An Earth Day question: When will we see ‘tailpipes’ on cars as morally wrong?

With automotive emissions regulations again coming under political pressure, we thought we'd re run this Earth Day question from 2014 in an attempt to answer the question: Why all the fuss? Why do we still focus on green cars some 40 years after the EPA imposed the most significant emissions limits on cars? We hope it will provoke thought engender constructive discussion tor today's political environment: They're the costs of people's actions on other people or communities-though the people taking those actions don't have to pay for those costs, even as they harm others.

Senator wants info on EPA chief’s multiple email accounts Source: AP

The Republican chairman of a Senate oversight committee is pressing the head of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide details about his use of multiple government email addresses. Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso issued a letter asking EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to disclose all his email addresses and affirm that all were being searched in response to Freedom of Information Act requests.

FILE – In this April 3, 2018, file photo, Environmental Protection…

In this April 3, 2018, file photo, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks at a news conference in Washington. An internal government watchdog says the EPA violated federal spending laws when purchasing a $43,000 soundproof privacy booth for Pruitt to make private phone calls in his office.

Commission to consider household hazardous waste agreement

The Putnam County Commission Monday will consider approval of an agreement between the county and the city of Cookeville to locate a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site on city property.Under a The Putnam County Commission Monday will consider approval of an agreement between the county and the city of Cookeville to locate a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site on city property. Under the interlocal agreement, the city will allow the county to construct the facility at the city-owned brush collection site on West Jackson Street.

Vote slated for Wheeler to be EPA’s No. 2

The Senate is set to vote on Andrew Wheeler to be the number two official at the Environmental Protection Agency amid ethics concerns plaguing EPA chief Scott Pruitt and calls from Democrats for him to resign. Two GOP leadership aides told CNN they expected Wheeler to be approved, which would make him the latest appointee at the agency with close ties to the energy industry.

Senators ask EPA to explain if Pruitt lied in Fox News interview

Three Democratic senators on the committee that oversees the Environmental Protection Agency are asking for answers on reports that the agency granted significant raises to two aides and whether Administrator Scott Pruitt lied about his knowledge of the raises in an interview on Fox News. The Atlantic reported last week that Pruitt granted raises to two of his aides at the EPA under a provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act after the White House personnel office denied the raises.

Pruitt’s security said to cost millions

In this Jan. 18, 2017 file photo, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator-designate, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Pruitt has spent millions of dollars in taxpayer funds on unprecedented security precautions that include a full-time detail of 20 armed officers, according to agency sources and documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

House panel investigating Pruitt’s condo rental

A U.S. congressional panel is investigating Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt's use of a condominium tied to an energy lobbyist, a House Republican aide said on Saturday. FILE PHOTO - Scott Pruitt, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, testifies to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversight hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2018.

FILE – In this Jan. 18, 2017 file photo, Environmental Protection…

In this Jan. 18, 2017 file photo, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator-designate, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Pruitt has spent millions of dollars in taxpayer funds on unprecedented security precautions that include a full-time detail of 20 armed officers, according to agency sources and documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

EPA chief’s job not assured after Trump’s praise – and ire

Esta foto del 3 de abril del 2018 muestra al admnistrador de la Agencia de ProtecciA3n Ambiental de Estados Unidos, Scott Pruitt, mientras hace declaraciones en Washington. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, center, winks at National Automobile Dealers Association president and CEO Peter Welch, right, as he takes the podium to speak at a news conference at the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, on his decision to scrap Obama administration fuel standards.

EPA to roll back Obama-era fuel economy standards

Environmental regulators announced on Monday they will ease emissions standards for cars and trucks, saying that a timeline put in place by President Barack Obama was not appropriate and set standards "too high." Automakers applauded Monday's decision, arguing that the current requirements would have cost the industry billions of dollars and raised vehicle prices due to the cost of developing the necessary technology.

Swampy McSwampface: EPA Chief Ruining Environment Living in Polluter Lobbyist Condo

As key figures of the Trump administration face mounting concerns about conflicts of interest, a growing number of critics are calling for the resignation of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt after ABC News revealed that last year he rented a D.C. condo owned by the wife of a top energy lobbyist, in what some are describing as "a sweetheart deal." "This deal stinks like the swamp Scott Pruitt is mired in.

Trump officials prepare to undo fuel-efficiency targets despite some automakers’ misgivings

Top Trump administration officials are engaged in a heated debate over how to undo federal fuel-efficiency targets for cars and light trucks, as manufacturers voice concern that a major rollback of an Obama-era rule could go too far and fracture the nation's auto market. The internal negotiations over relaxing carbon-emission limits for cars and SUVs slated to be sold in model years 2022-2025 underscore the challenge officials face in trying to fulfill President Trump's 2017 promise to ease the regulatory burden on Detroit.

Jeff Sessions Gets Time Magazine Cover Story, But No One Can Get Past That Photo

FEBRUARY 02: U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, a committee member, waits for the beginning of a meeting of Senate Environment and Public Works Committee February 2, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Committee chairman Sen. John Barrasso suspended the rules and passed the confirm of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to become the next administrator of Environmental Protection Agency with only Republican votes, after Democratic members have boycotted the meeting for a second day.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch now three times the size of France

A huge, swirling pile of trash in the Pacific Ocean is growing faster than expected and is now three times the size of France. According to a three-year study published in Scientific Reports Friday, the mass known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is about 1.6 million square kilometers in size -- up to 16 times bigger than previous estimates.