Some Earth Day 2021 reflections on my work in climate science and advocacy. Read more >
Astrid Caldas speaking at AAAS Stand Up for Science Rally in Feb. 2017 at Boston Copley Square Anthony Eyring/UCS
Who Wants to Learn More about Climate Change? All Kinds of People!
Astrid Caldas, climate scientist
April 22, 2021 11:54 AM EDT
Massachusetts State House J. Rogers/UCS
Massachusetts’s New Climate Law: 5 Reasons to Celebrate!
Paula Garcia, Senior Bilingual Energy Analyst
April 6, 2021 10:07 AM EDT
March marked a major milestone for equitable climate policy in Massachusetts: After years of efforts and following two vetoes by Gov. Charlie Baker, the legislature passed a long-awaited bill addressing climate change, advancing environmental justice and boosting clean energy and clean transportation. The difference this time is that the bill was successfully signed into law by Governor Baker on March 26. Read more >
Steve Rhodes/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Six Ways Chevron Imperils Climate, Human Rights, and Racial Justice
Kathy Mulvey, climate accountability campaign director
April 2, 2021 10:24 AM EDT
Although we’re barely one quarter into 2021, multiple forces are squeezing Chevron for the preventable harm it is inflicting on the global climate. The company is also being dragged for its greenwashing, its role in perpetuating racial injustice in the United States, and its violations of Indigenous peoples’ rights and other human rights from Burma/Myanmar to Ecuador.
The table is now set for Chevron’s annual meeting in May, where several climate-related shareholder proposals will be on the agenda. Campaigners are calling for votes against both the board chair and the lead independent director on the basis of failures to oversee climate performance. Last year, a majority of Chevron shareholders rebuked corporate leadership by demanding increased disclosure of the company’s climate lobbying. Here are six issues UCS and our partners will be watching in the lead-up to Chevron’s annual meeting this year. Read more >
Left: Dot Density map of race by census block group for the city of Chicago where 1 dot is representative of 5 people; Right: ‘Heat Map’ showing density of vaccination sites that are open to the community (i.e. not ‘patients only’ sites). The dark blue shows highest density of vaccination sites while light blue shows lower density of sites. Source: NHGIS IPUMS and Chicago Data Portal
New Maps Highlight Inequitable Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccines
Casey Kalman, Research Associate, Center for Science and Democracy
March 9, 2021 7:00 AM EDT
In cities across the country, the inequitable rollout of COVID-19 vaccines means that communities of color are not getting vaccinated at the rate we would expect. New maps and analysis contrast the demographics of Chicago, Seattle, and Cleveland with the locations of vaccination centers as of March 2021. Read more >
Marcia Cassidy Communications
Renewable Energy Technology is Not Fully Helping Communities That Need it Most
Carolyn E. Ramirez, Chemical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate, Northwestern University, UCS Science Network, UCS
February 25, 2021 11:10 AM EDT
In the United States, renewable energy technology, like solar cells, is still mostly utilized by white populations when data show that communities of color are impacted most negatively by fossil fuel pollution and climate change. Read more >
