Latest news with #EnvironmentalProtectionAgency
The Hill
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Defunding Energy Star will harm small businesses and US competitiveness
The recent announcement by the administration to defund the Energy Star program is an alarming development for small and mid-size businesses that have relied on its benchmarks for over 30 years. From a purely business perspective, the elimination of Energy Star isn't merely about labels on appliances; it directly impacts operational costs, performance consistency and market competitiveness. The Energy Star program stands as a remarkably successful example of a public-private partnership that delivers substantial, measurable benefits to American consumers and businesses and the environment. Energy Star has long provided clear and reliable standards that have enabled small businesses to make informed investments in energy-efficient products. This clarity translates into direct financial savings, reducing energy expenses by up to 30 percent according to the Environmental Protection Agency's own data. Especially for small businesses operating on tight margins, these savings aren't trivial — they represent critical capital that can be reinvested into core business activities such as product development, hiring additional employees or expanding market reach. Beyond immediate cost reductions, Energy Star has established an essential standardization in measuring and reporting appliance and equipment performance. Small business owners have relied on these standards to make purchases confidently, knowing they are investing in products that perform efficiently and reliably over their lifespan. Without the program, businesses face increased uncertainty, leading to potentially costly investments in substandard products that fail to deliver the promised efficiency and reliability. Consumer trust, a crucial component of market competitiveness for all businesses, is also at risk. The label is widely recognized and trusted by a majority of American households, signaling verified quality and efficiency. Its absence would likely result in an influx of misleading performance claims and unverified efficiency assertions, damaging consumer confidence and creating a competitive environment where cutting corners becomes commonplace. This race to the bottom ultimately harms businesses committed to genuine quality and performance standards. Moreover, from an economic standpoint, the return on investment provided by the program speaks for itself — every federal dollar spent on the program results in approximately $350 in cost savings for businesses and consumers alike. Small businesses particularly benefit from these savings, which enhance profitability, improve cash flow and bolster overall economic resilience. The decision to defund Energy Star appears driven less by fiscal prudence and more by an ideological stance against terms like 'climate change' and 'sustainability.' However, dismissing these concepts as mere political rhetoric overlooks the substantial and proven economic benefits they offer businesses and consumers. Efficiency and sustainability are practical, financially responsible strategies that reduce operational costs, strengthen consumer confidence and enhance long-term business viability. Ultimately, maintaining funding for Energy Star isn't about ideological debates, it's a smart business decision that helps American businesses and consumers. Preserving a program that has demonstrably reduced costs, standardized performance and protected consumer trust should be a straightforward choice for any administration committed to the economic health and competitiveness of American small businesses. Michael Green is a senior advisor on climate and energy policy at the American Sustainable Business Network.
Arab Times
9 hours ago
- Climate
- Arab Times
Winds push smoke from Canadian wildfires south into US and worsen air quality
WASHINGTON, May 31, (AP): Air quality in some parts of the United States is worsening as smoke from dozens of wildfires in Canada travels south, pushed by winds high in the atmosphere. Through parts of Minnesota and into Wisconsin, the air quality is deemed unhealthy for people and animals sensitive to pollution and other airborne particles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow page. As of Friday afternoon, the interactive air quality map showed a strip of orange moving northwest to southeast across Wisconsin. Most of the state showed moderate air quality as did all of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois also showed moderate air quality on the AirNow map. Over the next day or so, particulates from the burning trees, leaves and other vegetation could reach further south into Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, said Patrick Ayd, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth, Minnesota. Murray Kinsey, owner of a houseboat company just outside of Babbitt, Minnesota, said Friday afternoon the sky was "hazy," but anglers still were fishing on nearby Birch Lake. "It's getting a little hard to breathe,' Kinsey said. "But it's not terrible. We've had it before, but it's been way worse.' The Air Quality Index - AQI - measures how clean or polluted the air we breathe is on a daily basis. The index focuses on the health effects that might be experienced within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. AQI is calculated based on ground-level ozone, particle pollution or particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country. The index ranges from green, where the air quality is satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk, to maroon, which is considered hazardous. That level comes with health warnings of emergency conditions where everyone is more likely to be affected, according to AirNow.
RTÉ News
12 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
EPA report lets cat out of the bag on greenhouse gas emissions
Confirmation from the Environmental Protection Agency over the past few days that Ireland has gone backwards on its greenhouse gas emissions targets is hugely disappointing. People are blue in the face, listening to government ministers and policy makers constantly highlighting the important of climate action and their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Now however, the EPA has let the cat out of the bag. Despite all that talk, the gap to where Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions must be by 2030 is widening. And it is not widening by a little. It is widening by a lot. The legally binding target is for Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions to be 51% lower, in 2030, than they were in 2018. A year ago, EPA analysis suggested that if every realistic climate policy in the Climate Action Plan was delivered on time, ahead of 2030, it might be possible to cut emissions by 29%, at most. Now, after receiving updates from Government departments and agencies, the EPA says the maximum reduction achievable, is only 23%. Either number - a cut of 23% or 29% - represents a massive failure. There is the global warming potential, and the climate damage, caused by not cutting emissions fast enough. But there is also a huge cost to the taxpayer. Recent analysis from the Irish Fiscal Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council suggested it could cost the taxpayer up to €26 billion for carbon credits by 2030, to make up the shortfall envisaged last year. But now that the emissions gap is bigger, the bill to the taxpayer will be bigger too. This feels like some kind of disaster unfolding in slow motion. The focus must shift from policy aspiration to practical implementation The key reason is that despite all the talk from politicians there is not enough focus on implementing and delivering the climate-related policies the government has signed up to. That is what Laura Burke, the Director General of the EPA, said when she launched the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projections Report last Wednesday. "This highlights the economy-wide effort needed to decarbonise our society and the focus must shift from policy aspiration to practical implementation." That was how she put it. A key paragraph on page 10 of the EPA report, goes right to the heart of why we are going backwards. Know first, that these latest emissions projections were done on the basis of the official "Climate Action Plan 2024", published at the end of 2023. On page 10 the EPA report explains that: "Climate Action Plan 2025 is not specifically referenced in this report as it had yet to be published during the preparation phase of the 2024-2055 projections. A review was undertaken and there are no significant additional measures in CAP 2025 therefore no major omissions in these projections." What this paragraph is saying is that, with so few years to go before the crucial 2030 deadline, an entire year has been allowed to pass without a single important climate initiative, or effort, having been added to the policy mix. Yet there is no time to waste. Notwithstanding the need to constantly come up with new policy initiatives, the number one thing should be to deliver, as quickly as possible, on the climate- related commitments already made. Delaying difficult but inevitable changes only makes them harder to implement. It will not make them go away. 'Sustainable transport' Climate Action Plan 2023 introduced a so-called "Avoid-Shift" policy on transport. The aim was to introduce behavioural change and sustainable transport measures to save 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Central to that was a commitment to increase the price of petrol and diesel out to 2030 to encourage people to choose other modes of transport. So far there is no sign of any willingness by Government to follow through on that. But if they are not going to do it, what are they going to do instead to deliver the promised emissions reduction? Last year the target was 945,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030. This year the EPA says the maximum possible is 640,750. Many observers doubt even that amount can be achieved - especially since tax incentives to encourage electric vehicle purchases have been reduced in recent years. What will the Government do to address that? There is also a commitment in the Climate Action Plan to use behavioural and sustainable transport measures to engineer a reduction in total vehicle kilometres travelled. We are still waiting for that, and very much more. Time is running out for climate action. We have one year less to go to an immovable deadline in 2030. The clear message from the EPA this week is that government inaction is the core of the problem and the potential bill for the public, which is already enormous, is rising by the day.
San Francisco Chronicle
20 hours ago
- Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle
Winds push smoke from Canadian wildfires south into US and worsen air quality
Air quality in some parts of the United States is worsening as smoke from dozens of wildfires in Canada travels south, pushed by winds high in the atmosphere. Air quality in Arrowhead, Minnesota, is deemed unhealthy for people and animals sensitive to pollution and other airborne particles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow page. Moderate air quality is being reported across other parts of northeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, the Chicago area, southwestern Michigan and the state's eastern Upper Peninsula, northern Indiana and western Ohio. Over the next day or so, particulates from the burning trees, leaves and other vegetation could reach further south into Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, said Patrick Ayd, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth, Minnesota. Murray Kinsey, owner of a houseboat company just outside of Babbitt, Minnesota, said the sky Friday was 'hazy," but anglers still were fishing on nearby Birch Lake. 'It's getting a little hard to breathe,' Kinsey said. 'But it's not terrible. We've had it before, but it's been way worse.' What is AQI and who is at risk? The Air Quality Index — AQI — measures how clean or polluted the air we breathe is on a daily basis. The index focuses on the health effects that might be experienced within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. AQI is calculated based on ground-level ozone, particle pollution or particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country. The index ranges from green, where the air quality is satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk, to maroon, which is considered hazardous. That level comes with health warnings of emergency conditions where everyone is more likely to be affected, according to AirNow. On Friday morning, the AQI showed orange around the Arrowhead, Minnesota, area, which Ayd said is a concern for people with chronic conditions, the elderly and young children. 'They really should limit their time outdoors,' he added. The level below orange is yellow and considered moderate, where the air quality is acceptable. That is what is showing Friday for some other parts of the Midwest. But fine particle levels are expected to reach the red air quality index in northern Minnesota, a level that is unsafe for everyone, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality said it is monitoring air quality levels and advised individuals to limit prolonged outdoor activities. To limit exposure to unhealthy air quality, people should stay indoors with windows and doors closed. Avoid heavy exertion outdoors, using fans or swamp coolers that take air from outside, all wood-burning appliances, and lighting candles and incense. Where are the Canadian wildfires? Nearly two dozens wildfires were burning in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which is just north of Minnesota and North Dakota. So far this year, the province had had more than 100 wildfires. On Wednesday, Manitoba declared a state of emergency as the fires forced 17,000 people to evacuate homes in several communities. Canada's wildfire season runs May through September. Its worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023. It choked much of North America with dangerous smoke for months. 'We are getting the smoke,' said Kevin Doom, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chicago. 'The winds way up in the atmosphere — 10,000, 20,000 feet up — are blowing in from the north today. Minnesota is kind of taking the brunt at the moment.' 'The wind is going to drag that smoke down over the next day or two,' Doom added. Doom said a little haze was showing Friday morning over Chicago. 'It will keep moving with the wind,' he continued. 'But over time, it will continue to disperse, mix in with the air until it gets thinner and thinner until it fades away.' How did past wildfires impact air quality?
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Climate
- Toronto Star
Winds push smoke from Canadian wildfires south into US and worsen air quality
By Corey Williams And Sarah Raza The Associated Press Air quality in some parts of the United States is worsening as smoke from dozens of wildfires in Canada travels south, pushed by winds high in the atmosphere. Air quality in Arrowhead, Minnesota, is deemed unhealthy for people and animals sensitive to pollution and other airborne particles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow page.
