Latest news with #U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
We'd all breathe easier if U.S. lawmakers quit blowing smoke, helped clear the air
Opinion It's become something of an annual ritual now. As wildfire smoke drifts south across the Canada-U.S. border, turning skies orange and triggering air-quality alerts in major American cities, Republican lawmakers south of the line scramble for someone to blame. Lately, they've settled on Canada. The same tired talking points roll out like a script: that Canada isn't doing enough to manage its forests, that our fires are choking American lungs and that the federal and provincial governments here are somehow asleep at the wheel. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Smoke obscures Winnipeg's skyline on Aug. 1. It's a convenient narrative — and a complete dodge of responsibility. Wisconsin state Rep. Calvin Callahan joined forces with Republican state lawmakers from Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota this week by filing a formal complaint against Canada to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Joint Commission. The Republican lawmakers are demanding an investigation into Canada's wildfire management practices. 'If Canada can't get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences,' Callahan said in a news release. 'We won't sit back while our air becomes a health hazard.' Premier Wab Kinew this week accused the group of pitching a 'timber tantrum.' Before U.S. politicians start wagging fingers north, though, they should take a long, hard look in the mirror. Because the wildfire smoke Americans are breathing isn't just a Canadian export. It's a symptom of a much larger problem — one that the United States, particularly under Republican leadership, has done far too little to address: human-caused climate change. Yes, Canada is experiencing another brutal wildfire season. Tens of thousands of square kilometres of forest have already burned this year. Towns have been evacuated, homes destroyed and firefighters pushed to the brink. And yes, that smoke doesn't stop at the border. But neither does the blame. The western and southern United States — including Republican-run states such as Texas and Idaho — have also been scorched by massive wildfires in recent years. California, in particular, has seen some of the most destructive and deadly fire seasons in its history. According to data from the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center, the number of acres burned annually in the U.S. has more than doubled since the 1990s. And like in Canada, the fires are getting hotter, they move faster and they're harder to control. The reason? Climate change. This isn't radical environmental rhetoric — it's scientific consensus. Hotter, drier conditions caused by a warming climate are fuelling more frequent and intense wildfires across North America, regardless of how the fires were ignited (most are started by humans, accidentally or deliberately). And here's where the U.S. — particularly under Republican leadership — has some serious soul-searching to do. President Donald Trump has cancelled plans to expand wind and solar power and doubled down on oil, gas and coal, falsely claiming renewable energy would 'wreck the economy.' Trump repeatedly calls climate change a 'hoax' and mocks the scientific reality even as wildfires devour entire U.S. towns and hurricanes batter coastal cities. The idea that Canada is single-handedly responsible for the smoke floating into Chicago or New York is not just dishonest — it's absurd. Both countries are burning. Both countries have forest management issues. Both countries need to adapt. Meanwhile, the U.S. is the second-largest carbon emitter in the world after China and has some of the highest per-person emissions globally. Canada has made some attempts to reduce carbon emissions, through carbon pricing, regulations and investments in clean energy. But it's not nearly enough. The Republican party, on the other hand, remains mired in climate denialism. Many of its most prominent figures reject basic climate science. They frame environmental regulations as government overreach and vilify green energy as part of a leftist plot to destroy American jobs. The irony is that American citizens — including many who vote Republican — are suffering the consequences. Wildfire smoke doesn't care about political affiliation. It's sending kids to emergency rooms, forcing schools to cancel recess and making life miserable for people with asthma and other respiratory issues. Instead of blaming Canada, maybe Republican lawmakers should ask why their own country continues to pump more carbon into the atmosphere year after year. Maybe they should ask why they're still subsidizing the fossil fuel industry to the tune of billions of dollars while attacking tax credits for solar panels and electric vehicles. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. Maybe they should stop calling climate change a hoax and start listening to the thousands of scientists — including those in their own country — who have been warning about this for decades. Climate change is a global issue. No single country can fix it on its own. But leadership matters. And so does honesty. So the next time Republican politicians in Washington or Texas start pointing fingers at Canada over wildfire smoke, they should remember: the smoke may have crossed the border, but much of the fuel for the fire is being pumped, mined and burned in their own backyard — often with their full support. It's time they owned up to that. Because as long as they keep treating climate change like a political game, everyone — on both sides of the border — will keep paying the price. Tom BrodbeckColumnist Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the Free Press and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom. Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press's editing team reviews Tom's columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
EPA eliminates $7 billion rooftop solar grant program
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced that it will eliminate a $7 billion grant program designed to help low-income households install solar panels on their homes. The so-called 'Solar for All' program was awarded to 60 recipients including states, tribal groups, regions and nonprofits under the Biden administration's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a $27 billion program geared toward addressing climate change. The Solar for All funds would have delivered residential solar projects to more than 900,000 households nationwide. In a post on X, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin described the program as a boondoggle in which not enough was actually going for solar. 'One of the more shocking features of Solar For All was with regards to the massive dilution of the money, as many grants go through pass-through after pass-through after pass-through after pass-through with all of the middlemen taking their own cut — at least 15% by conservative estimates,' Zeldin said. 'What a grift.' 'With clear language and intent from Congress in the One Big Beautiful Bill, EPA is taking action to end this program for good,' Zeldin added, referring to President Trump's budget reconciliation bill. Solar energy is widely considered one of the best ways to address climate change, by eliminating emissions that come from burning coal or natural gas to make electricity. Earlier this week, Los Angeles celebrated the opening of one of the nation's largest solar and battery power plants, the Eland facility in Kern County, which is now supplying 7% of the city's power. California is home to multiple projects that received funding from the Solar for All program, according to the federal project database. They include a $250 million award for California's Solar for All Program, intended to fund solar initiatives statewide. The California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency were going to oversee and distribute the grant funds, which were particularly focused on low-income and disadvantaged communities and California tribes. Two nonprofits — the Community Power Coalition and GRID Alternatives — each had $250 million awards for separate efforts to develop community solar and multifamily solar projects across several states, including in California. Environmental groups were outraged by the announcement. Estimates were that the program would have saved low-income households $400 a year on electricity bills, created more than 200,000 jobs and eliminated more than 30 million metric tons of air pollution, according to the nonprofit Climate Power. 'This is a deliberate choice to make life harder for working Americans,' said Alex Glass, Climate Power's communications director, in a statement. 'The Trump Administration isn't just walking away from climate solutions — they're ripping affordable energy away from the families who need it most.' Trump — who received record donations from fossil fuel companies during his 2024 presidential campaign — is making a number of efforts to slow the transition to clean energy while encouraging the use of fossil fuels, including canceling credits for solar and wind projects by the end of 2027. The president has said these efforts will help save taxpayers money and strengthen American energy independence. Senator Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts), a member of the Environment and Public Works committee, denounced the EPA's decision to cancel the program as illegal. The funding for the program had already been fully obligated and contracts for all recipients were signed, he said. 'This latest heist from the Trump administration will cause energy costs to rise, keep Americans beholden to monopolistic electric utilities, and make our grid overburdened and less reliable,' Markey said in a statement. 'Trump and Zeldin's attacks on the Solar for All program and their attempts to cancel legally-binding contracts will mean energy bills are going to continue to spike nationwide.' The program would have created more than $8 billion in overall savings across all fifty states, Markey said. The Environmental Protection Network, composed of more than 600 former EPA employees, described the decision as an 'abrupt and arbitrary' betrayal of public health, environmental justice and economic opportunity. 'Communities promised relief from punishing energy costs are now left in the dark,' said former EPA senior adviser Zealan Hoover, in a statement. 'Nearly a million families will pay hundreds of dollars more each year for their electricity bill because the Trump administration killed a program that would have more than paid for itself.'
a day ago
- Politics
Manitoba premier calls U.S. politicians 'attention-seekers' throwing a 'timber tantrum' over wildfire smoke
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew accused a group of Republicans of throwing a timber tantrum and playing political games after they called out Canada over wildfires sending smoke billowing across the international border into their states. These are attention-seekers who can't come up with a good idea on health care or on making life more affordable, Kinew told The Canadian Press. So they're playing games with something that's very serious. Kinew said he doesn't generalize these attention-seekers' misguided words to all Americans. He noted that American firefighters have been helping to fight Canada's wildfires and Canadian firefighters were on the ground and in the air during California's devastating wildfire season. I've thanked them and I thanked folks in the Trump administration who sent some of the federal firefighting resources up to Canada and to Manitoba, the premier said. So we're going to have a continued relationship and an ability to support each other through wildfires going forward. In a Wednesday news release, Wisconsin state Rep. Calvin Callahan joined other Republican state lawmakers from Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota in filing a formal complaint against Canada to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and the International Joint Commission, a binational organization that resolves disputes on shared water and air quality. The Republican lawmakers called for an investigation of Canada's wildfire management practices and for potential remedies under international law. If Canada can't get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences, Callahan said in the news release. We won't sit back while our air becomes a health hazard. Callahan joins a chorus of Republican politicians at other levels of government who have been voicing concerns about Canada's wildfires. Michigan Rep. Jack Bergman sent a letter to Canadian Sen. Michael MacDonald on Monday calling for stronger forest management policies and more accountability from Canadian officials. Both are members of the Canada—United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. Michigan Rep. John James sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney last week saying his constituents are choking on toxic wildfire smoke. Citing a letter other Republican members of Congress sent to Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman in July, James said that since then, rather than progress, we have seen escalation. James said Kinew's declaration of a second state of emergency in Manitoba confirmed what many Americans have feared: that Canada is not doing nearly enough to stop these fires before they start. WATCH | U.S. lawmakers ask Canada to do more about wildfire smoke: The American lawmaker also criticized Kinew's comments in response to the initial letter. Kinew in July said it turns people off politics when you have got a group of congresspeople trying to trivialize and make hay out of a wildfire season where we've lost lives in our province. A husband and wife were killed by a fast-moving wildfire northeast of Winnipeg in May and thousands have been evacuated from their communities. James said Kinew's comments dismissed the health impacts the wildfire smoke has on neighbouring states. The Republican said the smoke amounts to a public health emergency and it is actively damaging the U.S.-Canada relationship. The increasing pressure from Republicans comes as the bilateral relationship between the two countries remains tense. On Aug. 1, U.S. President Donald Trump boosted tariffs on Canadian goods to 35 per cent after a new security and economic agreement failed to materialize ahead of the president's deadline. The duties do not apply to goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. Canada is also being hit with Trump's steel, aluminum, copper and automobile tariffs. Natural Resources Canada said in July that wildfires are a global problem caused by the effects of climate change, including prolonged drought. Trump has called climate change a hoax and his administration dismissed all of the scientists working on a flagship climate report. Many Republicans point to the 2023 Canadian wildfire season, which was the worst on record. Fires blazing across the country that year sent thick smoke into the United States and even across the Atlantic Ocean to northern Europe. Canadian officials have warned that this year's wildfire season could shape up to be the second-worst on record. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, a non-profit owned and operated by federal, provincial and territorial wildland fire management agencies, said on its website that 744 active wildfires were burning across Canada on Wednesday. U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said Tuesday that Canada's recent wildfires offer a stark reminder of the countries' shared challenges. In a statement shared by the U.S. Embassy, Hoekstra said the United States and Canada have a long history of supporting one another in times of crisis. Canadians stood with us during the tragic California wildfires earlier this year, and we are committed to standing with Canada now, he said. Wildfires burning across multiple American states, including California, have been sending smoke into nearby communities.
Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Kinew accuses group of Republicans of pitching ‘timber tantrum' over wildfire smoke
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew accused a group of Republicans of throwing a 'timber tantrum' and playing 'political games' after they called out Canada over wildfires sending smoke billowing across the international border into their states. 'These are attention-seekers who can't come up with a good idea on health care or on making life more affordable,' Kinew told The Canadian Press. 'So they're playing games with something that's very serious.' Kinew said he doesn't 'generalize these attention-seekers' misguided words to all Americans.' He noted that American firefighters have been helping to fight Canada's wildfires and Canadian firefighters were on the ground and in the air during California's devastating wildfire season. 'I've thanked them and I thanked folks in the Trump administration who sent some of the federal firefighting resources up to Canada and to Manitoba,' the premier said. 'So we're going to have a continued relationship and an ability to support each other through wildfires going forward.' Story continues below advertisement In a Wednesday news release, Wisconsin state Rep. Calvin Callahan joined other Republican state lawmakers from Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota in filing a formal complaint against Canada to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and the International Joint Commission, a binational organization that resolves disputes on shared water and air quality. The Republican lawmakers called for an investigation of Canada's wildfire management practices and for potential remedies under international law. 'If Canada can't get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences,' Callahan said in the news release. 'We won't sit back while our air becomes a health hazard.' Callahan joins a chorus of Republican politicians at other levels of government who have been voicing concerns about Canada's wildfires. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Michigan Rep. Jack Bergman sent a letter to Canadian Sen. Michael MacDonald on Monday calling for stronger forest management policies and more accountability from Canadian officials. Both are members of the Canada—United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. Michigan Rep. John James sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney last week saying his constituents are choking on toxic wildfire smoke. Citing a letter other Republican members of Congress sent to Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman in July, James said that 'since then, rather than progress, we have seen escalation.' Story continues below advertisement James said Kinew's declaration of a second state of emergency in Manitoba 'confirmed what many Americans have feared: that Canada is not doing nearly enough to stop these fires before they start.' The American lawmaker also criticized Kinew's comments in response to the initial letter. Kinew in July said it turns people off politics 'when you have got a group of congresspeople trying to trivialize and make hay out of a wildfire season where we've lost lives in our province.' A husband and wife were killed by a fast-moving wildfire northeast of Winnipeg in May and thousands have been evacuated from their communities. James said Kinew's comments dismissed the health impacts the wildfire smoke has on neighbouring states. The Republican said the smoke amounts to a public health emergency 'and it is actively damaging the U.S.-Canada relationship.' The increasing pressure from Republicans comes as the bilateral relationship between the two countries remains tense. On Aug. 1, U.S. President Donald Trump boosted tariffs on Canadian goods to 35 per cent after a new security and economic agreement failed to materialize ahead of the president's deadline. The duties do not apply to goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. Canada is also being hit with Trump's steel, aluminum, copper and automobile tariffs. Natural Resources Canada said in July that wildfires are a global problem caused by the effects of climate change, including prolonged drought. Story continues below advertisement Trump has called climate change a 'hoax' and his administration dismissed all of the scientists working on a flagship climate report. Many Republicans point to the 2023 Canadian wildfire season, which was the worst on record. Fires blazing across the country that year sent thick smoke into the United States and even across the Atlantic Ocean to northern Europe. Canadian officials have warned that this year's wildfire season could shape up to be the second-worst on record. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, a non-profit owned and operated by federal, provincial and territorial wildland fire management agencies, said on its website that 744 active wildfires were burning across Canada on Wednesday. U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said Tuesday that Canada's recent wildfires offer a 'stark reminder' of the countries' shared challenges. In a statement shared by the U.S. Embassy, Hoekstra said the United States and Canada have 'a long history' of supporting one another in times of crisis. 'Canadians stood with us during the tragic California wildfires earlier this year, and we are committed to standing with Canada now,' he said. Wildfires burning across multiple American states, including California, have been sending smoke into nearby communities.
National Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
More Republican lawmakers demand legal action over Canadian wildfire smoke
More Republican lawmakers are calling out Canada because of wildfires sending smoke billowing across the international border into their states. "If Canada can't get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences," said Wisconsin state Rep. Calvin Callahan in a news release Wednesday. "We won't sit back while our air becomes a health hazard." Callahan joined other Republican state lawmakers from Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota in filing a formal complaint against Canada to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and the International Joint Commission, a binational organization that resolves disputes on shared water and air quality. The Republican lawmakers called for an investigation of Canada's wildfire management practices and for potential remedies under international law. Callahan joins a chorus of Republican politicians at other levels of government who have been voicing concerns about Canada's wildfires. Michigan Rep. Jack Bergman sent a letter to Canadian Sen. Michael MacDonald on Monday calling for stronger forest management policies and more accountability from Canadian officials. Both are members of the Canada—United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. "It is critical that forest management and wildfire mitigation be treated as a bilateral environmental and public health priority," the letter said. "If Canada can't get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences," said Wisconsin state Rep. Calvin Callahan in a news release Wednesday. "We won't sit back while our air becomes a health hazard." Michigan Rep. John James sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney last week saying his constituents are choking on toxic wildfire smoke. Citing a letter other Republican members of Congress sent to Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman in July, James said that "since then, rather than progress, we have seen escalation." James said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew's declaration of a second state of emergency in that province "confirmed what many Americans have feared: that Canada is not doing nearly enough to stop these fires before they start." The American lawmaker also criticized Kinew's comments in response to the initial letter. "This is what turns people off from politics," Kinew said in July. "When you have got a group of congresspeople trying to trivialize and make hay out of a wildfire season where we've lost lives in our province, there's no place for that in politics," the premier added. "If you can't get likes on Instagram from your own skills as a politician, don't bother trying to throw other people under the bus during a state of emergency." A husband and wife were killed by a fast-moving wildfire northeast of Winnipeg in May and thousands have been evacuated from their communities. James said Kinew's comments dismiss the health impacts the wildfire smoke has on neighbouring states. The Republican said the smoke amounts to a public health emergency "and it is actively damaging the U. S. — Canada relationship." The increasing pressure from Republicans comes as the bilateral relationship between the two countries remains tense. On Aug. 1, U.S. President Donald Trump boosted tariffs on Canadian goods to 35 per cent after a new security and economic agreement failed to materialize ahead of the president's deadline. The duties do not apply to goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. Canada is also being hit with Trump's steel, aluminum, copper and automobile tariffs. Natural Resources Canada said in July that wildfires are a global problem caused by the effects of climate change, including prolonged drought. The president has called climate change a "hoax" and his administration dismissed all of the scientists working on a flagship climate report. Many Republicans point to the 2023 Canadian wildfire season, which was the worst on record. Fires blazing across the country that year sent thick smoke into the United States and even across the Atlantic Ocean to northern Europe. Canadian officials have warned that this year's wildfire season could shape up to be the second-worst on record. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, a non-profit owned and operated by federal, provincial and territorial wildland fire management agencies, said on its website that 744 active wildfires were burning across Canada on Wednesday. U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said Tuesday that Canada's recent wildfires offer a "stark reminder" of the countries' shared challenges. In a statement shared by the U.S. Embassy, Hoekstra said the United States and Canada have "a long history" of supporting one another in times of crisis. "Canadians stood with us during the tragic California wildfires earlier this year, and we are committed to standing with Canada now," he said. Wildfires burning across multiple American states, including California, have been sending smoke into nearby communities.
