Governor Christie: THEN and NOW Chart

The era of plastic bags is about to come to an end at shops and restaurants throughout Palo Alto after city officials decided Monday night to greatly expand the city's existing ban on the notorious creek polluters.

Continuing a trend that the city helped launch more than three years ago, the City Council voted Monday night to extend Palo Alto's existing ban on single-use plastic bags at supermarkets. The ordinance that the council approved by a 5-0 vote Monday extends the ban beyond supermarkets to all other retailers and food establishments. It also requires stores to charge 10 cents per paper bag. Staff will revisit this fee in 18 to 24 months.

Property owners in Anne Arundel County will pay more to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay, after a divided County Council passed legislation Monday charging annual stormwater remediation fees.

The bill passed 4-3 after a last-minute attempt by Council Chairman Jerry Walker to amend it. Had the two amendments passed, they would have killed the bill, which was set to expire in two weeks.

Walker, a Gambrills Republican, called the fee — $85 for most homeowners — the largest tax in county history. He voted no, along with Councilmen Derek Fink, R-Pasadena, and Pete Smith, D-Severn.

“I could see the logic behind both sides of the issue,” Smith said after the meeting. The dispute, he said, was on “the implementation and timing of it.”

Everglades advocates and members of the Everglades Coalition from around the state joined together in Tallahasee to celebrate the first annual Everglades Action Day! 

Last year, the Florida Legislature officially recognized April 7th as Everglades Day to honor the birthday of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a true champion of Everglades restoration.

The inaugural Everglades Day event included more than fifty supporters from across the state joining together in Tallahassee to meet with state lawmakers and legislative staff about the importance of funding restoration projects. Seven teams of advocates met with Senators and Representatives from their region. 

A small group of protesters gathered outside the Harrisburg headquarters of the state Department of Environmental Protection today. They say the agency is failing to protect the public from the risks associated with natural gas development.

About 50 people turned out for the protest, which was organized by several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter, Clean Water Action, and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. They also delivered hundreds of letters from concerned residents around the state to the agency.

Along with thousands of concerned Calinfornians, we are fighting to protect California from the dangers of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). You can join your neighbors, friends, and family to make sure we understand the risks of fracking, protect our communities, health, and water, and ensure that we don't undermine our climate and clean energy goals. Take action today!

Clean Water Saves Lives! Come Help Aveda and Clean Water Fund Celebrate Earth Day.

April 22, 2013
6:00 to 9:00

Peter's Place
1199 Washington Pike
Bridgeville, PA

Tickets only $15  - at the door!

Join us for entertainment, auctions, refreshments AND protecting our water.

For more information:

Tami Piendl, Aveda: tpiendl@aveda.com

Jessica Magnotta, Aveda: jmagnott@aveda.com

Tom Hoffman, Clean Water: tomhoffman@cleanwater.org

WASHINGTON, DC – Clean Water Action urges a swift hearing and confirmation vote for Gina McCarthy, President Obama’s nominee to be the Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), saying “now is not the time for an ideological fight - we need a fair-minded public servant who will work with both sides of the aisle to find commonsense solutions to our biggest environmental and public health challenges.” 

Thanks to members, staff and allies, Clean Water Action enjoyed three significant victories on the final day of the 2013 legislative session in Annapolis, with exciting action on various fronts in the final hours leading up to midnight, when the legislature adjourns for the year.

With your help we:

• Passed HB 775 to create a study group to develop a statewide pesticides database
• Stopped an amended HB 508, which would have delayed implentation of a stormwater fee
• Stopped SB 799, which would have encouraged more trash incineration
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