Environment America

Environment America is a United States federation of state-based environmental advocacy organizations. It develops research, promotes environmental policy, participates in litigation, lobbies public officials, and mobilizes public support around issues including climate change, renewable energy, air pollution, water pollution, conservation, fossil-fuel dependence, and offshore drilling. Rather than selling consumer products, the organization operates as an advocacy and public-policy network whose principal outputs include policy campaigns, technical reports, legislative analysis, public education, electoral scorecards, and legal actions. The federation was established on November 5, 2007, when the national environmental program associated with the Public Interest Research Groups separated from the state PIRG structure. The separation divided the networks' subject-matter responsibilities: the PIRGs concentrated primarily on consumer, health, and safety issues, while Environment America assumed responsibility for the national environmental work. Several state environmental organizations that had already separated from the PIRGs became part of the new federation. Doug Phelps, an early builder of the state PIRG network, became its chair during the transition. Environment America works through a combination of policy research and organized advocacy. Its reports have addressed wind and solar policy, climate change, mercury contamination, energy-efficient buildings, fuel-efficient vehicles, extreme weather, carcinogens in waterways, industrial compliance with the Clean Water Act, and the environmental performance of public institutions. The federation and its affiliates also use litigation to challenge alleged pollution violations and to press regulators and companies to comply with environmental statutes. Its policy agenda has included support for renewable-energy deployment, stronger limits on climate pollution, clean-energy legislation, protections for streams and wetlands, improved fuel-economy information, and restrictions on offshore oil drilling. Environment America supported the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the Clean Power Plan, and the Clean Water Rule. It has also sought to influence elections through congressional environmental scorecards and candidate endorsements. In the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, it joined other environmental organizations in supporting Barack Obama's reelection; in 2012 it also funded voter-mobilization activity through Fair Share Action. The federation's work is implemented in part through state affiliates, including Environment California, Environment Oregon, Environment Texas, and PennEnvironment. These organizations have pursued state-specific campaigns involving solar power, renewable-energy standards, plastic-bag restrictions, appliance efficiency, recycling, industrial pollution, toxic waste, and waterway protection. The state-network model allows Environment America to combine national policy advocacy with localized campaigns and litigation. Environment America is an advocacy organization rather than a publicly traded company, and no ticker or conventional commercial ownership structure applies. Public assessments have focused on its nonprofit finances and governance. Charity Navigator's December 2019 evaluation assigned it two of four stars overall, citing financial and transparency concerns including the presentation of audited financial information and the accessibility of donor-privacy information. The organization remains active as a national environmental policy network, although details about its current leadership, headquarters, and operating finances are not established in the supplied reference material.

Environment America emerged from the organizational restructuring of the Public Interest Research Groups' environmental program. On November 5, 2007, the national environmental work separated from the state PIRG network and was organized under Environment America. The change clarified the division of labor between the two networks: the PIRGs continued to emphasize consumer, health, and safety issues, while Environment America became responsible for national environmental advocacy. The new federation brought together state-based environmental organizations, including affiliates that had already become organizationally distinct from the PIRGs. Doug Phelps, who had helped develop the state PIRG network, became the federation's chair during its formation. The organization adopted a model combining national research and advocacy with state-level campaigns. Its work has covered climate change, renewable energy, air quality, water pollution, conservation, energy efficiency, fossil-fuel dependence, and offshore drilling. Environment America produces reports intended to document environmental conditions, evaluate corporate or governmental performance, and build support for legislative and regulatory action. Topics identified in reference material include wind and solar policy, mercury pollution, climate impacts, energy-efficient buildings, fuel-efficient vehicles, extreme weather, carcinogens in waterways, and industrial compliance with the Clean Water Act. Policy advocacy has been a central part of the federation's activity. Environment America supported federal initiatives including the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the Clean Power Plan, and the Clean Water Rule. It has also advocated for renewable-energy deployment and opposed offshore drilling. Its political work includes an annual congressional scorecard that evaluates legislators according to their votes on environmental issues. Although its voting assessments generally rate Democratic members more favorably than Republican members, the organization has endorsed candidates from both major parties in different elections. It joined several other environmental groups in endorsing Barack Obama's reelection in 2008 and 2012 and supported 2012 get-out-the-vote activity through Fair Share Action. State affiliates have supplied a practical geographic base for the federation's work. Environment California has campaigned on plastic-bag restrictions, appliance efficiency, solar net metering, solar generation, and renewable-energy reform. It supported California legislation signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2011 that required renewable sources to provide 33 percent of the state's electricity by 2020, up from the previous 20-percent requirement. Environment California also published analyses of school energy use, solar installations on school campuses, municipal solar output, green-job training, and fossil-fuel costs. Environment Texas has used litigation and advocacy to address industrial air pollution. In 2009, it and the Sierra Club brought actions involving alleged pollution-limit violations by Chevron Phillips and alleged illegal emissions by Shell. Shell agreed to a settlement involving a reported $5.8 million payment, an 80-percent reduction in emissions at its Deer Park refinery, chemical-unit upgrades, and reduced flaring. In 2010, Environment Texas and the Sierra Club sued ExxonMobil over alleged Clean Air Act violations arising from refinery and chemical-plant emissions on the Texas Gulf Coast. PennEnvironment has focused on Pennsylvania environmental conditions, issuing reports on recycling charges, industrial discharges into waterways, road construction and logging in the Allegheny National Forest, and coal-plant pollution contributing to smog. In 2011, it criticized the government's rejection of stricter ground-level-ozone controls. In 2012, PennEnvironment and the Sierra Club sued PPG Industries over alleged contamination at a Ford City site near the Allegheny River. The allegations concerned glass-polishing waste and cited arsenic, lead, antimony, iron, and chromium detected during testing, as well as claimed violations of the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Pennsylvania cleanup requirements. Environment America continues to function as a nonprofit environmental advocacy federation rather than a commercial brand. Its public profile is shaped by policy reports, affiliate campaigns, litigation, coalition activity, and electoral advocacy. A 2019 Charity Navigator review rated it two of four stars overall and noted issues concerning the apparent independence of audited financial preparation and the accessibility of donor-privacy and audited-financial information. Current leadership, headquarters, and detailed present-day financial information are not specified in the supplied sources.

• 2019

  Receives a two-star Charity Navigator evaluation

  [1]Environment Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Charity Navigator assigns the organization two of four stars overall in its December evaluation and identifies financial and transparency concerns.

• 2012

  Expands electoral and litigation activity

  [1]Environment Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The federation supports Obama's reelection efforts, contributes to Fair Share Action's voter-mobilization work, and participates in the PennEnvironment litigation against PPG Industries.

• 2011

  Environment California supports a 33-percent renewable-energy mandate

  [1]Environment Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Environment California supports legislation signed in California requiring renewable sources to supply 33 percent of electricity by 2020.

• 2009

  Environment Texas pursues industrial pollution litigation

  [1]Environment Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The Texas affiliate and the Sierra Club bring actions involving alleged air-pollution violations by major petrochemical operators.

• 2008

  Joins environmental groups supporting Barack Obama's reelection

  [1]Environment Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Environment America joins several national environmental organizations in endorsing Barack Obama's reelection campaign.

• 2007

  Environment America is established as a separate environmental federation

  [1]Environment Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The national environmental program separates from the Public Interest Research Groups and is reorganized as Environment America, with state-based environmental organizations forming the federation.

A research-led, nonpartisan environmental advocacy federation that combines national policy work with state-level organizing, litigation, coalition building, and public mobilization.

• Research and publications

  Environmental policy reports

  Environment America and its state affiliates publish research on climate change, renewable energy, wind and solar deployment, air pollution, mercury, water quality, energy-efficient buildings, fuel-efficient vehicles, extreme weather, carcinogens in waterways, recycling, and industrial compliance with environmental law. These reports are used to inform lawmakers, regulators, journalists, coalition partners, and the public.

• Advocacy and political analysis

  Congressional environmental scorecard

  An annual assessment of members of the United States Congress based on their voting records on selected environmental issues. The scorecard is intended to make legislative positions more visible and to support public engagement with environmental policy.

• Environmental advocacy

  State affiliate campaigns

  The federation works through state organizations such as Environment California, Environment Oregon, Environment Texas, and PennEnvironment. Affiliate campaigns address local and state concerns including renewable-energy standards, solar power, plastic waste, industrial emissions, toxic contamination, recycling, coal pollution, and protection of waterways and forests.

• Legal advocacy

  Environmental litigation

  Environment America affiliates use lawsuits and related legal advocacy to challenge alleged violations of air- and water-pollution laws and to press companies and public agencies to comply with environmental requirements. Reported cases have involved Shell, Chevron Phillips, ExxonMobil, and PPG Industries.

• 2019

  Charity Navigator raises financial-transparency concerns

  Charity Navigator's December 2019 evaluation gave Environment America two of four stars overall and identified concerns about whether the fiscal-year 2018 audited financial statements had been prepared by an independent accountant, as well as the accessibility of donor-privacy and audited-financial information on the organization's website.

  Source

Read more

• 2012Presidential reelection and voter mobilization

  United States

  Environment America joined partner environmental organizations in supporting Barack Obama's reelection and contributed to voter-mobilization work through Fair Share Action.

  Source
• 2011California renewable-energy standard

  California

  Environment California supported legislation requiring renewable sources to provide 33 percent of California's electricity by 2020, an increase from the previous 20-percent requirement.

  Outcome. The legislation was signed by Governor Jerry Brown.

  Source
• Clean energy and climate policy

  United States

  The federation supported federal measures intended to reduce climate pollution and accelerate clean energy, including the American Clean Energy and Security Act and the Clean Power Plan.

  Source
• Clean water protections

  United States

  Environment America advocated for the Clean Water Rule and broader protection of streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act.

  Source
• Offshore-drilling opposition

  United States

  The federation has opposed offshore drilling as part of its broader campaign against fossil-fuel dependence and environmental risks associated with oil development.

  Source
• California solar and efficiency advocacy

  California

  Environment California has supported solar net metering, expanded solar generation, energy-efficient appliances, and reforms to California renewable-energy policy.

  Source

• 2012

  Increase electoral engagementStrategy

  Background

  Environment America sought to connect environmental policy advocacy with federal elections and public participation.

  Action taken

  The organization joined partner groups in endorsing Barack Obama's reelection and contributed $550,000 to Fair Share Action for independent voter-mobilization activity.

  Aftermath

  The organization continued using electoral scorecards, endorsements, and coalition-based organizing as policy tools.

  Contribution to Fair Share Action. $550,000 (2012)

  Source

• 2011

  Support a higher California renewable-energy mandateStrategy

  Background

  California's existing renewable-energy requirement was viewed by Environment California as insufficient to accelerate the state's clean-energy transition.

  Action taken

  The affiliate supported legislation increasing the target to 33 percent renewable electricity by 2020.

  Aftermath

  Governor Jerry Brown signed the legislation.

  Source

• 2007

  Separate national environmental advocacy from the PIRG networkStrategy

  Background

  The Public Interest Research Groups reorganized their national and state environmental work into a separate federation, leaving the PIRGs focused primarily on consumer, health, and safety issues.

  Action taken

  Environment America was formed on November 5, 2007, bringing together state-based environmental advocacy organizations and the former national environmental program.

  Aftermath

  The organization adopted a federation model combining national policy research with state-level campaigns, litigation, and public mobilization.

  Source

1. 1Environment Americaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Environment America official websiteenvironmentamerica.org