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The urgency to begin CO2 reduction via efficiency

If what you want to do is solve global warming, the core strategy is energy efficiency. Efficiency may have displaced more than half of all the new growth in electric consumption last year alone. It is already adding more capacity to the U.S. electric resource than all fossil and renewable fuels combined. It has done so for almost forty years, at least. So raising it enough to eliminate the new growth and some of the existing growth is not only fairly practical, it is cheaper than keeping the old coal plants operating.

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens indicted on corruption charges

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, has been indicted on seven charges related to a corruption probe involving oil-services company VECO. Check out our past coverage of the Stevens scandal.

Solar thermal expected to double every 16 months for the next five years

Solar baseload, concentrated solar thermal electric (with a few hours of storage), is a core climate solution. Earth Policy Institute has a useful update with lots of data,"Solar Thermal Power Coming to a Boil" (reprinted below). Key factoid:

With concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) capacity expected to double every 16 months over the next five years, worldwide installed CSP capacity will reach 6,400 megawatts in 2012-14 times the current capacity.

You can find the existing large solar baseload plants and the 50 or so currently proposed solar baseload plants here.

EPI has an astonishing goal of "cutting carbon emissions 80 percent by 2020," with a goal of 200,000 MW of solar baseload worldwide. I think the solar baseload goal is doable, but the carbon goal makes me a techno-pessimist -- heck, it makes Al Gore a techno-pessimist. Here is the update by Jonathan G. Dorn:

Note: The rest of this post is the EPI article.

EPA staffers told not to talk to media, inspector general, or anyone else

Staffers at the U.S. EPA’s office of enforcement were instructed recently not to talk to anyone from the media, the Government Accountability Office, or the EPA’s own inspector general‘s office in an email from a top EPA official. “If you are contacted directly by the IG’s office or GAO requesting information of any kind … […]

Congress agrees on product-safety bill banning phthalates, lowering lead in toys

The U.S. House and Senate have agreed to a compromise product-safety bill that would ban phthalates from children’s toys, lower toy lead levels, and require third-party safety testing before toys are put on the market. In 2007, some 45 million toys were recalled for high lead levels and other safety defects, and the resulting parental […]

Congress hopes to break energy deadlock before August recess — but don’t hold your breath

Members of Congress are desperate to pass anything something on energy this week before August recess begins on Friday and they head home to face voters restive over gas prices. But Democrats and Republicans are so bitterly divided over what to do that prospects for progress look uncertain at best. Democrats in both branches of […]

Beads in many face scrubs harmful to marine life

Photo: Perfecto Insecto. Plastic needs a new slogan, LOLcat–style: Im in ur facewash, hurting teh fishes. Slate, YahooGreen, and now EarthFirst are reporting that the tiny exfoliating beads in many facial scrubs are made of polyethylene, and once the beads get washed down the drain and make their way to the ocean, it’s time for […]

Four encouraging signs from Big Oil’s backyard

After Nerdi Gras (Netroots Nation), I took a couple days off to dry-out and trotted over to Houston to visit my parents. It came as no surprise that Houston is booming due to the skyrocketing price of oil. But I also learned a few surprising things that gave me hope that brighter days are ahead for the rest of us well. Because if Houston can get it right, who can't?

Why flying sux

Ever wondered why air travel sucks so bad these days? Chris Hayes, D.C. editor at The Nation, asked a source inside the industry. The answer is fascinating. You’ll not be surprised to find out high fuel prices play a big role.

Snippets from the news

• Alliance of black churches speaks out on climate change. • Beijing may ban 90 percent of cars to clear air for Olympics. • Gulf dead zone second-largest ever. • First U.S. coal-to-liquids plant to be built in West Virginia. • U.S. Army works to cut carbon bootprint. • American Trucking Association sues California ports. […]