Amid reports that the Trump administration intends to announce next week a reduction in the amount of wetlands and waterways covered by the federal Clean Water Act, the Southern Environmental Law Center is condemning the proposed step as the most destructive of Trump’s rollback of environmental rules.
Tag: Trump
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Trump administration rewrites clean water rule, environmentalists vow to push back
The Trump administration has submitted to the White House a new definition of the “Waters of the United States,” a proposal the Southern Environmental Law Center contends could remove environmental protections from up to 60 percent of the nation’s streams and more than 90 percent of wetlands.
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Emory University continues push against DACA rescission, cites McCarthy-era ruling
Emory University is continuing to support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, joining 16 other leading universities in urging the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York to support the program and reject the Trump administration’s effort to end DACA.
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Struggling Georgia communities chosen for new federal program that’s to spur investment
A large swath of economically challenged Georgia communities got a boost from the Trump administration in the weeks after Georgia lawmakers passed a package of legislation aimed at helping rural areas where folks struggle to make ends meet.
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Trump’s proposal to alter SNAP harks back to 1964 law with Georgia roots
By Guest Columnist NEILL HERRING, a lobbyist for environmental organizations and armchair historian
Sonny Perdue, the Secretary of Agriculture for the whole, entire United States, and former governor of Georgia, has come out in favor of what used to called “surplus commodities.” This is his proposed substitute for what used to be called “food stamps.” Sonny said, early in his secretaryship, that program, now called SNAP, was “not broken,” and therefore needed no fixing.
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Why we need our national endowments
By Guest Columnist STANLEY ROMANSTEIN, professor of practice, Creative Media Industries Institute at Georgia State University, and principal with BLJackson Associates
In 1965 the U.S Congress – both Republicans and Democrats – expressed the firm belief that, “Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens. It must therefore foster and support a form of education, and access to the arts and humanities, designed to make people of all backgrounds and wherever located, masters of their technology and not its unthinking servants.”
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Solarize Atlanta gains ground as Asian firms unveil U.S. plants to beat solar tariffs
An Atlanta solar coalition is reporting strong and favorable response to its effort to provide low-cost solar panels for buildings of all types in the city. Solarize Atlanta is moving ahead amid significant shake-ups in the solar power marketplace.
Posted inColumns
Trump’s Haiti comments don’t resonate with Georgia’s history, modern aid programs
Whatever President Trump actually said about Haiti, the spirit of the comments doesn’t square in Georgia. Haitian soldiers sailed to defend Savannah during the Revolutionary War. On Monday, an Atlanta human rights leader who’s active in Haiti observed that Haiti’s modern woes stem from lingering resentment, and resulting poverty, over the outcome of Haiti’s revolution that overthrew the French in 1804.
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Trump’s offshore drilling proposal eliminates 50-mile buffer between coastline, drill rigs
The continental waters off Georgia’s coast are to opened to drilling for oil and natural gas in leases to be signed in 2020, 2022, and 2024, under a draft proposal released Thursday by the Trump administration that would open most of the nation’s seabed to drilling. Environmental groups have announced their opposition to the plan.
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Atlanta’s voice needed to fight offshore drilling
By Guest Columnist BILL SAPP, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center
In the past year, the devastation inflicted from hurricanes Matthew and Irma serves as a stark reminder that Georgia’s coast is vulnerable to the vagaries of nature. Wrecking countless homes and businesses, and shredding boats and docks along the entire coast, these hurricanes flooded St. Marys and Tybee Island, pounded the beaches of Jekyll Island and Cumberland Island, and overtopped the sea walls in Savannah and St. Simons.
Posted inLyle Harris
In the Trump era, praying science can save us
The most dominant national headlines in recent weeks have highlighted a fundamental principle that’s often overlooked but cannot be overstated: Science matters. From predicting dangerous tropical storms to charting the path of an eclipse or utterly discrediting the claims of hate-filled racists, science may ultimately help to save us, if only from ourselves.
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Georgia’s transportation plans advancing amid turmoil in Washington
This hardly seems a good time for Georgia to update its transportation spending plan, given the drama in Washington. For starters, President Trump is attacking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the husband of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao – who is rumored to be considering resigning her post.
Posted inColumns
France rises as new French President reaches out to President Trump
The ascension of France on the global stage was exemplified on July 14 – Bastille Day – when Frenchman Warren Barguil gave France its first Bastille Day Tour de France victory in 12 years.
But an even more significant sign was when U.S. President Donald Trump accepted an invitation from the recently-elected President of France – Emmanuel Macron – to spend Bastille Day in Paris.
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Atlanta recognizes top performers in Better Buildings Challenge as fate of national program seems unclear
On the heels of reports that rank Atlanta among cities with the most green buildings, the city of Atlanta and its partners have recognized nearly 80 buildings that are leaders in the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge.
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Metro Atlanta ranks third in green buildings as Trump proposes to defund Energy Star Program
Metro Atlanta has climbed to third place on the fourth annual Green Building Adoption Index, an index led by CBRE, a real estate firm. But the big news appears in at the start of the executive summary – regarding the potential demise of the green building movement.
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Facing federal budget cuts, Georgia alone cannot bear the brunt of environmental protection
By Guest Columnist GIL ROGERS, director of the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Georgia and Alabama offices
On July 4th, many Georgians celebrate by heading outdoors to cool off in rivers and lakes around the state, hike trails around Georgia’s state parks, and enjoy the fireworks after running Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race, the world’s largest 10K.
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U.S. Ag Sec. Sonny Perdue lauds NAFTA in Savannah meetings with reps from Canada, Mexico
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue emphasized the value of NAFTA as he met this week in Savannah with senior government representatives of Canada and Mexico. Perdue’s support was evident in his tweets and his support of the joint statement released at the conclusion of the trade meeting.
Posted inColumns
Remembering Papa on Father’s Day; knowing how mad he would be about Trump’s reversal on Cuba
As I write this, Father’s Day is coming to a close.
The day has been filled with memories of Papa – interrupted by the news of the day.
One memory of Papa keeps colliding with today’s news of President Donald Trump refreezing the thawing of restrictions in U.S. trade and travel to Cuba.
Posted inColumns
Georgians, state treasury to suffer under President Trump’s budget plan
By Guest Columnist TAIFA BUTLER, executive director of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
Georgians can find a lot not to like in the federal budget President Trump is proposing. It jeopardizes the state’s financial stability. It promises to hurt the ability of millions of Georgians to meet basic living standards. Even Social Security disability benefits are slashed in the planned budget cuts.
Posted inColumns
Faith community stepping up on climate change
By Guest Columnist SUSAN VARLAMOFF, coauthor of the ‘Laudato Si Action Plan’ and author of ‘Sustainable Gardening for the Southeast’
Nature abhors a vacuum. With the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate accord, there is a void in global leadership on climate change that others are willing and able to fill it. Countries like China, Germany and France are stepping up. In the U.S., states, cities, universities, corporations, and even churches are voluntarily reducing greenhouse emissions in the spirit of the Paris climate accord.
