Jeff Brady
Appearances
NPR News Now
NPR News: 11-11-2024 4PM EST
This year's UN climate negotiations in Baku, Azerbaijan, were meant to focus on wealthy countries paying to help developing nations deal with climate change. But the U.S. election result also is a big topic. President Biden's top climate advisor, John Podesta, tried to be optimistic. Are we facing new headwinds? Absolutely. But will we revert back to the energy system of the 1950s? No way.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 11-11-2024 4PM EST
Podesta says the country's transition away from fossil fuels has started with tens of billions of dollars allocated and won't be reversed. Jeff Brady, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-27-2025 7PM EST
Natural gas is mostly methane and often released when drilling for oil. It's a potent climate warmer, which is why former President Biden's signature climate law required the EPA to establish the fee. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the fee a tax.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-27-2025 7PM EST
Democratic Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse criticized the repeal. Bending the knee to the wishes of the fossil fuel industry appears to have no limits. The methane fee was reversed under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to overturn certain agency actions. Jeff Brady, NPR News.
Up First from NPR
Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
You know, probably the most significant is something called the endangerment finding. In 2009, the EPA determined that human-caused greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that are heating up the planet, those endanger public health and welfare. This decision was years in the making.
Up First from NPR
Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
Litigation that led to it went all the way to the Supreme Court, and now it's the basis for many of the country's climate regulations. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin put out a video statement that suggests he thinks it's not constitutional.
Up First from NPR
Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
Zeldin said the agency will reconsider rules that limit climate pollution from power plants and from cars and trucks. Also regulations that limit soot and mercury in the air. Other rules that Zeldin claims are hurting the economy and costing trillions of dollars. But that leaves out the fact that pollution also costs the country, you know, and health costs and cleanup costs.
Up First from NPR
Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
It's not clear whether EPA plans to get rid of these rules or weaken them. Those details should come later. And what are environmental groups saying about this? You know, this is even more dramatic than what they expected and certainly more aggressive than the policies Trump pursued during his first administration.
Up First from NPR
Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
One group, the Environmental Integrity Project, said the EPA is driving, quote, a dagger straight into the heart of public health. I talked with Matthew Tejada at the Natural Resources Defense Council. He called this an all-out assault on the law, science, and the administrative part of the government that keeps people safe.
Up First from NPR
Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
Just as the country is making this big transition from fossil fuels that are heating the planet to cleaner energy, Tejada says the Trump administration is tying the country to oil and gas for another century.
Up First from NPR
Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
Well, they're pretty happy. The American Petroleum Institute said voters picked Trump for cheaper energy. And now his administration is answering that call. And much of this fits with API's policy priorities. And we've already seen some of the biggest oil and gas companies reorient themselves from climate change concerns and back to fossil fuels.
Up First from NPR
Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
There just aren't many details in this announcement, but just that the EPA is going to reconsider these regulations. So assuming the typical process is followed, we should see some proposed rules, then comment periods before final rules. But, you know, environmental groups already say court challenges are coming. That's Jeff Brady with NPR's Climate Desk.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
Yeah, the company is Energy Transfer. It's based in Dallas, and it claims Greenpeace and other activists conspired to raise money, incite protests, hurt the company's reputation, and delay construction of its Dakota Access Pipeline. Energy Transfer didn't respond to our interview request, but co-founder and now executive chairman Kelsey Warren did answer questions on CNBC back in 2017.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
This was when Energy Transfer filed a federal lawsuit. That case was dismissed, and the company filed a similar case in state court. That's the case headed to trial now.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
There were thousands of protesters who traveled to North Dakota and camped out near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The pipeline route is just north of there. There were clashes with police. At one point, officers used water cannons on protesters in below-freezing temperatures. Still, the 1,100-mile pipeline was finished, and it's been transporting oil since 2017. Construction was delayed.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
Kelsey Warren estimated about 90 days in that interview. Okay, so what is Greenpeace saying about this case? And actually, I mean, how does it plan to defend itself? Greenpeace calls this a SLAP suit, and SLAP stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
Essentially, a wealthy company takes a less wealthy critic to court, forcing them to spend time and money defending themselves rather than protesting. Sushma Raman is the interim executive director at Greenpeace USA and says this is a free speech issue.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
Greenpeace says the goal here is to win and dissuade other companies from filing cases like this.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
Yeah, 35 states and the District of Columbia have anti-slap laws now. makes it easier to get cases dismissed and recover attorney fees from plaintiffs. But North Dakota is one of 15 states that does not have such a law. That means even if Greenpeace wins this case, it'll have to pay for its own defense.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
The organization hasn't disclosed how much that'll be, but a spokesperson says what they've spent so far is in the millions. Okay, so jury selection begins today. How long might this trial last? It's expected to last about five weeks, should go to the jury at the end of March or beginning of April. We haven't seen any hint of settlement talks yet.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
Both sides seem pretty dug in on their positions here. So once there's a decision, I suspect an appeal is pretty likely.
Up First from NPR
Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit
Thanks for having me.