Surveying the lay of the land for several issue areas

We welcomed the new year with a series of blog posts covering a number of our issue areas.  Policy analysts reviewed developments and opportunities as the 114th Congress begins its work, and as new governors and state legislators take office.

• The United States deserves its reputation for being slow to fight global warming, but local, state and federal policies are still making an enormous difference.
• The public and regulators need to stand up to fossil fuel companies and fight for policies that continue – and boost – America’s rapid growth in solar power generation.
• Cleaning up America’s waterways, increasing water efficiency, and strengthening environmental enforcement efforts are crucial to protecting our precious water.
• It is time for a national food policy, boosting local agriculture, limiting antibiotics use, and better informing customers about what is in their food.
• America needs to have a serious conversation about transportation, including our priorities for public health, global warming, economic opportunity and quality of life.
• More communities around the country were able to resist pressure from the oil and gas industry in 2014 and ban the harmful and dangerous practice of fracking than in any previous year.