UCS USA: The Fight To Save Our Environment Is ON!

It is officially December. And you know what that means? It is the start of my giving back series. Each day this month I will post either a way you can give back or profile organizations that give back. So check back every day to check out ways you can give back.  Today is a subject that is near and dear as my daughter is a current graduate student in the field of Environmental Toxicology.

90% of all natural disasters are a result of unnatural changes in weather pattern. And they get worse with vehicular pollution and other streams of toxic waste into the environment.

But, UCS USA has been around trying to balance out the physical and social toxins somehow.

What Is UCS USA?

The UCS (Union of Concerned Scientists) USA works towards developing and implementing practical and sustainable solutions to all the pressing global problems.

They have been dealing successfully with the issues ranging from racial equity advancement to looming nuclear war threats. Their accomplished team of engineers and scientists are here to educate us on sustainable means of transport, power, food, and water for the greater good.

Let us take a look at all their glorious milestones till date first.

Contributions Of UCS USA In Controlling Vehicular Pollution

The non-profit organization was founded in the year 1969. Below are the highlights of its achievements in the fight against vehicular pollution since then.

• The 1980s: Promotion of Clean Energy

In the 1980s, a study titled ‘Energy Strategies: Toward a Solar Future’ was launched by the UCS. It was a technical assessment of the safe and renewable alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear power. This effort greatly helped in popularizing the concept of clean energy in the USA and abroad.

• The 1990s: Promotion of Clean Vehicles

 The SUVs and light trucks had to adhere to the same tailpipe emission standards as that of standard cars. This was made possible by the vehicle technology expertise of UCS USA that influenced the California Government to do the right thing and pass this urgent law.

• The 2000s: Curbing Global Warming Emissions

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was the first multi-state effort assisted excellently by the UCS climate experts. This helped in cutting down the Northeast’s global warming emissions by a whopping 50 percent. The participating nine states cut down on toxic emissions from vehicles, electricity and industrial plants among other sources.

• The 2010s: Passing Effective Standards

 By the year 2025, the global warming emissions of new cars and trucks will be cut in half. This will be equivalent to taking 40 million of today’s cars and trucks off the road. All this has been made possible by passing the landmark fuel efficiency and emission standards carefully assisted by the UCS USA.

Aside from the above-mentioned highlights, there are a thousand other different ways in which the UCS USA has been dominating the fight against vehicular pollution.

And that is not the only area of negligence and injustice that UCS has been consistently registering victories in. Read on to know what they have been up to in the year 2018.

Main Accomplishments of UCS USA In 2018

The year 2018 has been quite eventful for the UCS USA until now. Take a look at their recent achievements.

• April 2018: 100 % Electric Bus Fleet In San Francisco

 The second largest bus fleet in California – the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority – has agreed to switch to a 100% Electric Bus fleet model by the year 2035. This zero-emission transition was instigated by the perseverance of UCS members and its forward-thinking partners. 

• Early July 2018: EPA Policy On Dirty Trucks Renewed

The UCS together with its well-meaning supporters were finally able to convince Andrew Wheeler, the current EPA administrator, to revise the emission limits on the glider/dirty trucks. The limits will be enforced soon in the form of a proper law.

• Mid-July 2018: Exit of ExxonMobil From ALEC

 The ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) saw the exit of ExxonMobil, the world leader in fossil fuels. This move was fuelled by the insistence from the UCS members along with its own shareholders. The organization was finally able to comprehend the misinformation created by the ALEC members with respect to the climate change phenomenon.

• September 2018: 100% Clean Energy Bill Passed

 By the year 2045, a 100 percent clean energy is mandated in the Californian region. The SB 100 was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown after its trying journey through the assembly. This groundbreaking motion has been made possible with the help of critical advocacy and persistent clean energy analysis from the house of UCS USA.

The year is still not over. So you can very well count on UCS USA to fix some more national and global level issues where immediate attention is required.

Current Challenges Under Trump Administration

UCS USA felt that this was a good time as any to do an in-depth survey. A total of 16 different agencies and 63 thousand federal scientists were taken into consideration for this early 2018 survey.

Various important topics were covered in this survey including maintaining transparency with public and media, proper funding and adherence to scientific policies among others.

More than 50 percent of the respondents agreed that the political interests decide the course and speed of their scientific studies since the initiation of Donald Trump into the office. 45 percent were not content with the time and resources provided for their profession and insist that it severely lacks in quality and requires an urgent upgrade.

Things have definitely slowed down in the science world under Trump Administration. But organizations such as the UCS USA are already working on fixing this gross negligence.

Action Plan Of UCS USA To Curb Pollution In The Future

The UCS USA has been successfully dealing with the global pollution crisis. Currently, it is urging the US Congress to denounce the coal bailout proposed by President Trump. Simultaneously, it is also doing its share in urging the general public to cut down their carbon emission by at least 20%, if possible.

For now, it is really focused on saving the environment and introducing ideal working conditions in the science field since the recent upheavals after the elections. Visit UCS USA online today and do your bit for our planet.

Author Bio

Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and has been working in the automobile industry for the last 5 years. He has worked with a couple of automobile giants in varied capacities over the years. His passion for automobiles led him to start his own blog http://automobileexpertshq.com/, where he now works full time.

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