California Blog Posts

Last week EPA held a public meeting in DC to share updates and take public comment on the agency’s study of oil and gas wastewater, also known as produced water. The oil and gas industry has grown significantly in water constrained states around the country, like Texas and New Mexico, and has a long history of putting drinking water sources at risk, from California to Pennsylvania.

This internship has left me with a greater appreciation for the field of communications. It’s been rewarding to learn how to write in all different styles and for different readers, too. I know that this experience will help me to be a more successful communicator in the science field.

California’s efforts to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions have earned it a reputation as a climate leader. Most of the state’s actions, however, have focused on the “demand-side” of carbon emissions: reducing energy consumption, increasing efficiency, using cleaner fuels and energy sources, and reducing vehicle miles traveled. However, as the country’s 5^th largest oil producer (recently falling from 3^rd), the state has never done enough to keep polluting fossil fuels from being produced in the first place.

Here at ReThink Disposable, we like to prove the impact of our work. We also like to get local community volunteers involved in our program.

On Thursday, news broke of a spill from the Keystone pipeline. The 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) of toxic tar sands oil that was discharged into South Dakota grasslands was the largest spill on the Keystone to date. But every day, the oil industry intentionally discharges far greater volumes of toxic wastewater in the environment, and nobody seems to notice.