Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) want Congress to give the Department of Justice about $9 million to help its new environmental justice division.
The big picture: The DOJ announced last week it would create the Office of Environmental Justice and launch an enforcement strategy to protect communities of color against environmental crimes.
One of the many growing wildfires in New Mexico is forcing residents near Los Alamos National Laboratory to prepare for possible evacuations.
Why it matters: Los Alamos National Laboratory is one of the nation's premier nuclear labs and is where the world's first atomic bomb was developed during World War II.
Renewable power growth is on pace to set fresh records this year, but the sector — notably U.S. solar developers — nonetheless faces headwinds.
Driving the news: The International Energy Agency, in a new report, sees the addition of roughly 320 gigawatts of generating capacity this year, led by solar and wind.
Ford's F-150 Lightning — which is just hitting the market — is more than simply another pickup truck: It's poised to open the floodgates for electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. by showing how much an EV can do.
Why it matters: While Tesla started the EV revolution, Ford will likely get credit for taking these vehicles mainstream. Priced just under $40,000, the F-150 Lightning is a versatile and affordable gateway product that can (sometimes) be charged in under an hour.
Coral bleaching affected 91% of reefs surveyed along the Great Barrier Reef this year, according to a new report by Australian government scientists.
Why it matters: The report confirms a sixth mass bleaching event since 1998 occurred at the world's largest coral reef ecosystem in March due to a heat wave driven by climate change. It's the fourth such event since 2016, notes the report, which warns climate change "remains the greatest threat" to the ecosystem.
The national average price for regular gasoline jumped to a new all-time high of $4.37 a gallon on Tuesday, breaking the previous record set in March by 4 cents, according to AAA.
Why it matters: The new record, which isn't adjusted for inflation, comes as rising prices put pressure on the Biden administration to help consumers. Diesel prices also hit a new high of $5.50 a gallon.
The Energy Department is launching a new $2.5 billion revolving fund on Tuesday to spur construction of major transmission projects.
Why it matters: New and upgraded transmission is needed to link expanding renewable power to demand centers. But financing and permitting are notoriously tough.
