 |
|
|
|||||
According to reports released this week, the Trump administration is considering scrapping a hallmark finding that greenhouse gases endanger public healthand even some oil companies are opposed to the idea. Based on reports from both Bloomberg and The Washington Post, Lee Zeldin, the recently appointed administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has privately urged President Donald Trump to rewrite whats known as the Endangerment Finding, a federal statement released in 2009 that set the stage for the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. Heres what to know about the finding, and what could happen if Trump rescinds it. What is the Endangerment Finding? The 2009 Endangerment Finding was the federal governments official acknowledgment that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health. The statement specifically identifies six problematic gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The Administrator finds that six greenhouse gases taken in combination endanger both the public health and the public welfare of current and future generations, the statement reads. The Administrator also finds that the combined emissions of these greenhouse gases from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines contribute to the greenhouse gas air pollution that endangers public health and welfare. Today, the Endangerment Finding is the key legal mechanism underpinning the regulation of air pollutants from vehicles and power plants. Scrapping the finding was first suggested in the right-wing Project 2025, which also advised eliminating federal restrictions on fossil fuel drilling on public lands and curtailing federal investments in renewable energy technologies. The move was also considered during Trumps first term, though it never came to fruition. What will happen if the Endangerment Finding is scrapped? Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act, the EPA can regulate air pollutants if it finds that they cause, or contribute to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. If the Endangerment Finding were to be revoked, that could set the scene for a major federal deregulation of greenhouse gas emissions, especially when it comes to the automotive industry and power plants. The possibility comes as several other levers of climate deregulation are on the horizon. This week, Congress is set to vote on two bills that would roll back climate regulations instituted in the final months of the Biden administration. The first bill concerns a fee on methane emissions by oil and gas companies, which the EPA said in November would reduce methane emissions by 1.2 million metric tons through 2035. The second bill concerns efficiency standards for tankless water heaters set by the Energy Department, which were predicted to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 million metric tons over 30 years. Meanwhile, operations at the EPA might also have a major shake-up in store. During his first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump said Zeldin is currently planning to cut “65or so% of the people from environmental.” A White House official later clarified that Zeldin plans to eliminate 65% of what it says is the EPA’s “wasteful spending,” which will include staff cuts. How are experts reacting to this news? So far, several legal experts have suggested that an attempt to roll back the Endangerment Finding would result in an influx of legal challenges, and that it wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny. Sean Donahue is an attorney who has represented environmental groups that support the Endangerment Finding. In an interview with The Washington Post, he argued, You can have a lot of good and reasonable disputes about exactly how we should be addressing climate change. But the proposition that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities dont endanger public health and welfare is not a position that could be supported by the science or what EPAs own record suggests. David Doniger, a senior strategist and attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, told The Washington Post that his firm is prepared to challenge the move in court, should it come to that. Even some oil and gas companies are wary of the potential decision. According to Bloomberg, some energy companies have pointed out that nullifying the Endangerment Finding would open the doors for an influx of public nuisance lawsuits against oil producers and power plants. At the time of this writing, Trump has not commented on whether he plans to act on Zeldins recommendation.
Category:
E-Commerce
Yope is the latest photo-sharing app vying to take on Instagram and TikTok. The pitch? A hybrid of a private Instagram and a group chat. While WhatsApp and Snapchat allow for group messaging and Instagram offers private accounts, Yope blends the best of bothcreating a space where users can share photos exclusively with their chosen circles. Launched in September 2024, Yope has grown exponentially over the past six months, now boasting 2.2 million monthly active users and 800,000 daily active users, many of whom are in the investor-coveted Gen Z demographic. The company also claims that 40% of users are still active on the app seven days after installing it. According to TechCrunch, Yope has raised an initial seed round of $4.65 million on a valuation of $50 million. Users can create and name groups, invite friends, and post photos exclusively within those spaces. Each group features a wall where Yopes machine-learning technology stitches images into a continuously evolving photo collage. The app also offers a lock screen feature similar to the app Locket, displaying the most recent shared photos. A Snapchat-like streak function boosts engagement, while the recap featureakin to Google Photos and Apples Photos appcompiles shared images into a slideshow. Videos posted by Yope ambassadors on TikTok and Instagram have racked up more than 56 million views, and the company told TechCrunch that 70% to 80% of its users join through invites from friends. The apps user base currently skews young, with an average age of 18. Instagram and Snapchat have become platforms for curated content. While Gen Z users take a lot of photos, only 1% of them are shared, Bahram Ismailau, Yopes cofounder and CEO, told TechCrunch. Yope is betting on a shift away from public platforms like Instagram and X in favor of private, closed-group sharingreminiscent of an earlier internet era. Other apps have tried to capture this nostalgia. BeReal (RIP) had its moment, while Poparazzi and Locket also attemptedand failedto redefine social medias halcyon days. The question is: Can Yope succeed where others have fizzled out, or is it just another fleeting challenger to Instagram and TikTok?
Category:
E-Commerce
The dramatic images of wealthy neighborhoods burning during the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires captured global attention, but the damage was much more widespread. Many working-class families lost their homes, businesses, and jobs. In all, more than 16,000 structuresmost of them homeswere destroyed, leaving thousands of people displaced. The shock of this catastrophic loss has been reverberating across Southern California, driving up demand for rental homes and prices in an already unaffordable and competitive housing market. Many residents now face rebuilding costs that are expected to skyrocket. Climate-related disasters like this often have deep roots in policies and practices that overlook growing risks. In the Los Angeles area, those risks are now impossible to ignore. As the region starts to recover, communities have an opportunity to rebuild in better ways that can protect neighborhoods against a riskier future, but at the same time dont price out low-income residents. Research shows that low-income residents struggle the most during and after a disaster. Disaster assistance also tends to benefit the wealthy, who may have more time and resources to navigate the paperwork and process. This can have long-term effects on inequality in a community. In Los Angeles County, where one-third of even moderate-income households spend at least half their income on housing, many residents may simply be unable to recover. My research at the University of San Diego focuses on managing risk in the face of climate change. I see several ways to design solutions that help low- and moderate-income residents recover while building a safer community for the future. Better building policies that recognize future risk Before a disaster, communities trying to adapt to climate change often prioritize protecting high-risk, high-value property, such as a beachfront or hillside neighborhood with wealthy homes. My own research also shows a trend toward incremental climate adaptations that dont disturb the status quo too much and, as a result, leave many risks unaddressed. Climate risks are often underestimated, in part because of policy limitations and a political reluctance to consider unpopular solutions, such as restricting where people can build. Yet disasters once considered unimaginable, such as the Los Angeles wildfires, are occurring with increasing frequency. Making communities safer from these risks requires communitywide efforts. And that can mean making difficult decisions. Policy changes, such as updating zoning laws to prevent rebuilding in highly vulnerable areas, can avoid costly damage in the future. So can not building in risky areas in the first place. California already has some of the strictest wildfire-prevention codes in the country, but the same rules for new homes dont apply to older homes. Communities can invest in programs to help these property owners retrofit their homes by offering grants or incentives to remove highly flammable landscaping or to harden existing homes to make them less vulnerable to burning. Research shows that resilience efforts can spur climate gentrification, or displacement due to increases in property values. So, focusing on affordability in resilience efforts is important. For long-term affordability and resilience, governments can collaborate with communities to develop strategies such as supporting Community Land Trusts through grants, low-interest loans, or land transfers; implementing zoning reforms to enable higher-density, climate-resilient affordable housing; and incentivizing green infrastructure to strengthen community resilience. In some cases, communities may have to consider managed retreat (moving people out of high-risk areas) but with adequate compensation and support for displaced residents to ensure that they can rebuild their lives elsewhere. [Image: Beverly Hills Fired Department] Making the risks cear through insurance Insurance rates can also encourage residents and communities to lower their risks. Yet in many places, insurance policies have instead obscured the risks, leaving homeowners less aware of how vulnerable their property may be. For years, insurers underpriced wildfire risk, driven by market competition. California policies also capped the premiums they could charge. As fire damage and rebuilding costs soared in recent years, insurers unwilling to shoulder more of the risk themselves pulled out of the state. That left countless Californians uninsured and hundreds of thousands reliant on the state-run insurance known as the FAIR Plan. The plan imposes caps on payouts and is now struggling to stay solvent, resulting in higher costs that insurers are expected to pass on to consumers. Insurance reforms could help reduce the financial burden on vulnerable populations while also lowering overall risk. To achieve this, the reforms could incentivize building more resilient homes in less risky areas. As seen with the L.A. fires, what your neighbor does matters. Reducing fire risk in each home can make entire neighborhoods safer. Insurers can provide a road map for how to reduce those risks, while state and local governments can provide assistance to retrofit homes and help ensure that insurance premiums remain affordable. There are also innovative approaches to fund resilience efforts that can include insurers. One example is New Yorks Climate Change Superfund Act, which requires fossil fuel companies to finance climate adaptation efforts. Equipping communities with resilience hubs When disasters strike, local groups and neighbors play critical roles in stabilizing neighborhoods. But residents also need more specialized help to find housing and apply for disaster aid. Building resilience hubs in communities could help support residents before, during, and after disasters. The resilience hub in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles provides one model for what these spaces can achieve. Its anchored in a community arts center with solar power and backup energy storage. Residents can drop in to cool down during heat waves or charge their phones during power outages. It also hosts community classes, including in disaster preparedness. During and after a disaster, resilience hubs can serve as central organizing points. They can provide crucial information, resources, and assistance with completing paperwork to access aid. Having access to skilled help in navigating what can be a complicated, time-consuming process is often critical, particularly for people who arent native English speakers. Getting assistance is also often critical for displaced renters, who may have little certainty about when or if they will be able to return to their homes. Understanding their legal rights can be confusing, and rising costs as rental housing is rebuilt can price them out of the market. Research shows that building a supportive community can provide a crucial social safety net when dealing with disasters and also boost the communitys social and economic well-being. Reframing policies for everyone The catastrophic L.A. wildfires were a powerful reminder that governments and communities need to think carefully about the risks they face and the role policies may play as they learn to live with greater fire risk. Building a resilient future in a warming world will require bold, innovative, and collective strategies that support communities while advancing equitable solutions. Nichole Wissman is an assistant professor of management at the University of San Diego. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||