Zurich statement calls for phase-out of non-essential uses of PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are man-made chemicals that contain at least one perfluoroalkyl moiety, $–{\mathrm{C}}_{\mathrm{n}}{\mathrm{F}}_{2\mathrm{n}}–$. To date, over 4,000 unique PFASs have been used in technical applications and consumer products, and some of them have been detected globally in human and wildlife biomonitoring studies. Because of their extraordinary persistence, human and environmental exposure to PFASs will be a long-term source of concern. Some PFASs such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been investigated extensively and thus regulated, but for many other PFASs, knowledge about their current uses and hazards is still very limited or missing entirely. To address this problem and prepare an action plan for the assessment and management of PFASs in the coming years, a group of more than 50 international scientists and regulators held a two-day workshop in November, 2017. The group identified both the respective needs of and common goals shared by the scientific and the policy communities, made recommendations for cooperative actions, and outlined how the science–policy interface regarding PFASs can be strengthened using new approaches for assessing and managing highly persistent chemicals such as PFASs.  https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4158

BOLD CLIMATE ACTION COULD DELIVER US$26 TRILLION TO 2030, FINDS GLOBAL COMMISSION

New report aims to galvanise action by economic and financial leaders in government and the private sector.

https://newclimateeconomy.report/2018/

Just Another Day on Aerosol Earth

Take a deep breath. Even if the air looks clear, it is nearly certain that you will inhale millions of solid particles and liquid droplets. These ubiquitous specks of matter are known as aerosols, and they can be found in the air over oceans, deserts, mountains, forests, ice, and every ecosystem in between.



If you have ever watched smoke billowing from a wildfire, ash erupting from a volcano, or dust blowing in the wind, you have seen aerosols. Satellites like Terra, Aqua, Aura, and Suomi NPP “see” them as well, though they offer a completely different perspective from hundreds of kilometers above Earth’s surface. A version of a NASA model called the Goddard Earth Observing System Forward Processing (GEOS FP) offers a similarly expansive view of the mishmash of particles that dance and swirl through the atmosphere.



Just Another Day on Aerosol Earth

Federal Judge Strikes Down Administration’s Clean Water Act Attack | Clean Water Action

Charleston, S.C. – A federal judge in South Carolina today struck down the administration’s effort to strip away crucial clean water protections from rivers, lakes, streams and other waters that feed drinking-water sources for nearly 20 million people in the South and 117 million people across the country. Today’s decision follows a legal challenge filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The ruling ends the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ suspension of clean water protections under the Clean Water Act, one of the nation’s bedrock environmental laws, and puts the Clean Water Rule back in effect for more than half of the country. This ruling does not apply to 24 states where other legal challenges are pending.





Federal Judge Strikes Down Administration’s Clean Water Act Attack | Clean Water Action

Federal agency halts all work on Atlantic Coast Pipeline after judges revoke permits - The Washington Post

A federal agency has ordered a halt to all work on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline after a panel of judges suspended two key permits for the massive project to bring natural gas from West Virginia through central Virginia.


Trees are downed along Peters Mountain in Monroe County, W. Va, to make way for the Mountain Valley Pipeline route. (Erica Yoon/Roanoke Times/AP)



Federal agency halts all work on Atlantic Coast Pipeline after judges revoke permits - The Washington Post

Court Rules Trump Administration Must Conduct Further Review for Keystone XL Pipeline | Indigenous Environmental Network

NATIVE AMERICAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WIN COURT RULING REQUIRING PRESIDENT TRUMP TO CONDUCT FURTHER KEYSTONE PIPELINE REVIEW



Court Rules Trump Administration Must Conduct Further Review for Keystone XL Pipeline | Indigenous Environmental Network

Serenity Soular: ​Bringing Solar Jobs To North Philly

Serenity Soular: ​Bringing Solar Jobs To North Philly


SERENITY SOULAR

Serenity Soular is an initiative to make solar energy affordable for North Philadelphia households and train local residents for jobs in the green economy.  In the long run, Serenity Soular plans to launch a worker-owned solar installation company that would employ neighborhood residents to install solar in North Philadelphia.

We promote social justice and environmental sustainability through community solar education and our apprenticeship program. By preparing young adults to be job ready to participate in the opportunities of the green economy we advance the lives and welfare of North Philadelphians.

Serenity Soular - Serenity Soular - About