noted that hospitality executive Scott Socha would take charge of an agency that has been heavily damaged by the Trump administration over the last year.

Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, said that NPCA was ready to work with Socha, but “he must put the Park Service’s mission first, stand up for park staff, fill critical vacancies and halt attacks on our nation’s history.”

Jayson O’Neill, spokesperson for the Save Our Parks campaign, noted that Socha “has zero experience in public service or conservation,” and that Socha has “made a career out of extracting maximum profit from our national parks, not protecting them.”

Center for Western Priorities Deputy Director Aaron Weiss highlighted Socha’s connections to the first Trump administration, when his company, Delaware North, was suing the Park Service for $51 million, claiming it owned trademarks on the names of historic park lodges, including “Ahwahnee” and even “Yosemite National Park” itself. During that time, Socha attended a meeting with then-Interior Ryan Zinke that was set up by corrupt congressman Chris Collins, who was under investigation for insider trading. Collins ended up in prison, while the Interior department ultimately paid Delaware North more than $3 million to restore the names of the lodges at Yosemite.

What gutting the Council on Environmental Quality means for public lands

In the latest episode of CWP’s podcast, The Landscape, Kate and Aaron are joined by Professor John Ruple, a public lands law expert at the University of Utah and former attorney at the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), to discuss the Trump administration’s dismantling of the CEQ’s authority over NEPA regulations. He breaks down what the Trump administration means when it claims to have ended NEPA’s “regulatory reign of terror” and why removing uniform environmental review standards creates chaos for public lands. Listen now on Apple Podcasts or watch the episode on YouTube.

Quick hits Indigenous history and science purged from Glacier National Park

SFGate

Trump blew up a cornerstone of climate regulation—industry may regret it

Heated | Associated Press | The Daily | New York Times | Vox | Grist | Reuters | Politico | The Guardian | Washington Post | BBC

Sen. Schiff launches Senate probe into Freedom 250 group selling access to Trump

ABC News | USA Today | The Hill

Meet the anti-democratic zealots presiding over Trump’s makeover of U.S. history

The Nation

Doug Burgum, the regime toady of our time

American Prospect

Burgum’s new coal mascot tells a story about what it’s like to work under the Trump administration

Slate

Trump administration backs Daines’s attempt to strip wilderness protection in Montana

Mountain Journal

The Forest Service wants to ‘streamline’ public land management by giving you less opportunity to comment

Outdoor Life

Quote of the day

There’s always somebody who doesn’t get the memo. Such as folks who have yet to learn that Utah is a state where public-lands tourism is key to the economy. What’s really sad is that among those who have not received, or understood, this information are the members of our congressional delegation.”

—Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board

Picture This

@zionnps

Are you interested in hiking Angels Landing anytime in 2026? Then you need to apply for a permit lottery!

Seasonal applications for spring hikes will open Friday, February 13th and will close at 11:59pm on Wednesday, February 25th.

For more information, important dates for the rest of the year, and the link to apply, visit go.nps.gov/AngelsLanding

Featured image: Scott Socha testifies before Congress in May 2021. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

The post Trump’s NPS nominee met with skepticism, hostility appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

“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.

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

Happy Valentine’s Day! Download Valentines for your favorite public transit rider from the Council here.

Image Source: NBC Philadelphia

NBC Philadelphia: AI-powered cameras on SEPTA buses have led to thousands of tickets – SEPTA buses have been capturing footage of drivers idling or parking in bus lanes throughout the city, and more than 112,000 citations have been issued in the past seven months as a result. Cameras are on more than 100 SEPTA buses with routes in Center City and University City. AI-powered cameras identify cars parked illegally in bus lanes or stops, and footage is sent to PPA officers for review. Bus routes with ticket enforcement have gotten 3-6% faster, with citywide bus route travel times having slowed during the same time period. The bill for the first seven months of this program is nearly $2.8 billion, with fees from drivers reaching $4.3 million. The agency says the focus of this program is to increase compliance, not increase revenue for the PPA.

Image Source: PhillyVoice

PhillyVoice: Philly to put up ‘No Stopping’ signs along bike lanes citywide after receiving $1 million from PennDOT – Philadelphia is replacing signs across the city to better protect cyclists. Signs in bike lanes currently instruct drivers not to park, but as part of a $27 million funding package, they will be replaced with ones that also instruct drivers not to illegally stop in bike lanes. The funding package uses revenue from red light cameras to pay for traffic safety upgrades.

Image Source: The City of Philadelphia

6ABC: Controller says speed cushions installed at Philadelphia schools not done to standards – In the summer and fall of 2025, 140 speed cushions were inspected at 44 schools by the Philadelphia City Controller. Only two had height and length measurements within the specified range. 95% of the inspected speed cushions were too steep, and homeowners had been reaching out to 311 to report noise, drivers swerving to avoid them, and vehicle damage. It’s unclear if the city will be forced to pay to repair the cushions or how much the total bill would be. A copy of the published report can be found here.

Other Stories

SEPTA: Select Bus Routes Run Modified Service on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 16; Regional Rail & Metro Operate Weekday Schedules

The Inquirer: $29M in federal and private funds to go toward Delaware River watershed projects

SEPTA: New Bus & Metro Schedules, Feb. 22 & 23 & New Regional Rail Schedules

6ABC: Portion of MLK Drive in Philadelphia closed until further notice due to emergency maintenance

WHYY: Judge orders Trump administration to restore funding for rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey

6ABC: Study finds parts of country have large gaps in charging infrastructure

In this episode, Kate and Aaron are joined by Professor John Ruple, a public lands law expert at the University of Utah and former attorney at the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), to discuss the Trump administration’s dismantling of the CEQ’s authority over NEPA regulations. He breaks down what the Trump administration means when it claims to have ended NEPA’s “regulatory reign of terror” and why removing uniform environmental review standards creates chaos for public lands.

News

• For $1 Million, Donors to U.S.A. Birthday Group Offered Access to Trump – New York Times
• Potential conflicts over celebrating America’s 250th anniversary spill out in congressional hearing – Associated Press
• Concessionaire Nominated To Run National Park Service – National Parks Traveler

Resources

• Watch this episode on YouTube

Credits

• Produced & hosted by Aaron Weiss and Kate Groetzinger, edited by Lilly Bock-Brownstein
• Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
• Music: Purple Planet
• Featured image: David Korzillus, BLM

The post What gutting the Council on Environmental Quality means for public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Sometimes finding the love of your life is as simple as stepping away from the computer screen for a bit and enjoying the great outdoors. That’s how David met Serena–on a wildflower hike in the Marin Headlands—a meeting that almost didn’t happen if it weren’t for some “lucky stars” and the motivation to go explore. Thirteen years later, the couple is still going strong. This is their Greenbelt Alliance love story.

It was April 28, 2013. He was David D. Schmidt, Bay Area native and veteran Greenbelt Alliance outings leader since ’92. On this beautiful spring day (naturally), David was co-leading a wildflower hike in the Marin Headlands with Greenbelt Alliance Outings Coordinator and possible Cupid-in-disguise, Ken Lavin. She was Serena Enger, a recent Bay Area transplant by way of Boston and veteran Greenbelt Alliance outings-goer since 2008. So was it love at first sight?

As he puts it, “ When we sat down for lunch, I looked around and saw her, and I wanted to have lunch with her. So I sat down next to her, and we talked for a while. At the end of the hike, I wanted to keep in touch, so we exchanged numbers. I was working six days a week, long hours, and I almost missed the hike because I thought I needed a rest—I almost missed meeting Serena!  I thank, as the saying goes, my lucky stars that I went.”

She says, “He came bearing books, and as a librarian and passionate reader, I was pleased. He had such an impressive and poetic knowledge of wildflowers, the history of the bay, sustainable development, and so forth, but he was also a very kind person, and that attracted me to him.”

Their ensuing courtship reads like a Greenbelt Alliance outings calendar. On that first date, they went for a hike in Sonoma’s Jack London State Historic Park. On date two, they explored the Presidio and Golden Gate Park together. Date three took place in Rancho Corral de Tierra, a big swath of land stretching southward from Montara Mountain to Half Moon Bay.

David and Serena were a match made in the greenbelt. They’re both avid readers. They both enjoy history and politics. They like watching foreign films together at the Castro Theater. And they obviously both love Greenbelt Alliance outings. 

Six months after meeting, David proposed to Serena atop Mount Tamalpais.

“We hiked along the Matt Davis Trail on Mount Tam that’s above Stinson Beach—it’s a beautiful area with those quintessential rolling, mound-like hills of Marin County with great views of the Pacific and the whole Bolinas Ridge,” Serena recalls. “And David proposed to me on the trail as the sun was setting and we had this tremendous view of the Pacific Ocean behind us.”

To celebrate their love, they go on wildflower hikes in the Marin Headlands every April, where it all started. And their bonding love for nature endures. They spend a lot of time hiking and are currently re-landscaping our home with California indigenous plants and flowers. “It’s restorative, rejuvenating, for us.” David has also just published the book, San Francisco Bay Area:  An Environmental History (with incredible tidbits of history about Greenbelt Alliance, too).

So, this weekend if you find yourself still looking for love in all the wrong places, skip the dating apps—try looking elsewhere, like David and Serena. Maybe in the greenbelt. On one of our upcoming outings, perhaps?

“Greenbelt hikes make you feel good in two ways: First, you’re in a beautiful natural area, breathing deeply, and you always feel relaxed at the end, even if you’re tired.  Second, you learn about the great ongoing work of the Greenbelt Alliance to save natural places and foster resilient, vibrant urban places – a positive, hopeful vision we all need! You always meet other people who love nature, and you just might meet someone special!,” said David.

Happy Valentine’s Day from the matchmakers at Greenbelt Alliance!

 

 

 

Originally published on February 13, 2015, by Alex Chen. Updated by Daniela Ades with information from David Schmidt and Serena Enger.

The post A Match Made in the Greenbelt appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.