EnviroPolitics Blog

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

PennFuture wants you to lobby for community solar bill HB 504 Read More »

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.

Read the full story here

Trump could ax climate rules by ‘changing the subject’ Read More »

Carney’s Anti-Trump Agenda for Canada Nods to Climate

By Danielle Bochove, Bloomberg

Mark Carney’s victory in Canada’s federal election on Monday means two big North American countries have elected leaders with deep green credentials: Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, an energy engineering Ph.D. and past contributor to United Nations climate science reports.

Before he took over from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as head of Canada’s Liberal Party, Carney spent five years as the United Nations’ Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance. He helped found GFANZ, a global initiative to mobilize capital to decarbonize the economy, which he co-chaired with Bloomberg LP founder Michael Bloomberg. (He also served as chair of Bloomberg Inc.)

Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister and leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, during an election night event at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, early on Tuesday, April 29. Photographer: David Kawai/Bloomberg

During a breakneck five-week campaign, neither Carney nor his closest competitor, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, spent much time on climate policy as both instead dedicated speeches to vociferously rejecting any notion that Canada would ever be the 51st state (in defiance of Trump). The candidates also condemned Trump’s tariff war.

Read the full story here

Carney’s Anti-Trump Agenda for Canada Nods to Climate Read More »

Somethings quite fishy in New York State

2025 Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey

The New York Horseshoe Crab Monitoring Network will be kicking off the 2025 Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey on May 10, 2025. This survey takes place around the nighttime high tides during the full and new moons in May and June. Thirty sites are monitored throughout the marine district. During each survey night, participants help count and tag horseshoe crabs and can observe horseshoe crabs spawning on our beaches. If you are interested in participating, visit the Horseshoe Crab Monitoring Network website to find out how to get involved!

Recreational Scup (Porgy) Season Begins

Scup (Porgy)
Shore Based Anglers Minimum Size: 9.5″
Vessel Based Anglers Minimum Size: 11″
Possession Limit: 30 Fish
Open Season: May 1 – Dec. 31

Scup (Porgy) Party/Charter Boat AnglersMinimum Size Limit: 11″
Possession Limit: 30/40/30
Open Season: May 1 – Aug 31/ Sept. 1 – Oct. 31/ Nov. 1 – Dec. 31

Scup Image Courtesy of ASMFC

Recreational Summer Flounder Season Begins

Summer Flounder
Minimum Size: 19″ / 19.5″
Possession Limit: 3 Fish
Season: May 4 – Aug. 1 / Aug. 2 – Oct. 15

Summer Flounder Image Courtesy of ASMFC

Somethings quite fishy in New York State Read More »

A science program was poised to reach kids across Philly. Then DOGE killed the funding.

Historic Germantown is one of hundreds of organizations whose IMLS grant have been cancelled. The consequences go beyond fundraising and infrastructure issues

By Peter Dobrin, Philadelphia Inquirer

In 2023, Historic Germantown received word that it had won a two-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to pilot a new hands-on science program for middle schoolers called Science Sleuths.

The size of the award was relatively modest — $108,812 — but the impact promised to be enormous. If the initiative was able to prove its worth, it could be replicated, bringing accessible science education to thousands of Philadelphia students.

Today, the program is calculating its losses. Historic Germantown recently learned the grant was one of hundreds across the country approved by the IMLS and the National Endowment for the Humanities that have been canceled by the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire Elon Musk.

If leaders of Historic Germantown cannot find replacement money, in the next week or so, to fund the program through the rest of the school year, they say they have no choice but to shut it down.

Read the full story here

A science program was poised to reach kids across Philly. Then DOGE killed the funding. Read More »