Brittany Patterson, E&E News

Brittany Patterson

E&E News

Washington, DC, United States

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Past:
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Past articles by Brittany:

PEOPLE: Meet the climate guy who quit Interior

When Joel Clement, the former top climate policy expert at the Interior Department, quit his job in October, he sent a resignation letter lambasting President Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke for being "shackled to special interests," muzzling scientists and ignoring the threats of climate change. Just like that, he became a voice of the resistance. → Read More

INTERIOR: Zinke says science is key to agency shake-up. Is he sincere?

When Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke launched a massive reorganization of the department last week, he said good science would help him chart the changes. But former officials are raising questions about Zinke's commitment to the scientific process. → Read More

WESTERN WATER: Draining an iconic lake was 'ludicrous,' until now

GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, Utah — "Fill Mead first" was a thought exercise when put forward two decades ago by environmentalists. However, with the growing acknowledgement that neither of the Western reservoirs of Lake Mead nor Lake Powell has been filled anywhere close to capacity since 2000 -- and that climate change will increasingly stress water resources along the Colorado River… → Read More

INTERIOR: Leaked strategic plan touts energy, omits climate

Development on public lands will play a key role in allowing America to "achieve and maintain" energy dominance, according to a leaked draft of the Interior Department's fiscal 2018-22 strategic plan. → Read More

EPA: Science advisers punt yet again on biomass guidance

The fight over a wonky but high-stakes report about how U.S. EPA accounts for biomass's greenhouse gas emissions continues. → Read More

INTERIOR: Climate advisory group died quietly

A climate change science advisory group assembled by the Obama-era Interior Department is dead for now. If it's revived by the Trump administration, it will likely have a new mission. → Read More

INTERIOR: Is Zinke cherry-picking data to boost drilling?

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has a plan: Boost drilling in federal waters to raise cash for cash-strapped agency priorities. → Read More

INTERIOR: Zinke's answer about temperature is called 'stupid'

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke evaded questions yesterday about the extent of rising temperatures during a Senate budget hearing for an agency that oversees fossil fuel development on a fifth of the nation's land. → Read More

INTERIOR: Zinke wants oil revenue to fund NPS backlog

A sea wall located just 4 miles from the Interior Department's headquarters in Washington is at the top of a long list of backlogged maintenance projects amounting to more than $11 billion. To make those fixes, the department's new secretary, Ryan Zinke, has called for additional offshore oil drilling to raise money for projects that are sometimes meant to prevent damage associated with climate… → Read More

INTERIOR: Zinke says man's influence on climate is 'still unsettled'

President Trump will seek to end months of disunity in the White House this afternoon by announcing his decision on the Paris climate agreement, an issue that has sown discord among Cabinet members and senior advisers. → Read More

INTERIOR: Zinke names Alaska adviser

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke yesterday announced that a former veteran Senate staffer and longtime Alaskan will advise the agency on issues facing the Last Frontier. → Read More

BUDGET: 7 ways Trump's wish list could gut his own goals

Steep spending cuts in the budget proposal President Trump releases today would run counter to many of the administration's core energy and environment objectives. → Read More

OFFSHORE DRILLING: Green groups sue over Trump's executive order

A coalition of environmental and indigenous groups today made good on their promise to sue the federal government over President Trump's recent offshore energy executive order. → Read More

EPA: Agency asks employees 'how we can do things better'

Winds have shifted in the White House against staying in the Paris Agreement, marking an abrupt course change since last week, when climate advocates felt confident that President Trump would preserve U.S. membership with weaker targets. → Read More

OIL AND GAS: Greens: 'We'll take to the streets' to fight drilling order

President Trump this morning will sign an executive order to potentially vastly expand offshore drilling, giving environmental activists a fresh rallying cry ahead of this weekend's climate march. → Read More

OIL AND GAS: Will methane reductions continue under Trump?

Methane emissions fell in the Obama years, but whether the decline will continue under President Trump is a matter of fierce debate. → Read More

POLITICS: Transition aide: We're not 'quite done' with executive orders

President Trump could issue new executive orders related to the environment and energy, according to a former transition official. Mike McKenna, the former head of the Department of Energy transition team, said yesterday that offshore energy development and aspects of the Antiquities Act are the most likely contenders for action under Trump's pen. → Read More

NEWSMAKER: The horse Zinke rode in on

U.S. Park Police Officer Robert Marcoux can't finish a story without being interrupted by his partner, a towering 17-year-old Irish sport horse named Tonto. → Read More