NEW YORK — A long-delayed report from the Environmental Protection Agency finds that requiring ethanol made from corn and soybeans to be part of the nation's gas supply is causing serious environmental harm.

Federal law requires the EPA to assess the environmental impact of the fuel standard every three years, but the new report, issued in July, was four years overdue. According to David DeGennaro with the National Wildlife Federation, the report documents millions of acres of wildlife habitat lost to ethanol crop production, increased nutrient pollution in waterways and air emissions and side effects worse than the gasoline the ethanol is replacing.

"In finding that the Renewable Fuel Standard is having negative consequences to a whole suite of environmental indicators,” DeGennaro said, “the report is a red flag warning us that we need to reconsider the mandate's scope and its focus on first-generation fuels made from food crops.”

President Donald Trump and senators from agricultural states are urging the EPA to allow an increase in the mandated ethanol content of gasoline.

The EPA report indicates that biofuels have a negative impact on air quality. Johnathan Lewis, senior counsel for climate policy with the Clean Air Task Force, said ethanol from corn in particular is linked to increased emissions of nitrogen oxides, or nox.

"Nox contributes to ozone formation when it mixes with volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight,” Lewis said. “So in most areas of the country, an increase in nox emissions can result in increased ozone formation."

Ground-level ozone, the main ingredient of smog, is a major cause of asthma and other respiratory illness.

Right now, most gas is E-10, containing 10 percent ethanol. But despite the EPA report's findings, DeGenarro pointed out there is political pressure to raise the biofuels mandate of the Renewable Fuel Standard.

"Just last week, President Trump told an audience in Iowa that he was "very close" to having EPA issue a waiver to the Clean Air Act to allow year-round sale of E-15,” DeGenarro said.

In March, a bill called the GREENER Fuels Act was introduced in Congress to reduce the use of corn ethanol and cap the content in gasoline at less than 10 percent.



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As Congress debates a bill to fund climate-change solutions, Pima Community College is doing its own work to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and teach students to prioritize the issue.

The college's new Climate Action and Sustainability Plan includes plans to upgrade the heating and air conditioning systems, add electric vehicles to its fleet and install electric vehicle charging stations on each campus.

Nicola Richmond, chief strategy officer at the college, said they are also training people in all fields to be climate leaders.

"We ensure that all of our learners leave the institution knowing how to bring climate-friendly approaches to the field in which they're trained," Richmond explained.

Pima's goal is to reduce its carbon footprint by half in the next eight years. The moves come as the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Friday on the Inflation Reduction Act, which puts $369 billion toward the fight against climate change. The bill has already passed the Senate.

Kevin Taylor, U.S. climate action lead for the World Wildlife Fund, said the bill is urgent, and could help the U.S. avoid the worst effects of climate change.

"It's going to enable more energy-efficient appliances, electric vehicles, solar and wind energy," Taylor outlined. "And particularly, those are available for the average homeowner and individual, but also institutions like Pima Community College to take advantage of."

The States at Risk project from Climate Central predicts Arizonans can expect the historic drought, heat waves and wildfires -- all effects of a warming planet -- to become significantly worse in the next few decades.

Calling it a "clear and present danger," President Joe Biden announced new measures last week to make communities more resilient against climate change.

Environmental groups want the administration to declare a National Climate Emergency.

Tracy Sabetta, Ohio state field coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force, said the emergency declaration would allow Biden to use executive powers to combat climate change.

"It's an unprecedented failure to not invest in a safe and healthy Future for our kids," Sabetta asserted. "The Biden administration must use every tool at their disposal to reduce climate pollution that is directly threatening our children's health."

Actions could include halting crude oil exports to reduce emissions and directing federal investments toward renewable energy projects. Opponents of such measures have cited economic concerns.

However, here in Ohio, a new report found the impacts of climate change will cost communities between $2 billion and $6 billion each year by 2050, a 26% to 82% increase from 2019.

A new survey found about half of registered voters favor a climate-change emergency declaration. Sabetta contended this summer's record-breaking heat is just the latest evidence the writing is on the wall.

"Last year alone, there were 20 extreme weather- and climate-related disasters in the U.S. with losses that exceeded $1 billion for each of those," Sabetta recounted. "Those in lower-income and underserved communities were hit the hardest."

She added air quality monitoring, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring disproportionately impacted communities are protected against climate impacts are all measures which need to be addressed at the local, state and federal level.

Kate Merlin's two children could not play outside for nearly half of last summer at camp because ground-level ozone reached levels considered dangerous for their developing lungs.

Merlin is an attorney with WildEarth Guardians and part of a broad-based effort to push Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to do more to rein in oil and gas industry emissions, the biggest contributor to ozone smog. She said Colorado's children do not deserve to live in a state where they cannot breathe the air outside in the summer.

"The problem is that these regulations have been insufficient to actually reduce the amount of ozone pollution in our state to an acceptable level, where it's not endangering the health of our children," Merlin asserted.

The northern Front Range has been violating EPA thresholds for ozone ever since they were created in 2008, and the agency recently announced it would downgrade the state from serious to severe violators.

The Regional Air Quality Council admitted this week its plan for lowering smog levels, expected to be approved on August 5, will not reach at least one EPA compliance requirement.

Oil and Gas drilling, fracking and other operations release over 120 percent more pollutants, which, when combined with sunlight, create ozone than the state's transportation sector.

Rep. Tracey Bernett, D-Boulder, said companies will need to do more if the state is going to bend the curve to get back into compliance with the Clean Air Act.

"Making sure that the industry is doing their part to reduce things that cause ozone on ozone-alert days," Bernett urged. "We've all been asked, drive less, ride-share and all that. We need to make sure that industry is doing this as well."

Clean-air advocates submitted a letter urging the regional air council to take additional steps to reduce smog, including pausing oil and gas production during the hottest summer days, and adopting stricter vehicle emission standards. Merlin believes the long-term solution will be to transition away from energy subject to tremendous price shocks in the global marketplace.

"We need a transition to locally produced, renewable energy sources," Merlin contended. "In part because these are the sources of energy that will not experience these significant price shocks. And that's how we get to true energy independence."