"Your ‘Widely Recyclable’ Starbucks Cup Is Still Trash"
"A new label promises single-use cups are recyclable. But that doesn't mean they actually get recycled."
Source: Grist, 04/01/2026
EJToday: Top Environmental Politics Headlines
EJToday is a daily weekday digest of top environment/energy news and information of interest to environmental journalists, independently curated by Editor Joseph A. Davis. Sign up below to receive in your inbox. For queries, email EJToday@SEJ.org. For more info, read an EJToday FAQ. Plus, follow EJToday on social media at @EJTodayNews, and flag stories of note by including the @EJTodayNews handle on your posts. And tell us how to make EJToday even better by taking this brief survey.
Want to join the EJToday team? Volunteer time commitments can vary from just an hour a month up to a daily contribution, and would involve helping to curate content of interest. To learn more, reach out to the director of publications, Adam Glenn, at sejournaleditor@sej.org.
Note: Members have additional options to choose from (you'll need your log-in info).
"Court Allows Endangered Species ‘God Squad’ to Meet Tuesday"
"Interior Secretary Doug Burgum can convene the Endangered Species Committee, or “God Squad,” on March 31 to approve the Pentagon’s request to exempt all Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations from the Endangered Species Act because of national security needs, a judge ruled Friday."
Source: Bloomberg Environment, 03/31/2026"Federal Court Reverses Trump Administration’s Past Cuts To ESA"
"A federal judge on Monday partially ruled that the first Trump administration erred when it weakened aspects of the Endangered Species Act.
The ruling (attached below) was heralded by environmental groups, saying it underscored that “federal agencies must use the best available science when assessing harm to species, they cannot ignore incremental harm to critical habitat, and the agencies must firmly commit to any measures relied upon to reduce harm to imperiled plants and animals.” (Emphasis added—ed.)
Source: National Parks Traveler, 03/31/2026EPA Rollbacks Would Raise Communities' Risk For Chemical Disasters: Workers
"Workers, lawmakers and environmental advocates gathered this week to speak out against a proposed federal rule that would roll back protections for people who live near hazardous facilities across the country."
Source: The New Lede, 03/31/2026"Trump’s First Surgeon General Tries To Stop Nominee From Being Confirmed"
"The president was non-committal when asked Sunday night about Casey Means’s nomination, which has stalled in the Senate."
Source: Washington Post, 03/31/2026War Is Pushing Up Energy Prices Now. Trump's Policies Could Hurt For Years.
"If you've opened your natural gas or electric bill lately and bit back a scream, or watched the numbers tick up and up at the gas pump, you're not alone. For many Americans, energy prices feel uncomfortably high right now."
Source: NPR, 03/31/2026"Health Groups Sue EPA Over Power Plant Mercury Emissions Rule"
"A coalition of public health and environmental groups filed a petition for review Monday, arguing the EPA’s recent move to weaken power plant emission rules endangers people’s health and lives."
Source: Bloomberg Environment, 03/31/2026Iran War Could Leave Environmental Damage, Health Risks For Decades: Experts
"The Iran war has unleashed a toxic mix of chemicals, heavy metals and other pollutants that threaten everything from agriculture to drinking water to people’s health — and will leave behind environmental damage and health risks that could persist for decades, experts said."
Source: AP, 03/31/2026"Maine’s Support for Farms With ‘Forever Chemicals’ Seen as Model"
"It’s been a decade since farmers began to learn that contamination from PFAS unknowingly spread across their property could devastate their lives and livelihoods, but Maine is showing it’s possible to keep farms going despite the problems caused by the “forever chemicals.”
Source: Bloomberg Environment, 03/31/2026Border Wall Plan Unites GOPers and Dems in Texas: ‘This Is Insane’
"Plans for a wall in Big Bend National Park prompted public protests and behind-the-scenes lobbying to sway the Trump administration to stop."
Source: NYTimes, 03/31/2026"House Progressives Launch Environmental Justice Caucus"
"A trio of House progressives launched a new caucus Thursday they say will allow communities to better liaise with Congress on environmental issues."
Source: E&E News, 03/30/2026This Black Town Has E. Coli in Its Drinking Water, but Feds Just Cut Support
"Cahokia Heights, a Black Illinois community, was already drowning in sewage. Now it faces the loss of crucial federal repair money."
Source: Capital B, 03/30/2026"Scientists Urge Action On Glyphosate, Citing Strong Links To Cancer
"US and European regulators should take urgent action to more tightly regulate glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weed killer, in light of strong scientific evidence that the pesticide can cause cancer and other health problems, a group of international scientists said on Friday."
Source: The New Lede, 03/30/2026"Explainer: What Does The Iran War Mean For Clean Energy Transition?"
"As the deadly war in Iran triggers what the International Energy Agency has described as the worst oil crisis in history, climate advocates are calling for a faster shift away from fossil fuels, but the conflict may also hamper that transition."
Source: Guardian, 03/27/2026"Trump’s New Science Panel Is Stuffed With High-Tech Billionaires"
"U.S. President Donald Trump today unveiled a set of scientific advisers heavily skewed toward artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, topics his administration has emphasized. The roster, unlike previous iterations of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), features some of the world’s wealthiest people and several of Trump’s biggest political supporters from high-tech industry—but only one academic scientist."
Source: Science, 03/27/2026
