Public Policy "NEWS"

Listening in on some debates over the future of climate engineering – the deliberate manipulation of the climate system to offset some or all of the warming humans cause by burning fossil fuels – induced wild bouts of déjà vu for a couple of decades. On one side, scientists and other experts might be urging a carefully monitored research program into its potential hazards and advantages; on the other, other scientists would insist that its hazards are too hard to nail down and that playing around with the climate system would give the world an excuse for burning those dirty fuels for as long as it pleased. Déjà vu or not, this has gone on for a while. Read more Is Climate Engineering the Answer? Efforts Commence

This Earth Day (April 22nd), the theme is "Planet vs. Plastics." Let's do our part to reduce plastic use and water waste to keep our oceans and waterways clean! Planning a road trip?  Want to hit the open road but don’t want it to take a toll on the environment? Good news! Here are some tips on how to turn your road trip into an eco-adventure. 1. Get started. 2. Rely on your feet. 3. Slow down or ditch the motor altogether. Fuel Efficiency First: Rent Green Wheels, if possible: hybrid/EV for the settlement score for the best miles per gallon or the lowest amount of emissions. Pack Light: Every pound counts! Less weight means better fuel economy. 1 . Map it Out: If you plan your route, you minimize unnecessary miles driven, maintaining the fastest route. 2 . It’s All About Local Search: Hitting your turn-by-turn directions search button raises a better selection of nearby results. 3 . Real-time Traffic Advisories: This functionality provides timely updates regarding tra

Case:  Callais et al v. Landry Court:  US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana Case Number:  3:2024cv00122 Filed:  January 31, 2024 Plaintiffs: Twelve white Mississippians Defendant: Nancy Landry Issue: Whether Louisiana's newly enacted congressional map violates the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The plaintiffs allege the map is a racial gerrymander that dilutes the voting strength of white voters. Status: A consolidated preliminary injunction hearing and trial is scheduled for April 8-10, 2024 (today!). This means the court will decide whether to temporarily block the use of the map while the lawsuit proceeds. The Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP and several other individuals and organizations have sought to intervene in the case to defend the map. This case stems from a previous lawsuit, Robinson v. Ardoin, where the court found Louisiana's original congressional map violated the Voting Rights Act. The new map was drawn