This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard US Country Manager Stephanie Gagnon350.org is a climate-focused organization based in the United States that operates internationally. Founded in 2008, the NGO mobilizes activists to fight climate change at the grassroots level, opposing new construction of coal plants and pipelines, supporting renewable energy solutions, and cutting financial flows...
This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard US Country Manager Stephanie GagnonThe United States invests heavily in research and development (R&D) to improve efficiency and reduce costs of renewable energy. Through the successful SunShot Initiative, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Solar Technologies Office (SETO) invests hundreds of millions of dollars in reducing the...
Policy Recommendation # 1: Put a Price on Carbon Congress should put a price on carbon dioxide emissions either through a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade program, starting at a level commensurate with science-based targets and rising steadily through 2030. The price should apply at the source and should target large-scale high-emitting facilities like power...
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the U.S. consumed a total of 4288.76 Terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2018, an increase of 46.88% from 1990 and 16% since 2008. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. received 28% of its electricity from coal, 34% from natural gas, 20% from...
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Level: 6,776.6 Metric Tons in 2018 (including CO2, CH4, and fluoridated gases), an Increase of 3.7% over 1990 Levels (Source: USEPA) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2018 reported that U.S. emissions in 2018 totaled 6,766.6 million metric tons (MMT), netting 5,903.2 MMT after...
Several American states recently strengthened their carbon emissions reductions targets. In August, Louisiana Governor, John Bel Edwards, signed an executive order establishing the Climate Initiatives Task Force; they are charged with reaching a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and a set of interim targets of reducing economy-wide emissions 26-28% by 2025 and 40-50% by...
The United States is home to some of the most groundbreaking research on climate change, but at the federal level, research and development relating to climate change mitigation are not prioritized for funding, and it remains a contentious political issue divided along party lines. Republicans in Congress often support funding for innovation programs – that...
The 2019 U.S. Energy and Employment Report found that the U.S. Traditional Energy and Energy Efficiency sectors employed “approximately 6.7 million Americans or 4.6% of a workforce of roughly 147 million” in 2018, an increase of 2.3% from the previous year. Of these, solar and wind employed a total of 343,000 full-time workers, though solar...
In the United States, the greatest burden of climate impacts are disproportionately borne by low-income communities of color. Extreme weather events like storms, wildfires, floods, and heat waves cause health problems and property damage across the U.S. Low-income communities often lack funding to rebuild quickly from disasters and ensure resilience to future ones, and for...
The commercial aviation industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, both in the United States and globally. The drastic drop in demand from both business passengers – with remote work, most regular business travelers can instead use video conferencing – and leisure passengers – with most of the world in lockdown, few are...
