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Western states unveil draft cap-and-trade scheme

The Western Climate Initiative has unveiled a draft proposal for a regional cap-and-trade program that would kick off in 2012. The 11 states and provinces involved — Arizona, British Columbia, California, Manitoba, Montana, New Mexico, Ontario, Oregon, Quebec, Utah, and Washington — would impose an as-yet-determined greenhouse-gas emissions limit on industries and utilities, then allow […]

Not Lovins nukes

It's not news that Amory Lovins opposes the expansion of nuclear power (unlike Obama and McCain) -- it was gnawed over here at Grist quite a bit. But in case you'd like to hear, rather than read, his arguments against (which are largely economic), then Democracy Now! radio has it all for you here. There's a transcript, too, for you bibliophiles which simply insist on reading.

On the art of setting (and hitting) emission targets

Gore's call for 100 percent renewable electricity generation within 10 years may seem, at first blush, to be so far out in left field as to lack any seriousness -- but it has some commonality with established regulatory policy. For example, California's global warming law (AB 32) is rooted in Governor Schwarzenegger's Executive Order S-03-05, issued on June 1, 2005, ordering that "the following greenhouse gas emission reduction targets are hereby established for California: by 2010, reduce GHG emissions to 2000 levels; by 2020, reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels; by 2050, reduce GHG emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels."

What is notable about both Gore's and the governor's targets is that all the numbers happen to end in zero. Gore did not call for a reduction of, say, 95 percent in 13 years; his targets are evidently ballpark numbers more-or-less picked out of a hat. "One hundred percent" can basically be interpreted to mean "a whole lot" and "10 years" translates to "ASAP."

Al Gore’s got big energy plans, gray wolves back on endangered list, and more

Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: A League of His Own The Judge Who Cried Wolf The Gore-y Details This Too Shale Pass Seeking New Shores Drill Bill, Vol. 1

T. Boone Pickens’ plan is overexposed and inferior to Gore’s

It's official: T. Boone is overexposed. His monotonous TV ad runs on an endless loop, he has testified in front of Congress, he is now appearing on every cable show, and everybody quotes him even though he doesn't actually agree with anybody but himself.

What specifically bugs me:

1. His ads say we can't drill our way out of this problem, but then he says we should drill everywhere -- offshore, Alaska, your backyard.
2. He keeps pushing his absurd idea of switching over to natural gas vehicles.
3. His plan shares a great deal in common with Al Gore's, but he still goes out of his way to diss it (inaccurately, see below): "Gore's Global Warming Plan Ignores Crippling Stranglehold Foreign Oil Has on America's Economic and National Security."
4. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I/D/R ?-Conn.) said the plan is a "classically American message of honesty, determination and can-do optimism."
5. Did I mention he keeps pushing his absurd idea of switching over to natural gas vehicles, even though Russia, Iran, and Persian Gulf states have most of world's gas reserves?

The Gore critique seems to me particularly lame, as if he can't stand to share the stage with anyone else. Why else release such a petty statement as this:

Your granite countertop may emit radon and radiation

Heads up, yuppies: Must-have granite countertops may emit worrisome levels of radon and radiation. While granite is known to contain radioactive uranium, which emits radon gas as it decays, the vast majority of countertops emit far less radiation than what we’re constantly exposed to from outer space and the earth’s crust. But as demand for […]

The paper of record identifies — sort of — a new trend

New York Times food reporter Kim Severson has declared a new trend: “lazy locavores,” people who want to “eat close to home” but are too time-strapped (or lazy) to put much effort into it. According to Severson, “a new breed of business owner” has arisen to cater to their whims. She opens her piece with […]

Arctic holds vast untapped oil and gas reserves

The Arctic Ocean holds up to 20 percent of the world’s undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas reserves, according to new research from the U.S. Geological Survey. A four-year study found that the region contains up to 90 billion barrels of oil and almost a third of the world’s undiscovered natural gas — about 1,670 […]

Hurricane Dolly cancels McCain’s trip to offshore oil rig

John McCain had planned to visit an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday to tout offshore drilling and the industry’s environmental friendliness, but Hurricane Dolly canceled his plans. Dolly hit land in Texas Wednesday as a Category 2 storm, cutting oil and gas production by some 5 to 8 percent overall. McCain […]

Investigative report details threat gas drilling poses to N.Y.’s freshwater resources

Investigative news startup ProPublica this week blew some fresh air into Albany, N.Y., with a report on state regulators’ and lawmakers’ headlong rush to open up more areas to natural-gas exploration. In partnership with WNYC, ProPublica called into question the state’s conclusion that freshwater sources in the state would not be contaminated by the expanded […]