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Energy and moose are hot topics on the last night of the RNC

OK, Joe Lieberman is still the only person to mention either “global warming” or “climate change” in an official speech. But the energy issue is hot tonight, as is bashing Barack Obama and other Democrats for opposing expanded domestic drilling. The key excerpts: Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.): “The choice in this election is clear … […]

Police and protesters clash outside as bored crowd hears about Palin’s love of mooseburgers

I’m inside the Xcel Center for tonight’s official proceedings, the final of the Republican National Convention. Outside, anti-war protesters are attempting to march on the convention. On my way in, the police had surrounded them on a bridge near the capitol building, and apparently they’ve arrested at least dozen of them. The police are in […]

House GOP leaders call for their energy bill, or no energy bill at all

House Democrats are planning to co-opt the idea of an “all of the above” energy policy that the Republican congressional leadership has been pushing, offering them a bill that includes an expansion of offshore drilling, coupled with a renewable electricity mandate, energy-efficiency standards for buildings, and provisions to raise taxes on the oil industry. This […]

Most revealing Palin energy whopper: Iran could cut off a fifth of the world’s energy supplies

Palin’s full speech contained yet another energy lie, one that is very revealing: To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of the world’s energy supplies … Not even close. Yes, if you live in a world where the only energy source is oil, then the Persian Gulf countries […]

Snippets from the news

• BLM releases plan for opening public land to oil-shale development. • What are the effects of public participation on environmental policymaking? • Media ignores Energy Dept. data when reporting on drilling. • Chile reforms salmon farms. • U.S. now world leader in wind electricity generation. • California prepares for water crisis.

Benitez of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers says deal imminent with Whole Foods

I’m a lame blogger when it comes to breaking news at conferences, when my brain typically reaches explosion point with all the information zooming in. I should have live-blogged this Saturday, while I was taking in Slow Food Nation’s “Toward a new, fair food system” panel: Coalition of Immokalee Workers leader Lucas Benitez revealed that […]

Lowballing the future of oil costs money

At a glance, this San Francisco Chronicle article is a bit difficult to parse, but it points to exactly the reason why I’ve been ranting about lousy oil price forecasts churned out by federal U.S. agencies (see here, here, and here). To wit: The Environmental Protection Agency says another arm of the Bush administration may […]

EPA requires emissions cuts by lawn mowers and speedboats

Gas-powered lawn mowers and speedboat engines will be cleaner under new regulations announced Thursday by the U.S. EPA. By 2011, engines in new lawn and garden equipment must emit 35 percent less smog-forming emissions, and recreational watercraft must cut emissions 70 percent by 2010. “EPA’s new small engine standards will allow Americans to cut air […]

In her big speech, Palin repeats the GOP’s big energy lie — plus three other energy lies

Excerpts from Palin’s big speech: Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America’s energy problems — as if we all didn’t know that already. But the fact that drilling won’t solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all. Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re […]

A few thoughts on an amazing event — and a recipe for a delectably slow-cooked pasta sauce

Say cheese: a sample of Slow Food Nation’s Taste Pavilion. Photo: Russ Walker It’s going to take me more than just a few days to fully understand the effects and implications of the first Slow Food Nation, held in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend. The brain power on display was impressive enough: Wendell Berry, […]