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Bali conference goes into second week

The latest from Bali: On Saturday, a draft text was produced suggesting that developed nations cut emissions between 25 and 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. The U.S. and Japanese delegations were displeased; by Monday, that target was reportedly dropped. Sen. John Kerry paid a visit to assure delegates, “I am convinced the politics […]

Greed versus green on the energy bill

This post is by ClimateProgress guest blogger Bill Becker, Executive Director of the Presidential Climate Action Project.

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As the new energy bill hit the Senate with a thud last week, we had to ask: Is it really so easy to stall vital public policy with tired old scare tactics? Last Friday, the answer was "yes."

One of the potholes the bill has encountered is its $13 billion take-back from Big Oil. The bill proposes to repeal tax breaks given to the industry by the Republican-controlled Congress in 2004-2005 and to close some tax loopholes that allow oil companies to game the system when they report income from foreign oil and gas extraction.

Predictably, the oil industry and the White House complained about a tax increase and warned of higher prices at the pump -- two time-tested themes to trigger knee-jerk opposition from the public.

Let's break it down.

More on feedlots and distillers grains

Last week, I wrote about how feeding cows waste from the ethanol process, known as distillers grains, seems to increase incidence of the deadly pathogen E. coli 0157:H7. I added that — coincidentally or not — a recent spike in recalls of E. coli 0157:H7-tainted hamburger meat has coincided with a surge in distillers grains […]

Innovator patents floating wind turbine

Traditional wind turbines have gotten a bad rap from NIMBY folk and bird advocates, but innovator Mac Brown thinks he can sway the haters. Meet the Magenn Air Rotor System (MARS), a 100-foot-wide, helium-filled turbine tethered to the earth by a copper cable. Hovering at 1,000 feet, MARS is capable of producing 10 kilowatts of […]

Rudy Giuliani’s ties to dirty energy and efforts to kill the Senate energy bill

You might recall that a while back there was talk of a(nother) presidential forum on climate and energy, to be convened by Al Gore and Arnold Schwarzenegger in New Hampshire, involving all the candidates from both parties. Surely given the location, the subject, and the star power, no candidate could say no, right? Well, turns […]

Grassroots mobilizes over the weekend at int’l climate conference

Post by Will Bates, Stepitup 2007

The weekend has finished, and countries are diving into their second week in Bali of chit-chatting about what to do about climate change. While we may not be seeing much bold action so far at this round of negotiations, we know that global public pressure for urgent action is beginning to mount ...

Saturday was the third annual International Day of Action on Climate Change, which the Global Climate Campaign helped coordinate in more than 85 countries. Local groups and international activists have carried forth the message for urgent action in a big way here in Bali.

Umbra on bleach

Greetings, I recently was infected with MRSA. It got better. As part of my treatment I’m supposed to use bleach in my laundry and around the house to help kill the bacteria. While I’m brunette, I feel like the stereotypical blonde about bleach. What are the environmental impacts of this chemical? Thanks, Emily Indiana Editor’s […]

Al Gore and IPCC awarded Nobel Peace Prize, climate protests heat up worldwide, and more

Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: One Prize Fits Al Leaders: Follow, or Get Out of the Way Political Science 215 Stall That and More Don’t Say We Didn’t Warner You Loggin’ Went a-Courtin’ Can You Believe That Ship? Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: Sterile Soil, […]

US and EU demand import-tariff reductions on stuff that they export

Wow, the latest out of Bali is really, um, something to behold: The US and the European Union found a rare common cause when they combined to ask developing nations to cut or remove tariffs on imports of environmental goods and services. Golly, why would developing nations not go for that? Other developing countries were […]

U.K. politician wants to power every British home with wind by 2020

Every home in the United Kingdom could be powered by offshore wind farms by 2020, says John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform. The long-titled Hutton said that investment in 7,000 turbines would admittedly change Britain’s coastline and raise energy costs in the short term, but would be “a major contribution […]