Inside the Greenhouse is a monthly update on FCNL’s environmental advocacy and the climate crisis.
Supreme Court Decision Threatens Environmental Regulations
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court overturned the 40-year-old Chevron deference doctrine, which was at the center of the Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo case. The Chevron Doctrine holds that judges should defer to an administering federal agency’s reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous statute.
With the Loper Bright decision, this is no longer the case.
This ruling is a cause for concern due to the frequent ambiguity in environmental statutes.The Supreme Court’s decision also adds new obstacles to recent government initiatives to cut greenhouse gases, regulate air pollution, and protect water quality.
Courts may now use their interpretations, at times pressured by political actors on either side, to strike down environmental regulations. FCNL’s energy and environment team will continue to closely monitor this development.
News and Updates
Global Heat Wave and Hurricane Beryl: A Wake-Up Call for International Climate Assistance
Worldwide, temperatures have soared to record highs, jeopardizing human and environmental health. Last month, heat across five continents broke 1,400 records. Heat waves are increasing in frequency, severity, and duration as greenhouse gases continue to fill the atmosphere. Heat waves affect lives and livelihoods in many ways, from preventing work, to closing schools, to destroying crops, and more.
Communities are not only struggling from intense heat. Heat is also contributing to a potentially record-breaking hurricane season. Several days ago, Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, left many worried about what’s to come. The storm broke records as the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. Beryl had the fastest intensification rate (65mph in 24 hours) for any storm in June, in large part because of warmer water in the Atlantic Ocean.
As communities are left with devastating damage, it is vital that the U.S. takes leadership in international climate assistance to address these challenges. FCNL’s Carla Montilla recently published a piece highlighting the impacts of the climate crisis in Alaska and South Sudan and the need for international climate solutions.
Interior Department Approves Commercial Offshore Wind Project
The Interior Department recently approved the ninth commercial-scale offshore wind project under the Biden Administration. The Atlantic Shores South offshore energy project will be built off the coast of New Jersey and will generate up to 2,800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power around 1 million homes. The project will bring the U.S. over a third of the way to the Biden Administration’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore energy by 2030.
Largest U.S. Commercial Solar Power Deal Inked
Summit Ridge Energy plans to expand its partnership with Qcells, a Georgia-based maker of solar panels. This partnership will cement the largest commercial solar project in the U.S. and will provide cheap, renewable power for around 200,000 homes and businesses around the country.
American Climate Corps Swears in First Cohort
The White House swore in the first class of the American Climate Corps. This workforce training and service initiative was created to train young people in clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience skills. The program hopes to eventually include more than 20,000 members working in paid positions on a wide range of projects that tackle climate change.
What We’re Reading:
- From Alaska to South Sudan, the Climate Crisis is Already Here - Inkstick (inkstickmedia.com)
- Climate Change, Violence, and Forced Migration: A Nexus of Challenges in Haiti - Friends Committee On National Legislation (fcnl.org)
- Three Ideas to Beat the Heat, and the People Who Made Them Happen - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
- The Exponential Growth of Solar Power Will Change the World – The Economist (economist.com)
