In response to the Wall Street Journal's article “New York Will Now Tax America” (Dec. 28), RFF Director Lee Wasserman submitted a letter to the editor, featured in the Journal's opinion section, defending Governor Hochul's decision to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act into law. In his letter, Mr. Wasserman argues that "the costs of climate...
New York—the state with the Nation's third-largest economy—enacted climate superfund legislation at the end of 2024, becoming the second state after Vermont to do so. This is a major victory for New Yorkers and the team of advocates, led by the New York Public Interest Research Group, that RFF organized to take on this historic legislative campaign. New York’s Climate...
The Department of Energy released a long-waited study on the economic and environmental impacts of gas exports. The study showed that continued rise of gas exports could raise domestic gas prices, increase global GHG emissions, and negatively affect communities who live by the terminals. President Biden initiated the study in January 2024 when a pause was issued for approvals of new gas export...
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) issued a report showing the shrinking role of the petrochemical industry in Louisiana’s economy. While oil, gas and petrochemicals accounted for a third of the state’s GDP at the turn of the century, it now makes up just 14%.
Last month, California filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against ExxonMobil, the world’s largest producer of single-use plastic polymers, for plastic recycling fraud. ExxonMobil orchestrated a 50-year deceptive campaign that falsely promoted recycling as a solution to plastic waste, driving increased consumption of single-use plastics and fueling the global plastic pollution crisis. The...
RFF grantee, the Center for Climate Integrity, released an explosive report revealing that Big Oil and the plastics industry have been deceiving the public about the recyclability of plastics for over 50 years and are responsible for the current plastic pollution crisis. From the outset, petrochemical companies knew that recycling single-use plastic was both physically and financially...
Last month, RFF-grantee, Earthrights, the organization representing the City and County of Boulder, Colorado in its climate lawsuit against ExxonMobil and two Suncor entities, successfully defeated the defendants’ motions to dismiss the lawsuit. This important ruling by the Boulder Court allows the lawsuit to proceed toward discovery and trial. You can find the full ruling ...
RFF Senior Advisor Bakeyah Nelson refuted criticism of “virtue signaling” by organizations that decline investments from fossil fuel companies, writing in the Houston Chronicle: “The oil and gas industry is certainly aware of its negative public image amid ongoing revelations about its disinformation and climate-denial campaigns throughout the past 40 years. In response, these...
RFF's climate work realized a breakthrough when Vermont passed the first climate superfund law in the nation to make polluters pay for the damage and adaptation costs caused by their greenhouse gas emissions. It is an important step to address environmental responsibility and could set a precedent for other states to follow suit.
RFF’s director authored this guest essay...
After the Vermont House passed the Climate Superfund Act this week, it is the closest a bill like this has ever been to becoming law. This is a major victory for our grantee, Vermont Public Interest Group, that led a so-far successful legislative campaign. Now the bill goes back to the Senate for a final review before it is delivered to Governor Phil Scott. Governor Scott might veto it, in...