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Greenwashing Explained (and What You Can Do About It!)
You may have noticed that many consumer products have a little tree or recycling logo on the packaging. Do these symbols indicate that products are good for the environment? Are companies using these graphics or other “green” jargon as a deceptive advertising tactic to draw customers to their products? You’re wise to be skeptical — marketing a company or product to seem more environmentally friendly than it truly is has become a widespread practice. It even has its own name — greenwashing. Greenwashing can take many forms. In some cases, companies use misleading language or imagery to make products or services seem more environmentally friendly than they really are. Sometimes…
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Water Rights on the Colorado River in a Drought-Prone World
The Colorado River is the beating heart of the West, pumping life into the region’s cities, farms, and deserts. Its water is used for reasons as diverse as growing alfalfa that is shipped to Saudi Arabia to providing hydroelectric power to over 40 million people in the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. The Colorado River is the principal source of water for seven states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, and California); it also provides water for Mexico. Water rights on the Colorado River are governed by a complicated network of laws, court decisions, contracts, and regulations known as the Law of the River. The Colorado River Compact The…
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Electric Vehicles
In the U.S., transportation is the single greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing 27% of the total share. Most transportation emissions are carbon dioxide, a byproduct of petroleum combustion. Because carbon dioxide is a significant driver of global climate change, reducing emissions is an important step in a multi-faceted approach to combating climate change. One way to substantially reduce emissions from transportation is to transition to electric vehicles (EVs). EVs run on electric engines powered by batteries. The batteries must be charged via an electric outlet. (You can read more about the different types of outlets here.) The primary environmental benefit of EVs is that they do not create…
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Earth Day Call to Action: Thank Elected Officials for the Environmental Provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
As women of faith, our ethic of environmental stewardship is informed by scripture and prophetic counsel. President Russell M. Nelson proclaimed: “We should care for the earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations.” MWEG’s Principle of Ethical Government 2f states: “Governments and members of society have an obligation to exercise responsible stewardship of the earth, thereby protecting not only the wellbeing of their citizens, but also that of both future generations and other citizens of the planet (see D&C 59:18-21 and D&C 104:13-15).” We are at a critical juncture for taking effective action and implementing policy to mitigate the effects of climate change. The climate…
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Methane Matters: Let’s Learn Why
What is methane? Methane is the main component of “natural gas,” which is a significant source of heat and energy in the U.S. and globally. It is a colorless, odorless gas that is lighter than air and is chemically composed of one molecule of carbon and four molecules of hydrogen. Methane is generally stable but can be explosive if enough mixes with air. Because of its potential for combustion, natural gas utilities add scents to it as a safety feature. What does it do to our climate? Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Anthropogenic methane emissions are likely responsible for 0.5° C of warming since the industrial revolution. After carbon…
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Climate Change Policy Options
As legislative sessions are open in many states, we are offering a brief overview of some of the environmental policies that may be on the table. None of these solutions is one-size-fits-all — we will have to implement a combination of policies in order to combat climate change. (If you need more background on climate change and fossil fuels, you can read our FAQ here.) Further, different policies can be implemented at different levels of government — federal, state, local, and even global. To the extent that we have provided examples, they are for reference only; MWEG is not necessarily endorsing them. Natural Climate Solutions Forests, wetlands, and other natural…
