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Anybody listing the lists?

Some people really like lists of things that you can (or maybe should) do for the environment. Some don't.

Those who do can go here.

For those who don't: move along, nothing to see here.

What’s happening with the House energy bill?

Word from the front: fierce resistance from the usual suspects has resulted in compromise amendments hacking the 20 percent standard to 15 percent, while allowing states the option of meeting up to 4 percent through energy efficiency. This is a strategic retreat that has supporters optimistic, though by no means certain of eventual victory.

House is in recess right now over an Ag bill kerfluffle. No word yet on the critical solar investment tax credit.

Update [2007-8-3 17:40:22 by Adam Browning]:

The extension of the federal solar tax credit should be heard on the House Floor Saturday, and Big Oil is rallying the opposition to kill solar as we speak. It will be an extremely tight vote - tight like a noose - and we need you to call your Representative right now.

The situation is this. Earlier this year, House leadership committed to 'pay as you go'--that is, any new tax incentives must be balanced by getting rid of existing incentives. In this case, that means paying for renewable energy programs by reducing tax cuts for oil production. That's all good right? In a time of record profits for Big Oil, an approaching climate crisis and energy security scaring us all, why not reduce oil profits to help bring solar into the mainstream?

Unfortunately, the Republican leadership is holding the line on keeping subsidies for Big Oil, while some Democrats in oil districts haven't gotten the message that the public is tired of business as usual and wants a real commitment to renewables.

If this is important to you, call your Representative and tell them to support HR 2776 right now. Enter your zipcode here to find your Rep and give them a call.

Tell them:

* I live in Representative _______'s district

* Please support HR2776, the tax title of the Energy Bill

* if they tell you they are already supportive, then thank them profusely!

* If not, tell them...

* I support reducing tax cuts for fossil fuels to support renewable energy

* We are at a turning point to create a secure economy and stop a climate crisis with more renewable energy. The people are in favor of this change and all our politicians need to get on board - or they'll be pushed out of the way.

Act now, time is short and we need these votes! Solar is a non-partisan issue, and we need you to keep it that way.

YearlyKos: Hertzberg has a blog

Hendrick Hertzberg of the New Yorker — who’s about the smartest guy and the best writer you’re likely to meet in this lifetime — has a blog (I surrender!). To introduce yourself to it, check out this post on how oddly … normal the crowd at YearlyKos is.

YearlyKos: Meyerson and Stern

Watching Harold Meyerson (editor in chief of The American Prospect) and Andy Stern (head of SIEU) chat about … stuff. Stern says of the 100 largest financial institutions in the world, 50 are countries and 50 are companies. He says all progressives are fighting against the same foes, these multinational corporations, and it’s high time […]

Give away rights or sell them?

Joseph Romm in his post on Dingell's carbon tax proposal says:

Politically, you can't raise carbon prices high enough to raise gasoline prices since even $1 a gallon -- probably the minimum to significantly change fuel economy if Europe is any evidence -- would require a carbon charge of $400 per tonne of carbon -- which would be very harsh to coal, adding more than 10 cents per kilowatt-hour to coal electricity, and politically impossible (I'll post more on this later).

Also, the reason cap-and-trade has not worked well in Europe is that the Europeans didn't have a lot of experience with it and during their trial period they issued too many permits.

I don't know If Romm noticed, but paragraph two represents exactly the same weakness for caps as paragraph one represents for a carbon tax: it is politically difficult to get a high-enough tax or a low-enough cap through. Romm also notes that the Clinton administration could not get through even a weak carbon tax. True enough, but the Clinton administration also could not get through ratification of the Kyoto treaty -- which would have included a really easily met cap, much weaker than most (though not all) of the cap-and-trade proposals now before Congress.

From Vegans to Vengeance

Meat-free market Tired of cracks about the size of their sausage, some vegans have decided to have sex only with each other. Vegansexuals “taste a lot better,” says one — and in their world, soys doesn’t matter. Photo: iStockphoto Ears to you Nu metal band Korn have cobbled together plans for a green tour, complete […]

More from YearlyKos foreign policy panel

Hey, look, somebody asked a question about energy in the foreign policy panel! Beinart says this issue has undergone a sea change — everyone’s talking about it. Clemons says the global oil situation is heading in a grim direction. On domestic renewables: "There’s a corrupt game going on between those like James Woolsey who just […]

At last, a use for that old Milli Vanilli CD

Long ago, I promised an interview component to Ask a Brokeass. I’ve talked to some badass brokeasses since then, but I haven’t gotten around to transcribing all of those interviews. The intern needs an intern. Then last week I received an email from Mark Hexamer, co-founder of the innovative new media trading site Swaptree.com, who […]

Man, the Arctic is Hot

Russia plants flag under North Pole, India launches its first Arctic expedition Earlier this week, we reported that Russia was planning to stake a claim on the North Pole. Or, rather, the seabed deep underneath. Yesterday, two mini-submarines planted a titanium national flag on the sea floor, causing celebration in Moscow and consternation in Canada, […]

Freight Fright

Organic farmers in Africa fear for their livelihoods as U.K. frets over food miles Small-scale organic farmers in Kenya and other African countries are waiting anxiously to find out whether the U.K.’s main organic certifier, the Soil Association, will withdraw organic certification from food items that are flown in from far-flung regions. Concerned that the […]