Importance Score: 78 / 100 🔴
Local Efforts Counter Federal Retreat on Climate Change and Environmental Issues
Despite the federal government’s pronounced shift away from addressing climate change and other environmental problems under President Trump, a contrasting narrative is unfolding across the nation. While Washington has eased environmental regulations and altered federal agency priorities, numerous local initiatives in both traditionally conservative and liberal states demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship.
From state legislatures to community organizations, encompassing tribal lands, city parks, and even private gardens, individuals are engaged in essential work to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. For several months, we have been investigating these often-overlooked endeavors which, while smaller in scope than national policies, are producing tangible benefits for local communities, the climate, and the natural world.
Throughout this year, this publication will spotlight one success story from each state, seeking to amplify these grassroots environmental actions and foster broader awareness. We encourage readers to share examples of impactful community-based environmental work in their regions.
To contribute stories from your community, please reply to this email or complete the form located at the bottom of this page.
“Although climate change and biodiversity loss are global challenges, local solutions yield demonstrable results,” stated Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and policy expert at Texas Tech University and The Nature Conservancy. “These actions have a direct impact by reducing emissions and safeguarding ecosystems, and an indirect effect by inspiring greater engagement and cultivating backing for regional and national policies.”
The Significance of State and Local Environmental Action
Amidst the polarized discourse surrounding climate politics, the effectiveness of state and local initiatives is frequently underestimated. While the federal government controls substantial financial resources, experts emphasize that other levels of government and civic society wield considerable influence in conserving nature and promoting cleaner energy sources.
“Energy issues are, in many respects, primarily a matter for state governance,” noted Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at Berkeley Earth and the payments company Stripe. “The decisions regarding what infrastructure is developed and when are largely made by state governments and local public utility commissions.”
Bipartisan Conservation Efforts Across States
Notably, many of these environmental efforts transcend ideological divisions. Kate Burgess, from the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, who tracks state legislation on land protection, highlighted the bipartisan conservation work progressing across the country. Burgess noted that 42 states have introduced 230 legislative measures aimed at enhancing access to outdoor spaces. This expansion can foster increased conservation measures, benefiting both human populations and wildlife.
Furthermore, 21 states are currently considering 118 legislative proposals focused on pesticide reforms. A number of bipartisan conservation bills have already been successfully enacted this year, indicating ongoing momentum despite federal policy shifts.
“While regulatory rollbacks are occurring, substantial advancements and positive momentum are also evident,” Burgess affirmed.
This week marks the commencement of this series, featuring initial stories showcasing these local successes.
Exploring Local Environmental Success Stories
Did you know that a significant portion of the capital city in a deeply conservative state is powered by clean energy? Would witnessing wildlife safely traverse highways improve road safety and protect animal populations interest you? We invite you to explore a clinic in Hawaii where human and ecological well-being are intertwined. These narratives, and many more, are available here, with ongoing additions throughout the year.
This series is inspired by reader interest. For years, our audience has expressed a desire for coverage extending beyond environmental crises, seeking stories of solutions and progress. Our dedicated team members, like Cara, whose work centers on individuals contributing to climate and ecosystem restoration, and Catrin, who covers biodiversity while integrating solutions into reporting on environmental challenges, are committed to this approach.
This series broadens our solutions-focused perspective across the entire nation, with contributions from our entire climate and environment team.
We hope these narratives serve as a source of encouragement amidst political discord. At the very least, they demonstrate that environmental solutions are not confined by political divides.
Discover More from “50 States, 50 Fixes”
For further exploration of our climate solutions coverage, please refer to our bi-monthly series, The Climate Fix.
Further Reading on Environmental Issues
Regulation
E.P.A. Offers a Way to Sidestep Clean-Air Rules: Send an Email
Last year, the Biden administration mandated that coal and oil power plants significantly reduce emissions of harmful pollutants such as mercury, which poses risks to infant brain development and adult cardiovascular health.
The current administration now proposes an exceptional option for companies: by sending an email, businesses might secure presidential authorization to circumvent these new restrictions, alongside other key clean-air regulations .
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency cited a provision within the Clean Air Act that allows the president to temporarily exempt industrial facilities from new rules if the necessary compliance technology is unavailable or if exemptions are deemed to be in the interest of national security.
Climate Law
She Inspired Laws Holding the Fossil Fuel Industry Accountable. Now, She’s Under Scrutiny.
Rachel Rothschild, a recent law school graduate in 2022, authored a memo outlining the legal basis for a novel climate change strategy. This strategy proposed that states could compel oil and gas corporations to provide financial compensation for damages resulting from extreme weather events, such as floods and wildfires, exacerbated by the usage of their products.
Rothschild’s work was foundational, providing the groundwork for the nation’s pioneering “climate superfund” laws, enacted in New York and Vermont the previous year. Potentially, up to six additional states may adopt similar legislation this year. If implemented, these laws could impose billions of dollars in costs on oil companies.
This work has made Rothschild a target. She is among several lawyers, law professors, and judges who have become the focus of a discredit campaign spearheaded by a conservative organization with affiliations to the fossil fuel industry and the Trump administration.
Disaster aid
Billions in FEMA Grants Frozen Following Musk’s Agency Criticism
An Elon Musk social media post last month publicized what he presented as an alarming discovery by his team of government spending analysts: The Federal Emergency Management Agency had allocated $59 million to accommodate undocumented immigrants in New York City. He asserted that these funds, “meant for American disaster relief, are instead being used for luxury hotels for illegals!”
Subsequently, following related directives from the Trump administration issued shortly after Musk’s post, FEMA staff lacked clear guidance on procedures concerning undocumented immigrants.
This situation has effectively halted payments on billions of dollars in disaster relief grants, according to sources briefed on the process and internal documentation reviewed by The New York Times.
While aid directly intended for disaster victims has continued, payments to states, local governments, and non-profit organizations have been disrupted, impacting communities nationwide.