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Save Environment Speech For Students

Speech on Save Environment is an important topic for students. Students can avail a well-written speech on the topic ‘save environment speech’ and learn how to write the speech that will impress the audience.

Long Speech

Good morning to one and all present here. I am glad to be given the opportunity to present a speech on Save Environment. Our environment is where we live. There must be harmony between the environment and living beings. In the present scenario, due to overpopulation, the environment is under distress. The situation is alarming as our natural environment is overexploited to meet human needs. It is because of many human activities that we are not able to maintain a healthy balance with nature.

The threat we are facing includes manmade disasters and global warming. These threats are real and have raised an alarming situation. We need to come together to save our environment. This speech on saving nature throws light on why it is needed by mankind to protect and preserve the environment. Our environment offers everything from clothing, water, food to shelter. All living beings are a part of the ecosystem. Hence, it becomes our responsibility to take care of the natural habitat.

Environmental pollution is one of the biggest issues that the modern world faces today. To meet the wants of society, we are putting too much pressure on the natural environment. This leads to damage to nature. The soil is losing its fertility, and in most places, soil pollution makes it difficult to grow crops. Even air and water pollution is the effect of mass urbanization and industrialisation. Controlling the pollution is a need of the hour, however, this still gets neglected by us. I am delivering the speech to save the earth to make you aware of what can be done by each one of us sitting here. We can make our earth a better place to live by taking simple steps like planting a tree, throwing waste in proper bins, saying no to plastic bags, etc. Rather than complaining about pollution, such small steps must be taken to make our environment sustainable.

Environmental problems are also the result of vast technological advancements in the last few years. The overuse of resources to build IT infrastructure is responsible for the loss of the natural environment. Government and international organizations must take proper steps to control pollution and save our mother earth. Environmental protection policies must be strictly enforced. Everyone has to come together to save our mother nature. 

Saving our environment is much more important today than ever before. The degrading quality of earth life is what we all are familiar with. However, the early signs of the upcoming destruction are visible. The harsh weather conditions, increased carbon dioxide emissions, melting of glaciers, etc. are the major concerns that needed immediate attention. Let us all do what we can to save our environment and preserve our resources for future generations.

Short Speech

Good morning to all. Today, I am going to give a short speech on saving the environment. We are all aware of how the environment is important to us. We cannot afford to harm the environment any longer. In today’s modern world, our planet earth is affected significantly. However, if we want to live in harmony with nature, we cannot put the entire pressure on the environment. Living beings, for their survival, depend completely on the natural and manmade environment. It is impossible to live without the resources that the atmosphere provides. In such a situation, it becomes critical to save mother nature from getting over-exploited due to the increasing population. 

We all know that factors like overpopulation, deforestation, etc. are responsible for environmental destruction. Small steps taken by us can go a long way. We must try to use as much public transport as possible to protect the air we breathe. We must throw garbage in the right bins so that proper disposal of waste and waste management can be done. We need to make efforts in the right direction to conserve our natural resources and habitat. Some of the ways by which we can achieve this are to use renewable energy, avoid plastic bags, plant more trees etc. 

Mother nature offers so much to us. We must protect the environment and nature and be a part of sustainable development programmes.

10 Lines Speech

A heartfelt welcome to each one present here. I am here to deliver a speech on saving the environment and saving a life. It is no hidden fact that our environment is affected largely due to human activities. It is facing a threat at an alarming rate. We have over-exploited nature due to our greed. This has caused a natural imbalance. However, we can still do something and protect our environment from all the damages. We must plant more and more trees, throw garbage in the dustbins, avoid using plastic bags, etc. It cannot be denied that our natural environment is such an important part of our ecosystem. It is important to educate people about how the environment is getting damaged. Then only we can have green earth to live in.

Main Causes of Environmental Degradation

Pollution, in any form, is destructive to the environment, whether it be in the form of air, water, land, or noise.

Rapid population increase limits natural resources, resulting in environmental degradation.

Increasing population equals more need for food, clothing, and housing. More land is needed to grow food and provide housing for people. Deforestation occurs, as a result, contributing to environmental degradation.

Deforestation is also caused by using forest areas for agriculture, livestock grazing, fuelwood harvesting, and logging. When forest size decreases, deforestation contributes to global warming by releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

The exhaust gas released by industries is one of the primary sources of pollution. Lead is found in large concentrations in the environment due to a range of substances such as gasoline, paints, ceramics, and batteries.

In recent years, there has been a massive increase in the number of private vehicles. The higher the number of cars, the higher the rate of pollution that causes smog. Lower-level ozone, which is detrimental, is caused by hydrocarbons emitted by engines.

Speech on plant trees, saving mother earth is important for students as it will make them aware of how to use natural resources and how a healthy balance can be maintained between the environment and human life.

FAQs on Speech on Save Environment

1. What is the best way to prepare a speech?

Giving a speech in class pushes students to step outside of their comfort zone, especially if they are required to take a stand on a social issue. Students gain courage, conviction, and fluency when they learn to face their insecurities and reply articulately to opposition with practice. The following tips will help students in delivering a great speech:

The size of the audience is one of the most primary considerations when giving a speech. High school students should consider the audience and the context for the speech before digging into stacks of research resources.

Students should slim down their attention and write a clear thesis statement that will act as a road map for the rest of the presentation. The speakers should then choose two or three major topics that they can address in the time allocated.

Decide the basic goal of your speech or presentation if you're informing, presenting, or entertaining.

When practising, keep track of your time from beginning to end and read the complete speech numerous times.

It can be beneficial to incorporate hand gestures to explain points in your speech. Hand gestures will not only help you communicate with the audience, but they will also assist you to remember important points.

A few people in the audience will have questions about your speech. Consider some of the products you might receive. Then jot down your responses and practice expressing them aloud.

2. How to create awareness about environmental pollution among people?

You must first ensure that you have a good understanding of environmental-related issues before you can begin promoting environmental consciousness in your community. Do some online research to learn about the root of pollution in your neighbourhood. Share your information with as many people as possible so that they are aware of the effects of pollution and how to avoid them. Creating an environmental group is another way to raise awareness. Various social media platforms can be used as tools to assist you in educating more people. The number of environmental challenges appears to be infinite, and while they are all crucial, it is easy to become overwhelmed. Choose one subject to concentrate on at a time.

3. What are the most important methods to conserve the environment?

Reduce the amount of waste you generate. Conserve natural resources and landfill space by following the three "R's" that are – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Deforestation must be controlled or, ultimately, stopped.

The less water you consume, the less drainage and wastewater end up in the ocean.

Afforestation must be fostered, and public awareness must be promoted.

Energy-efficient light bulbs reduce greenhouse gas release. Also, flip the light switch off when you leave the room.

Fuelwood and timber wood should be used wisely.

In your house and office, use non-toxic materials.

We should maintain grazing lands and produce cover crops to keep soils from blowing away.

Using public transportation, walking, or riding a bike to class are all preferable options that assist the environment, save money, and provide exercise.

4. What is the importance of the environment for Human life?

The environment offers us a variety of producing resources, both renewable and non-renewable. It offers food, shelter, and air, as well as meeting all human needs.

Agriculture and the growing of crops and vegetables are facilitated by the ecosystem. Our waste products were thrown away and composted for use in agriculture.

Human life would not survive without the sun, water, air, and soil that make up the environment. It helps to keep life going by ensuring genetic variation and biodiversity.

Mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts, and a plethora of other amazing natural components are only beautiful because the environment exists.

The environment offers us fertile land, clean water, fresh air, animals, and a variety of other necessities for survival.

5. Where can I get the Essays/Speeches on important topics for school?

Students can access the important materials to write a speech/essay for their school competition from Vedantu. Both online and offline study resources include a free download option that students can use to meet their specific needs. Students can also get various sample papers and revision notes for all the subjects from Vedantu. These study materials are designed by subject matter experts to help students enhance their academic performance. The PDF is also prepared with the understanding of crucial concepts in mind, as our focus is on the student's overall growth.

Protect the environment, prevent pandemics, ‘nature is sending us a clear message’

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On this year’s World Environment Day , celebrated on June 5, the UN is drawing links between the health of the planet, and human health, and highlighting the importance of protecting biodiversity, the system that supports life.

“At least 70 per cent of emerging infectious diseases” such as COVID-19 , are crossing from the wild, to people, and “transformative actions are urgently required to protect environment and human rights”. This was the message from David Boyd, the independent UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, ahead of this year’s Day.

Mr. Boyd added that countries should take urgent action to protect the environment and stop climate disruption, biodiversity loss, toxic pollution and diseases that jump from animals to humans.

Get the message

UN chief António Guterres said in his message that “nature is sending us a clear message. We are harming the natural world, to our own detriment.”

He noted that habitat degradation and biodiversity loss were accelerating, “climate disruption is getting worse…To care for humanity, we must care for nature.”

Time for natureSince World Environment Day was launched in 1974, it has grown to become the UN’s biggest annual event, advocating for environmental action and raising worldwide awareness of the need to increase protection for the planet’s long-term survival.

The 2020 edition, which has the tagline “Time for Nature”, is being hosted by Colombia, which is organizing several events, streamed live, which can be accessed here, or on social media. The theme is biodiversity protection, at a time when one million animal and plant species are believed to be on the brink of extinction.

This year’s Day inevitably references the global COVID-19 health crisis, noting that, with the population doubling over the past 50 years, and the global economy growing fourfold over the same period, the delicate balance of nature has been disrupted, creating ideal conditions for pathogens, such as COVID-19, to spread.

As countries open up, and governments approve stimulus packages to support job creation, poverty reduction, development and economic growth, the UN Environment Programme ( UNEP ), is urging them to “build back better”.

This involves capturing opportunities for green investment — such as renewable energy, smart housing, green public procurement, and public transport — guided by the principles and standards of sustainable production and consumption. 

A failure to do so, warns UNEP, and an attempted return to business as usual, risks seeing inequalities rising even further, and a worsening of the degradation of the planet, at a time when one million animal and plant species are on the brink of extinction. 

• climate action
• World Environment Day

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden on Actions to Tackle the Climate   Crisis

Brayton Point Power Station Somerset, Massachusetts

2:43 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.  And thank you for your patience.  You’ve been sitting out here.  Appreciate — please, have a seat, if you have one.

Well, hello, Massachusetts.  (Applause.)  It’s an honor to be with your outstanding members of Congress today: Senator Ed Markey.  Ed?  Where’s — there you go.  (Applause.)  Senator Elizabeth Warren.  (Applause.)  Congressman Auchincloss — -oss.  Where is she?  There you go, Jake.  Bill Keating — Congressman.  (Applause.) 

And your great former members and one of my dearest friends, John Kerry, who’s doing a great job leading our international — (applause) — Special Presidential Envoy on Climate, traveling the world and talking with an awful lot of people he’s talking into moving more than they’ve been doing. 

And another great Massachusetts nata- — native, Gina McCarthy.  Gina?  (Applause.)  There she is.  My National Climate Advisor is leading our climate efforts here at home.

It’s an honor to be joined by your neighbor by — your neighbor from Rhode Island.  He’s not a bad guy at all.  (Laughter.)  I live in his house.  Sheldon Whitehouse — a great champion — (applause) — a great champion of the environment.  And he’d been banging away at it.

I come here today with a message: As President, I have a responsibility to act with urgency and resolve when our nation faces clear and present danger.  And that’s what climate change is about.  It is literally, not figuratively, a clear and present danger.

The health of our citizens and our communities is literally at stake.

The U.N.’s leading international climate scientists called the latest climate report nothing less than, quote, “code red for humanity.”  Let me say it again: “Code red for humanity.”  It’s not a group of political official — elected officials.  These are the scientists.

We see here in America, in red states and blue states, extreme weather events costing $145 billion — $145 billion in damages just last year — more powerful and destructive hurricanes and tornadoes. 

I’ve flown over the vast majority of them out west and down in Louisiana, all across America.  It’s a — it’s amazing to see. 

Ravaging hundred-year-old droughts occurring every few years instead of every hundred years.  Wildfires out west that have burned and destroyed more than 5 million acres — everything in its path.  That is more land than the entire state of New Jersey, from New York down to the tip of Delaware.  It’s amazing.  Five million acres.

Our national security is at stake as well.  Extreme weather is already damaging our military installations here in the States.  And our economy is at risk.  So we have to act.

Extreme weather disrupts supply chains, causing delays and shortages for consumers and businesses.

Climate change is literally an existential threat to our nation and to the world. 

So my message today is this: Since Congress is not acting as it should — and these guys here are, but we’re not getting many Republican votes — this is an emergency.  An emergency.  And I will — I will look at it that way.

I said last week and I’ll say it again loud and clear: As President, I’ll use my executive powers to combat climate — the climate crisis in the absence of congressional actions, notwithstanding their incredible action.  (Applause.) 

In the coming days, my administration will announce the executive actions we have developed to combat this emergency.  We need to act. 

But just take a look around: Right now, 100 million Americans are under heat alert — 100 million Americans.  Ninety communities across America set records for high temperatures just this year, including here in New England as we speak.

And, by the way, records have been set in the Arctic and the Antarctic, with temperatures that are just unbelievable, melting the permafrost.  And it’s astounding the damage that’s being done.

And this crisis impacts every aspect of our everyday life.  That’s why today I’m making the largest investment ever — $2.3 billion — to help communities across the country build infrastructure that is designed to withstand the full range of disasters we’ve been seeing up to today -– extreme heat, drought, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes.

Right now, there are millions of people suffering from extreme heat at home.  So my team is also working with the states to deploy $385 million right now.

For the first time, states will be able to use federal funds to pay for air conditioners in homes, set up community cooling centers in schools where people can get through these extreme heat crises.  And I mean people — and crises that are 100 to 117 degrees.

An Infrastructure Law that your members of Congress have delivered includes $3.1 billion to weatherize homes and make them more energy efficient, which will lower energy cost while keeping America cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and not using too much energy.

And my Department of Labor, led by a guy named Marty Walsh — (said in Boston accent) — he talks funny, but he’s a hell of a guy.  (Applause.)  But all kidding aside, Marty was a great mayor, and I know — I know he knows how to get a job done. 

And he’s doing two things for me:

First of all, as Secretary of Labor, he’s developing the first-ever workplace standards for extreme heat, saying, under these cond- — under these conditions, if it hits this pr- — you cannot do the following — you cannot ask people to do a certain thing.

Second, he’s sending folks out from the Labor Department to make sure we hold workplaces and — to those standards that are being set.  They’ve already completed over 500 heat-related inspections of workplaces across 43 states.  At the end of the day, it’s going to save lives.

Now, let me tell you why we’re here at Brayton Point.  Five years ago, this towering power plant that once stood with cooling towers 500 feet high closed down.  The coal plant at Brayton Point was the largest of its kind in New England — 1,500 megawatts of power, enough to power one in five Massachusetts homes and businesses.

For over 50 years, this plant supported this region’s economy through their electrici- — the electricity they supplied, the good jobs they provided, and the local taxes they paid.

But the plant, like many others around the country, had another legacy: one of toxins, smog, greenhouse gas emissions, the kind of pollution that contributed to the climate emergency we now face today.

Gina McCarthy, a former regulator in Massachusetts, was telling me on the way up how folks used to get a rag out and wipe the gunk off of their car’s windshields in the morning just to be able to drive — not very much unlike where I grew up in a place called Claymont, Delaware — which has more oil refineries than Houston, Texas, had in its region — just across the line in Pennsylvania.  And all the prevailing winds were our way. I just lived up the road.  I just — in an apartment complex when we moved to Delaware.  And just up the road was a little school I went to, Holy Rosary grade school.  And because it was a four-lane highway that was accessible, my mother drove us and — rather than us be able to walk. And guess what?  The first frost, you knew what was happening.  You had to put on your windshield wipers to get, literally, the oil slick off the window.  That’s why I and so damn many other people I grew up [with] have cancer and why can- — for the longest time, Delaware had the highest cancer rate in the nation.

But that’s the past, and we’re going to get — we’re going to build a different future with one — one with clean energy, good-paying jobs.

Just 15 years ago, America generated more than half its electricity from coal — coal-fired plants.  Today, that’s down to 20 percent because there’s a big transition happening.

Many of these fossil fuel plants are becoming sites for new clean energy construction.  Others are switching to new, clean technologies.

Look at Brayton Point.  Today, Brayton is one of the frontiers — on the frontier of clean energy in America.  On this site, they’ll manufacture four hun- — 248 miles of high-tech, heavy-duty cables.  Those specialized, subsea cables are necessary to tie offshore wind farms to the existing grid.

Manufacturing these cables will mean good-paying jobs for 250 workers — as many workers as the old plant — power plant had at its peak. 

And the port — (applause) — the port here, 34 feet deep, was used to carry coal into the power plant.  Now we’re going to use that same port to carry components of — for wind power into the sea.

The converter station here and the substation nearby are the assets that move energy across the power lines.

They’ll now move clean electricity generated offshore by the wind — (applause) — enough power to power hundreds of thousands of homes onto the grid — putting old assets to work delivering clean energy.  This didn’t happen by accident.  It happened because we believed and invested in America’s innovation and ingenuity.

One of the companies investing in the factory here joined me at the White House this month.  Vineyard Winds, whose CEO told me about the ground-breaking project labor agreements they’ve negotiated, would create good-paying union jobs.  (Applause.)

And I want to compliment Congressman Bill Keating for his work in this area.

I’m also proud to point out that my administration approved the first commercial project for offshore wind in America, which is being constructed by Vineyard Winds.

Folks, elsewhere in the country, we are pr- — we are propelling retrofits and ensuring that even where fossil fuel plant retires, they still have a role in powering the future.

In Illinois, for example, the state has launched a broad effort to invest in converting old power plants to solar farms, led by Governor Pritzker.

In California, the IBEW members have helped turn a former oil plant into the world’s largest battery storage facility — the world’s largest facility.

In Wyoming, innovators are chosen to — a retiring plant as the next site for the next-generation nuclear plant.

And my administr- — my administration is a partner in that progress, driving federal resources and funding to the communities that have powered this country for generations.  And that’s why they need to be taken care of as well.

I want to thank Cecil Roberts, a friend and President of United Mine Workers of America, and so many other labor leaders who worked with — worked with on these initiatives.

Since I took office, we’ve invested more than $4 billion in federal funding to the 25 hardest-hit coal communities in the country, from West Virginia, to Kentucky, to Wyoming, to New Mexico.

Through the Infrastructure Law, we’re investing in clean hydrogen, nuclear, and carbon capture with the largest grid investment in American history.

We’ve secured $16 billion to clean up abandoned mines and wells, protecting thousands of communities from toxins and waste, particularly methane.  And we still — and we’re going to seal leaking methane pollution — an incredibly power[ful] greenhouse gas that’s 40 times more dangerous to the environment than carbon dioxide.  (Applause.)

And, folks, with American leadership back on climate, I was able to bring more world leaders together than — we got 100 nations together to agree that — at the major conference in Glasgow, England — I mean, Scotland — to change the emissions policies we had.

We’ve made real progress, but there is an enormous task ahead.  We have to keep retaining and recruiting building trades and union electricians for jobs in wind, solar, hydrogen, nuclear, creating even more and better jobs.

We have to revitalize communities, especially those fence-line communities that are smothered by the legacy of pollution.

We have to outcompete China and in the world, and make these technologies here in the United States — not have to import them.

Folks, when I think about climate change — and I’ve been saying this for three years — I think jobs.  Climate change, I think jobs.  (Applause.)

Almost 100 wind turbines going up off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island with ground broken and work underway.

Jobs manufacturing 2,500-ton steel foundations that anchor these offshore wind farms to the sea’s floor.  Jobs manufacturing a Jones Act vessel in Texas to service these offshore wind farms.

We’re going to make sure that the ocean is open for the clean energy of our future, and everything we can do — give a green light to wind power on the Atlantic coast, where my predecessor’s actions only created confusion.

And today we begin the process to develop wind power in the Gulf of Mexico as well for the first time.  A real opportunity to power millions of additional homes from wind.

Let’s clear the way — let’s clear the way for clean energy and connect these projects to the grid.

I’ve directed my administration to clear every federal hurdle and streamline federal permitting that brings these clean energy projects online right now and right away.  And some of you have already come up and talked to me about that.  (Applause.)  

And while so many governors and mayors have been strong partners in this fight to tackle climate change, we need all governors and mayors.  We need public utility commissioners and state agency heads.  We need electric utilities and developers to stand up and be part of the solution.  Don’t be a road block.  (Applause.)

You all have a duty right now to our economy, to our competitiveness in the world, to the young people in this nation, and to future generations — and that sounds like hyperbole but it’s not; it’s real — to act boldly on climate.

And so does Congress, which — notwithstanding the leadership of the men and women that are here today — has failed in this duty.  Not a single Republican in Congress stepped up to support my climate plan.  Not one. 

So, let me be clear: Climate change is an emergency. 

And in the coming weeks, I’m going to use the power I have as President to turn these words into formal, official government actions through the appropriate proclamations, executive orders, and regulatory power that a President possesses.  (Applause.) 

And when it comes to fighting the climate change — climate change, I will not take no for an answer.  I will do everything in my power to clean our air and water, protect our people’s health, to win the clean energy future. 

This, again, sounds like hyperbole, but our children and grandchildren are counting on us.  Not a joke.  Not a joke.  

If we don’t keep it below 1.5 degrees Centigrade, we lose it all.  We don’t get to turn it around.  And the world is counting on us.  And this is the United States of America.  When we put our hearts and minds to it, there’s not a single thing beyond our capacity — I mean it — when we act together. 

And of all things we should be acting together on, it’s climate.  It’s climate.

And, by the way, my dear mother — God rest her soul — used to say, “Joey, out of everything bad, something good will come if you look hard enough.”  Look what’s happening.  We’re going to be able to create as many or more good-paying jobs.  We’re going to make environments where people live safer.  We’re going to make the clean — the air safer.  I really mean it.  We have an opportunity here. 

I’ll bet you when you see what’s happened here in this cable construction here — manufacturing — and you go back and ask all the people who grew up in this beautiful place what they’d rather have: Do they want the plant back with everything it had, or what you’re going to have?  I will be dumbfounded if you find anybody, other than for pure sentimental reasons, saying, “I’d rather have the coal plant.” 

I’ll end by telling you another quick story.  When we moved from Scranton — when coal died in Scranton, everything died in Scranton.  And my dad wasn’t a coal miner.  My — my great — my great-grandfather was a mining engineer.  But my dad was in sales, and there was no work.  So we left to go down to Delaware, where I told you where those oil plants were. 

But I remember driving home — when you take the trolley in Scranton, going out North Washington and Adams Avenues.  Within 15 blocks — we didn’t live in the neighborhood — among the most prestigious neighborhood in the region, in the — in the town where the Scrantons and other good, decent people lived, there was a pla- — you’d go by a wall that — my recollection is it was somewhere between 15 and 18 feet tall.  And it went for the — essentially, a city block. 

And you could see the coal piled up to the very top of the wall from inside.  It was a coal-fired plant.  A coal-fired plant.  And all of that — all of the negative impacts of breathing that coal, the dust were effecting everybody.  But at the time, people didn’t know it and there wasn’t any alternative.

Folks, we have no excuse now.  We know it.  There are answers for it.  We can make things better in terms of jobs.  We can make things better in terms of the environment.  We can make things better for families overall.  So I’m looking forward to this movement. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  May God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

3:02 P.M. EDT

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Speech on Environmental Protection

Protecting our environment is a task that needs your attention. It’s about saving the beautiful world around you from harm.

Are you aware of the role you can play? Let’s make sense of what environmental protection truly means for you and the planet.

1-minute Speech on Environmental Protection

Good day, everyone. Let’s talk about something really important – protecting our environment.

Our environment is like our home. You wouldn’t want your home to be dirty, would you? The same goes for our environment. We need to keep it clean, just like we keep our homes clean. This means picking up litter and not throwing trash anywhere we like.

Trees are like our environment’s lungs. They help us breathe by giving us clean air. But many trees are being cut down for things like paper and furniture. We need to stop cutting down so many trees and start planting more.

Water is life. Without water, we cannot survive. But our rivers and oceans are getting dirty because of waste. We need to stop this. We should not throw waste into water bodies and we should clean up any waste that we see.

Animals are our friends. They also need a clean environment to live in. But many animals are losing their homes because of pollution and deforestation. We need to protect their homes by keeping our environment clean and green.

Our actions have a big impact on our environment. If we do good things for our environment, it will also do good things for us. But if we do bad things, it will affect us in bad ways too.

Let’s all promise today to do our part in protecting our environment. Remember, it’s not just for us, but also for our future generations. They deserve to live in a clean and healthy environment, just like we do.

Also check:

• Essay on Environmental Protection

2-minute Speech on Environmental Protection

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, I want to talk to you about something very important. Something that touches all of us, no matter who we are or where we live. That is protecting our environment.

The environment is like our home. Just like we keep our homes clean and safe, we need to do the same for our environment. It gives us air, water, food and many other things. We need to take care of it, just like it takes care of us.

Air, water and soil are the three main parts of our environment. When these parts are clean and healthy, we are also healthy. But when they are dirty or sick, we can get sick too. This is why we need to keep our air, water and soil clean.

We can do this in many ways. One way is by not throwing trash everywhere. When we throw trash on the ground, it can make the soil sick. When it rains, this trash can go into the water and make it dirty. This is why we need to throw our trash in the right place.

Another way is by not cutting down too many trees. Trees help clean our air. They take in the bad air and give out good air. When we cut down too many trees, our air can get dirty. This is why we need to plant more trees and not cut them down.

The third way is by not using too many things that can hurt our environment. Some things like cars and factories can make our air dirty. They give out smoke that is not good for us or the environment. This is why we need to use less of these things and find other ways that are better for our environment.

We also need to teach others about this. We need to tell our friends, our families, and everyone we know. The more people know, the more they can help. And the more we all help, the better our environment will be.

In conclusion, protecting our environment is very important. It’s not just for us, but for everyone who comes after us. Just like we got a clean and healthy environment from those before us, we need to give the same to those who come after us. It’s our duty and our responsibility. And I believe that together, we can do it.

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Speech by Administrator Samantha Power on The End of Climate Shocks

Administrator Power delivers remarks at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. The speech “The End of Climate Shocks” highlights the increasing frequency of climate-related disasters and discusses what the world can do to build climate resilience and help impacted communities better prepare.

With 2023 marked by near-constant record-breaking heat waves, floods, fires, and storms, climate shocks have now become so regular that they can hardly be called “shocks” any longer. Yet despite the regularity of climate-driven disasters, we are not prepared for them, allowing them to “shock” systems and destroy infrastructure, crops, and communities. Administrator Power discusses steps policymakers and business leaders can take to increase climate resilience, help communities prepare and respond to climate disasters, and end this era of repeat deadly shock.

The End of Climate Shocks

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Administrator samantha power on “the end of climate shocks”.

• January 30, 2024 | Speech

Administrator Samantha Power Calls for Increased Focus and Funding to Prepare Communities Around the World for Increasingly Deadly and Dangerous Climate Shocks

• January 30, 2024 | Press Release

Administrator Samantha Power to Deliver Speech on the End of Climate Shocks

• January 25, 2024 | Media Advisories

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Save Environment Speech for Students and Children

Save environment speech.

Our environment is under distress and it is not a hidden fact anymore. The threat it is facing right now is alarming and it is our duty to save it before it gets too late. As inhabitants of this earth, everyone must come together to do their bit to save our environment. After all, it is because of our activities that our ecological balance has been disturbed. We must make sure that instead of over-exploiting the environment’s resources, we must conserve them. It is important to note that even the littlest of actions impact the environment directly or indirectly. Read Save Environment Speech here.

Need to Save Environment

The degrading quality of life on earth is well-known to all. It is all around us, one just needs to start noticing the signs. The harsh weather patterns are proof that our environment needs saving more than ever.

The occurrences of natural calamities are increasing day by day which is resulting in loss of lives. Further, the melting of the glaciers is another alarming point as to why we need to save the environment.

In addition to that, the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is proving to be more harmful than ever. If we do not take immediate action, we will have to face grave consequences at the hands of nature.

It is rather important to note that by saving the environment, we will be saving mankind. We have to do this for our survival and not the earth’s survival. Mother earth has survived for millions of years and will continue to do so. It is mankind that is at risk, so we must start now.

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Ways to Save Environment

We need to start with the proper handling of waste materials. To do so, one must begin with recycling and proper disposal of waste items. The use of coal must be reduced and we must switch to reusable power like hydro or solar power.

This way, we can adopt a healthy and greener lifestyle. On a bigger level, we see that cities must be planned as per the available water resources. This will help in the conservation of water resources. Avoid using hot water, and make do with cold water when possible. Further, the farmers must use organic fertilizers in place of pesticides.

Further, air pollution must be reduced at all costs. Everyone must avoid taking their personal cars or bikes if possible. Try carpooling or taking public transport for the same. Do not waste electricity so as to prevent global warming.

Switch off fans and light when not in use, unplug electrical appliances as well. Try to use recycled products so no unnecessary waste is produced. Moreover, avoid the use of plastic and switch to greener alternatives. For instance, use reusable bags and containers. Do not litter the roads and prevent your loved ones from doing so too.

Most importantly, plant trees as many as you can. As the amount of carbon dioxide present in the air and the rate of deforestation happening is very disruptive. So, as the trees will enhance the air quality, we must encourage the planting of trees. Moreover, it is equally important to discourage deforestation.

Every year, we are losing our forests which carry the potential to make the air cleaner. It must begin with us and our children. Teach them from a young age to be responsible for the environment and work to save it for a better and greener future.

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News • June 25, 2013

Transcript of Obama’s Speech on Climate Change

Georgetown University Washington, D.C.  June 25, 2013

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  (Applause.)  Thank you, Georgetown!  Thank you so much.  Everybody, please be seated.  And my first announcement today is that you should all take off your jackets.  (Laughter.)  I’m going to do the same.  (Applause.)  It’s not that sexy, now.  (Laughter.)

It is good to be back on campus, and it is a great privilege to speak from the steps of this historic hall that welcomed Presidents going back to George Washington. 

I want to thank your president, President DeGioia, who’s here today.   (Applause.)  I want to thank him for hosting us.  I want to thank the many members of my Cabinet and my administration.  I want to thank Leader Pelosi and the members of Congress who are here.  We are very grateful for their support. 

And I want to say thank you to the Hoyas in the house for having me back.  (Applause.)  It was important for me to speak directly to your generation, because the decisions that we make now and in the years ahead will have a profound impact on the world that all of you inherit. 

On Christmas Eve, 1968, the astronauts of Apollo 8 did a live broadcast from lunar orbit.  So Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, William Anders—the first humans to orbit the moon -– described what they saw, and they read Scripture from the Book of Genesis to the rest of us back here.  And later that night, they took a photo that would change the way we see and think about our world. 

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It was an image of Earth -– beautiful; breathtaking; a glowing marble of blue oceans, and green forests, and brown mountains brushed with white clouds, rising over the surface of the moon.

And while the sight of our planet from space might seem routine today, imagine what it looked like to those of us seeing our home, our planet, for the first time.  Imagine what it looked like to children like me.  Even the astronauts were amazed.  “It makes you realize,” Lovell would say, “just what you have back there on Earth.” 

And around the same time we began exploring space, scientists were studying changes taking place in the Earth’s atmosphere.  Now, scientists had known since the 1800s that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide trap heat, and that burning fossil fuels release those gases into the air.  That wasn’t news. But in the late 1950s, the National Weather Service began measuring the levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, with the worry that rising levels might someday disrupt the fragile balance that makes our planet so hospitable.  And what they’ve found, year after year, is that the levels of carbon pollution in our atmosphere have increased dramatically.

That science, accumulated and reviewed over decades, tells us that our planet is changing in ways that will have profound impacts on all of humankind.

The 12 warmest years in recorded history have all come in the last 15 years.  Last year, temperatures in some areas of the ocean reached record highs, and ice in the Arctic shrank to its smallest size on record—faster than most models had predicted it would.  These are facts.

Now, we know that no single weather event is caused solely by climate change.  Droughts and fires and floods, they go back to ancient times.  But we also know that in a world that’s warmer than it used to be, all weather events are affected by a warming planet.  The fact that sea level in New York, in New York Harbor, are now a foot higher than a century ago—that didn’t cause Hurricane Sandy, but it certainly contributed to the destruction that left large parts of our mightiest city dark and underwater. 

The potential impacts go beyond rising sea levels.  Here at home, 2012 was the warmest year in our history.  Midwest farms were parched by the worst drought since the Dust Bowl, and then drenched by the wettest spring on record.  Western wildfires scorched an area larger than the state of Maryland.  Just last week, a heat wave in Alaska shot temperatures into the 90s.

And we know that the costs of these events can be measured in lost lives and lost livelihoods, lost homes, lost businesses, hundreds of billions of dollars in emergency services and disaster relief.  In fact, those who are already feeling the effects of climate change don’t have time to deny it—they’re busy dealing with it.  Firefighters are braving longer wildfire seasons, and states and federal governments have to figure out how to budget for that.  I had to sit on a meeting with the Department of Interior and Agriculture and some of the rest of my team just to figure out how we're going to pay for more and more expensive fire seasons. 

Farmers see crops wilted one year, washed away the next; and the higher food prices get passed on to you, the American consumer.  Mountain communities worry about what smaller snowpacks will mean for tourism—and then, families at the bottom of the mountains wonder what it will mean for their drinking water.  Americans across the country are already paying the price of inaction in insurance premiums, state and local taxes, and the costs of rebuilding and disaster relief. 

So the question is not whether we need to act.  The overwhelming judgment of science—of chemistry and physics and millions of measurements—has put all that to rest.  Ninety-seven percent of scientists, including, by the way, some who originally disputed the data, have now put that to rest.  They've acknowledged the planet is warming and human activity is contributing to it.

So the question now is whether we will have the courage to act before it’s too late.  And how we answer will have a profound impact on the world that we leave behind not just to you, but to your children and to your grandchildren. 

As a President, as a father, and as an American, I’m here to say we need to act.  (Applause.)

I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that’s beyond fixing.  And that’s why, today, I'm announcing a new national climate action plan, and I'm here to enlist your generation's help in keeping the United States of America a leader—a global leader—in the fight against climate change.

This plan builds on progress that we've already made.  Last year, I took office—the year that I took office, my administration pledged to reduce America's greenhouse gas emissions by about 17 percent from their 2005 levels by the end of this decade.  And we rolled up our sleeves and we got to work. We doubled the electricity we generated from wind and the sun.  We doubled the mileage our cars will get on a gallon of gas by the middle of the next decade.  (Applause.)

President Obama during his speech detailing his climate action plan for the U.S.

Here at Georgetown, I unveiled my strategy for a secure energy future.  And thanks to the ingenuity of our businesses, we're starting to produce much more of our own energy.  We're building the first nuclear power plants in more than three decades—in Georgia and South Carolina.  For the first time in 18 years, America is poised to produce more of our own oil than we buy from other nations.  And today, we produce more natural gas than anybody else.  So we're producing energy.  And these advances have grown our economy, they've created new jobs, they can't be shipped overseas—and, by the way, they've also helped drive our carbon pollution to its lowest levels in nearly 20 years.  Since 2006, no country on Earth has reduced its total carbon pollution by as much as the United States of America.  (Applause.)

So it's a good start.  But the reason we're all here in the heat today is because we know we've got more to do.

In my State of the Union address, I urged Congress to come up with a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, like the one that Republican and Democratic senators worked on together a few years ago.  And I still want to see that happen.  I'm willing to work with anyone to make that happen.

But this is a challenge that does not pause for partisan gridlock.  It demands our attention now.  And this is my plan to meet it—a plan to cut carbon pollution; a plan to protect our country from the impacts of climate change; and a plan to lead the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.  (Applause.)

This plan begins with cutting carbon pollution by changing the way we use energy—using less dirty energy, using more clean energy, wasting less energy throughout our economy. 

Forty-three years ago, Congress passed a law called the Clean Air Act of 1970.  (Applause.)  It was a good law.  The reasoning behind it was simple:  New technology can protect our health by protecting the air we breathe from harmful pollution.  And that law passed the Senate unanimously.  Think about that—it passed the Senate unanimously.  It passed the House of Representatives 375 to 1.  I don’t know who the one guy was—I haven’t looked that up.  (Laughter.)  You can barely get that many votes to name a post office these days.  (Laughter.)

It was signed into law by a Republican President.  It was later strengthened by another Republican President.  This used to be a bipartisan issue. 

Six years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that greenhouse gases are pollutants covered by that same Clean Air Act.  (Applause.)  And they required the Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA, to determine whether they’re a threat to our health and welfare. In 2009, the EPA determined that they are a threat to both our health and our welfare in many different ways—from dirtier air to more common heat waves—and, therefore, subject to regulation. 

Today, about 40 percent of America’s carbon pollution comes from our power plants.  But here’s the thing:  Right now, there are no federal limits to the amount of carbon pollution that those plants can pump into our air.  None.  Zero.  We limit the amount of toxic chemicals like mercury and sulfur and arsenic in our air or our water, but power plants can still dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air for free.  That’s not right, that’s not safe, and it needs to stop.  (Applause.) 

So today, for the sake of our children, and the health and safety of all Americans, I’m directing the Environmental Protection Agency to put an end to the limitless dumping of carbon pollution from our power plants, and complete new pollution standards for both new and existing power plants.  (Applause.)

I’m also directing the EPA to develop these standards in an open and transparent way, to provide flexibility to different states with different needs, and build on the leadership that many states, and cities, and companies have already shown.  In fact, many power companies have already begun modernizing their plants, and creating new jobs in the process.  Others have shifted to burning cleaner natural gas instead of dirtier fuel sources.

Nearly a dozen states have already implemented or are implementing their own market-based programs to reduce carbon pollution.  More than 25 have set energy efficiency targets.  More than 35 have set renewable energy targets.  Over 1,000 mayors have signed agreements to cut carbon pollution.  So the idea of setting higher pollution standards for our power plants is not new.  It’s just time for Washington to catch up with the rest of the country.  And that's what we intend to do.  (Applause.) 

Now, what you’ll hear from the special interests and their allies in Congress is that this will kill jobs and crush the economy, and basically end American free enterprise as we know it.  And the reason I know you'll hear those things is because that's what they said every time America sets clear rules and better standards for our air and our water and our children’s health.  And every time, they've been wrong. 

For example, in 1970, when we decided through the Clean Air Act to do something about the smog that was choking our cities—and, by the way, most young people here aren't old enough to remember what it was like, but when I was going to school in 1979-1980 in Los Angeles, there were days where folks couldn't go outside.  And the sunsets were spectacular because of all the pollution in the air.

But at the time when we passed the Clean Air Act to try to get rid of some of this smog, some of the same doomsayers were saying new pollution standards will decimate the auto industry.  Guess what—it didn’t happen.  Our air got cleaner. 

In 1990, when we decided to do something about acid rain, they said our electricity bills would go up, the lights would go off, businesses around the country would suffer—I quote—“a quiet death.”  None of it happened, except we cut acid rain dramatically. 

See, the problem with all these tired excuses for inaction is that it suggests a fundamental lack of faith in American business and American ingenuity.  (Applause.)  These critics seem to think that when we ask our businesses to innovate and reduce pollution and lead, they can't or they won't do it.  They'll just kind of give up and quit.  But in America, we know that’s not true.  Look at our history.

When we restricted cancer-causing chemicals in plastics and leaded fuel in our cars, it didn’t end the plastics industry or the oil industry.  American chemists came up with better substitutes.  When we phased out CFCs—the gases that were depleting the ozone layer—it didn’t kill off refrigerators or air-conditioners or deodorant.  (Laughter.)  American workers and businesses figured out how to do it better without harming the environment as much.

The fuel standards that we put in place just a few years ago didn’t cripple automakers.  The American auto industry retooled, and today, our automakers are selling the best cars in the world at a faster rate than they have in five years—with more hybrid, more plug-in, more fuel-efficient cars for everybody to choose from.  (Applause.)

So the point is, if you look at our history, don’t bet against American industry.  Don’t bet against American workers.  Don’t tell folks that we have to choose between the health of our children or the health of our economy.  (Applause.)

The old rules may say we can’t protect our environment and promote economic growth at the same time, but in America, we’ve always used new technologies—we’ve used science; we’ve used research and development and discovery to make the old rules obsolete.

Today, we use more clean energy –- more renewables and natural gas -– which is supporting hundreds of thousands of good jobs.  We waste less energy, which saves you money at the pump and in your pocketbooks.  And guess what—our economy is 60 percent bigger than it was 20 years ago, while our carbon emissions are roughly back to where they were 20 years ago.

So, obviously, we can figure this out.  It’s not an either/or; it’s a both/and.  We’ve got to look after our children; we have to look after our future; and we have to grow the economy and create jobs.  We can do all of that as long as we don’t fear the future; instead we seize it.  (Applause.) 

And, by the way, don’t take my word for it—recently, more than 500 businesses, including giants like GM and Nike, issued a Climate Declaration, calling action on climate change “one of the great economic opportunities of the 21st century.”  Walmart is working to cut its carbon pollution by 20 percent and transition completely to renewable energy.  (Applause.)  Walmart deserves a cheer for that.  (Applause.)  But think about it.  Would the biggest company, the biggest retailer in America—would they really do that if it weren’t good for business, if it weren’t good for their shareholders?

A low-carbon, clean energy economy can be an engine of growth for decades to come.  And I want America to build that engine.  I want America to build that future—right here in the United States of America.  That’s our task.  (Applause.)

Now, one thing I want to make sure everybody understands—this does not mean that we’re going to suddenly stop producing fossil fuels.  Our economy wouldn’t run very well if it did.  And transitioning to a clean energy economy takes time.  But when the doomsayers trot out the old warnings that these ambitions will somehow hurt our energy supply, just remind them that America produced more oil than we have in 15 years.  What is true is that we can’t just drill our way out of the energy and climate challenge that we face.  (Applause.)  That’s not possible.

I put forward in the past an all-of-the-above energy strategy, but our energy strategy must be about more than just producing more oil.  And, by the way, it’s certainly got to be about more than just building one pipeline.  (Applause.)

Now, I know there’s been, for example, a lot of controversy surrounding the proposal to build a pipeline, the Keystone pipeline, that would carry oil from Canadian tar sands down to refineries in the Gulf.  And the State Department is going through the final stages of evaluating the proposal.  That’s how it’s always been done.  But I do want to be clear:  Allowing the Keystone pipeline to be built requires a finding that doing so would be in our nation’s interest.  And our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.  (Applause.)  The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward.  It’s relevant. 

Now, even as we’re producing more domestic oil, we’re also producing more cleaner-burning natural gas than any other country on Earth.  And, again, sometimes there are disputes about natural gas, but let me say this:  We should strengthen our position as the top natural gas producer because, in the medium term at least, it not only can provide safe, cheap power, but it can also help reduce our carbon emissions.

Federally supported technology has helped our businesses drill more effectively and extract more gas.  And now, we'll keep working with the industry to make drilling safer and cleaner, to make sure that we're not seeing methane emissions, and to put people to work modernizing our natural gas infrastructure so that we can power more homes and businesses with cleaner energy.

The bottom line is natural gas is creating jobs.  It's lowering many families' heat and power bills.  And it's the transition fuel that can power our economy with less carbon pollution even as our businesses work to develop and then deploy more of the technology required for the even cleaner energy economy of the future.

And that brings me to the second way that we're going to reduce carbon pollution—by using more clean energy.  Over the past four years, we've doubled the electricity that we generate from zero-carbon wind and solar power.  (Applause.)  And that means jobs—jobs manufacturing the wind turbines that now generate enough electricity to power nearly 15 million homes; jobs installing the solar panels that now generate more than four times the power at less cost than just a few years ago.

I know some Republicans in Washington dismiss these jobs, but those who do need to call home—because 75 percent of all wind energy in this country is generated in Republican districts. (Laughter.)  And that may explain why last year, Republican governors in Kansas and Oklahoma and Iowa—Iowa, by the way, a state that harnesses almost 25 percent of its electricity from the wind—helped us in the fight to extend tax credits for wind energy manufacturers and producers.  (Applause.)  Tens of thousands good jobs were on the line, and those jobs were worth the fight.

And countries like China and Germany are going all in in the race for clean energy.  I believe Americans build things better than anybody else.  I want America to win that race, but we can't win it if we're not in it.  (Applause.)

So the plan I'm announcing today will help us double again our energy from wind and sun.  Today, I'm directing the Interior Department to green light enough private, renewable energy capacity on public lands to power more than 6 million homes by 2020.  (Applause.)

The Department of Defense—the biggest energy consumer in America—will install 3 gigawatts of renewable power on its bases, generating about the same amount of electricity each year as you'd get from burning 3 million tons of coal.  (Applause.) 

And because billions of your tax dollars continue to still subsidize some of the most profitable corporations in the history of the world, my budget once again calls for Congress to end the tax breaks for big oil companies, and invest in the clean-energy companies that will fuel our future.  (Applause.)

Now, the third way to reduce carbon pollution is to waste less energy—in our cars, our homes, our businesses.  The fuel standards we set over the past few years mean that by the middle of the next decade, the cars and trucks we buy will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  That means you’ll have to fill up half as often; we’ll all reduce carbon pollution.  And we built on that success by setting the first-ever standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses and vans.  And in the coming months, we’ll partner with truck makers to do it again for the next generation of vehicles. 

Meanwhile, the energy we use in our homes and our businesses and our factories, our schools, our hospitals—that’s responsible for about one-third of our greenhouse gases.  The good news is simple upgrades don’t just cut that pollution; they put people to work—manufacturing and installing smarter lights and windows and sensors and appliances.  And the savings show up in our electricity bills every month—forever.  That’s why we’ve set new energy standards for appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers.  And today, our businesses are building better ones that will also cut carbon pollution and cut consumers’ electricity bills by hundreds of billions of dollars. 

That means, by the way, that our federal government also has to lead by example.   I’m proud that federal agencies have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by more than 15 percent since I took office.  But we can do even better than that.  So today, I’m setting a new goal:  Your federal government will consume 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources within the next seven years.  We are going to set that goal.  (Applause.)

We’ll also encourage private capital to get off the sidelines and get into these energy-saving investments.  And by the end of the next decade, these combined efficiency standards for appliances and federal buildings will reduce carbon pollution by at least three billion tons.  That’s an amount equal to what our entire energy sector emits in nearly half a year.

So I know these standards don’t sound all that sexy, but think of it this way:  That’s the equivalent of planting 7.6 billion trees and letting them grow for 10 years—all while doing the dishes.  It is a great deal and we need to be doing it. (Applause.) 

So using less dirty energy, transitioning to cleaner sources of energy, wasting less energy through our economy is where we need to go.  And this plan will get us there faster.  But I want to be honest—this will not get us there overnight.  The hard truth is carbon pollution has built up in our atmosphere for decades now.  And even if we Americans do our part, the planet will slowly keep warming for some time to come.  The seas will slowly keep rising and storms will get more severe, based on the science.  It's like tapping the brakes of a car before you come to a complete stop and then can shift into reverse.  It's going to take time for carbon emissions to stabilize.

So in the meantime, we're going to need to get prepared.  And that’s why this plan will also protect critical sectors of our economy and prepare the United States for the impacts of climate change that we cannot avoid.  States and cities across the country are already taking it upon themselves to get ready.  Miami Beach is hardening its water supply against seeping saltwater.  We’re partnering with the state of Florida to restore Florida’s natural clean water delivery system—the Everglades.

The overwhelmingly Republican legislature in Texas voted to spend money on a new water development bank as a long-running drought cost jobs and forced a town to truck in water from the outside.

New York City is fortifying its 520 miles of coastline as an insurance policy against more frequent and costly storms.  And what we’ve learned from Hurricane Sandy and other disasters is that we’ve got to build smarter, more resilient infrastructure that can protect our homes and businesses, and withstand more powerful storms.  That means stronger seawalls, natural barriers, hardened power grids, hardened water systems, hardened fuel supplies.

So the budget I sent Congress includes funding to support communities that build these projects, and this plan directs federal agencies to make sure that any new project funded with taxpayer dollars is built to withstand increased flood risks. 

And we’ll partner with communities seeking help to prepare for droughts and floods, reduce the risk of wildfires, protect the dunes and wetlands that pull double duty as green space and as natural storm barriers.  And we'll also open our climate data and NASA climate imagery to the public, to make sure that cities and states assess risk under different climate scenarios, so that we don’t waste money building structures that don’t withstand the next storm. 

So that's what my administration will do to support the work already underway across America, not only to cut carbon pollution, but also to protect ourselves from climate change.  But as I think everybody here understands, no nation can solve this challenge alone—not even one as powerful as ours.  And that’s why the final part of our plan calls on America to lead—lead international efforts to combat a changing climate.  (Applause.)

And make no mistake—the world still looks to America to lead.  When I spoke to young people in Turkey a few years ago, the first question I got wasn't about the challenges that part of the world faces.  It was about the climate challenge that we all face, and America's role in addressing it.  And it was a fair question, because as the world's largest economy and second-largest carbon emitter, as a country with unsurpassed ability to drive innovation and scientific breakthroughs, as the country that people around the world continue to look to in times of crisis, we've got a vital role to play.  We can't stand on the sidelines.  We've got a unique responsibility.  And the steps that I've outlined today prove that we're willing to meet that responsibility.

Though all America's carbon pollution fell last year, global carbon pollution rose to a record high.  That’s a problem.  Developing countries are using more and more energy, and tens of millions of people entering a global middle class naturally want to buy cars and air-conditioners of their own, just like us.  Can't blame them for that.  And when you have conversations with poor countries, they'll say, well, you went through these stages of development—why can't we? 

But what we also have to recognize is these same countries are also more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than we are.  They don’t just have as much to lose, they probably have more to lose.

Developing nations with some of the fastest-rising levels of carbon pollution are going to have to take action to meet this challenge alongside us.  They're watching what we do, but we've got to make sure that they're stepping up to the plate as well.  We compete for business with them, but we also share a planet.  And we have to all shoulder the responsibility for keeping the planet habitable, or we're going to suffer the consequences—together. 

So to help more countries transitioning to cleaner sources of energy and to help them do it faster, we're going to partner with our private sector to apply private sector technological know-how in countries that transition to natural gas.  We’ve mobilized billions of dollars in private capital for clean energy projects around the world.

Today, I'm calling for an end of public financing for new coal plants overseas—(applause)—unless they deploy carbon-capture technologies, or there's no other viable way for the poorest countries to generate electricity.  And I urge other countries to join this effort.

And I'm directing my administration to launch negotiations toward global free trade in environmental goods and services, including clean energy technology, to help more countries skip past the dirty phase of development and join a global low-carbon economy.  They don’t have to repeat all the same mistakes that we made.  (Applause.) 

We've also intensified our climate cooperation with major emerging economies like India and Brazil, and China—the world’s largest emitter.  So, for example, earlier this month, President Xi of China and I reached an important agreement to jointly phase down our production and consumption of dangerous hydrofluorocarbons, and we intend to take more steps together in the months to come.  It will make a difference.  It’s a significant step in the reduction of carbon emissions.  (Applause.) 

And finally, my administration will redouble our efforts to engage our international partners in reaching a new global agreement to reduce carbon pollution through concrete action.  (Applause.) 

Four years ago, in Copenhagen, every major country agreed, for the first time, to limit carbon pollution by 2020.  Two years ago, we decided to forge a new agreement beyond 2020 that would apply to all countries, not just developed countries.

What we need is an agreement that’s ambitious—because that’s what the scale of the challenge demands.  We need an inclusive agreement -– because every country has to play its part.  And we need an agreement that’s flexible—because different nations have different needs.  And if we can come together and get this right, we can define a sustainable future for your generation.

So that’s my plan.  (Applause.)  The actions I’ve announced today should send a strong signal to the world that America intends to take bold action to reduce carbon pollution.  We will continue to lead by the power of our example, because that’s what the United States of America has always done. 

I am convinced this is the fight America can, and will, lead in the 21st century.  And I’m convinced this is a fight that America must lead.  But it will require all of us to do our part. We’ll need scientists to design new fuels, and we’ll need farmers to grow new fuels.  We’ll need engineers to devise new technologies, and we’ll need businesses to make and sell those technologies.  We’ll need workers to operate assembly lines that hum with high-tech, zero-carbon components, but we’ll also need builders to hammer into place the foundations for a new clean energy era.

We’re going to need to give special care to people and communities that are unsettled by this transition—not just here in the United States but around the world.  And those of us in positions of responsibility, we’ll need to be less concerned with the judgment of special interests and well-connected donors, and more concerned with the judgment of posterity.  (Applause.)  Because you and your children, and your children’s children, will have to live with the consequences of our decisions.

As I said before, climate change has become a partisan issue, but it hasn’t always been.  It wasn’t that long ago that Republicans led the way on new and innovative policies to tackle these issues.  Richard Nixon opened the EPA.  George H.W. Bush declared—first U.S. President to declare—“human activities are changing the atmosphere in unexpected and unprecedented ways.”  Someone who never shies away from a challenge, John McCain, introduced a market-based cap-and-trade bill to slow carbon pollution.

The woman that I’ve chosen to head up the EPA, Gina McCarthy, she’s worked—(applause)—she’s terrific.  Gina has worked for the EPA in my administration, but she’s also worked for five Republican governors.  She’s got a long track record of working with industry and business leaders to forge common-sense solutions.  Unfortunately, she’s being held up in the Senate. She’s been held up for months, forced to jump through hoops no Cabinet nominee should ever have to –- not because she lacks qualifications, but because there are too many in the Republican Party right now who think that the Environmental Protection Agency has no business protecting our environment from carbon pollution.  The Senate should confirm her without any further obstruction or delay.  (Applause.) 

But more broadly, we’ve got to move beyond partisan politics on this issue.  I want to be clear—I am willing to work with anybody –- Republicans, Democrats, independents, libertarians, greens -– anybody—to combat this threat on behalf of our kids. I am open to all sorts of new ideas, maybe better ideas, to make sure that we deal with climate change in a way that promotes jobs and growth.

Nobody has a monopoly on what is a very hard problem, but I don’t have much patience for anyone who denies that this challenge is real.  (Applause.)  We don’t have time for a meeting of the Flat Earth Society.  (Applause.)  Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it’s not going to protect you from the coming storm.  And ultimately, we will be judged as a people, and as a society, and as a country on where we go from here.

Our founders believed that those of us in positions of power are elected not just to serve as custodians of the present, but as caretakers of the future. And they charged us to make decisions with an eye on a longer horizon than the arc of our own political careers.  That’s what the American people expect.  That’s what they deserve. 

And someday, our children, and our children’s children, will look at us in the eye and they'll ask us, did we do all that we could when we had the chance to deal with this problem and leave them a cleaner, safer, more stable world?  And I want to be able to say, yes, we did.  Don’t you want that?  (Applause.)

Americans are not a people who look backwards; we're a people who look forward.  We're not a people who fear what the future holds; we shape it. What we need in this fight are citizens who will stand up, and speak up, and compel us to do what this moment demands.

Understand this is not just a job for politicians.  So I'm going to need all of you to educate your classmates, your colleagues, your parents, your friends. Tell them what’s at stake. Speak up at town halls, church groups, PTA meetings.  Push back on misinformation.  Speak up for the facts.  Broaden the circle of those who are willing to stand up for our future.  (Applause.)

Convince those in power to reduce our carbon pollution.  Push your own communities to adopt smarter practices.  Invest.  Divest.  (Applause.)  Remind folks there's no contradiction between a sound environment and strong economic growth.  And remind everyone who represents you at every level of government that sheltering future generations against the ravages of climate change is a prerequisite for your vote.  Make yourself heard on this issue.  (Applause.) 

I understand the politics will be tough.  The challenge we must accept will not reward us with a clear moment of victory.  There’s no gathering army to defeat.  There's no peace treaty to sign.  When President Kennedy said we’d go to the moon within the decade, we knew we’d build a spaceship and we’d meet the goal.  Our progress here will be measured differently—in crises averted, in a planet preserved.  But can we imagine a more worthy goal?  For while we may not live to see the full realization of our ambition, we will have the satisfaction of knowing that the world we leave to our children will be better off for what we did.

“It makes you realize,” that astronaut said all those years ago, “just what you have back there on Earth.”  And that image in the photograph, that bright blue ball rising over the moon’s surface, containing everything we hold dear—the laughter of children, a quiet sunset, all the hopes and dreams of posterity —that’s what’s at stake.  That’s what we’re fighting for.  And if we remember that, I’m absolutely sure we'll succeed.

Thank you.  God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

Text of President Obama's speech is courtesy of the White House Office of the Press Secretary.

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

104 Environmental Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Environmental speech topics and essay writing on angles of view regarding different aspects of our ecology for public speaking. Hope these helpful ideas will sparkle your fantasy!

In this article:

Informative

Environmental.

• The danger of ocean oil spills.
• Recycling should be mandatory.
• Why oil needs to be conserved.
• Why we should use reusable bags.
• Why palm oil should be banned.
• Ban mining in environmentally sensitive areas.
• Disposable diapers are hazardous to the environment.
• The environment is more important than genetics in determining how a person will turn out.
• The danger of oil drilling in Alaska.
• Fishing regulations are necessary to preserve the environment.
• Endangered species need protection.
• We need to invest more in alternative fuels.
• Endangered oceans deserve protection.
• We should strive for a paperless society.
• Conserve our global resources.
• Rain forests need to be protected.
• The principal threats of land degradation in Asia / Africa / South America (choose one continent for your thesis focus).
• Ocean acidification (a decline in the pH degree of ocean waters) endangers marine organisms.
• The main causes of massive coral bleaching (the whitening of corals).
• The advantages of an intercropping system for sustainable plant production.
• Environmentalists are misusing the term sustainable development.
• Why we should be concerned about ozone depletion in Earth’s stratosphere.
• Bottom trawling (dragging huge nets along the sea floor) is killing for the benthic ecological organisms.
• The benefits of microbes to humans.
• Make you own Carbon Footprint and realize how polluting you are.
• Why the carbon tax should be the next stage in our capitalist world.
• How to manage E-waste streams in modern India.
• Emissions trading or exchangeable emission permits work contra-productive in the urgency to blow back global warming.
• Debt-for-nature swaps are natural friendly policies.
• Renewable energy technologies like wind energy, hydroelectricity, biomass and solar power should be stimulated by the government.
• How to apply green ecological sustainable computing (or green IT) at your home PC or Mac.
• The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the worst man-made mishap in American history. Environmental persuasive speech topics can also be found after that big crash at sea – e.g. in Nigeria.
• We should handle with care the dangers and risks of exhausting our fossil fuel resources on earth, and protect the innocent sea life.
• Global warming demands more joined global action than Kopenhagen did.
• Encourage livestock owners to adopt sustainable grazing systems.
• Environmental damage of energy consumption force us to use energy alternatives.
• Mankind is responsible for the large loss of biodiversity in nature.
• Avoid using plastic bags.
• Buy natural and organic produced, and fair trade products.
• Our ever-expanding consumerism has killed the earth.
• Sacrifice a little bit of the economic growth for the good of the environment.
• Give tax cuts to companies to develop solar, wind and forms of hydrogen energy.
• There should be a green tax on aviation fuel.
• Why stores need to stop supplying plastic bags
• Are green jobs really green and environmentally friendly?
• TV news program weather forecasts are not accurate at all.
• The only effective litter prevention method is to force recycling.
• Recycling helps with green house effects.
• Only energy efficient household appliances should be sold.
• Nuclear power is a good alternative energy source.
• Keep your thermostat at 68 F in Winter and 72 F in Summer.
• Hunting sports harm the biodiversity.
• Hundreds of thousands of species will go extinct by 2060.
• Buying durable goods will save the world.
• We are wasting the opportunity to waste less.
• Water pollution will be the world’s biggest problem in the next years.
• Natural disasters stimulate economic growth.
• We are killing the rainforest, our planet’s lungs.
• The change of our climate pattern is not natural.
• The effects of global warming are not overestimated by scientists and green activists.
• Restrict every household to 50 gallon can on trash and yard waste a week.
• Rural development is the main cause of wildfires and extensive damage in the past years.
• Energy alternatives are the only solution to the environmental damage.
• Paying higher energy prices is a sacrifice we have to make for cleaner fuels.
• Construction plans must include an environment-section.
• Promote earthfriendly cars by tax benefits.

Why can’t the discussion about nuclear energy just be about the sole bare facts instead of political bias all the time?

6 additional persuasive environmental speech topics

Persuasive environmental speech topics to increase the quality of your persuasive communication skills, detailed layouts on Natural Resources, Radio Active Waste Management, and Intensive Farming  are even applicable on essay writing goals.

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

Examine the opportunities I offer, and assemble you own speaking text based on the sample series of reasons below.

That logic reasoning process in the end will result in a nice and substantial blueprint, and a sample argumentation scheme for a debate on good persuasive environmental speech topics.

Excessive Use of Natural Resources Leads to Depletion In The End.

Radioactive materials are – without exception I would state – firm persuasive environmental speech topics and essay discourse themes for students. E.g.:

Radio Active Waste Management.

Intensive farming has many pros and cons. In the next example I deal with the cons. Note that each of them could be used as single persuasive environmental speech topics for a debate or essay:

The Disadvantages of Intensive Farming.

You also could take the opposite side and defend the pro-intensive farming arguments by attacking and replacing them for reasons in favor of the supporters of intensive farming. That will provoke immediate discussion among your listeners. Furthermore I would like to share alternative options for persuasive environmental speech topics:

• Endangered species;
• Marine debris and microplastics;
• The sea level rise.

Endangered species – The international list of protected animals. E.g. the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN. Sharpen your persuasive communication skills and judge the conditions for protection.

Marine debris and microplastics – More and more are our ocean, seas, lakes and rivers polluted. Littering: plastic bottles, bags, and so on. Persuade your audience to act. Let them support coastal volunteer operations to remove and prevent debris.

The sea level rise – What is bad about it? What are the predictions of meteorologists regarding the reported weather and climate changes? What should we do to stop it? Is it possible to stop the rise of the sea level anyway?

• The fundamentals of logistics for oil and gas exploration.
• Wildlife protection programs.
• Plants, animals and organisms that live in the ocean.
• The greatest rainforests in the world.
• Facts and figures of littering in our community
• Domestic water waste treatment plans.
• Safety issues of nuclear power plants.
• Local communities can contribute to maintenance of fragile ecosystems.
• Global concern about climate change rose dramatically after Al Gore made his documentary.
• The importance of sustainable development for future generations.
• What is at stake with greenhouse carbon gas emissions?
• Water is the upcoming hot issue in the Middle East.
• Availability and purity of water.
• The Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai – the smart innovative energy reuser.
• South-American tropical forests.
• Global climate change is not only caused by humans.
• We need a healthy environment.
• The effects of global warming.
• Why conserving energy is important.
• The negative aspects of a polluted environment.
• The great Pacific garbage patch.
• The ways that water pollution is harmful.
• The effects of industrial and household waste.
• What is global warming?
• The benefits of organic farming.
• Why drought is a serious problem.
• The pollution of today’s world.
• The importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling.
• The effects of environmental degradation.
• Why should we save birds.
• Why we should save the Ganges.
• How to recycle different materials.

212 Speech Topics For College Students [Persuasive, Informative, Impromptu]

414 Funny and Humorous Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative, Impromptu]

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Biden-Harris Administration finalizes strongest-ever pollution standards for cars that position U.S. companies and workers to lead the clean vehicle future, protect public health, address the climate crisis, save drivers money

Final standards will expand consumer choice in clean vehicles and build on historic progress in U.S. auto manufacturing under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda

March 20, 2024

WASHINGTON – Today, March 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced final national pollution standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and beyond. These standards will avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions and provide nearly $100 billion of annual net benefits to society, including $13 billion of annual public health benefits due to improved air quality, and $62 billion in reduced annual fuel costs, and maintenance and repair costs for drivers. The final standards deliver on the significant pollution reductions outlined in the proposed rule, while accelerating the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies. EPA is finalizing this rule as sales of clean vehicles, including plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, hit record highs last year.

EPA projects an increase in U.S. auto manufacturing employment in response to these final standards, consistent with the broader Biden-Harris Administration commitment to create good-paying, union jobs leading the clean vehicle future. Strong standards have historically contributed to the U.S. leading the world in the supply of clean technologies, with corresponding benefits for American global competitiveness and domestic employment. Since President Biden took office, companies have announced more than $160 billion in investment in U.S. clean vehicle manufacturing and the U.S. auto manufacturing sector has added more than 100,000 jobs.

These standards will provide greater certainty for the auto industry, catalyzing private investment, creating good-paying union jobs, and invigorating and strengthening the U.S. auto industry. Over the next decade, the standards, paired with President Biden’s historic Investing in America agenda and investments in U.S. manufacturing, will set the U.S. auto sector on a trajectory for sustained growth. Additionally, the final standards will lower costs for consumers. Once fully phased in, the standards will save the average American driver an estimated $6,000 in reduced fuel and maintenance over the life of a vehicle.

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will join President Biden’s National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi today at an event in Washington, DC to announce the final standards and how they build on President Biden’s historic climate and economic record. The event will be livestreamed starting at noon EDT.

“With transportation as the largest source of U.S. climate emissions, these strongest-ever pollution standards for cars solidify America’s leadership in building a clean transportation future and creating good-paying American jobs, all while advancing President Biden’s historic climate agenda,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan . “The standards will slash over 7 billion tons of climate pollution, improve air quality in overburdened communities, and give drivers more clean vehicle choices while saving them money. Under President Biden’s leadership, this Administration is pairing strong standards with historic investments to revitalize domestic manufacturing, strengthen domestic supply chains and create good-paying jobs.” 

“President Biden is investing in America, in our workers, and in the unions that built our middle class and established the U.S. auto sector as a leader in the world,” said President Biden’s National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi . “The President’s agenda is working. On factory floors across the nation, our autoworkers are making cars and trucks that give American drivers a choice – a way to get from point A to point B without having to fuel up at a gas station. From plug-in hybrids to fuel cells to fully electric, drivers have more choices today. Since 2021, sales of these vehicles have quadrupled and prices continue to come down. This growth means jobs, and it means we are moving faster and faster to take on the climate crisis – all thanks to the President’s leadership.”

Statement from United Automobile Workers : “The EPA has made significant progress on its final greenhouse gas emissions rule for light-duty vehicles. By taking seriously the concerns of workers and communities, the EPA has come a long way to create a more feasible emissions rule that protects workers building ICE vehicles, while providing a path forward for automakers to implement the full range of automotive technologies to reduce emissions.”

Light- and Medium-Duty Vehicle Final Standards

The final standards announced today, the “Multi Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles,” build on EPA’s existing emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2023 through 2026. The standards continue the technology-neutral and performance-based design of previous EPA standards for cars, pickups, and vans, and leverage advances in clean car technologies to further reduce both climate pollution and smog- and soot-forming emissions. EPA is finalizing the same standard proposed for MY 2032 while allowing additional time for the auto sector to scale up clean vehicle manufacturing supply chains in the first three years covered by the rule.

Annually, the net benefits to society for the light- and medium-duty final rule are estimated to be $99 billion. The final rule is expected to avoid 7.2 billion tons of CO2 emissions through 2055, roughly equal to four times the emissions of the entire transportation sector in 2021. It will also reduce fine particulate matter and ozone, preventing up to 2,500 premature deaths in 2055 as well as reducing heart attacks, respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, aggravated asthma, and decreased lung function.

EPA received extensive feedback on the proposed rule, including through written comments, testimony at public hearings, and other stakeholder engagements. The final standards were informed by the best available data in the public record and rigorous technical assessments. Like the proposal, EPA’s final rule gives manufacturers the flexibility to efficiently reduce emissions and meet the performance-based standards through the mix of technologies they decide is best for them and their customers. EPA’s analysis considers a broad suite of available emission control technologies, and projects that consumers will continue to have a wide range of vehicle choices under the final rule, including advanced gasoline vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and full battery electric vehicles.

Compared to the existing MY 2026 standards, the final MY 2032 standards represent a nearly 50% reduction in projected fleet average GHG emissions levels for light-duty vehicles and 44% reductions for medium-duty vehicles. In addition, the standards are expected to reduce emissions of health-harming fine particulate matter from gasoline-powered vehicles by over 95%. This will improve air quality nationwide and especially for people who live near major roadways and have environmental justice concerns.

Investing in America’s Clean Transportation Future

The final rule reflects the significant investments in clean vehicle technologies that industry is already making domestically and abroad, as well as ongoing U.S. market shifts and increasing consumer interest in clean vehicles. The Biden-Harris Administration is also directly supporting communities across America in moving towards a cleaner transportation future, including by building a national network of EV chargers and alternative-fuel stations; ensuring domestic manufacturers have the critical minerals and materials they need to make EV batteries; and funding clean transit and clean school buses, with priority for underserved communities. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is focused on growing the American economy from the bottom up and the middle out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom, to building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.

Here's what leaders are saying about the final rule:

“I’ve always said Michigan automakers are the best in the world. And this is their moment,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI) . “I appreciate EPA’s commitment to engaging with our automakers and autoworkers to develop an ambitious but achievable final rule. It represents an opportunity for union workers to continue to build the vehicles of the future right here in the U.S. and tackle the climate crisis.”

“My priority will always be to protect American jobs and our environment, keep the United States at the forefront of automotive manufacturing, technology, and innovation, and keep our domestic industry strong and competitive,” said Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) . “The EPA has worked with all stakeholders to reach this final rule that includes hybrid and electric vehicles, and ensure these goals are achievable. It’s important to protect vehicle choice – the number of available models has doubled in the last three years, and in the last year sticker prices are down 20%. We need to continue to work on making sure that these vehicles are affordable to everyone, that we have the infrastructure in place to make them accessible and practical for consumers, and bring jobs back to the U.S. The bottom line is that the future of the industry must be created in America and driven by American workers, and we are all committed to working together toward that future.”

“The future is electric. Automakers are committed to the EV transition – investing enormous amounts of capital and building cutting edge battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, traditional hybrids and fuel cell vehicles that drive efficiency and convert petroleum miles to electric miles,” said John Bozzella, President and CEO, Alliance for Automotive Innovation . “Consumers have tons of choices. But pace matters. Moderating the pace of EV adoption in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030 was the right call because it prioritizes more reasonable electrification targets in the next few (very critical) years of the EV transition. These adjusted EV targets – still a stretch goal – should give the market and supply chains a chance to catch up. It buys some time for more public charging to come online, and the industrial incentives and policies of the Inflation Reduction Act to do their thing. And the big one? The rules are mindful of the importance of choice to drivers and preserves their ability to choose the vehicle that’s right for them.”

“This is a day to celebrate American achievement. The step EPA is taking today will slash climate pollution and air pollution,” said Amanda Leland, Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund . “It will bring more jobs for workers, more choices and more savings for consumers, and a healthier future for our children. The U.S. has leapt forward in the global race to invest in clean vehicles, with $188 billion and nearly 200,000 jobs on the way. Jobs in communities across the country, in places like Michigan, Nevada, and Kentucky. These clean car standards will help supercharge economic expansion and make America stronger.”

“These standards make clear that securing America’s global leadership in manufacturing and securing a better future are 100% aligned,” said Albert Gore, Executive Director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association . “We have everything we need today to meet and exceed this standard, and that means more of the vehicles sold in America will be made in America.”

Learn more information about the final rule .

Electric trucks get a boost from Biden, worrying trucking industry

The epa rule, which follows a separate one on cars, seeks a rapid transition away from diesel-powered trucks, vans and buses..

Rayan Makarem worries about the air that his 2-year-old daughter breathes. More than 100 diesel-powered trucks rumble through their neighborhood every half an hour, spewing harmful pollutants linked to asthma and other health conditions.

The pollution in their community — and others like it nationwide — will be curbed under a climate change rule the Environmental Protection Agency finalized Friday. The rule will require manufacturers to slash emissions of greenhouse gases from new trucks, delivery vans and buses. Those limits, in turn, will reduce deadly particulate matter and lung-damaging nitrogen dioxide from such vehicles.

“Now that I have a 2-year-old kid, we actually try to avoid playing outside when there is bad air,” said Makarem, who lives in Kansas City, Kan., and is a spokesman for the Moving Forward Network, a group that advocates for reducing pollution in disadvantaged communities. “Hopefully, this is a step in the right direction.”

The EPA rule follows strict emissions limits for gas-powered cars aimed at accelerating the nation’s halting transition to electric vehicles. It marks the first time in more than two decades that the federal government has cracked down on pollution from diesel trucks.

The rule doesn’t go as far as Makarem and other environmental justice advocates would like. The Moving Forward Network had urged the EPA to require all new trucks to be zero-emission by 2035.

Yet EPA officials said the rule will not mandate the adoption of a particular zero-emission technology. Rather, it will require manufacturers to reduce emissions by choosing from several cleaner technologies, including electric trucks, hybrid trucks and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

Still, the rule stands to benefit poor, Black and Latino communities that are disproportionately exposed to diesel exhaust from highways, ports and sprawling distribution centers. These communities suffer higher rates of asthma, heart disease and premature deaths from air pollution.

“An estimated 72 million Americans, often people of color or people with lower incomes, live near freight truck routes,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said on a call with reporters. “Reducing emissions from our heavy-duty vehicles means cleaner air and less pollution. It means safer and more vibrant communities,” he added.

One change from the proposed rule released last year: The final rule will not require truck manufacturers to dramatically ramp up the production of cleaner vehicles until after 2030. That represents a slower timeline than California’s truck pollution regulation , which mandates steep increases starting this year.

But the final rule will still achieve greater emissions reductions than the original proposal, according to the EPA. It will avoid 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases — equivalent to the emissions from more than 13 million tanker trucks’ worth of gasoline, the agency said.

The regulation could face legal challenges from the truck industry, which has pushed to delay the nation’s shift away from fossil fuels.

Publicly, truck makers say they are committed to cutting emissions. Volvo plans to be “fossil-free” by 2040, while Daimler Truck has set a goal of selling only carbon-neutral trucks and buses in the United States, Europe and Japan by 2039.

But behind the scenes, the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, which represents the nation’s largest truck makers, lobbied to weaken the EPA proposal. The industry has also led a campaign against California’s Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation , which 10 other states have adopted.

The association’s president, Jed Mandel, voiced concern Friday that the final rule “will end up being the most challenging, costly and potentially disruptive heavy-duty emissions rule in history.”

But not all truck makers are opposing the standards.

Cummins, a maker of diesel engines, said in a statement that while the policy is “ambitious,” the industry “needs nationwide regulatory certainty to successfully move toward a decarbonized future.” Jonathan Miller, senior vice president of public affairs for Volvo Group North America, said in a statement that the company is “completely aligned with EPA’s objective of speeding the transition to zero-emission vehicles.”

Electric trucks are still a rarity on the nation’s roads. Out of 12.2 million trucks in the United States, nearly 13,000 are electric, according to an analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund.

Mike Nichols, a truck driver in Chippewa Falls, Wis., said he worries that frigid temperatures will sap the batteries of electric trucks. “Batteries don’t work well in cold weather, and that’s just the laws of physics,” Nichols said.

But other truckers say they love driving electric, praising the vehicles’ handling, acceleration, smoothness and quietness.

“Diesel was like a college wrestler,” Marty Boots, a 66-year-old trucker in South El Monte, Calif., previously told The Washington Post . “And the electric is like a ballet dancer.”

Cost concerns

In an effort to preempt the EPA rule, an industry group last week released a report that claimed the shift to electric trucks could have astronomical costs. The study by the Clean Freight Coalition, whose members include the American Trucking Associations, concludes that charging stations for a nationwide fleet of 100 percent electric trucks will cost at least $620 billion by 2040.

“The members of the Clean Freight Coalition are all-in on improving the environment and getting to zero-emission trucks,” said Jim Mullen, chief strategy officer of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, a study sponsor. “The purpose of the study was not to alarm anybody. It was to put a dose of reality into the discussion.”

However, environmentalists accused the industry of using flawed methodology and engaging in fearmongering.

“Every assumption the study makes is the assumption that would result in the highest costs,” said Dave Cooke, senior vehicles analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “It’s an absurd analysis that is specifically designed to generate a big number.”

Jacqueline Gelb, vice president of energy and environmental affairs at the American Trucking Associations, defended the report’s methodology and findings. She noted that the study didn’t include the expense of the electric trucks themselves.

An electric big rig can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, or two to three times more than a diesel truck. But over time, electric trucks are much cheaper to operate because of higher energy efficiency and lower maintenance costs. A buyer of an electric truck in 2032 — when the rule will have been fully implemented — could save between $3,700 and $10,500 on fuel and maintenance expenses annually, according to the EPA.

The Biden administration has also provided billions of dollars’ worth of subsidies for electric trucks and their charging infrastructure, mainly through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law and the 2022 climate law . This month, the administration unveiled a detailed strategy for building a “national network” of charging stations along heavily traveled freight corridors.

In terms of passenger cars, President Biden has vowed to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the United States by 2030. But more than two years after Congress passed the infrastructure law, it has only funded the construction of seven EV charging stations across four states, reflecting technological challenges and bureaucratic delays. (Overall, the country has about 175,000 EV chargers.)

Still, the freight strategy is a “historic document” that should give the truck industry confidence in investing in an electric future, said Craig Segall, vice president at Evergreen Action, an environmental group.

Truck makers, he added, should “pivot from complaining about the lack of infrastructure to now using this strategy to solve their own problems.”

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Good Friday

EPA issues new auto rules aimed at cutting carbon emissions, boosting electric vehicles and hybrids

FILE - President Joe Biden drives a Cadillac Lyriq through the show room during a tour at the Detroit Auto Show, Sept. 14, 2022, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

FILE - Traffic enters lower Manhattan after crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, Feb. 8, 2024, in New York. The Biden administration this week is expected to announce new automobile emissions standards that relax proposed limits in the next few years but reach the same strict standards outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency last year. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

FILE - Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan speaks at the University of Maryland, May 11, 2023, in College Park, Md. The Biden administration this week is expected to announce new automobile emissions standards that relax proposed limits for three years but eventually reach the same strict standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden drives a Cadillac Lyriq through the show room during a tour at the Detroit Auto Show Sept. 14, 2022, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

FILE - Electric vehicle chargers sit outside a Ford dealership, Jan. 21, 2024, in Broomfield, Colo. The Biden administration this week is expected to announce new automobile emissions standards that relax proposed limits in the next few years but reach the same strict standards outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency last year.(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at El Portal restaurant Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced new automobile emissions standards Wednesday that officials called the most ambitious plan ever to cut planet-warming emissions from passenger vehicles.

The new rules relax initial tailpipe limits proposed last year but eventually get close to the same strict standards set out by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The rules come as sales of electric vehicles, which are needed to meet the standards, have begun to slow. The auto industry cited lower sales growth in objecting to the EPA’s preferred standards unveiled last April as part of its ambitious plan to cut planet-warming emissions from passenger vehicles.

The EPA said that under its final rule, the industry could meet the limits if 56% of new vehicle sales are electric by 2032, along with at least 13% plug-in hybrids or other partially electric cars, as well as more efficient gasoline-powered cars that get more miles to the gallon.

That would be a huge increase over current EV sales, which rose to 7.6% of new vehicle sales last year, up from 5.8% in 2022.

The new standards will avoid more than 7 billion tons of planet-warming carbon emissions over the next three decades and provide nearly $100 billion in annual net benefits, the EPA said, including lower health care costs, fewer deaths and more than $60 billion in reduced annual costs for fuel, maintenance and repairs.

President Joe Biden, who has made fighting climate change a hallmark of his presidency , cited “historic progress” on his pledge that half of all new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. will be zero-emission by 2030.

“We’ll meet my goal for 2030 and race forward in the years ahead,’' Biden said in a statement Wednesday.

WHAT IS EPA PROPOSING?

The EPA rule applies to model years 2027 to 2032 and will significantly reduce emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases, as well as other air pollution such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from new passenger cars, light trucks and pickups.

Transportation makes up the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and cars and trucks account for more than half of those emissions. The EPA said the new rule will help “tackle the climate crisis” while accelerating the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies. The agency is finalizing the rule as sales of clean vehicles, including plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, hit record highs last year.

The new rule slows implementation of stricter pollution standards from 2027 through 2029, after the auto industry called proposed benchmarks unworkable. The rule ramps up to nearly reach the level the EPA preferred by 2032.

“Let me be clear: Our final rule delivers the same, if not more, pollution reduction than we set out in our proposal,’' EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters. In addition to carbon pollution, the final standards also will reduce other serious air pollution that contributes to heart attacks, respiratory illnesses, aggravated asthma and decreased lung function, Regan said.

“Folks, these new standards are so important for public health, for American jobs, for our economy and for our planet,’' he said.

The standards are designed to be technology-neutral and performance-based, Regan said, giving car and truck manufacturers the flexibility to choose pollution-control technologies that are best suited for their customers while meeting environmental and public health goals.

WHY DID EPA CHANGE THE PROPOSED RULE?

The changes appear aimed at addressing strong industry and labor opposition to the accelerated ramp-up of EVs, along with public reluctance to fully embrace the new technology. There is also a legitimate threat of legal challenges before conservative courts.

The Supreme Court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, has increasingly reined in the powers of federal agencies, including the EPA, in recent years. The justices have restricted the EPA’s authority to fight air and water pollution — including a landmark 2022 ruling that limited the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming.

At the same time, the Democratic president needs cooperation from the auto industry and political support from auto workers, a key political voting bloc.

“U.S. workers will lead the world on autos — making clean cars and trucks, each stamped ‘Made in America,’” Biden said Wednesday. “You have my word.’'

The United Auto Workers union, which has endorsed Biden, said it supports rules that benefit workers and the environment, not just the industry. The new rule protects workers who build combustion engine vehicles “while providing a path forward for automakers to implement the full range of automotive technologies to reduce emissions,” the union said.

HOW ARE THE NEW RULES BEING RECEIVED?

Generally, environmental groups have been optimistic about the new EPA plan, which is aimed at slashing emissions from a source that causes one-fifth of the nation’s carbon pollution.

David Cooke, senior vehicles analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the rule would significantly reduce vehicle pollution from current requirements. But the standards are weaker than those EPA proposed a year ago and make it unlikely that the U.S. will be able to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, which aims to keep global warming from increasing more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times , he said.

Still, the new rules over time will prevent more carbon pollution “than the entire U.S. economy coughs up in a year,″ said Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. In the short term, the rules “will save drivers money at the pump and cut tailpipe pollution that endangers public health,″ he added.

“In the longer journey to confront the climate crisis, these standards take us in the right direction,″ he said.

But Dan Becker at the Center for Biological Diversity said he fears loopholes will let the industry continue to sell gas burners. He also is afraid the industry will get away with doing little during the first three years of the standards, which could be undone if former President Donald Trump is reelected.

“The bottom line is that the administration is caving to pressure from big oil, big auto and the dealers to stall progress on EVs and now allow more pollution from cars,” Becker said.

WHAT DO REPUBLICANS SAY?

Republicans criticized the new standards, saying they essentially decide for the public which vehicles they should buy. “These regulations represent yet another step toward an unrealistic transition to electric vehicles that Americans do not want and cannot afford,” said West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, called the rule a “misguided electric vehicle mandate” that will force the U.S. to rely on China and other foes for critical minerals needed for batteries.

Regan said the government isn’t requiring people to buy EVs or any other technology, adding that there are “multiple pathways companies can choose to comply″ with the rule.

“We are staying well within the confines of the law and our statutory authority by not mandating a specific technology,’' he said.

The EPA could achieve its carbon pollution goals even if sales of battery electric vehicles are as low as 30% in 2032, as long as other standards are met, he said.

U.S. electric vehicle sales grew 47% last year to a record 1.19 million as EV market share rose to 7.6%. But EV sales growth slowed toward the end of the year. In December, they rose 34%.

WHAT DOES THE CAR INDUSTRY THINK?

The Alliance for Auto Innovation, a large industry trade group, praised the EPA’s slower implementation of the standards, saying the pace of the EV transition matters as the industry moves to produce more electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids to convert more traveling miles to electricity. The group had complained that the ramp-up to 67% initially proposed by the EPA was too fast for the industry to achieve. The proposal was faster than Biden’s goal of ensuring that EVs account for half of new vehicles in the U.S. by 2030 .

“Moderating the pace of EV adoption was the right call because it prioritizes more reasonable electrification targets in the next few, very critical years of the transition,” said John Bozzella, the Alliance CEO.

The adjusted emissions targets will still be a stretch for the industry to achieve, Bozzella said, but they should give the market and parts supply chains a chance to catch up to higher EV sales. The plan also gives the industry more time to set up public charging stations, and it allows government tax incentives for EV manufacturing and for consumers to buy EVs to take hold, he said.

Toyota, the top seller of hybrid vehicles in the U.S., said it believes the fastest way to reduce carbon emissions quickly is to give consumers choices of battery electric vehicles and hybrids. The new EPA standards allow for more sales of plug-in hybrids and regular gas-electric hybrids to meet emissions limits.

AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher reported from Detroit.

World Bank to invest in social protection, education, and environment in the state of Pará, Brazil

New project will benefit 550,000 people in 144 municipalities of the Legal Amazon

WASHINGTON, MARCH 28 th , 2024 – A new muti-sectoral investment in the state of Pará, Northern Brazil, was approved today by the World Bank Board of Directors, targeting reforms in social programs, education, and environment protection to help Pará reach its development goals.

The US$280 million Sustainable Human Development Project in the State of Pará will help the State improve social services and food security, enhance learning, and promote forest conservation in a region where livelihoods depend directly on natural resources. About 550,000 people in 144 municipalities are expected to benefit directly from these activities.

On the social programs front, the project will help develop a management system at the state level to monitor and promote food security and support the cash transfer program, Renda Marajó, as well as productive inclusion programs targeting the most vulnerable.

On education, the project will help to expand Alfabetiza Pará , an early literacy program; to implement learning acceleration policies in secondary education, including on environmental education; and to support the construction and renovation of schools. It will also provide training for microentrepreneurs, particularly those engaged in forest preservation.

To help Pará make progress on the environmental front, the project will support Bolsa Floresta , a new cash transfer program that will benefit 12,000 families living in state collective territories, like protected areas, agro-ecological land reform settlements, and traditional communities such as quilombolas (descendants of formerly enslaved people) . It will also promote digital connectivity to help communities to access the internet, bolster bioeconomy businesses in rural areas, and modernize the systems to fight deforestation on the ground. In addition, it will fund activities related to COP30, which will take place in Belém in November 2025, to help local communities engage with the event.

Throughout the activities of the project, special attention will be given to supporting Marajó, which is one of the most economically and socially fragile areas of the Legal Amazon.

Pará is the second largest state in Brazil, covering 30 percent of Brazil’s Legal Amazon. With a population of 8.1 million, the state has the fourth lowest human development index in Brazil. It is also a multicultural state, with the third largest indigenous population and the fourth largest number of quilombolas .

In Marajó, approximately 2 out of 3 citizens live in poverty, reflecting a lack of economic inclusion. In 2021, only 8.1 percent of 18–65 year-olds in Marajó had a formal job. As many as 30 percent of all households also experience hunger, while food insecurity affects 90 percent of the poorest families.

Reducing deforestation is a political priority for Pará. Around 50,000 km 2 of forest have been lost in the state in the past 10 years, more than any other state in the Amazon.

“We are deeply grateful and excited about the World Bank's approval of a $280 million investment for the Avança Pará Program, a transformative initiative that will directly benefit 550,000 people across the 144 municipalities of the state. This multisectoral project will not only strengthen our social programs, expanding access to quality education and food security, but will also reinforce our commitment to environmental protection and sustainability in one of the planet's most vital regions. It is a significant step towards sustainable human development that respects and preserves the rich cultural and natural diversity, fostering a more inclusive and resilient economy throughout Pará,” said Pará governor Helder Barbalho.

“By increasing productivity, reducing vulnerabilities, and enhancing the returns of forest conservation, this project will help put Pará on a more sustainable development trajectory,” said Johannes Zutt, World Bank Country Director for Brazil.

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Press Release  Massachusetts Becomes First State to Require Analysis of Cumulative Impacts for Air Quality Permits near Environmental Justice Populations 

Media contact   for massachusetts becomes first state to require analysis of cumulative impacts for air quality permits near environmental justice populations , edmund coletta, massdep – director of public affairs.

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today moved to address air quality issues in or near environmental justice areas by announcing amendments to state air pollution regulations. The changes require certain facilities seeking air emissions permits in or near communities with environmental justice populations to conduct a cumulative impact analysis, which evaluates existing local environmental and health conditions in a community. The regulations also require enhanced public outreach to, and meaningful involvement of, environmental justice populations in the permitting process. The new regulations are now in force and apply to permit applications filed with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) on or after July 1, 2024. 

“Our administration is committed to addressing longstanding environmental injustice,” said Governor Maura Healey . “Massachusetts is proud to make history as the first state in the nation to launch a statewide program to require a detailed, site-specific evaluation of cumulative impacts to consider public health and other factors. We hope to set the standard for others to follow as we seek to right past wrongs and build healthier, more inclusive communities.”   

“A cumulative impact analysis will offer a more complete picture of environmental and health conditions in affected communities and equip residents to be involved in the permitting process from the very beginning,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll . “This is a significant development as our administration continues to prioritize participation, transparency, and protection of public health in permitting decisions.” 

“This approach takes a holistic look at what existing conditions might be worsened by a new or increasing source of air pollution,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “It provides opportunities for residents to meaningfully engage in the permitting process to help identify mitigation strategies and ensure that these facilities are a benefit to – not a further burden on – environmental justice communities.” 

People are exposed to pollution through air, water, and land. Over time, these exposures can add up and interact with each other, and combined with existing health and socioeconomic conditions, can cause adverse health impacts. Communities that are home to numerous sources of pollution – such as highways or waste facilities – often have higher rates of asthma and other serious health conditions. This is especially true in communities with environmental justice areas, where residents have higher instances of health issues related to socioeconomic conditions. Current air pollution regulations do not require new facilities to assess potential pollution in light of existing environmental and health conditions or existing pollutant sources in the area. By requiring new and expanding facilities that will emit air pollution to conduct a cumulative impacts analysis prior to applying for an air permit, residents will be empowered with practical information about potential impacts to their health and community.  

“The cumulative impact analysis gives our agency and the public a better basis to evaluate project proposals in real-world contexts,” said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. “MassDEP has developed innovative tools and compiled comprehensive datasets that can be used by permit applicants and interested residents to assess local impacts.”  

“These new regulations will empower communities with information about the impacts of air pollution on their health,” said Undersecretary for Environmental Justice and Equity María Belén Power . “As new facilities seek to come into neighborhoods, environmental justice communities will have the data and transparency they deserve. This is an important step towards achieving justice for all people in Massachusetts.”   

Community Engagement   Early community engagement and advance notification are key requirements of the new rules.  

The regulations apply to projects that would emit significant amounts of air pollutants in or near environmental justice communities – for example, certain power plants, large boilers, and manufacturing facilities. At least 60 days before applying for a new or modified air permit, the permit applicant must provide a notification and fact sheet about the proposed project to nearby environmental justice populations, local officials, and MassDEP. The applicant also must provide public involvement opportunities and document and respond to comments and concerns raised by the public.   

Comprehensive Analysis   The new rules require permit applicants to assess existing community conditions by evaluating 33 environmental, health, and socio-economic indicators . These indicators help characterize existing pollution sources, health vulnerabilities, and other stressors that could be worsened by increased air emissions from the proposed project. The updated rules require a more comprehensive analysis of the impacts of these projects to local communities, including consideration of:  

• Existing air pollution and health conditions.  
• Vulnerabilities in affected communities; and  
• Socioeconomic and demographic indicators.  

MassDEP has developed guidance and tools in support of the new regulations that can be used by permit applicants and environmental justice populations. These include guidance on how to conduct a cumulative impact analysis, including public outreach, assessment of existing community conditions, and analysis of cumulative impacts; a Mapping and Data Application for use in the assessment of existing community conditions; and a Massachusetts Air Toxics Risk Screening Tool (MATRiST) that can be used in the cumulative impact analysis to estimate cumulative air toxics risks from proposed projects. These resources are available online here.   

MassDEP plans to review this program within two years of the effective date of the regulations, including by soliciting input and feedback from the public regarding potential updates.  

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has made environmental justice central to its climate and environmental agenda. Under Governor Healey, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs created the Office of Environmental Justice and Equity, led by Undersecretary María Belén Power  and secured $7 million for environmental justice staffing and initiatives across agencies, including MassDEP. The Office of Environmental Justice and Equity also recently announced the state’s first Environmental Justice Strategy , which includes MassDEP’s department-specific strategy to meaningfully engage with environmental justice communities.  

“The new Massachusetts air permit regulations take a bold step to protect overburdened and underserved communities in a new way, requiring consideration of cumulative impacts from environment, public health and socioeconomic conditions as part of the permitting process,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “The combination of considering cumulative impacts and enhanced community engagement to address community priorities early in the process is foundational to environmental justice. We hope that this will serve as a model for other states across the country and bring new air quality and public health improvements to Massachusetts residents.” 

“For environmental justice communities and advocates, the concept of cumulative impact assessment – that some communities bear a greater collective burden than others – is fundamental. We applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration and, in particular, the Department of Environmental Protection for moving the ball forward and incorporating cumulative impact assessment in the Commonwealth’s air permitting process,” said GreenRoots Executive Director Roseann Bongiovanni. “But we know that cumulative environmental impacts affect more than just the air we breathe; it affects our water and is reflected in the land use decisions we make. We look forward to continuing to work with the Administration to fully implement cumulative impact assessment in all aspects of the Commonwealth’s equitable protection of our environment and the health of its residents.” 

“Cumulative Impact Assessments will vastly improve our ability to protect air quality by making fact-based, historically informed decisions about permitting in vulnerable communities. We applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Department of Environmental Protection for taking this first-in-the nation step to ensure cleaner air for all Massachusetts residents,”  said Amy Boyd Rabin, Vice President of Policy for the Environmental League of Massachusetts.  

“Safeguards for overburdened communities that already experience too much pollution and health damage are sorely needed and are critical to make sure we don’t deepen environmental injustices,” said Cindy Luppi, National Field Director, Clean Water Action. “We’re grateful that the Healey-Driscoll Administration wants to address this on-going pattern of injustice in some of the Commonwealth’s low-income and BIPOC communities. Meaningful regulations offer the promise of a healthier and more just tomorrow and we hope that many more states follow Massachusetts’ lead.”  

More information on cumulative impact analysis requirements can be found on MassDEP’s website . 

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection 

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