Our Latest Updates – Archive

Part of the 2021 infrastructure bill, the carbon capture plan is part of $6.5 billion promised in the law for carbon management. The initiative will build four carbon capture hubs around the country, which are expected to pull a minimum of one million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air yearly.

The report lists benefits between 2020 and 2050 including: $1.2 trillion in health benefits, 110,000 lives saved, over 2.7 million asthma attacks avoided (among those aged 6-18 years), and a savings of 13.4 million lost work days.

The solar panel has a thermoelectric generator that pulls electricity from the temperature difference between the solar cell and the air, allowing the panel to generate electricity at night.

The move is expected to save 2.1 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2040.

The automakers include Ford, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. Countries include Azerbaijan, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. Regional governments include Buenos Aires, California (and several cities therein), Lagos, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.

The jet engine manufacturer (which separated from the company’s car-making operations in the 1970s) announced plans to build 16 small nuclear power plants to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Domestically, China is the biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions, largest producer of coal, and biggest financier of coal-powered plants.

They stated, “[A] global transition to renewable energy would greatly assist in our nation’s fight against the world’s most corrupt and illicit regimes. If you could wave a magic wand, and transition the world away from fossil fuels, Americans would instantly be safer.”

On June 9, 2021, TC Energy Corporation announced the termination of the project.

The IEA says the step, among others, are needed to meet net-zero emissions goals by 2050.

Vineyard Wind 1, a $2.8 billion project, will have 62 wind turbines. Billions of dollars in savings and a reduction of 1.68 million metric tons of carbon dioxide are expected as the turbines power 400,000 Massachusetts homes per year.

The percentage is a major increase over President Obama’s 2015 pledge to cut greenhouse gases by 26% to 28% by 2025.

The nuclear plant, in Buchanan, New York, just 25 miles from New York City, is set to shut down the last reactor on Apr. 30, 2021.

The initiative would employ almost 77,000 in offshore and on-land jobs by 2030.

Explore the hot topic with an overview, pros and cons, discussion questions, and a new take action section.

Global oil prices are back up to over $60 a barrel, the highest level since Jan. 2020. Oil prices have been rising for months in anticipation of Covid-19 vaccination programs.

Biden stated the pipeline “disserves the U.S. national interest.”

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the New York State Common Retirement Fund aims to be net zero by 2040. To do so, the fund will require that fossil fuel companies have a business plan aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement within four years. If fossil fuel companies fail to accomplish that goal, the $226 billion fund will begin divesting from those companies.

Find new and updated questions, quotes, and resources on renewable and nuclear energies as well as the fossil fuels they might replace.

Governor Newsom issued an executive order on Sep. 23, 2020.

Citi and Morgan Stanley announced new policies in which the banks will not fund certain fossil fuel projects including oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Circle. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo have similar policies.

Oil demand is collapsing globally due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, but supply continues to increase an already overabundant stockpile. International electricity use is down about 15% as factories and businesses close during stay-at-home-orders.

The Trump administration’s new fuel efficiency standards aim to hit an average of 40 miles per gallon in passenger vehicles by 2026, compared to a goal of 54 miles per gallon by 2025 set by the Obama-era rules.

Approximately 383,000 gallons of crude oil were spilled from the Keystone XL pipeline beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019, affecting about 22,5000 square feet of wetlands in North Dakota. That portion of the pipeline has since been shut down.

Three Mile Island stopped producing electricity at noon on Friday, Sep. 20, 2019.

Learn about the presidential candidates’ views on important issues, compare them with a side-by-side chart, find your best match with a fun quiz, track their finances, and so much more on our 2020 Presidential Election website. The New York Times called our previous presidential election site “The most comprehensive tool for researching the candidate’s stance on issues.” Check back monthly for expanded issue coverage.

Our new topic explores the pros and cons in the debate over making birth control pills available over-the-counter (OTC). 9.1 million women (12.6% of contraceptive users) use birth control pills, which are the second-most commonly used method of contraception in the United States. Proponents say making the birth control pill available over-the-counter would lower teen pregnancy rates, provide contraceptive access to medically underserved women, and ease access to a health-improving drug with decades of safe use. Opponents say making the Pill over-the-counter would raise the cost of contraception for women, pose a danger to teens’ and women’s health by removing the doctor’s visit requirement, and limit what options are made available.

Our new website presents the top pro & con arguments and quotes, a history of the debate, a video gallery, the prescription status of birth control pills around the world, and a list of drugs switched from prescription to OTC status.

ProCon.org, a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity,
seeks an in-house Researcher (full-time with benefits or part-time
without benefits) to develop content for websites devoted to a
nonpartisan in-depth presentation of 70+ controversial issues. Three
items are required for application, as specified in the job notice.

We’re excited to announce 50 free lesson plan ideas for educators! Visit our Teachers’ Corner for inspiration, including lessons plans about distinguishing fact from opinion, how to write a “call-to-action” letter, and content from our partner Credo Reference.

On Wed. May 9, the California Energy Commission voted in favor of requiring all new homes be equipped with solar power by 2020.

In 2015, the United States relied on fossil fuels to supply 81.5% of total energy consumption, down from 91.4% in 1950. Take a look at our charts and graphs to see how the United States has used energy from 1950 to 2015.

On Dec. 22, 2017 President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which contained a provision opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling.