Climate Change

Feds invest $60M to boost local climate resilience and workforce development

The Climate-Ready Workforce initiative looks to place individuals in good-paying jobs that help advance coastal communities’ climate resilience.

Lawmakers unveil a new plan to revamp federal wildfire prevention and mitigation

The Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act would create a new Middle Fire Leaders Academy to rapidly bolster the ranks of federal wildland firefighters.

Court dismisses criminal charges against federal firefighter arrested while conducting official duties

The arrest and subsequent indictment of a federal supervisor doing his job had caused panic within the workforce and has some concerned the damage will be difficult to reverse.

Can Biden’s new jobs program to fight climate change attract women and people of color?

The American Climate Corps program aims to recruit a diverse workforce. But it will face challenges including low pay, the need for child care, and historic discrimination against women in the trades.

New rule cements sustainability mandate for federal buyers

A new update to the Federal Acquisition Regulation is meant to help the government meet goals for net-zero procurement by 2050.

Biden’s environmental justice scorecard offers more questions than answers

The White House's own environmental justice progress report gives little insight into the green benefits delivered to disadvantaged communities.

Nuclear regulators should weigh climate change risk to power plants, report says

A GAO report found the Nuclear Regulatory Commission needs to factor more risk from the impact of more extreme natural events in how it licenses the safety of power plants. 

“It feels impossible to stay”: The U.S. needs wildland firefighters more than ever, but the federal government is losing them

Highly skilled firefighters are the last line of defense against wildfires, but that line is fraying because the government decided long ago that they’re not worth very much.

Lawmakers, employee groups call for a permanent increase in federal firefighter pay

Under current measures implemented by the Biden administration, federal wildland firefighters will face yet another “pay cliff” this fall.

Congress' minibus spending deal could potentially avert firefighter pay cliff

Lawmakers have until Friday evening to pass the first of two spending packages that will run until Sept. 30.

Federal permitting hampers climate goals and natural disaster mitigation, counties say

Officials, who are calling for reforms, say environmental regulations shouldn’t lead to yearslong waits to build transmission lines or impede their ability to respond to natural disasters.