Education

The Biden administration is struggling over rules that would force U.S. corporations to disclose more information about their climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions, from pizza deliveries and steel manufacturing to financial services and making cement. If approved, the rules would affect government contractors, insurance firms and other companies and would enable the administration to…

In 2019, twin sisters Jo and Joy Banner opened Fee-Fo-Lay Café in the tiny town of Wallace, Louisiana, population 775. Using her grandmother’s recipe, Jo wanted to make and sell Louisiana cookies called t-cakes. After a stint working in local tourism, she thought a café that catered to tourists passing through would be the perfect…

At the end of a gravel-covered dirt road in Marion County is where you will find what’s being called the South’s first environmental justice training center. On the 7.5 acres are hydro panels that pull moisture out of the air, to provide clean water; a greenhouse to grow crops sustainably; pollinator gardens to attract bees,…

An estimated 19 pedestrians a day, on average, were struck and killed by automobiles in this country in 2022. The year before, pedestrian deaths reached a 40-year high. While these deaths spiked across the board during the pandemic, the fatalities follow a clear and consistent pattern: Across the country, Black and Hispanic pedestrians are killed…

CUTLER, Calif. — Jayden Martinez walked across the cracked mud of the canal that flooded his family’s home last month, his Pokemon-themed Crocs crunching on pieces of concrete and rocks. Standing on the bank, the 9-year-old looked at the channel, partially clogged with trash, and recounted how the surging water broke through, turning his street…

WASHINGTON — President Biden on Friday announced the creation of a White House Office of Environmental Justice, one of several actions to address the unequal burden that people of color carry from environmental hazards. “Every federal agency must take into account environmental and health impacts on communities and work to prevent those negative impacts,” Mr.…

CORCORAN, Calif. —  Just west of this normally dusty prison town, a civic nightmare is unfolding: Tulare Lake, a body of water that did not exist just two months ago, now stretches to the horizon — a vast, murky sea in which the tops of telephone poles can be seen stretching eerily into the distance.…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it’s investing $177 million to create 17 technical assistance centers around the country to help environmental justice organizations successfully apply for federal funds. Better training on how to navigate the complex federal grant making process is something environmental justice organizations have been demanding since the beginning of…

BRAWLEY, Calif. — Alex Jack has spared little expense in the quest to grow vegetables in the desert with less water. It has cost him $2.5 million over the years to be on the cutting edge of efficiency, installing underground irrigation under alfalfa and lettuce beds, building aerated reservoirs and a network of pipes and…

People in western states are breathing dirtier, more polluted air — and worsening heat, drought and wildfires are fueling the pollution, according to a new report. The report published by the American Lung Association on Wednesday points to widening divisions in exposure to unhealthy air. Nearly 120 million people across the United States, more than…