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News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Transportation

New Report: Long-Term Drop in How Much People Drive, Youth Desire More Transportation Options

A new report released today by the Maryland PIRG Foundation demonstrates that Americans have been driving less since the middle of last decade. The report, Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People are Driving Less and What it Means for Transportation Policy, shows that young people in particular are decreasing the amount they drive and increasing their use of transportation alternatives.

 

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Report | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Transportation

Transportation and the New Generation

During the second half of the 20th century, the total number of miles driven in America steadily increased. Then, at the turn of the century, the trend changed. Americans now drive less than we did in the mid-2000s—both in absolute and per-capita terms.

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News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Budget

New Report: Maryland Receives a “C+” in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending

Maryland received a “C+” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the Maryland Public Interest Research Group (Maryland PIRG).  

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Report | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Budget

Following the Money

The ability to see how government uses the public purse is fundamental to democracy. Transparency in government spending promotes fiscal responsibility, checks corruption, and bolsters public confidence.

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News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Safe Energy

Nuclear Power Plants Threaten Drinking Water for 200,000 Marylanders

The drinking water for 200,000 people in Maryland could be at risk of radioactive contamination from a leak or accident at a local nuclear power plant, says a new study released today by Maryland PIRG Foundation (Maryland PIRG) and Environment Maryland Research and Policy Center.

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News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Transportation

New Report: Long-Term Drop in How Much People Drive, Youth Desire More Transportation Options

A new report released today by the Maryland PIRG Foundation demonstrates that Americans have been driving less since the middle of last decade. The report, Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People are Driving Less and What it Means for Transportation Policy, shows that young people in particular are decreasing the amount they drive and increasing their use of transportation alternatives.

 

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Budget

New Report: Maryland Receives a “C+” in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending

Maryland received a “C+” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the Maryland Public Interest Research Group (Maryland PIRG).  

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Safe Energy

Nuclear Power Plants Threaten Drinking Water for 200,000 Marylanders

The drinking water for 200,000 people in Maryland could be at risk of radioactive contamination from a leak or accident at a local nuclear power plant, says a new study released today by Maryland PIRG Foundation (Maryland PIRG) and Environment Maryland Research and Policy Center.

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News Release | Consumer Protection

Toxic Chemical in Household Products Endangers Children’s Health

An unlikely coalition of nurses, firefighters, consumer advocates and concerned parents have joined forces to call on the Maryland General Assembly to ban a toxic chemical and switch to safer alternatives.

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News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection

Survey Finds Toxic or Dangerous Toys on Store Shelves

Dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America’s store shelves, according to a Maryland Public Interest Research Group’s 26th annual Trouble in Toyland report.

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Result | Safe Energy

Commission Renews and Expands Commitment to EmPOWER Maryland

The Maryland Public Service Commission has ordered a series of measures that will expand and refocus—and ultimately improve—programs designed to meet the goals of the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act of 2008.

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Report | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Transportation

Transportation and the New Generation

During the second half of the 20th century, the total number of miles driven in America steadily increased. Then, at the turn of the century, the trend changed. Americans now drive less than we did in the mid-2000s—both in absolute and per-capita terms.

> Keep Reading
Report | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Budget

Following the Money

The ability to see how government uses the public purse is fundamental to democracy. Transparency in government spending promotes fiscal responsibility, checks corruption, and bolsters public confidence.

> Keep Reading
Report | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Safe Energy

Too Close to Home

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which took place in March 2011, delivered a reminder to the world that nuclear power comes with inherent risks. Among the risks demonstrated by the Fukushima crisis is the threat of water contamination—including contamination of drinking water supplies by radioactive material.

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Report | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland: The 26th Annual Survey of Toy Safety

The 2011 Trouble in Toyland report is our 26th annual survey of toy safety. In this report, we provide safety guidelines for consumers when purchasing toys for young children and provide examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards.

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Report | Safe Energy

Unacceptable Risk

American nuclear power plants are not immune to the types of natural disasters, mechanical failures, human errors, and losses of critical electric power supplies that have characterized major nuclear accidents such as the one at Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan. Indeed, at several points over the last 20 years, American nuclear power plants have experienced “close calls” that could have led to damage to the reactor core and the subsequent release of large amounts of radiation.

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Blog Post | Safe Energy

What Are the Main Threats Posed by the Crisis at Fukushima? | Carly Mercer

The unfolding events in Japan are a sobering reminder that nuclear power is inherently dangerous.

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Blog Post | Safe Energy

What Do the Radiation Levels Reported in the Media Mean? | Carly Mercer

News agencies have reported radiation measurements from nearby the Fukushima nuclear reactor, as well as in other locations in Japan, such as Tokyo. The following is an attempt to explain those measurements and put them in context.

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Blog Post | Safe Energy

What Level of Radiation Exposure Is "Safe"? | Carly Mercer

Japanese officials and outside experts have repeatedly stated that levels of radiation found in areas surrounding the Fukushima nuclear power plant pose no “immediate risk to human health.” This has often been misinterpreted to mean that this level of exposure to radiation is “safe.”

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Blog Post | Safe Energy

How Are Other Countries Advising Their Citizens to React to the Fukushima Disaster? | Carly Mercer

Today (March 16), various foreign governments encouraged their nationals to consider relocation in response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

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  • DANGEROUS TOYS ON STORE SHELVES?
    Find out what to watch out for — from toxic chemicals to choking hazards — in our “Trouble In Toyland” report.
    Get the report
  • Growing Up Toxic
    A growing body of research demonstrates the link between toxic chemicals and serious health burdens, including cancer and learning disabilities, especially in young children.
    Get the report
  • How Your Taxes Become Twinkies
    Find out how government subsidies disproportionately benefit junk food over fresh fruit and vegetables.
    Get the report
  • Saving Energy and Saving Money
    Our report found that Marylanders are beginning to reap the benefits of the state’s ambitious efforts to improve energy efficiency and measures to cut peak demand.
    Get the report

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