Policy Fact Sheets
Offshore Wind in the United States
Offshore wind energy generates electricity using wind turbines located in oceans, lakes, and other coastal waters where winds are generally stronger and more consistent than on land. The United States has significant offshore wind resources along the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Great Lakes coasts. Most offshore wind development in federal waters is managed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), which moderates energy activities in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Offshore wind is one of several renewable energy technologies being developed to help meet growing electricity demand while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Building Resilience for Estuaries and Coasts in the United States
Estuaries, partially enclosed coastal bodies of water where freshwater from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean, are some of the most biologically productive environments on the planet. Thousands of species of birds, fish, and mammals depend on estuaries for food and shelter, and humans rely on the economic benefit of tourism, fisheries, and public infrastructure made possible by these protected waters. Estuaries themselves are extremely efficient filters for heavy metal, chemical, and sediment pollution.1 This ability is compounded when considering the role estuaries play in providing habitats for oysters and marsh grasses, organisms that are known to be vital for filtering carbon and contaminants from the water.
Turning Up the Heat: An Introduction to Geothermal Energy
A geothermal resource refers to heat beneath the earth that can be harnessed either for thermal energy or for electricity production. Many geothermal resources are also hydrothermal resources, or existing reservoirs of geothermal fluid (usually superheated water or steam).
Drilling beneath the surface of the earth can tap this heat, allowing it to be used for heating and cooling either through direct use of hot water/steam, or by using the ground as a heat pump system (Figure 1). In these systems, excess heat above ground can be absorbed by the reservoirs when temperatures are warmer, and resources can be used as a source of heat when temperatures are cooler.
Rationality, feasibility, and barriers in a transition to a post-carbon energy future
Energy demand in America is increasing at an unprecedented rate, and as a result, energy solutions must respond with equal intensity and efficiency without compromising affordability or reliability. Currently, America primarily relies on fossil fuels, with almost over half of its energy demand being met with petroleum and natural gas (38% and 36% respectively), followed by coal (8%). Most coal plants are located in rural areas, with hotspots in Appalachia and the midwest.
Natural Hazards, Disasters, and Post-Disaster Assistance in the United States
Across the United States, disasters of varying classifications and severity levels affect Americans annually, from minor daily inconveniences to life-threatening conditions that displace millions of people. Some of the most notable hazards in the United States, which have the potential to damage infrastructure and result in loss of life, are either tectonic – such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides – or climatic – such as tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, and floods. Certain hazards are more prevalent in specific regions of the U.S., including winter storms in the Northeast, tornadoes in the Midwest, hurricanes in the South and Southeast, and earthquakes and wildfires in the West. As there is a wide range of disasters that frequently occur in the U.S., governments from the local to federal levels continue to implement mitigation and response policies to minimize human harm and damages/costs.
Carbon dioxide plays an important role on our planet. The carbon cycle-the natural and human movement of carbon—ensures that life on Earth continues. 1 However, humans are putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it can recycle, and the consequences are far-reaching. Right now, carbon dioxide pollution acts as the largest driver of human caused climate change.2
One solution to carbon dioxide pollution is supplementing the natural removal of carbon dioxide by carbon sinks (natural systems that store carbon dioxide) with anthropogenic removal; also called ‘Carbon Dioxide Removal,.3 The International Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reported that carbon dioxide removal is a necessary component to preventing global warming by 1.5 to 2 degrees celsius.4 Importantly, the oceans, through various biologic and physical processes, have the potential to absorb a large amount of the excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. In fact, oceans store 20 times as much carbon as land does and a quarter of all anthropogenic C02 emissions.s As a result, scientists are beginning to view Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal as an important part of mitigating carbon dioxide pollution.
Why Protection Matters
IMPORTANCE OF CANADA’S BOREAL FOREST
Boreal forests, along with tropical rainforests, have been aptly named the true “lungs of the Earth .” The boreal forest is the world’s largest intact forest, covering around 33% of total forested area in the world. 1 , 2 Canada’s boreal forest ecosystem (Figure 1) spans nearly 1.2 billion acres (over 50%) of the country and provides essential services for the climate, the nonhuman species that reside in it, and the several hundred Indigenous communities that have called it home for thousands of yearsY Industrial practices, such as logging and oil and gas development, continually threaten boreal systems.
Understanding Logging in Canada’s Boreal Forest
HOW MUCH BOREAL FOREST IS LOGGED?
Logging is the single largest disturbance affecting Canada’s Boreal Forest. While the boreal covers more than one billion acres, vast areas continue to be clear-cut each year.
Nearly three-quarters of Canada’s forested land is boreal forest. Of the boreal region managed for industrial forestry-an area of roughly 400 million acres, about the size of Alaska-61% has already been clear-cut at least once (Figure 1). That’s an area larger than Texas and Colorado combined.
Some individual logging tenure areas granted by the Canadian government are themselves larger than several U.S. states.
Bamboo Toilet Paper and the Boreal Forest
A conservation-focused look at non-wood fiber for tissue products
Toilet paper, a single-use product usually made from plant fiber, and many conventional tissue products rely on virgin wood pulp. Canada’s Boreal forest is one of the world’s major forest ecosystems, storing carbon, filtering air and water, regulating climate, and supporting wetlands and wildlife. Because toilet paper is used briefly and discarded, the use of fiber from high-value forest ecosystems-namely, boreal forests raises serious conservation questions.
Data Center Expansion and Rising Energy Bills
With hundreds of millions of users a day, artificial intelligence (AI) tools rely on power-intensive data centers to store and process digital information at an unprecedented scale. Data centers are large facilities that house computer chips and servers thay consume electricity 24/710 operate AI, cloud computing, and online platform services.
AI’s rapid growth has led to a significant increase in the size and number of data centers. There are currently over 4,000 data centers located throughout the U.S., with an estimated 1,500 more in various planning and development stages.
Understanding the New York– New Jersey Watershed
The New York/New Jersey watershed is an important ecosystem for the ecology, public health, and culture of the region (Figure 1). The watershed, however, faces extreme degradation and pollution. The water quality and habitat have been found to be extremely contaminated and damaged, which risks the health of the people and wildlife in the region.
The region is one of the most densely populated in the country, with millions of Americans depending on the Hudson River Estuary. There are many natural and cost-effective ways to restore the watershed and reduce the risk to Americans and the biodiversity of the region.
Deep Sea Mining’s Role in the Green Future
Deep sea mining is the process of extracting critical minerals from the ocean floor. The seafloor is an untapped resource with large reserves of various minerals, such as cobalt, zinc, copper and other rare earth elements. These minerals can typically be found in potato-shaped lumps on the seabed; these are known as polymetallic nodules. There are also large reserves of these minerals surrounding hydrothermal vents (deep sea volcanos) and within the crusts of seamounts.
Critical minerals are defined in the Energy Act of 2020 as essential to the U.S. economy or national security and have supply chains that are vulnerable to disruptions such as international security, abrupt demand growth, and military conflict. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)’s List of Critical Minerals outlines 60 minerals such as lithium, most commonly used in e-technology and rechargeable batteries, cobalt, copper, graphite, and rare earth elements (REEs), a chemically distinct group of 17 elements used for their unique magnetic and optical properties. Critical minerals are the backbone of the Clean Energy Transition, essential for electric vehicle
Greenways as a Form of Sustainable Transportation
The transportation sector is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the United States. Around 80% of the population lives in cities, and as urban areas become more populated, vehicle emissions increase and residents lack equitable access to greenspaces and nature. As a result, residents are denied mental and physical health benefits, adequate air quality, and
affordable modes of transportation.
Sustainable transportation works to lower greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts, specifically targeting urban areas. An effective form of sustainable transportation are greenways. Greenways are multi-modal corridors serving diverse populations and connecting communities across traditional barriers. Greenways can be used to walk, run, and bike, and connect residents to public transportation.
Carbon pollution impacts human health, the economy, and the environment. This greenhouse gas and others are produced by all sectors but most concentrated in transportation, energy, and industry. Historically, the cost of pollution to humans and the environment has remained unknown to many. To hold these sectors accountable for their impact, carbon pricing is rising as a global solution that can quantify the impact of pollution, Figure 1. Carbon pricing is a monetary cost applied to pollution to incentivize greenhouse gas emission reduction. Currently, 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions are covered by a direct carbon price implemented by 87 different policies, reflecting a growing global push to reduce emissions. There is no universal model for carbon pricing, so policies must be created while considering local needs and realities.
Data Center Expansion: What Does It Mean for Communities?
In 2025, data centers cost the United States about $25 billion in pollution and health costs. They used approximately 5% of the nation’s total energy output, mainly for Artificial Intelligence activities, with a forecast to increase by 12% every year. In some states, the air pollution damage outweighed the data centers’ regional GDP contributions. The construction and operation of these growing data centers are causing significant harm to surrounding communities with lasting impacts on the environment.
This issue is further compounded by President Trump’s 2025 Executive Order “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure,” which directs various national agencies to support rapid buildout and ease federal regulatory burdens by providing financial support, streamlining permitting, and expediting environmental reviews. The Trump Administration’s continued backing for construction has made it difficult for lawmakers to successfully implement state or national legislation pausing new builds.
Leveraging Solar Energy to Create Equitable Access to Affordable and Clean Electricity
“Electricity prices have been on the rise, and it only keeps getting worse…” This is the narrative that consumers have beentold for years. Yet, while nominal retail electricity prices have risen 30%, inflation-adjusted prices have actually declined 8% since 2010. So, why do consumers still feel the pinch 1 in our pockets?
The benefits of a declining inflation-adjusted retail electricity price have mostly been distributed to commercial and industrial sectors, effectively passing on the cost to the residential sector, which is the only sector to experience an inflation-adjusted price increase (of 3% since 2019). As a result, utility debt is on the rise – roughly 1 in 6 households are behind on their bills and face frequent risk of having their utility service terminated due to late or non-payment.
Toxics, Your Household, and Your Health
“Low-Hanging Fruit” Steps to Protect Your Home from Toxic Exposure
Everyday chemicals—many invisible, many unregulated—shape our health long before we get sick. Today’s “Silent Spring” isn’t just in fields or waterways: it’s in our grocery carts, kitchens, bathrooms, and homes. You don’t need expensive products or hours of research to reduce toxic exposure. The steps below focus on the biggest risk reduction steps you can take for the least time and money.
5 EASY STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AT THE GROCERY STORE AND AT HOME
Environmental Justice and Biomass Factsheet
The industrial wood pellet industry, concentrated in the U.S. Southeast, releases harmful air pollutants and weakens forest ecosystems while disproportionately impacting marginalized communities. Facilities are sited in areas with long histories of industrial burden, weak zoning laws, and limited political power. In places like eastern North Carolina,Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, pellet mills mirror the environmental injustice patterns of “Cancer Alley,” worsening health outcomes and reducing quality of life for nearby residents.
Forest Loss, Biodiversity and Biomass Factsheet
The rapid expansion of the wood pellet industry in the U.S. Southeast has intensified logging in some of the most biologically diverse forests in North America. Wetland forests, bottomland hardwoods, and mixed pinehardwood ecosystems are being degraded or clear-cut to meet pellet demand. This region, often called “America’s Amazon”, provides critical habitat for migratory birds, amphibians, mammals, and threatened plant species. Increased logging for pellets accelerates habitat fragmentation,
species decline, and ecosystem collapse, weakening natural climate resilience and biodiversity across the region.
Indigenous Sovereignty and Biomass Factsheet
The expansion of the wood pellet industry threatens Tribal Nations across the U.S. by accelerating forest loss, degrading culturally
significant ecosystems, and weakening land and treaty rights. Many Tribes rely on forested landscapes for sustenance, traditional medicines, ceremony, and intergenerational cultural practices. Industrial biomass production replicates long-standing patterns of colonization, where non-Native entities extract natural resources from Indigenous lands without consent, transparency, or benefit to Tribal communities. As forests disappear and ecosystems decline, Tribal sovereignty, cultural continuity, and environmental self-determination are compromised.
Carbon Debt and Biomass Factsheet
Burning wood pellets releases carbon immediately, while regrowing forests take decades to centuries to reabsorb that carbon, creating what scientists call carbon debt. This debt persists long after pellets are burned, meaning biomass increases atmospheric CO₂ precisely duringthe years when rapid reductions are most critical. Due to their low energy density, high moisture content, and additional upstream emissions, burning wood pellets emits more carbon per unit of electricity than coal, yet they are still labeled as “renewable” under outdated federal and international policies.
Supply Chain and Biomass Factsheet
The wood pellet industry is often marketed as “renewable,” yet every stage of the supply chain, from forest harvesting to overseas shipping to combustion, generates significant carbon emissions and environmental harm. Logging degrades forest ecosystems, pellet processing requires intensive fossil fuel use, and transatlantic transport magnifies total emissions. When the pellets are finally burned, smokestacks release more carbon dioxide per unit of electricity than coal. The cumulative impact reveals a fuel source that emits more greenhouse gases over its lifecycle than the fossil fuels it seeks to replace.