Women and Climate

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Stands Behind Women Affected by Climate Change

House Congressional Resolution 84 recognizes the disparate impact of climate change on women and the efforts of women globally to address this issue. Green For All advocated for language in the resolution addressing economic development opportunities for women.

Affordable fresh food

Senator Gillibrand Pushes For More EBT Machines at Local Farmers Markets

The "Expanding Access to Farmers Markets Act" (S.1593) would provide farmers' markets with wireless electronic benefit transfer (EBT) devices, connecting more Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants with fresh, healthy produce. By making this small change, nearly 45 million Americans in the SNAP program would be able to use their benefits at local farmers markets. Green For All signed on as an organizational endorser of this bill, as Senator Gillibrand adds Senate co-sponsors.

Representative Marcia Fudge Wants to Feed 45 million Americans

The Let's Grow Act of 2012 is an innovative and unique approach to urban agriculture. Let's Grow promotes access to healthy and affordable local produce to combat hunger and decrease obesity, especially among children, seniors and low-income Americans.The Act will improve water quality in cities, encourage food production on vacant land, and get people eating fresh fruits and vegetables with food assistance programs.

Clean Air Standards

Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)

Culminating more than two decades of work to clean up the nation’s dirtiest power plants, on December 21, 2011, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). MATS are the first national standards to protect American families from power plant emissions of mercury and toxic air pollution like arsenic, acid gas, nickel, selenium, and cyanide. The new rules will cost utilities $10.6 billion by 2016 for the installation of control equipment known as scrubbers. The cost of upgrading pollution prevention will produce a savings of $59 billion to $140 billion in annual health costs. EPA estimates that the new safeguards will prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths and 4,700 heart attacks a year. The standards will also help America’s children grow up healthier – preventing 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms and about 6,300 fewer cases of acute bronchitis among children each year. More than half of all coal-fired power plants already deploy pollution control technologies that will help them meet the new standards. The MATS will ensure that the remaining plants – about 40 percent of all coal fired power plants - take similar steps to decrease dangerous pollutants.

See up-to-the-minute health impacts of not having these regulations at Cost Of Delay.

Boiler MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology)

On December 2, 2011, EPA proposed changes to the March 2011 Clean Air Act emissions standards for large and small boilers and incinerators that burn solid waste. These standards cover more than 200,000 boilers and incinerators that emit harmful air pollution, including mercury, cadmium, and particle pollution. EPA's proposed standards will control toxic air emissions from boilers located at large and small sources of air toxics. These rules are developed under sections 112 and 129 of the Clean Air Act, two provisions that target toxic air pollution. The EPA is currently considering public input on the proposed changes. The final rule is expected by Spring 2012.

Green infrastructure

Congresswoman Donna Edwards, Senators Tom Udall and Sheldon Whitehouse Call for Investment in Green Infrastructure

The "Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2011″ (House; Senate) would allow states, localities and other qualified entities to receive grants to plan, design, and implement green infrastructure projects that will address storm water management and other water quality and quantity issues. The legislation would also provide competitive grants to educational institutions to establish Centers of Excellence for Green Infrastructure, which would conduct research, develop industry standards and curricula, and provide technical assistance related to green infrastructure.

Senator Ben Cardin Sponsors Initiative to Improve Highways and Management of Stormwater Runoff

"The Safe Treatment of Polluted Stormwater Runoff Act" (S. 898) establishes a federal-aid highway runoff pollution avoidance and management program to control and treat polluted stormwater runoff from highways. It also authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to approve state covered highway projects receiving federal funding only if the state provides assurances that it will site, design, and construct the project in accordance with standards designed to control and treat polluted stormwater runoff.