EnviroPolitics Blog

GOP blocks state rules to stimulate clean car sales

Move would keep NJ and others from following California regulations

WASHINGTON – Republicans in the House this week moved to block California from carrying out state requirements to sell more electric trucks, limit a type of pollution that generates smog and ban the sale of gasoline-fueled automobiles by 2035.

The resolutions to thwart these three policies from California, the biggest automobile market in the country, passed the House with support from the fossil fuel industry, the trucking lobby and business groups.

New Jersey, like other states in the Northeast, follows many of California’s air pollution and transportation standards that govern cars, trucks and heavy-duty trucks, and the resolutions this week will have massive environmental ripple effects if President Donald Trump signs them into law.

The resolutions now go to the Senate, where a parliamentary snag could deny passage.

EV advocates warn NJ likely to miss 2025 goal

New Jersey’s congressional delegation split almost entirely on party lines, with Republicans voting for the resolutions and Democrats against.

Democrats Donald Norcross (D-1st) and Josh Gottheimer (D-5th) did not vote. Norcross is recovering from a medical emergency that concerned his gallbladder and has not been in Washington for weeks, though his office said Thursday he was discharged from the hospital.

A Gottheimer spokesman said the congressman would have voted “no” on the three resolutions.

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Bernie Sanders’ anti-Trump rally comes to Philadelphia today

Protesters will take to the streets in Philadelphia and elsewhere across the country on May Day to highlight the fight against President Donald Trump and his policies.

Senator Bernie Sanders draws massive crowd in Los Angeles two weeks ago

By Rob Tornoe, Philadelphia Inquirer

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders will headline a May Day rally in Philadelphia Thursday, May 1, as he brings his nationwide fight against President Donald Trump’s agenda to Pennsylvania.

Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, is expected to speak at a “For the Workers, Not the Billionaires” event being hosted by Philadelphia’s AFL-CIO chapter, which is scheduled to get underway around 4 p.m. Thursday outside the north side of City Hall.

“This rally is really to show when labor, immigration groups, and the community stand together, we’re a force that can’t be divided. Even Bernie Sanders is joining us,” said Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO spokesperson Maggie Mullooly. “We’re fighting for a future that works for the workers and not the billionaires.”

Thursday’s rally and march comes amid economic uncertainty created by Trump’s on-again, off-again approach to tariffs — taxes on imported goods — which has rattled world markets and sapped economic confidence.

On Wednesday, the Commerce Department released data that showed the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% rate in the first quarter of 2025, a dramatic reversal of the 2.4% increase in the fourth quarter of 2024, when President Joe Biden was still in office.

Sanders, often joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), has drawn large crowds in Republican strongholds as he criticizes Trump’s agenda and a system he claims benefits the wealthy at the expense of the working class.

Read the full story and rally details here

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New dual certification program for recycled content

Joint program provides streamlined Recycled Content and APR certification for plastic chips, pellets, flakes and resins

Wash., April 30, 2025 –Today at the SPC Impact Conference for sustainable packaging, SCS Global Services (SCS), an international leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certification and an approved certification body for the Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR), announced a new streamlined SCS Recycled Content and APR certification.

Now, under this latest program partnership with APR, SCS further expands its certification portfolio by offering a streamlined two-for-one audit for its recycled content certification clients that are producers of plastic chips, pellets, flakes and resins—allowing them to also meet APR’s additional certification requirements. In addition to widely recognized SCS Recycled Content certification, having APR certification expands global recognition and market access for companies, especially for those with business interests in China.

The Association of Plastics Recyclers is an international non-profit and the only organization in North America focused exclusively on improving recycling for plastics. APR helps companies across the plastics recycling value chain with design guidance and recognition, recycled content certification and specifications, policy education and advocacy and much more.

“As a recognized certifier for APR since 2020, we are excited to streamline the process to provide our clients a one-stop-shop pathway to achieving international marketplace recognition for their sustainability efforts” says Youssra Elkhatib, SCS’ Program Manager for Circular Materials. “This initiative will provide ease of certification for plastic pellet, chip, resin and flake manufacturers as well as an opportunity to showcase their achievements on the global stage as an APR certified organization.”

“This is a significant step forward, aligning efforts to help our clients and the recycling industry increase PCR certifications, allowing more availability and confidence in the supply chain,” said Rita Phillip, Program Director, PCR Certification for the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR). “Our two organizations are leading the way demonstrating that collaboration between certification bodies and scheme owners is possible and moves initiatives forward.”

SCS is globally recognized for recycled content certification in products and packaging for over 35 years. The standard, now in Version 8.0, has been continually updated over the years and has now been expanded to cover consumer electronics products.

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A New Jersey city council president rigged the vote to keep his seat — and now he’s facing a fresh round of felony charges

*Paterson Council President Alex Mendez Photo Credit: FACEBOOK*

By Joe Malinconico, Paterson Press

PATERSON — City Council President Alex Mendez faces a new indictment on voter fraud charges in a case that has dragged on for almost five years involving an all vote-by-mail election that took place at the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Mendez’s wife, Yohanny, and two of his campaign workers, Omar Ledesma and Iris Rigo, also are accused of election crimes under the indictment announced Wednesday morning by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

The accused allegedly collected mail-in ballots completed by voters, brought them to Mendez campaign headquarters, destroyed the ballots that did not contain votes for Mendez in Paterson’s 3rd Ward council race, and replaced them with bogus ballots for Mendez.

The Mendez campaign allegedly obtained the replacement ballots by stealing blank ballots from mailboxes in neighborhoods with large numbers of supporters for Mendez’s main opponent, 20-year Councilman William McKoy.

“As alleged, this case is not simply about a city council seat,” said Platkin. “The people’s right to vote and to have their voices heard was subverted by what we allege to be an unlawful conspiracy. This was unfair to the voters of Paterson. It was, as the grand jury charged, fraud and theft.”

Read the full story here

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PennFuture wants you to lobby for community solar bill HB 504

Clean energy sources like solar are positively transforming our energy landscape. They provide local energy that reduces pollution, relieves the strain on our electrical system, and enables homeowners to lower their energy costs while even selling excess energy back to the grid. This creates a win-win-win for our environment, our electrical infrastructure, and your wallet.

However, many Pennsylvanians cannot take full advantage of these advancements. If you’re a renter, lack the time or resources to invest in solar projects, or if your home isn’t suitable for such installations, the renewable energy revolution may feel out of reach. This is especially true for low- to moderate-income households who may not have the means to invest in these technologies. This is where community energy comes into play. Take Action

Community Energy (similar to past Community Solar legislation) allows homes, schools, hospitals, and small businesses in your local community to purchase a share of the electricity generated by solar panels and apply that energy directly to your electrical bill to reduce costs, cut emissions, and support local jobs. It’s like having a solar panel on your roof — without the need for a physical installation!

The Bad News: Outdated Pennsylvania regulations currently prevent this from happening. As electricity prices are projected to rise due to our overreliance on unstable methane gas, it is crucial to make it easier for residents to access distributed energy sources. This will help protect our grid and keep energy costs manageable.

House Bill 504

The Good News: Last week, the Pennsylvania House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee advanced House Bill 504, a community energy bill with overwhelming bipartisan support! This bill is a vital part of Governor Shapiro’s Lightning Plan, which aims to “build a strong clean energy economy that lowers costs for all Pennsylvanians and creates job opportunities across the energy sector.” Take Action

What You Can Do The full House vote on House Bill 504 may be coming soon. It’s essential that your representative hears from you about the importance of community energy. We drafted a letter for you to send directly to your State Representative – but if you have solar on your property, please share your positive experiences. And if you’ve encountered obstacles in accessing these technologies, please describe how community energy could enable you to participate in the benefits of renewable energy. Take Action

Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment to protecting Pennsylvania’s environment. Together, we can make renewable energy accessible for everyone!

Thank you,

Annie Regan
Campaigns Director
PennFuture

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Trump could ax climate rules by ‘changing the subject’

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin attends a White House meeting. — *EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s strategy for unraveling a key finding that underpins climate rules is taking shape. | Andrew Harnik/Getty Images*

By Arianna Skibell, Politico Power Switch

The Trump administration’s plan for unwinding U.S. climate policy may hinge on the idea that climate change is bad — just not bad enough to justify the cost of curbing it.

This approach, analysts say, might allow President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency to neuter climate regulations for cars and power plants without undertaking the arduous task of discrediting the overwhelming evidence that greenhouse gases are driving up global temperatures, writes Jean Chemnick.

EPA’s decision on how exactly to unravel the federal government’s fight against global warming could be one of the most crucial pivot points of Trump’s second term — helping determine how much of the anti-climate crusade survives in court. And as Jean writes, “Hints about its strategy may have been hiding in plain sight.”

Administrator Lee Zeldin offered one clue in a recent press release describing his plan to challenge a 2009 action known as the endangerment finding, which states that carbon pollution endangers public health. The finding serves as the justification for most U.S. climate rules.

By emphasizing how much money it costs industry to curb atmospheric pollution, EPA could essentially use a little math magic to argue that the environmental benefits of climate rules are minimal. The agency may also seek to incorporate potential benefits from warmer temperatures.