England’s plastic bag usage drops 85% since 5p charge introduced
Well, there is some good news out of England: the country-wide fee placed on plastic bags beginning October 2015 is working. The first official results from the government show that the number of single-use plastic bags plummeted by more than 85% in the first six months that the fee was in place. If the price is right, plastic bag fees can be very effective in reducing use and addressing plastic pollution. By Rebecca Smithers at The Guardian.
From now on, every government agency will have to consider climate change
As this article point out, the Obama administration continues to address climate change up until the end. Most recently, the White House announced that federal agencies must consider the climate change impacts of their projects in the environmental impact statements, which are already required to be prepared by 1969’s National Energy Policy Act (NEPA). Through NEPA, agencies should now follow a uniform approach for quantifying and analyzing climate impacts. By Chris Mooney at the Washington Post.
New York Approves Clean Energy Standard Mandating 50% of Power From Renewables by 2030
A recent vote approved New York’s Clean Energy Standard, making an enforceable commitment to Gov. Cuomo’s goal of sourcing 50% of the state’s power from renewable energy by 2030. The new sourcing order will create thousands of jobs across the state and protect ratepayers from volatile fossil fuel prices. In addition, it improves public and environmental health and looks to develop offshore wind energy capacity. By Sierra Club and posted at EcoWatch.
The Sustainability Co-Op 