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Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.)

Blanche Lincoln Sen. Blanche Lincoln recently called the House climate and energy bill “a complete non-starter,” and pledged that the Senate would move more slowly in crafting legislation in order to address the concerns of specific legislators and regions. Lincoln’s own concerns include potential rises in energy costs and impacts on agriculture. She has also […]

Mark Begich (D-Alaska)

Mark Begich Sen. Mark Begich beat out everyone’s favorite Senate curmudgeon, “Uncle” Ted Stevens (R), in a tight race last fall. And while he’s seen as a modest improvement in the environmental realm, he’s also a steadfast supporter of increased oil and gas drilling, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Begich has advocated for […]

Kent Conrad (D-N.D.)

Kent Conrad Sen. Kent Conrad’s colleague in the House, Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.), voted against the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act, and Conrad says he wouldn’t vote for the bill either. He also joined with three other moderate Democrats in suggesting that the climate vote should be put off until next year. Last […]

Silicon Valley VC sees bright future for green tech — and a need to engage policy makers

A BrightSource Energy solar thermal project.Photo: BrightSource EnergyDrive around the San Francisco Bay Area and you can see the emerging corporate infrastructure of the new green economy. In a downtown Oakland office tower, you’ll find the headquarters of BrightSource Energy, a solar thermal power-plant developer that has scored contacts to build more than 2,600 megawatts’ […]

Company denies its robots feed on the dead

via Wired: “We completely understand the public’s concern about futuristic robots feeding on the human population, but that is not our mission,” stated Harry Schoell, Cyclone’s CEO. The basic idea is that this is (among other things) a battlefield robot that runs on biomass it harvests on the battlefield.  I can’t imagine why anyone thought […]

Senate Minority Report on global warming not credible, says Center for Inquiry

A major political struggle surrounds current efforts to enact legislation addressing the harmful effects of climate change. Opponents of legislation limiting carbon dioxide emissions express doubt about the scientific evidence for global warming. Since the issuance of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Science Report in 2007 (the Physical Science Report, hereafter referred to as […]

As farmers battle weeds ‘conventionally,’ the chemical treadmill speeds up [UPDATED]

The never-ending war on weeds. UPDATE at bottom of post. ————————————– I’m an ag nerd, so sometimes you’ll catch me reading stuff like Delta Farm Press–a trade publication for large-scale farmers in the deep south. I find the damnedest things on those reading jags. Here’s one: farmers down there–which is cotton, soy, and corn country–are […]

Hawaii invests in climate change task force

Haleakala National Park in HawaiiPhoto courtesy Simonds via FlickrHawaii’s state legislature established a climate change task force last week to study the potential impacts of rising sea levels, eroding coast lines, ocean acidification, fiercer storms, and other expected affects of climate change, and to suggest response strategies. Lawmakers overrode a veto by Republican Gov. Linda […]

Michael Pollan on the affordability of good, local, organic food

I don’t think our goal should be to make all food in America as cheap as cheap food is now.  … If the goal is cheap food, we’re going to hurt our farmers, we’re going to hurt the environment, we’re going to hurt the public health.  The goal should be to give people the money […]

Jimmy Carter’s next big green adventure

Amid a volatile energy market and a lack of green job investments in the future, the divided Appalachian coalfields have reached a state of emergency this summer. And yet, the Obama administration remains entrenched in a regulatory state of denial. Never has there been such a moral imperative for the personal intervention of the 2002 […]