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Last week, the world lost a great servant leader and policy entrepreneur, Edwin J. Feulner, PhD., founder and longtime president of The Heritage Foundation. I had the honor of working closely with Ed from 2001 to 2005 as his Chief of Staff at The Heritage Foundation. He was my boss, then he was my mentor, and over the years he became my enduring and dear friend.
Environment
In a “soul-searching” exercise, Democrats have quickly learned just how much Americans care about the cost of living. Policymakers on both sides of the aisle should embrace innovations that lower costs for consumers and reduce unwanted environmental byproducts. One area to start is the plastics sector.
Policy
On July 4, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump. Among its many provisions, the bill includes tax code reforms that allow businesses to immediately and fully expense new capital investments and research and development (R&D) costs, effective in the 2025 tax year.
Agriculture
The more we innovate, the cleaner our environment tends to get. This correlation shows itself across many sectors of the American economy. Agriculture is no exception.
Policy
With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) and President Trump’s Executive Order restricting the use of renewable tax credits, most reports and commentary have postulated that recent actions have cast a dark cloud over the future of clean energy in America. But the future of economically viable clean energy remains bright.
Tech
Artificial Intelligence is advancing fast, and so is its appetite for more reliable power. AI data centers require a massive amount of energy, prompting innovators and policymakers to seek alternative solutions that support the growth of this technology without placing additional strain on the power grid or imposing higher electric bills on households.
Culture
While most Republican presidents have campaigned on some version of energy independence or an “all-of-the-above” energy approach, President Donald Trump goes further—no longer just independence, but dominance is the goal.
Infrastructure
However, real life doesn’t always play out like a Schoolhouse Rock civics lesson. Consider NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act.
Tech
A big barrier to widespread solar power adoption across the rental market is the misaligned incentives in place. Because tenants are typically responsible for their own utility bills, there is no financial incentive for landlords to install this renewable energy source on their properties.
Conservation
But these landscapes and ecosystems cannot thrive without intentional conservation and responsible stewardship. That’s why it was fitting that the President signed the “Make America Beautiful Again” executive order one day before Independence Day, an initiative aimed at conserving and restoring America’s natural environment for future generations.
