Policy – Page 2 – Climate360 News

Policy versus science over Miami building collapse

30Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Kent State University, Policy

Policy versus science over Miami building collapse

By Spencer Hayes A building collapse that took the lives of almost 100 people has devastated the Miami Surfside community. It has also reignited the climate change discussion across the country. It will take some time for the building analysis to be completed, however, many theories are already circulating, attempting to answer questions behind the collapse of the Champlain Towers on June 24. One theory that has spurred attention is whether or not climate change played a role in the building collapse. Aftermath of the Champlain Tower collapse in Miami Florida. (Photo by Giorgio Viera / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm jumped right in stating that rising sea levels may have contributed to the disaster. In a CNN interview,...

Politically charged science issues like climate change and COVID-19 motivate STEM students to get involved in the political process

28Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Policy, Science

Politically charged science issues like climate change and COVID-19 motivate STEM students to get involved in the political process

STEM students voted at the lowest records in the 2012 and 2016 national elections compared to other majors, according to the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com By Nicole Nguyen With COVID-19 surging again in the U.S. and the impacts of climate change intensifying, the relevancy of science in politics and public policy is perhaps as important as it’s ever been. The urgency around these issues has led to scientists and other professional interest groups to get involved in the political process. For example, Scientific American, an American science magazine, broke 175 years of tradition in 2020 by endorsing a presidential candidate. Citing then-President Donald Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandem...

How to build in a flood-prone city: a lesson from the Netherlands

26Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Louisiana State University, Policy, Technology

How to build in a flood-prone city: a lesson from the Netherlands

Map of the Army Corps of Engineers' proposed storm surge barrier in Charleston, South Carolina. Courtesy of Waggonner & Ball Architecture/Environment. By Sami Beekman, Nicole Nguyen BATON ROUGE, LA – What do New Orleans, Louisiana, and Charleston, South Carolina, have in common? The foundation of both southern cities’ modern infrastructure was built on marsh land in the 19th and 20th centuries. Through a combination of turn-of-the-century drainage systems, the shoring-up of levees, the filling of creeks and marshes, and other changes to the topography of the land through urban development, each city was designed to exist on stretches of land that were engineered into existence. Around 1900, municipal drainage systems allowed New Orleans to spread onto former mar...

What you need to know about the new Conservative Climate Caucus

23Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Kent State University, Policy

What you need to know about the new Conservative Climate Caucus

By Grace Springer The Conservative Climate Caucus, announced in mid-June, has over 60 congressional members. Photo by Louis Velazquez on Unsplash Recently, Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, announced the formation of the Conservative Climate Caucus with the purpose of educating Conservatives on climate policies that fall in line with conservative values. Here’s what you need to know. The caucus acknowledges climate change as a threat but hesitates to call it a crisis The formation of the caucus marks a transition in the ideals of the Republican Party. Former President Donald Trump’s administration overturned several climate policies, most notably by leaving the Paris Agreement in 2020. Curtis rejects the label that Republicans do no...

President Joe Biden’s climate change actions–and inactions–explained

14Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Policy

President Joe Biden’s climate change actions–and inactions–explained

President Joe Biden signed an executive order to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on his first day in office, undoing former President Donald Trump's actions in 2020. Photo by Gage Skidmore By Sydney McGovern One of President Joe Biden’s primary campaign platforms centered on combating the effects of climate change. He pledged to “tackle the climate emergency, plan for a clean energy future and secure environmental justice.” But after six months in office, some environmental activists say that the administration has fallen short on its goals and evaded its promises. Here’s a five-point break down of Biden’s climate change campaign action plan and how the president has lived up to his commitments so far. “I. Ensure the U.S...

Controversial policies result in Ohioans paying the price for dirty energy

8Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Energy, Kent State University, Policy, Video

Controversial policies result in Ohioans paying the price for dirty energy

By Grace Springer, Willow Campbell, Spencer Hayes, Madison Ledyard-King, Connor Fallon Perry Nuclear Power Plant cooling tower transfers exhaust heat into the air. Photo: Willow Campbell, Climate 360 COLUMBUS, OH — What has been dubbed by Vox and other news as “the worst energy bill of the 21st century” has put Ohio behind in the transition to renewable energy. Ohio House Bill 6 is energy legislation that provided bailouts in the form of subsidies to two nuclear power plants and two coal power plants. The bill also reformed energy efficiency standards in the state. The legislation passed by a slim margin in 2019 after a multi-million-dollar bribery scandal. The scandal involved several Ohio politicians including f...

The American Conservation Coalition and the ‘conservative answer to the Green New Deal’

29Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Policy

The American Conservation Coalition and the ‘conservative answer to the Green New Deal’

American Climate Coalition founder Benji Backer speaks at the Conservative Climate Rally on June 5. Backer founded the ACC in 2017. Photo Courtesy of Maxim Podhaisky By Domenic Purdy The American Conservation Coalition, a conservative-minded environmental advocacy group, hosted their first annual American Conservative Climate Rally on June 5 in Miami, Florida, following the release of their American Climate Contract—the “conservative answer to the Green New Deal.” Founded in 2017 by a group of Millennials led by activist Benji Backer, the ACC is “dedicated to mobilizing young people around environmental action through common-sense, market-based, and limited-government ideals.” The event highlighted Republican leadership in the field of...

Young Republicans take up fight against climate change

29Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Loyola Marymount University, Policy

Young Republicans take up fight against climate change

Courtney Hope speaks at the Conservative Climate Rally in Miami, Florida, on June 5, 2021. Hope is running for national chairperson of the College Republican National Committee. Courtesy of Courtney Hope. By Domenic Purdy, Sami Beekman, Veronica Backer-Peral Republicans are three times less likely than Democrats to believe that addressing climate change should be a top priority of government. But change may be coming. Young Republicans — under age 39 — are twice as likely as their Baby Boomer elders to support climate action, according to the Pew Research Center. Young Republicans have taken a more active role than previous conservative generations in the fight against climate change, distancing themselves from former President Donal...

Experts say education and retraining key to successful transition to low-carbon economy

23Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Energy, Louisiana State University, Policy

Experts say education and retraining key to successful transition to low-carbon economy

ULL's Mechanical Engineering Virtual Reality Lab uses a photovoltaic power plant model to facilitate virtual hands-on learning. The application teaches users how solar power is produced, converted and transmitted. Courtesy of The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Center. By Sydney McGovern, Samantha Beekman, Josh Archote Traditional energy generation is declining, and renewable energy is on the rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that wind turbine service technicians and solar panel installers will be two of the fastest growing jobs in the United States through 2029. The switch to a low-carbon economy is necessary to minimize the impacts of climate change. But with these changes comes a complex set o...

Five questions about natural gas, answered

22Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Energy, Loyola Marymount University, Policy

Five questions about natural gas, answered

By Kennedi Hewitt and Maddie Cindrich A SoCalGas storage facility sits alongside the Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Maddie Cindrich. A group of Los Angeles activists are demanding that SoCalGas shut down its natural gas storage facility in Playa Del Rey. They worry about a potential blowout that could harm hundreds in the nearby community. Here’s five quick things to know: What is natural gas? Natural gas, primarily composed of methane, is a fossil fuel mostly located deep beneath the Earth’s surface. While it is one of the most commonly found sources of energy on the planet, alongside petroleum and coal, it is considered to be one of the least sustainable energy sources. In the 19th century, natural gas was mos...