Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. It could be many things: God, love, E.T., or even Michael Jackson. But today, right now, it is wind. Wind has always been around. I think that few would argue with that. But wind power, on the other hand, has been hidden from mankind’s […]
A New Report Shows That Wind is More Popular Than the Beatles Read More 👉
According to Missouri Senator Kit Bond (R) the cap and trade Waxman-Markey Bill “is really a pig in a poke.” That’s what he told the committee on Tuesday, anyway. Given the opportunity to speak in front of a committee on the financial impacts that the climate bill would have on farmers, Senator Bond wasted no time calling the bill a hoax.
Cap and Trade Climate Bill Is "A Pig in a Poke" Read More 👉
With the historic passage of climate legislation through the House of Representatives, many concerns have trickled forth. Does the climate legislation do enough? Will it even work? Does it have the right aim? With the issuance of similar concerns have come proposed solutions and substitutions. The republicans have proposed that 100 nuclear power plants be built by 2030 in place of the proposed cap-and-trade climate bill. I’ve recently written two articles on the republican “solution” to both the climate and economic crises. And today I’m writing more.
With overwhelming support from the general American people and a President who says that we really need to do something about climate change, the House of Representatives passed a landmark bill on climate change on June 20th. A victory! Or maybe not. The bill is a major step forward in gesture in many ways. However,
Stronger Climate Bill Necessary: Waxman-Markey Bill Needs Work Read More 👉
[social_buttons] More money was distributed today by the Department of Energy. 141 million dollars to be more precise. This time Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands and Texas will play beneficiaries of the Recovery Act. As a part of the Department’s State Energy Program, which has been apportioned $3.1 billion, states and territories
Show Me the Money: More Recovery Act Funding Put Toward State Energy Programs Read More 👉
[social_buttons] I can see clearly now, the smoke is gone. Or prevented. Thanks to the Sierra Club, who celebrated a landmark in the fight against coal today. Thanks to advocacy in favor of ending coal, Intermountain Power decided to pull the plug on a coal plant in Delta, Utah, making the 100th plant to be
100 Down: Sierra Club Celebrates the Abandonment of Another Coal-Fired Power Plant Read More 👉
Oil and gas leases have been a hot topic for a long time, especially since the controversial disruption of a BLM land sale by student activist Tim DeChristopher in Salt Lake City this past December. The sale which, according to some, was a midnight move by the Bush administration found itself floundering when an unknown bidder (DeChristopher) won parcel after parcel of land. Since December the leased parcels have been pulled back and forth between the BLM and the Interior, between developers and nature-lovers.
"Tug-O-War" Oil and Gas Lease Sites Must Past Tribal Test Read More 👉
The U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that up to $32 million dollars of Recovery Act funding will be used to expand the harvest of hydroelectric power. “There’s no one solution to the energy crisis, but hydro-power is clearly part of the solution and represents a major opportunity to create more clean energy jobs,” said Secretary Chu.
Obama Administration Announced Plans to Expand Hydroelectric Program Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Colony Collapse Disorder is still with us …though not getting the same press it did the last couple of years. According to a joint survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America and the Agricultural Research Service’s Bee Research Laboratory, 29 percent of honey bee colonies vanished between September 2008 and April 2009. That
Five Things You Can Do To Help The Bees Read More 👉
“We all remember this time last year,” said Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday. “We were in the midst of an energy crisis, paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline, and Americans were seeing their utility bills skyrocketing.” Since then, he went on to say, the energy problems haven’t disappeared and no changes in policy have been made.
Republicans Call For 100 New Nuclear Plants Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Editor’s Note: This was a multi-party contribution involving Kim Komenich (photos) Kwan Booth (text) NewsDesk.org (editing) Spot.Us (financial support). This is part of a series that we’ll be posting over the next week. Just about any long-term West Oakland resident can rattle off a list of health issues effecting their community: toxins from cargo
[social_buttons] In southeast Utah rests a peaceful town located on the banks of a peaceful river. Here the Green River flows between two canyons, Gray and Labyrinth, allowing for farming and ranching in an arid desert. Driving through Green River, Utah doesn’t take but a few moments, including a stop to purchase some mouth-watering melons,
Nuclear Power Plant's Water Rights Threaten Endangered Species Read More 👉
San Ramon, CA – Much will be said at the Chevron Corporation’s shareholder conference this week; the agenda is full. However, there will be little said about Chevron’s involvement in controversial projects concerning tar sand. Despite the requests of shareholders owning $31.4 billion dollars, Chevron will remain quiet, keeping the Alberta tar sand projects off the
The Most Destructive Project on Earth: Chevron Escapes Tar Oil Accountability Read More 👉
The Obama administration’s Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, announced today that he won’t be changing George W. Bush’s rule that global factors, such as climate change, cannot be considered in analyzing the polar bear’s survival. [social_buttons] The rule, instituted in the last months of Bush’s presidency, prohibit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and National
Obama Administration Won't Save Polar Bear from Bush's Rule Change Read More 👉
With the recent successes in stopping the further expansion of coal-based energy, activists direly need a complete list of proposed mining projects. While SourceWatch.org already hosts the CoalSwarm database with all sorts of information about coal plants across different states, it’s lacking information on proposed coal mines. Legal opposition and community protests have been shown
No New Coal: Help List All Proposed Coal Mines in the US Read More 👉
When a new coal preparation plant decided to begin construction without first securing a permit, Plains Justice with the Dakota Resource Council and local residents jumped at the opportunity to file a complaint against the company. With the complaint challenging the plant’s construction, Great Northern Power Development withdrew its application for a new coal mine
Anti-Coal Movement Celebrates Big Win in North Dakota Read More 👉
Baard Energy withdrew an application for federal loans for a $6 billion coal-to-liquids plant in Illiinois last week. The company cited lawsuits by the Sierra Club and National Resource Defense Council for blocking the project. [social_buttons] “Baard keeps claiming this is a clean coal facility and nothing could be further from the truth,” said Nachy
Liquid "Clean Coal" Project Dropped After Legal Challenges Read More 👉
Residents of Centerville, Virginia have sued Dominion Virginia Power to the tune of $1 billion for supplying 1.5 million tons of toxic fly ash to fill the hills of a nearby golf course. [social_buttons] The attorneys representing 400 Centerville residents claim that Dominion knew that the substance they supplied to the Battlefield Golf Club would
Residents Sue Over Coal Ash Dump Disguised as Golf Course Read More 👉
Today seven activists are facing a crowd of some of the world’s biggest proponents of coal-based energy at the World Coal-to-Liquids Conference 2009 in Washington, DC. [social_buttons] The group, acting as Rising Tide DC, interrupted the planned panel discussion to interject some ideas of their own about the environmental detestation caused by coal technologies. The
Activists Storm the Stage at DC Coal-to-Liquids Conference Read More 👉
Where does your bottled water originate? Is the company bottling public water and selling it for profit? [social_buttons] Most water companies try their hardest to hide this information, but if a new bill that just was approved by committee today in the California state assembly takes hold, the companies would be forced to sing a
CA State Bill Seeks Disclosure from Bottled Water Companies Read More 👉
Just days after news leaked that Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency will designate CO2 as a pollutant, the EPA has announced that hundreds of mountaintop removal coal mining permits will be put on hold while their impact on streams and waterways is evaluated. [social_buttons] Mountaintop removal is a controversial method of extracting coal that literally blows
EPA Stops Mountaintop Removal; Waterways Still Not Safe? Read More 👉
Researchers at Wuhan University in China discovered that adding chicken manure to soil contaminated with crude oil triggered degradation of 75% of the oil within two weeks. “The use of chicken manure to stimulate crude oil biodegradation in the soil could be one of the several sought-after environmentally friendly ways of abating petroleum hydrocarbon pollution
Chicken Poop Cleans Up Crude Oil in Soil Read More 👉
Two groups that oppose mountaintop removal coal mining have been told they are not welcome to hold their upcoming meetings at a former Boy Scout camp deep in the coal fields of eastern Kentucky — despite both having held events there without incident in the past. [social_buttons] Jim Scheff of Kentucky Heartwood said his group
Coal-Friendly Campground Cancels Two Activist Retreats Read More 👉
Spring your clock ahead one hour this Sunday! Benjamin Franklin once noted that by waking up earlier to make use of the morning sunlight, Parisians saved on candles. We see from this comment that the argument for Daylight Savings as it relates to energy consumption–most notably energy from lighting the home–began long ago.
Daylight Savings = Energy Savings? Read More 👉
The common toad is becoming much less common in England due to a sharp increase in traffic- and road-related deaths, but with the help of Google Earth, some conservationists hope to reverse the trend. [social_buttons] Froglife, an amphibian conservation group, has mapped 700 crossings throughout the United Kingdom with a tweaked Google Earth application. The
Frogger Made Real: Using Google Earth to Map Toad Crossings Read More 👉
“Leave No Trace” has always been an honored credo of the Boy Scouts of America. The trumpeted tenet is supposed to refer to ethical guidelines which preach having a minimal impact on land, nature and wildlife. But according to a recent investigation, the Boy Scouts have been caught logging over 34,000 acres of pristine forest
Boy Scouts of America Clearcut Forests, Leave No Trace Read More 👉
Congratulate yourself for wanting to learn more about the main cause of global warming. Not only does our species create huge problems that are beyond the ability of other animals to create, but we have the fortunate ability to analyze them and work to bring an end to their consequences. You are now actively engaged
How Do Humans Cause Global Warming? Read More 👉
Public land near Arches National Park, Dinosaur Monument, and Canyonlands N.P. may get spared from a “midnight fire sale” on Friday for energy leases in Utah. [social_buttons] National Park Service officials have protested over some of the lease sales near the parks and monuments, resulting in deferrals for all or part of 23 parcels (37,731
This holiday season, you can save a cloud forest, adopt a tiger and remove 1 ton of CO2. Although none of it will fit in a box or under the tree, Changing the Present makes all these things possible by giving consumers access to a variety of charitable initiatives so that they can give the gift of hope,
A proposal by Old Dominion Electric Cooperative for a new power plant in central Virginia has local environmental activists up in arms. An environmental coalition that includes the Sierra Club and Chesapeake Climate Action Network is strongly opposed to the $6 billion plant, saying they are extremely concerned and are pledging “all-out war” against the
Activists Vow All-Out War Against Plans for New Coal-Fired Power Plant in Virginia Read More 👉
[social_buttons] The League of Conservation Voters has launched a new campaign to counter Chevron’s newest greenwashed advertising blitz. In their new ads, Chevron asks, “Will You Join Us?” and gives examples of the things people can do on a personal level to stop global warming. They don’t mention what they as a company have the
If Chevron Stopped Greenwashing, These Would be Their Ads Read More 👉
In a recent Businessweek article, Kim Jeffery the CEO of Nestlé Water North America, makers of Poland Spring waters, whines (yes, whines) that they are misunderstood and not given the credit they deserve. Clearly he thinks all the charges of greenwash are unfair. But, are they? The article tells of all the environmentally preferable things
Nestle Waters CEO Whines, But Still Doesn't Walk The Walk Read More 👉
Thousands of anti-nuclear campaigners have assembled along a train route in Germany to protest the annual convoy carrying tons of nuclear waste from France to a storage facility in northeastern Germany. [social_buttons]In what is becoming an annual ritual of civil resistance and direct action in Germany, more than 15,000 anti-nuclear protesters turned out along the
The We Campaign, a project of The Alliance for Climate Protection — a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort founded by Al Gore, recently put together a 30-second TV ad called “Repower America.” It talks about the benefits of alternative energy. It says right upfront that we are “stuck with dirty and expensive energy” and asks how can
Don't let ABC get away with it! Read More 👉
Is the Iraq War all about oil? Maybe not. But even former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has acknowledged the action was “essential” to protect the world’s access to oil. With many of the world’s top-producing oil and gas fields in decline, is it unreasonable to suggest there will be more military action to defend
How Much is Military Defense of Fossil Fuels Costing Us? Up to $215 Billion a Year Read More 👉
This is a guest post by Meg Hamill, a freelance writer, also working at the environmental non-profit LandPaths in Sonoma County, California This summer at the University of Calgary in Canada, great strides were made in an air capture system, built to filter CO2 emissions from diffuse sources. Professor David Keith, director of the Institute
Air Capture System Can Filter Carbon Dioxide From Any Air, Anywhere Read More 👉
Every week sees so many developments and news stories about the environment, energy and sustainability, it’s impossible to cover them all in depth. So I thought it would be helpful to occasionally summarize some of the more interesting reports from the past week. Here are a few that caught my eye: Two South African architects
Eco-News Roundup: Stories You Might Have Missed Read More 👉
The financial markets unraveled so rapidly last week, it’s still hard to process all the developments and likely consequences. But there’s no doubt that events on Wall Street carry serious implications for our energy and environmental future as well. I can’t wrap my head around all the pieces yet (and I’m not sure if I’ll
Wall Street Meltdown Spells Disaster for Energy, Environment Too Read More 👉
In a monumental ruling, a British jury acquitted six Greenpeace activists of criminal damage charges stemming from what the activists said was an attempt to shut down a coal-fired power plant. The jury decided that the activists’ action was justifiable because the plant, which emits 20,000 tons of CO2 every day, will hold some blame
'Eco-Terrorism' Legitimized by British Court Read More 👉
A new report says that Big Oil enticed U.S. government employees with sex, drugs, and other “improper” gifts. If any doubt was left about the complicit corruption of current U.S. energy policy, a report released earlier today by the Interior Department’s inspector general stated that U.S. government employees received what they politely called “improper gifts”
Oil and Gas Industry Pays Off US Govt. with Sex, Drugs Read More 👉
It’s about time! California’s historic Fairfax Theatre claims that it will be the first major movie theater in the United States to install a solar power system to help cover its energy costs. * In addition to supplying clean energy, it will save the theater’s owner about $627,000 over the estimated thirty year life of
The First Solar Powered Movie Theater in the U.S. Read More 👉
Solar Energy Comes to the DOE Headquarters One of the largest solar power systems in Washington, D.C. was inaugurated atop the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Forrestal Building today (9-9-08). Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman, shown here, energized the system for the first time, saying: “The significance of this solar array is both practical and symbolic–it
DOE Lights-Up Forrestal Building with Solar Energy Read More 👉
Milestone Move by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission It’s taken two decades and billions of dollars, but the proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository project has finally reached a new plateau. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, (NRC) has accepted an application for licensing, and will begin a lengthy process of safety studies, hearings and public meetings. The application
Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository One Step Closer to Licensing Read More 👉
After the Phoenix Suns NBA basketball team announced last week that they were installing solar panels as part of a new green initiative, now things only seem to be getting better for the environment when it comes to the efforts of professional sports teams. The Philadelphia Eagles NFL football team announced on Sunday that they
Philadelphia Eagles Pay for Wind Energy to Power Team Read More 👉
On Thursday, Charlotte based utility company Duke Energy unveiled plans for a pilot program that will test whether or not 850 North Carolina homes can collectively produce the energy of a small solar power plant. While the panels will only be placed on 850 roofs, it is estimated that they will actually produce 16 megawatts
Will Your Roof Soon Be Part of a Solar Power Plant? Read More 👉
Why is expanded offshore drilling not the lasting solution to the U.S.’s energy problems? Besides many of the other valid reasons (decades to get to market, potential environmental devastation, oil as a global commodity), Satish Nagarajaiah offers another one: Billions and billions of dollars in potential storm-related losses. A civil and mechanical engineering professor at
Expand Offshore Drilling? Three Words for You: Katrina, Rita, Gustav Read More 👉
It may sound simplistic, but Israeli President Shimon Peres makes a good point; “The problem itself (terror and Iran), is like a swamp with mosquitos. It’s preferable to dry out the swamp than try to kill every single mosquito.” While meeting with representatives of the students’ village in the town of Dimona, Peres said; “When
Alternative Energy, the Solution to Terrorism – Peres Read More 👉
Yucca Mountain, “Yes”; transport waste through my state?, “No”; what Grand Canyon? It’s hard to tell if Senator McCain’s age is catching up with his memory, or if he’s just trying to ride a lot of fences when it comes to nuclear power. The Sierra Club sent out a release today, pointing out the Senator’s
McCain's Nuclear Razzle-Dazzle Fizzles with Inconsistencies Read More 👉
