Washington state is crafting its ambitious cap-and-invest law to reduce the state's emissions by 95% by 2050 and is seeking comments from the public.

The Climate Commitment Act was passed in Olympia in 2021 and compliance begins in 2023. The measure aims to cut emissions by requiring businesses emitting at least 25,000 tons of carbon pollution to bid for allowances.

David Mendoza, director of advocacy and engagement for The Nature Conservancy in Washington, said the program also includes air-quality commitments for communities hit hardest by air pollution.

"Emissions like particulate matter lead to negative health outcomes, higher rates of asthma, higher rates of heart disease, lower life expectancy," Mendoza outlined. "And so, there's a very rigorous program that's being developed right now by the Department of Ecology to set air-quality targets, so that we're seeing a set and specified reduction in these harmful criteria pollutants."

The Department of Ecology is seeking public comment through Nov. 4 as it develops rules for the program. The agency wants guidance on how to best identify communities overburdened by air pollution and where to invest in air monitors. It has scheduled some online public comment sessions, including today at 6 p.m.

Mendoza pointed out Washington has learned from California's cap-and-trade program, which has been criticized for not reducing pollution in overburdened communities.

"The key component that differentiates our policy from California's -- and, I think, other cap-and-trade programs that have been passed -- is the air quality program that's embedded, and a part of this work," Mendoza contended.

Mendoza added the 2021 HEAL Act established the Environmental Justice Council, which will play an important role in shaping the law.

"What we're going for is essentially a culture shift in how state government interacts with underrepresented communities, overburdened communities," Mendoza explained. "Instead of being kind of an external stakeholder, how are we bringing them in to be a partner in this process, so their concerns are baked into all these policies from the beginning?"

Each summer, more lake beaches shut down as toxic algae blooms spread across the water and while climate change is often blamed, new research revealed a deeper culprit: humans.

Researchers from Michigan State University used open data to study climate change in 24,000 U.S. lakes. Using new methods and satellite data, they found climate-driven patterns in algae levels across freshwater lakes.

Patricia Soranno, professor of ecology at Michigan State University and co-author of the study, has spent nearly 30 years researching what affects water quality. While climate change plays a role, she said human activity is the true driving force behind the growing problem.

"We know what causes lakes to be greener," Soranno pointed out. "It's agriculture runoff, urban runoff, extra nutrients that come from lawns. All of those things we've known for decades, that's what causes lakes to be green."

Soranno and her team found climate affected algae in a third of the lakes, but not as expected. Only 4% had lasting algae growth, while 71% saw short-term spikes.

The study revealed sudden algae spikes often go unnoticed, making climate effects harder to track. Researchers said their method helps fill this gap. Soranno added while human activity drives more blooms, lakes with less human impact are more vulnerable to climate change.

"It's affecting the lakes that are fairly pristine now and are in pretty good shape," Soranno noted. "This influences Michigan lakes actually, because Michigan lakes have fairly good water quality already."

Soranno stressed the need for strong policies and regulations to protect waterways. Her team has a goal to study every U.S. lake using satellite imagery. However, she is deeply concerned federal cuts could threaten their research.


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School districts and county governments across Texas are being encouraged to consider building decarbonization to combat climate change.

The process reduces or eliminates carbon emissions in buildings by making energy efficiency improvements. According to a report by the Texas Climate Jobs Project, existing structures are a large contributor to carbon emissions, adding as much as 40% to the total worldwide.

Sandra Bustillos, the organization's carbon-free and healthy-buildings coordinator, said the report focuses on three main areas of improvement.

"There's the utility savings aspect of it," she said. "The next one is job creation, so we really abdicate for the creation of high-quality, family sustaining jobs. And then lastly, we also discuss health benefits."

She said Americans spend 90% of their time inside buildings that have carbon emissions that could impact their heart and lungs. They found that retrofitting all the public schools in Texas could boost the economy by creating up to 84,000 jobs.

The report shows that making small changes like installing solar panels, upgrading windows and doors and enhancing insulation can improve building efficiency and reduce emissions. Bustillos says the impact of climate change has been evident in recent weather events across the state.

"Hurricane Beryl this past year or four years ago Winter Storm Uri. It had really deep impacts on our communities - whether that be environmentally, socially or financially. So, I think it's urgent to be thinking about the effects of climate change and it's also urgent to be thinking about how we can create resilient buildings. "

The report found that rising heat also threatens the local economy and natural resources. Experts warn that a changing climate is likely to reduce water availability in the state, which will impact farmers' ability to grow crops.


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For generations, small family farms have worked to feed Mississippi communities but small-scale operations, particularly those run by Black farmers, face growing challenges in a landscape increasingly dominated by large agribusinesses.

The struggles are not new. Systemic barriers to getting loans and resources continue to disadvantage Black farmers.

Henry Bell, co-owner of Old Country Farm in Jefferson County, said his father started farming in the 1930s. Now working alongside his daughter, they focus on sustainable livestock farming and seasonal crops, like berries and sweet potatoes. Bell pointed out challenges like delays in loan disbursements have directly affected their planting schedules.

"You know, you have growing season and all that. You miss that growing season then you've got to wait to start the next year, and of course that put us back behind the white farmers," Bell explained. "The white farmers, they always got their money on time and most times, they got more money than they need."

Bell worries corporate farms "get the best of everything," compared to smaller operations. Last year, the Biden administration provided more than $2 billion in direct payments to Black and minority farmers who faced discrimination from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Climate change adds new threats. The Bells remember the devastating 2001 freeze, which wiped out their livestock and severely affected the farm.

Brittany Bell Surratt, co-owner of Old Country Farm, said extreme weather, from intense heat to sudden freezes, continues to disrupt their operations.

"The South shouldn't get that cold. But at the same time, we are also seeing these extreme heat temperatures, to the traditional climate change point, in which you have long periods of droughts," Surratt observed. "So, there's not rain that's coming, to be able to have the grass and to fertilize."

Many small Mississippi farms also struggle with the digital divide. Surratt noted her father remains largely disconnected from modern technology, operating mostly off the grid.

"They don't have Wi-Fi at his house," Surratt added. "There's a technology divide that is shutting out rural and older farmers where they are not being able to get the information that's needed when these types of climate disaster do happen and there may be sometime of relief."

Despite the challenges, the Bells said they are dedicated to sustainable farming and advocating for policies to support small farms, including race-based programs to address historical discrimination.

They also want to inspire younger generations to take pride in farming. In 2018, Bell's granddaughter made history as the first African American girl in the area to win the "Dairy Goat Queen" title at the local fair.


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