Category: News

Consumers are taking a closer look at electric vehicles as gas prices become more volatile. Most buyers have three main types of EV to choose from: HEV, PHEV, and BEV.

You have the power to change how much you spend on energy and do your part for the planet’s future. With gasoline prices more volatile than ever, an electric vehicle is one of the best ways to bring your energy use under control. Most people drive a conventional car with a gasoline or diesel engine, so it helps to understand the basics of EVs. Consumers can purchase three main types:

Hybrid electric

Hybrid — A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) burning gasoline or diesel with electric motors and battery storage. As you drive, the ICE and the electric system work together, increasing your miles per gallon and reducing the amount of gas you have to buy. Hybrids are among the oldest types of EVs on the road today, proving that the technology is reliable and popular.

Plug-in hybrid

Plug-In Hybrid — Like a standard hybrid, plug-in hybrids (PHEV) feature a small internal combustion engine paired with electric motors and a battery. However, the battery is somewhat larger and the gas tank a little bit smaller. That’s because you can plug in the car to your household outlet and let it charge overnight. You can also charge up at a charging station, which are multiplying by the thousands every year.

Keeping the battery charged means you only use gasoline when you need it, such as an extra long trip when charging isn’t as available. Many people with a plug-in hybrid go as long as a month without buying gas.

Battery-powered

Battery — The battery-only electric vehicle (BEV) gets rid of the engine entirely. Your EV is powered by electricity only, either by charging at home, usually overnight, or at a charging station. The number of these stations is expanding all the time, often in groups at lots maintained by local governments. You also find them at newer fast food restaurants, grocery stores, and shopping malls. Furthermore, the range of BEVs is growing, meaning you don’t have to worry as much about keeping the battery charged.

Plan your purchase

Buying Strategy — It’s important to study the available EV models by visiting local dealerships and searching online. Have the staff show you all the options. Many people accustomed to conventional cars move to hybrids, seeing the older style ICE as a kind of backup to the more modern battery power. A hybrid can be a stepping stone to a full BEV, especially if you live in an urban area and use a car to commute to work.

You may also be unfamiliar with many of the EV brands and manufacturers. In the U.S., the most popular EV makers are Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid. Some of the older carmakers, such as Ford and GM, have recently pulled back on their EV strategy, but rising gasoline prices may cause them to rethink their decisions. We’ve put together a list of EV makers as part of our BESt program.

Think carefully, spend wisely

Whether you’ve made an EV part of your driving future, or you’re just curious about this exciting new technology, the BES encourages you to think carefully and spend wisely. In the long-run, you’ll be reducing your energy budget and saving the planet for future generations.

What’s your experience buying and owning an EV?

Image by Benjamin Marder from Pixabay

Today’s high gasoline prices have people wondering whether an electric vehicle is in their future. Some states are offering tax credits and rebates to help spur the transition to clean transportation.

Does your anxiety spike every time to you approach your favorite fuel station? You can escape the gyrations of global geopolitics by ditching your fossil fuel vehicle for an electric vehicle. You’ve probably got a friend who boasts that she fills up her hybrid electric car just once a month. Or perhaps your neighbor with his all-electric car shakes his head every time he hears you curse your gas mileage. Now you can join the ranks of those who’ve weaned themselves off gasoline or diesel.

State tax credits and rebates

But aren’t electric vehicles expensive, compared to fossil-fueled cars and small trucks? Yes, it’s true in many cases. But several states and even a few cities, in their mission to reduce air pollution and mitigate climate change, offer rebates and tax credits to help you. The U.S. government once had a similar program, but Congress ended the program in 2025 at the behest of the administration.

Below are the states currently offering tax rebates or credits for electric vehicles purchasers, especially if you’re on a limited income. Be sure to check the details before applying.

• Colorado: $750 to $2,500
• Connecticut: Up to $4,000
• Delaware: Up to $2,500
• Illinois: Up to $4,000
• Maine: Up to $7,500
• Massachusetts: Up to $6,000
• New Jersey: $1,500
• New York: Up to $2,000
• Pennsylvania: Up to $4,000
• Rhode Island: $3,000

More states in the future?

Other states, such as California and Oregon, have offered similar programs in the past, but they might return in the future, depending on funding. Any maybe even the feds will get back into the act. Here’s a complete list of tax credits by state: https://20somethingfinance.com/electric-hybrid-tax-credits-by-state/ .

Happy electric motoring!

Did we miss your state? Let us know in the comments!

Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

The new BESt resource program makes it easy for consumers and businesses to find EV brands and makers of electric bikes and tools to help switch from a carbon-fueled past to a sustainable present.

Do you want to make the move from a fossil-fueled lifestyle to electric power? Not sure where to start? The Bureau of Environmental Security’s Public Engagement Team has the perfect solution for you! We’ve created our “BESt” resource program, which offers resources to help you ditch that old gas guzzler for a vehicle with zero carbon emissions and a maxxed coolness factor.

Or maybe you’d like to downshift to an electric bicycle. And if you own a home with some land and need to cut the grass on the weekends, we can help with the transition to battery-powered lawn gear.

16 makers of eco-friendly electric cars

Check out our BESt Eco-Friendly Products and Services page to get started. We’re currently offering fresh web pages with tables on electric vehicles (EVs), e-bike makers for commuters and businesses, and battery-powered mowers–including robotic mowers–with the same or more cutting power as their gas-powered ancestors.

The EV page covers 16 manufacturers building the main types of vehicles, including battery (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and hybrid gasoline-electric (HEV). A host of smaller and start-up EV makers get a mention. You’ll find a list of each maker’s main EV models, markets where their models are sold, and a link to their main web sites.

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E-bikes covering every need and mood

A mind-boggling number of manufacturers put together e-bikes for several different segments, ranging from casual riders to full-on delivery vehicles meant for urban environments. Our list is segmented into cargo-handlers, commuter bikes, and electric bicycles intended for families. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices and the wide range of prices, and our tables help you sort through the confusion.

Mow your lawn without harming the planet

Our BESt resource pages also feature a set of tables especially for homeowners who love to take care of their own landscaping. The days of ear-splitting small-engine mowers, blowers, and trimmers are disappearing, replace by zero-emissions variations that are much friendlier to the environment.

In fact, California has banned sales of new gas-powered lawn equipment, while other jurisdictions offer cash incentives. (Check your local city or county government for details.) Our BESt resource page features tables of manufacturers and typical pricing for new equipment, most from well-known brands.

Get good information from BESt-listed sites

Last, but not least, our team believes in supporting journalism that keeps you informed about the challenges facing our environment. Check out our BESt list of Environmental News Sources and Sites. Be sure to follow them via email or on social media.

We do not review products, accept samples for testing, or publish advertising by any of the companies we list. Our work is a public service to you as we work to enforce the Port Vila Treaty and protect our planet from environmental degradation.

Look for more BESt resources in the coming months!

Do you have an idea for a BESt list? Let us know in the comments.

A new free YouTube channel with several playlists expands the Bureau’s communications efforts, with the help of a popular climate fiction author.

As part of our ongoing efforts to communicate our mission and goals to the global public, the Bureau of Environmental Security is invited new subscribers to a free channel on YouTube, the world’s leading video sharing site. The channel is a partnership with science fiction writer J.G. Follansbee, who has written several novels and stories in the climate fiction subgenre, including the series Tales From a Warming Planet, and The Future History of the Grail.

The BES Public Engagement Team invites everyone to subscribe to the channel @BureauOfEnvironmentalSecurity or visit the channel page, https://www.youtube.com/@BureauOfEnvironmentalSecurity. The long-form videos and YouTube Shorts are produced by Follansbee, who has created several playlists for viewer convenience. (Follansbee also serves as the BES website administrator).

Bureau of Environmental Security Authorized Playlist: A growing list of BES-sanctioned videos discussing the agency’s history, role in environmental law enforcement, and programs. Most videos added over the next few months will appear in this playlist.

How to Write Fiction – Climate Writing Prompts: A series of YouTube Shorts and other videos intended to inspire climate change storytelling.

How to Write Fiction – Six Rules for Climate Fiction: Administrator Follansbee explains six major guidelines for writing fiction about climate change and environmental issues.

Dystopian Sci-Fi & Horror Stories – BES Official Readings: The Bureau encourages creative storytelling to raise awareness of the climate crisis. These videos are short stories created by Follansbee to inspire and entertain you.

Science Fiction & Fantasy – BES Official Readings: Readings by Follansbee of the first 1,000 words of his novels from the series Tales From a Warming Planet, and The Future History of the Grail, which feature strong climate change themes. The latter series is a retelling of the famed Arthurian legends.

Bureau of Environmental Security Historical Archive: This collection of videos go back to days prior to BES creation, but are kept in an archive to demonstrate the breadth of BES’s interest in the global environment.

The Public Engagement Team plans a wide variety of videos that we hope will enrich your understanding of the climate crisis. We’d love to hear your ideas on video subjects. Please comment below with your suggestions.

And don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

A good writing prompt can fire your imagination. Here’s nine prompts on the theme of humanity’s response to climate change.

The BES encourages writers and artists to tackle the current and potential impact of climate change, such as sea level rise, the migration of people from areas rendered uninhabitable by increasing temperatures, and other impacts. However, the climate crisis can overwhelm even the most creative imagination. For writers, our staff have put together nine writing prompts to spark your ideas.

1️⃣ The sea wall was a hundred years old before the robots started the repairs. Scientists say the global sea level could rise by as much as three feet in the next one hundred years. Sea walls might prevent catastrophic damage. Perhaps robots could them in good condition, protecting cities big and small.

2️⃣ The team broke the previous record for sailing across the Arctic Ocean by six hours. Climate science suggests the Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050. Maybe that creates an opportunity for a new kind of sailing race across the North Pole.

3️⃣ From orbit, the greenhouses on Antarctica looked like malachite buttons. The ice on Antarctica is vanishing, at least in places. What if that leaves open land for growing things in the summer? Imagine the greenhouses dotting a vast plain on the coast of the southern continent.

4️⃣ Jasmine’s DNA mods helped her tolerate the New Heat, until one August day. Weather data shows that the number of record-setting hot days have increased five-fold over the past few decades. What if you could get your DNA modified to help cope with the increase? And what if there’s a limit?

5️⃣ The forest remnant, a paradise in a micro-climate, was surrounded by loggers. Healthy forests are critical to fixing climate change, but they are rapidly disappearing. What if one tiny remnant of forest remained, and one person stood in the way of its destruction?

6️⃣ The engineer promised to stop global warming. Then he switched on the device. Our society depends on engineers to solve the world’s biggest problems. What if one engineer overpromised, and when he turned on his invention, the world paid a terrible price?

7️⃣ The virus emerged after an ancient lake dried out. Many scientists worry that the thawing Arctic could awaken pathogens humans have never seen. Or an ancient lake could hide a disease once thought extinct. What if that virus got loose on the world?

8️⃣ Included in the suicide note was the final reading of atmospheric CO2. Some people feel a sense of hopelessness about climate change. The graphs showing long-term trends aren’t helping. But what if someone found hope in the science, and she was able to change the world’s thinking?

9️⃣ The ship, the Arctic Traverser, hoisted sail in the Beaufort Sea. As a last resort, the world might ban fossil fuels. If that happens, how would cargo travel across the sea? By sailing ship, perhaps, sailing from Canada to Russia, by way of an ice-free Arctic Ocean.

We hope these inspire you to write a new story about humanity’s response to climate change. Be sure to submit your story to a publisher. Readers need to know that an alternative future is possible.

Do you have a writing prompt to share? Leave it in the Comments.

Image by expresswriters from Pixabay

A visit to the Environmental Crimes Tribunal in The Hague showcased its efforts to prosecute environmental crimes, highlighted by a landmark case against a terrorist group. The ECT aims to protect natural systems against exploitation while fostering a commitment to sustainability.

As a global agency with high standards, the Bureau of Environmental Security challenges every member of the team. Within my first week on staff, I was whisked off to The Hague, Netherlands to visit the Environmental Crimes Tribunal. The body’s crack team of heroic prosecutors works hand-in-glove with BES investigators to bring environmental criminals to justice, and the action happens in the offices, courtrooms, and detention center of the ECT.

Beautiful structure and an enormous garden of tulips

I’ll never forget the day the bus drove up to the ECT campus. The main building is solid, but welcoming. I felt a sense of confidence in its green and blue glass and steel exterior. When we arrived, a garden nearly a hectare in size exploded with tulip blossoms. (This is The Netherlands, after all.) In my new forest green BES uniform with its golden tulip logo, I never felt more at home.

The tour guide introduced us to the ECT in an enormous atrium faced with Italian marble. The day before, while we traveled in one of the first models of all-electric airliners able to fly across the Atlantic, I studied the ECT’s background. The Environmental Crimes Tribunal was created in the Port Vila Treaty, the document signed by all the world’s national governments. The methane “spike” (so-called because that’s what it looked like on a graph) had nearly wrecked the Earth’s climate, and everyone was determined never to let a human-caused disaster harm the planet again.

Comparison chart of international courts

Body	Authorizing Statue	Headquarters	Parent Body	Jurisdiction
Environmental Crimes Tribunal	Treaty of Port Vila and Annexes	The Hague, Netherlands	Independent	Environment, nature
International Criminal Court	Rome Statute	The Hague, Netherlands	Independent	War crimes, crimes against humanity
European Court of Human Rights	European Convention on Human Rights	Strasbourg, Austria	Independent	Human rights in Europe
International Court of Justice	United Nations Treaty	The Hague, Netherlands	United Nations	Disputes between states
US Supreme Court	US Constitution	Washington, DC	Independent	Domestic US cases, treaties
US state courts	Individual US states	State capitols	Independent	Cases within state borders

Curbing a black market with the Carbon Laws

The Treaty created the BES as well, charging it with enforcing the new environmental laws enumerated in the Treaty, especially the ban on all fossil fuels. Some people refer to these provisions as the Carbon Laws, and every government has since enacted domestic versions of these laws. Historically, once something is banned, a black market develops, and the BES spends much of its energy combating illegal petroleum and natural gas trafficking. But with the Earth’s survival at stake, no one objects to the BES’s mission and objectives.

The ECT tour guide, a young student at a local university, walked us through the courtroom complex. Every hall and room had beautiful paintings and sculptures celebrating the natural beauty of our planet. In one courtroom, we listened for a few minutes to arguments in a case of “ecocide,” a new crime created by the Port Vila Treaty. As five judges in black robes listened, an ECT prosecutor interrogated a witness who said the accused transnational corporation had destroyed a forest in the Amazon, causing several species to go extinct. Unlike previous international courts, such as the International Criminal Court, the Environmental Crimes Tribunal hears cases against nations, governments, and globe-spanning corporations for crimes against nature and global systems that keep life going, such as the seas and the atmosphere.

The famous early case of an eco-terrorist group

After a lunch of delicious local fruit preserves, tiger bread, and meats from animals genetically modified to produce less methane, we heard a presentation on one of the most famous cases investigated by the BES. I’d already learned about it in high school, but it was still exciting to hear from Nick Sorrows, the lead investigator into The Mother Earth Insurgency, the eco-terrorist group with its twisted aim of attacking clean energy it believed was controlled by mega-corporations. The case made the BES once of the most respected international law enforcement agencies in the world.

The prison holding environmental criminals

After the lecture, we visited a portion of the ECT that sent chills up my spine. Because of the unique nature of the ECT’s jurisdiction and activities, it has its own detention center in a remote area of the campus’s 100-hectare site. Billed as one of the most humane prisons on earth, the stark metal doors and green-painted walls felt cold as winter in the far north. Some people criticize the prison as too luxurious, but I wouldn’t want to spend even a single night inside. It houses some of the world’s most notorious environmental criminals, from former presidents to executives of the old, disbanded oil companies. I was glad to leave that part of the tour behind.

An exciting career ahead of me

The visit to the ECT was just the beginning of my BES training. That night in the hotel, enjoying a cocktail with my new BES colleagues, I never felt more excited about a career protecting the planet’s natural systems and endangered plants and animals from the exploitation of greedy humans. Perhaps I’m naive, but I felt then and feel now that the human race has turned a corner against its past destructive behavior. I can’t wait to tell you more about the work we do and how you can contribute.

Take the Recruit Field Qualification Exam to see if you have what it takes to work for BES.

The BES has released its public education web comic, Saving Planet Earth.

We are pleased to release our new 10-panel web comic, Saving Planet Earth: The Story of the Bureau of Environmental Security. The project is part of our on-going efforts to educate the public about the work of the BES while promoting environmental stewardship and adherence to the Carbon Laws. The comic is hosted by BES Public Information Officer, Katelyn Morris.

The comic tells the story of the world’s response to The Spike, the global methane disaster that nearly wrecked the world’s biosphere. The BES was created in the Port Vila Treaty, and it’s empowered to enforce tight restrictions on the use of fossil fuels. It also set up new institutions to adjudicate violations of the Carbon Laws.

We have plans for more web comics in the coming months. We’d love to hear your ideas! Let us know in the comments and be sure to subscribe to our blog by clicking the Subscribe button.

The project is sponsored by the BES Public Engagement Office and BES Gear.

Image credit: BES Public Engagement Office

An environmental disaster led a group of scientists to an amazing discovery. In a famous mountain range, they discovered a golden tulip, which became a symbol of ecological resilience and hope. The symbol is now part of BES history and its flag.

If you’ve ever seen a Bureau of Environmental Security (BES) uniform or patch, you’ve likely noticed our golden tulip. It’s simple, elegant, and full of meaning. I get asked all the time: why a tulip?

A Climate Disaster Changed Everything

The answer takes us back to the days after the Spike, the global methane disaster that changed everything. While studying the environmental damage in the Carpathian Mountains of Poland, a team of scientists from the European Union made an extraordinary discovery. They found a single wild tulip blooming in a rockfall beneath a retreating glacier. Its petals were a brilliant gold and unlike anything they’d ever seen.

The expedition, carried out under the Port Vila Treaty, was part of an early effort to assess post-disaster ecological conditions. That tulip, found where almost nothing else had survived, became a symbol of resilience and hope.

A Symbol Spreads Across the Globe

It didn’t take long for that symbol to spread. The golden tulip was adopted by the newly formed BES and soon appeared on patches, badges, and official documents. It’s a visual reminder of our mission: to protect the planet and restore what’s been harmed. Wearing it signals a quiet but powerful promise: to stand watch over Earth’s fragile ecosystems.

A Flag Inspires Critical Work

That promise now flies above BES outposts and field stations on our official agency flag. Designed by a talented artist working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the flag features the golden tulip emblem centered on a deep forest-green field. The flag also displays our motto: “Terra supra omnia”, which mean “Earth above all”. The flag and motto reflect our international roots and the seriousness of our mission. Today, it’s more than a flag. It’s a banner of unity for those working on the front lines of environmental protection.

Whether you’re wearing it on your sleeve, pinning it to your pack, or waving it in the wind, the tulip reminds us that from loss, life can return. And protecting that life is what BES is all about.

Image: Wild Tulip (Tulipa sylvestris) Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Katelyn Morris is a public information officer, working in the Eugene, Ore., regional office. Using her sustainability marketing experience, she oversees the agency’s digital communications strategy and content creation.

For Immediate Release – Eugene, Ore., USA – The Bureau of Environmental Security (BES) has announced the appointment of Katelyn Morris as a Public Information Officer in its Public Engagement Office (PEO). Morris will lead digital communications and social media strategy for the Bureau, advancing public understanding of the Port Vila Treaty and the agency’s global environmental protection mission.

A Strategic Communicator

As part of the Public Engagement Office, Morris will manage and develop content for BES social media accounts, including BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. She will also oversee updates to the official BES website and contribute to outreach materials, infographics, and blog articles that communicate the Bureau’s enforcement activities and environmental programs.

Background and Experience

Morris holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and communications from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. Before joining BES, she served as a brand manager for a national cosmetics and lifestyle company, where she helped lead its transition toward a sustainability-focused message.

Her experience in brand development, public engagement, and digital storytelling will strengthen the Bureau’s capacity to share accurate, timely information with the public.

Commitment to Environmental Stewardship

Born in Bellevue, Wash., USA, Morris comes from a family deeply engaged in environmental advocacy. Known for her friendly and creative communication style, she combines professional expertise with a personal dedication to environmental justice and sustainable living.

“The Bureau’s mission reflects everything I care about,” Morris said. “I’m honored to help tell the stories of the people and programs protecting our planet. Communicating environmental progress clearly and honestly is how we inspire others to join the effort.”

Morris is based in the Bureau’s Pacific West regional headquarters in Eugene.

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Authorized and created by the Port Vila Treaty, the Bureau of Environmental Security is a supra-national agency tasked with planetary environmental protection, climate change arrest planning and strategy, and carbon law enforcement.

Col. Raleigh Penn has been appointed Commanding Officer of the Pacific West Sub-Zone of the Bureau of Environmental Security, bringing extensive experience to address critical environmental crimes challenges.

For Immediate Release – Washington, D.C. – The Bureau of Environmental Security is pleased to announce the appointment of Col. Raleigh Penn to the position of Commanding Officer of the Pacific West Sub-Zone of the North American Biosphere Management Zone. Col. Penn was appointed to the role at the recommendation of the US government under the Treaty of Port Vila. The Governing Board of the BES confirmed the appointment unanimously.

Minister: ‘A wealth of experience’

“Col. Penn brings a wealth of experience to this critical leadership position in the Bureau,” said Interior Minister Isabella Constantinou. “The Pacific West district faces an almost overwhelming number of environmental challenges as the planet copes with the ongoing climate crisis.”

Achieving a long-held dream

“My appointment to this position fulfills a long-held dream to serve the world community as it struggles with continuous disrespect for the environment,” Penn said. “I’ve assured Minister Constantinou that I will not rest until those who break the Carbon Laws and other environmental regulations are brought to justice.”

Distinguished military career

Col. Penn has more than 20 years experience as an investigator. Starting his career as a military police officer, he rose to deputy chief investigator of the army’s criminal investigations division (CID). Prior to his appointment, Penn worked as investigator in a private security firm that specialized in environmental crimes. In his new role, he will oversee nearly 200 investigators and technicians from the Pacific West headquarters in Springfield, Oregon, USA.

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Authorized and created by the Port Vila Treaty, the Bureau of Environmental Security is a supra-national agency tasked with planetary environmental protection, climate change arrest planning and strategy, and carbon law enforcement.