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New report indicates

Here's an amusingly giddy account of a recent report released by CIA types: "National Security Consequences of U.S. Oil Dependency."

Oil Drum covered it back when it came out, but if you haven't had a look, do check it out. It's a significant sign of intellectual life in the halls of power.

60 groups fight for modest energy efficiency budget

Wow, this is sad:

In a letter sent today to the Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Appropriations, 60 business, environmental, and faith-based organizations urged Congress to reject the White House Fiscal Year 2007 (FY07) budget request for the U.S. Department of Energy's renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. Instead, they called for full funding of the cross-section of sustainable energy programs up to the levels authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct).

Talk about fighting for scraps.

Read the full letter (PDF). They're haggling over millions of dollars. A single Pentagon weapons program could cover all these expenses 100 times over. Priorities ...

WTF?

I am shocked -- shocked! -- to learn that not a single Gristmill post appeared in the top ten posts of 2006. What about my classic post on cogeneration? The kids went crazy over that one!

In the NYT and Sierra

Congrats to The New York Times for its excellent "Energy Challenge" series, which Revkin tells me will be an ongoing concern for the paper into the new year. It's packed with info and marks the decisive mainstreaming of this debate.

That said, I'm not sure the reader forum is working for me. Surely there's a better way of presenting this stuff than a single vertical column of comments -- as of right now, 412 comments. It's a bit overwhelming.

Anyway, while I'm passing out kudos, check out the latest issue of Sierra Magazine as well. It's also about "Energizing America." It hypes energy efficiency and bashes ethanol and nuclear power, and that's aces in my book.

Hog wash

The sub-heading of this great new Rolling Stone piece says it all:

"America's top pork producer churns out a sea of waste that has destroyed rivers, killed millions of fish and generated one of the largest fines in EPA history. Welcome to the dark side of the other white meat."

Oh, and one more nice fact: Hogs in America produce three times more excrement than all us humans combined.

Ew

Here's the money quote:

Animal cloning is the latest step in a long history of reproductive tools for farmers and ranchers, and can effectively help livestock producers deliver what consumers want: high-quality, safe, abundant and nutritious foods in a conscientious and consistent manner.

And you know what, they're right. When the environment is viewed simply as a means to an end, cloning is no different than any other agricultural practice.

A blogger suggests a $1.00/gallon fuel tax — after the first 30 gallons

A political commentator named Rick Gray has proposed imposing a federal surtax of $1.00/gallon on gasoline and diesel, exempting each licensed adult driver from the surtax on the first 30 gallons purchased each month. His idea is to discourage "excessive" driving -- but I wonder about unintended consequences. Do you, fellow gristers, see merit in this idea?

The first third of Gray's column makes the case for cutting back oil consumption, which I reckon need not be repeated here. The rest is quoted below:

Many goodies herein

The holidays have left me way behind the news, and you know what that means: a linky post! On your mark, get set, analysis-free hand-waving:

The feds may list polar bears as endangered. That could trigger Endangered Species Act provisions that force the government to take steps to protect the remaining bears. Only way to do that? Stop global warming. This is one to keep a close eye on.

Joel Makower flags some potentially historic news: Wal-Mart has put out an RFP for solar systems to power its stores in five states. If a proposal is accepted (the store will announce on Feb. 28) and the store buys as much as it says it will, this will be by far the largest corporate procurement of solar power ever, and will transform the solar industry. And to those who will inevitably chime in with the bit about how Wal-Mart is still evil, I remind you: The choice is not between solar Wal-Mart and no Wal-Mart; the choice is between solar Wal-Mart and the status quo.

I missed this when it first went up, but over on Worldchanging there's a fantastic, fascinating first-person account from Serge de Gheldere of traveling to Nashville to learn how to give Al Gore's climate slide show.

Gale, Gale, Gale

Gale Norton, former Secretary of Interior, takes job with Shell Oil:

Cycling team is first carbon-neutral pro sports team in U.S.

Congratulations to the Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling Team presented by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. for having a ridiculously corporatastic name becoming the first carbon-neutral U.S. professional sports team. The KGPCTpbSNBC will offset 100 percent of team-produced carbon emissions in 2007, including travel, support crew, and team members' home electricity use. Team marketing director Rob O'Dea has the sound bite:

This program allows our team to take a leadership position in raising the bar of personal responsibility, and in creating awareness of the new tools that exist for individuals and organizations to take tangible steps to improve the air we breathe. We're glad to have a chance to offset the pollution we create by supporting the development of clean, renewable wind power.

Thanks for that, Rob.