Monthly Policy Update |

April 2022  

Academics Working Group 

Second Nature is excited to announce a new initiative aimed at engaging academics from higher education institutions from across the nation: the Academics for Climate Advocacy (ACA) Working Group.

This Working Group is for academics interested in utilizing their institutional position and expertise to help advance climate policy at the municipal, state, and federal levels in a low-lift way. Academics will:

1) Convene on a quarterly basis for Working Group meetings.
2) Be contacted when there are meaningful opportunities to engage in climate advocacy.
3) Receive regular updates on relevant policy developments in their jurisdiction. 

We recognize that academics often have limited capacity for this type of work, so our priority is to make meaningful climate advocacy as straightforward and low-commitment as possible. We hope to recruit a diverse range of academics from a variety of disciplines and institutions to advance climate legislation across the nation.

Need to Know

'We are at a crossroads': New IPCC report says it's fossil fuels or our future
Publication Date: April 4, 2022 | Source: Grist

• Why This Matters: Last week, scientists laid out a plan that they believe could help people avoid the worst impacts of rising temperatures. The recommendations include ending fossil fuel usage, utilizing carbon capture technology, reducing overall energy demand by shifting toward low carbon diets and lifestyle, shift money from coal to clean energy, and mitigate emissions from the wealthiest in society. 

The Best Climate Policy You've Probably Never Heard of 
Publication Date: March 15, 2022 | Source: Resilience.org

• Why This Matters: Despite many existing efforts to combat climate change, emissions are increasing. One climate policy expert, Richard Heinberg, advocates for a different approach - directly reducing fossil fuel production and consumption. Cap-and-ration would result in decisive emissions reductions, Heinberg says. 

Policy Updates

FEDERAL
Republican earmarks show shoots of green
Publication Date: March 15, 2022 | Source: E&E News

• Why This Matters: The return of congressional earmarks has allowed Republican lawmakers to allocate federal money to clean energy and climate projects. As part of government spending legislation signed last month:
  • West Virginia University will receive $1 million to develop an "electric vehicle associate's degree"
  • University of Maine will receive $10 million for green engineering and materials, which it will use to research using wood products to sequester more carbon.
  • Northern Illinois University will receive $660,000 for research on climate change's threat to agriculture, partnering the school's scientists with local farmers to improve forecasting, investigate adaptation strategies, and make policy recommendations. 

Why Raskin's climate change views sank her Fed nomination
Publication Date: March 15, 2022 | Source: Axios

• Why This Matters: The collapse of Sarah Bloom Raskin's bid to be the Federal Reserve's top banking cop shows the influence of the oil industry in Congress, and the strong opposition members have to climate change being a factor in financial oversight. 

True costs: How the oil industry cast climate policy as an economic burden 
Publication Date: April 7, 2022 | Source: Grist

• Why This Matters: Since the 1980s, fossil fuel interests have successfully made the economics the de facto language politicians use to discuss climate policy, and this past year is no exception, with Senator Joe Manchin ultimately opposing the Build Back Better package of social and climate bills on the basis of its cost. Understanding this history is important in recognizing why climate policy is often cast aside as costly in today's political conversations, and all key stakeholders may want to examine the way they've framed climate legislation to date. 

INDIVIDUAL STATES
CALIFORNIA
Oil and gas heavily outspends clean energy, environmental groups on California lobbying
Publication Date: March 17, 2022 | Source: Energy News Network

• Why This Matters: Over the past four years, fossil fuel companies paid almost $77.5 million to lobbying lawmakers in Sacramento. At the same time, environmental advocacy groups spent $15 million, and the renewable energy sector spent $11.6 million. That's indicative of a larger trend of oil and gas absolutely dominating lobbying dollars, and also signals the importance of other influential actors, like higher education institutions, voicing their support for climate action. 

Climate Change Impacts Across California 
Publication Date: March 17, 2022 | Source: Legislative Analyst's Office 

• Why This Matters: Climate change will have a deleterious impact on public health in California, according to a recent legislative report in California. Rising temperatures, extreme heat events, and wildfire smoke are creating some of the worst problems, including exacerbating cardiovascular disease and respiratory illnesses. Public health institutions throughout the country may want to make note of this study. 

California offers $100 million for tribes to buy back their land. It won't go far. 
Publication Date: April 5, 2022 | Source: Grist 

• Why This Matters: Governor Gavin Newsom wants to send out funding for nearly 200 tribes to buy back some stolen land, a proposal that will have to be approved by the legislature in order to go into effect. However, some tribal nations have expressed concern about the limited amount of funding, especially considering the sky-high real estate prices in California. As universities grapple with their role in this violent colonial history, it's worth noting this effort is ongoing in the Golden State. 

CONNECTICUT
Lamont: Connecticut rental sessions should include cost of utilities
Publication Date: March 21, 2022 | Source: CT Insider

• Why This Matters: Under Governor Lamont's proposal, by 2026, many landlords statewide would have to post an energy “label” for the apartments or houses they market to prospective tenants can compare the cost of running appliances between different units. 

DELAWARE
Governor Carney Announces Delaware Climate Leadership Academy
Publication Date: April 11, 2022 | Source: Delaware.gov

• Why This Matters: The Climate Leadership Academy will train interested state and local government employees to better understand how climate change is impacting Delaware, how the state can best prepare challenges, and how it can take advantages of opportunities for improving resilience and reducing emissions. Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Michigan have all done the same, signaling that other states may follow suit. 

LOUISIANA
EPA probes environmental justice in Louisiana projects
Publication Date: April 9, 2022 | Source: AP News

• Why This Matters: The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating whether Louisiana’s health and environmental agencies discriminated against Black residents when approving  industrial facilities between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, a corridor known as "Cancer Alley." If the EPA finds the agency is discriminant in its approach, that could reap enormous consequences for Louisiana and other states.  

MASSACHUSETTS
Polluted Massachusetts river designated a superfund site
Publication Date: March 15, 2022 | Source: AP News

• Why This Matters: A heavily polluted stretch of the Neponset River, that runs through neighborhoods largely populated by communities of color, will undergo an extensive cleanup process. Higher education universities have the potential to push lawmakers to designate other polluted bodies of water, particularly those in environmental justice communities, as Superfund sites. 

What to know about the Senate's new climate bill
Publication Date: April 8, 2022 | Source: WBUR

• Why This Matters: Massachusett's new Act Driving Climate Policy Forward includes new policies around green transportation and buildings, including making electric vehicles cheaper and more accessible, electrifying public buses, investing in clean energy and offshore wind, and ending financial assistance for several fossil fuel loopholes. This $250 million bill would yield tremendous benefits, and its passage would help the state meet its emission-reduction goals. 

Boston targets 100% electrification of school buses by 2030
Publication Date: April 10, 2022 | Source: Bus & Motorcoach News

• Why This Matters: The city of Boston will begin replacing buses next school year, Mayor Wu announced in order to reach zero-emissions bus fleet by 2030, a goal more ambitious than even NYC's. This will eliminate tailpipe emissions, address air quality and noise concerns, and potentially offer cost savings over the entire bus life cycle. 

MARYLAND
Maryland Senate passes major climate bill, but without key policy cutting fossil fuel dependence
Publication Date: March 14, 2022 | Source: Baltimore Sun

• Why This Matters: The bill would aim for the state to be carbon neutral by 2045, while requiring large buildings to significantly reduce energy footprints by 2045. However, it opted not to outlaw fossil-fuel based heating systems in new buildings despite the state's climate change commission overwhelmingly endorsing such a ban. 

Opportunities to Participate 

NOTE: The following opportunities are for colleges and universities for sign-on; not opportunities for individuals at colleges and universities.  Are you an individual at a higher education institution who believes your college/university may be interested in signing onto the below opportunities?  We encourage you to reach-out to the leadership at your institution and let them know. 

ALL STATES 
States across the country are considering adopting the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule and Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) rule. These ACF rule would transition Medium- and Heavy Duty (MHD) vehicle sales to 100% zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2040 through annually increasing purchase and deployment targets for fleets. The ACC rule will increase the number of zero-emission vehicles for sale, reduce criteria and greenhouse gas emission for new vehicles, and seek to increase access to ZEVs for priority communities.  

How to support this effort: Ceres, a Second Nature partner, is coordinating sign-on letters to encourage ambitious ACF and ACC II rules and support adoption in other states. If your institution is interested in signing on to support this, deadline to do so is May 6th. Please email Ceres's Jennifer Helfrich (helfrich@ceres.org) if interested. 

States across the country are receiving an influx of dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, presenting an opportunity to invigorate their economies and invest in critical energy efficiency efforts. These investments are an opportunity to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, support local family-wage jobs, save customers money, and help modernize buildings and facilities. 

How to support this effort: Ceres is coordinating a sign-on letter to encourage states to invest stimulus funds to support energy efficiency projects. If your institution is interested in signing on to support this,please email Ceres's Mel Mackin (mackin@ceres.org) by April 20th.

Colorado is the latest state to consider adopting Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) Rule, and it's anticipated that other states will do so as well. This climate and clean air policy will help bring clean trucks to the market. With no equivalent federal policy for zero-emission trucks at this time, expeditious and ambitious state action is imperative. 

How to support this effort: Ceres has drafted a sign-on letter in support of the Advanced Clean Truck Rule that we encourage your institution to sign onto!  

MINNESOTA
Minnesota has developed a Climate Action Framework. This plan sets a vision for how the state will address and prepare for climate change, identifying immediate, near-term actions the state must take to achieve its long-term goal of a carbon-neutral, resilient and equitable future. This includes specific plans around clean transportation, climate-smart natural and working lands, resilient communities, clean energy and efficient buildings, healthy lives and community, and a clean economy. 

You Are Invited: Please join Ceres for a briefing on MN’s Climate Action Framework.

The states and updates included in each Monthly Policy Update are based on what we are recommending for reading for that month, due to what we view as being directly relevant to higher education.  From month to month, the states focused on are due to change.  

Do you have feedback on our Monthly Policy Updates (what you like, what you would like to see improved, etc)?  Please email us: policyteam@secondnature.org.  

Note: Our monthly policy updates, information, and opportunities to participate, are developed with support from Ceres, which is an organizational partner of Second Nature.  Ceres has identified the following states plus Washington, D.C. for primary focus - Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. - because of the beneficial legislative climates and real opportunities for policy advancements in these states.  Our Policy Updates may, or may not, include these states (and Washington, D.C.).