Democrats try to ‘build back’ after Manchin tanks $2T bill
But they face serious questions whether the $2 trillion initiative can be refashioned to win his crucial vote or the party will be saddled with a devastating defeat.
Environment
Articles
Manchin’s ‘no’ vote on Build Back Better bill undercuts Biden’s climate agenda
The senator, who had been the chief Democratic obstacle to the White House’s sweeping policy initiative for nearly six months, said he could not support the bill because of his concerns about inflation, the growing deficit and the need to focus on the omicron coronavirus variant.
Not-for-profit catalogs, rates Indy’s urban forests
The Indiana Forest Alliance was scheduled to release Dec. 3 a report that maps all 4,237 private forests in Indianapolis that are larger than one acre—and evaluates them for environmental, ecological and social benefits.
Thousands of new city trees to go where data shows they’re needed most
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, which plants 3,000 to 4,000 trees in the city each year, is digging even deeper into data and working more closely with local government to make sure its tree-planting plans benefit all areas of the city in a more equitable way.
EPA details ways climate change could hit U.S. minorities the hardest
A new federal report says racial minorities in the United States can expect more deaths from extreme heat and property loss from flooding.
IBJ Podcast: Climate change could scorch and soak Indiana while reshaping key industries, Purdue center says
Indiana isn’t seeing the intense heat waves and flash-flooding that other parts of the world are experiencing this summer, but models show our winters will dwindle, our summers will have many more days above 95ºF and rainfall will continue to increase.
Superfund site near Zionsville at center of $3M environmental legal fight
A trust overseeing cleanup of Superfund site north of Zionsville is suing an environmental remediation firm after tests showed contaminant levels in the target area were higher than expected. The company has filed its own suit against the trust.
Cummins launches water-access program with $8M commitment
The new program, Cummins Water Works, will focus on improving access to safe water in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, India and South Africa.
Purdue-patented technology turns plastic into fuel
The technology could soon scale up to commercial-level production under a demonstration project planned by Hasler Ventures LLC.
Revamped EPA website shows increased climate change risks
The website was effectively suspended under President Donald Trump, who did not allow information on the site to be updated and who repeatedly disputed or downplayed the effects of climate change.
Q&A with Joel Markland about turning fields from brown to green
Markland leads the 15-person BCA Environmental Consultants LLC, which started in Elkhart in 1987 and now has offices in Indianapolis, South Bend, Louisville and Puerto Rico.
Governor signs controversial wetlands bill into law
The bill, which scales back protections on Indiana wetlands, had gained support from the Indiana Builders Association, but numerous environmental, conservation and civic groups opposed it.
Q&A with Joel Markland of BCA Environmental Consultants: Turning fields from brown to green
BCA Environmental Consultants LLC is one of many firms that helps local governments and businesses figure out how to clean up messes, commonly called “brownfields.”
State lawmakers amend environment bills as deadlines near
The proposed changes arrive as members of the General Assembly decide whether the state should adopt greener initiatives or scale back current policy protecting water, energy and other resources.
Q&A: Daniel Poynter on helping Indiana become carbon-neutral
Daniel Poynter, a former software developer and executive coach to social entrepreneurs, spent 11 months in 2019 using his savings to study climate full time.
Indianapolis law professor picked by Biden as EPA deputy
A veteran of the Obama administration, Janet McCabe is a professor of practice at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and director of the IU Environmental Resilience Institute.
Federal stimulus deal includes provisions to fight climate change
Congress has moved to phase out a class of potent planet-warming chemicals and provide billions of dollars for renewable energy and efforts to suck carbon from the atmosphere.
Environmental work almost completed on former stamping plant property
Officials said remediation efforts are in their final stages, with final certification expected in the next few weeks. Elanco Animal Health Inc. plans to build a $100 million headquarters on the site.
All my takeout has delivered a mountain of trash. So I asked experts how to minimize it.
The stream of paper, plastic, aluminum and glass that came through my door from roughly 30 takeout orders shocked and depressed me. I accumulated enough waste to fill two recycling containers—nearly 100 gallons of space—not to mention a torrent of guilt.
IPL to pay $1.5M fine to settle Petersburg pollution issues
The Indianapolis-based utility said it also will spend $5 million to mitigate what critics say has been harm to the environment caused by the plant’s excess emissions over the years.