Latest Articles
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He will oppose renewable targets and climate-change measures.
A story today in the Wall Street Journal (which, sadly, you can't see without a paid subscription), digs into an Office of Management and Budget report on the energy legislation pending before the Senate. Here's the relevant bit:
The OMB said the president will oppose an amendment that would require utilities to produce 10% of their power from solar, wind and other renewable sources by 2020.
The White House budget experts said the administration "is not convinced of the need" for several pending amendments that propose different ways to restrict the nation's industrial output of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases." The president will oppose "any climate change amendments that are inconsistent with the president's climate change strategy," which remains centered on voluntary emissions-reduction efforts, the OMB said.In case you wondered where the White House stood ...
Would Bush veto a bill just because it contained renewable targets or CO2 caps? I doubt it -- he's been begging for an energy bill for years, and scuttling it in such a transparent sop to his fossil-contributors would be politically ugly.
But we'll likely never find out. If anything sinks the bill, it will be the MTBE liability shield that the House (read: Tom Delay) is so hot for.
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Bush admin hawks liquefied natural gas as energy answer
The Bush administration is championing natural gas as the answer to America’s domestic energy needs, despite reservations from the usual batch of freedom-haters about its cost, reliability, and safety. Proponents point out that natural gas is cheaper, less polluting, and more abundant than oil — and, oh yeah, a huge business opportunity. Major energy companies […]
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Umbra on joining your first environmental organization
Dear Umbra, I am new to the environmental world, and looking for ways to help and organizations to join. It took me a while to find Greenpeace. I am wondering what other organizations are out there, and my friends (and I’m sure other Grist readers) would also like to know. Ayla Pinus elliottii var. densaNaples, […]
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Put a Liar in Your Tank
White House official who edited climate reports moves to Exxon Philip Cooney, the White House official (and former oil-industry lobbyist) recently outed for watering down government climate-change reports, has left his position in the Bush administration to take a new job at … wait for it … ExxonMobil. Now, we know what you’re thinking, but […]
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The Man From NIMBY
Wind-resistant senator owns land near proposed Mass. wind farm Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has been blowing hard against wind power, a position that’s mystified both his Senate colleagues and wind-industry advocates. Alexander introduced an energy bill earlier this year that included grants for solar and other sources of clean power, as well as incentives for […]
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San Francisco takes the first step
San Francisco, or as I like to call it, number one, is already sinking its teeth into the Accords. City officials must have gotten an early copy, or taken a look at the wiki used to draft them before they were finalized, since the SF Examiner article reporting that officials will consider making green purchasing a reality for the city is dated May 30, before the Accords were finalized. Nevertheless, SF will be well on their way to knocking out Accord number five with this step.
While both the Examiner and Treehugger categorize the action as falling under the "precautionary principle," I don't know that I would do the same. From what I could gather the things to be eliminated from purchases are already known to be problems. San Francisco did adopt the principle in 2003.
On another note, how cool is it that there was a wiki for the Accords?
(Thanks to TH for the link!)
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Urban musings.
One of of the things that always fascinates me about cities is how much personality people attribute to them. I have been told, on good authority, that before transportation got so fast and efficient, there used to be distinctive accents for every major city, not just New York or Boston, but places like St. Louis or Cleveland or Chicago or Pittsburgh. Cities take on so many characteristics of humans that it's sometimes hard not to think of them as living, breathing organisms.
On the other side of the coin, one of the most interesting challenges urban planners face is getting a diverse age range in the population of a city. So many times I have heard, "boy I love New York City but I sure wouldn't want to raise a kid there."
"Now's the time, the time is now" ... to read more.
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10 steps on global warming
Before I forget yet again (I'm the last guy on the blogospheric block to get to it): the Union of Concerned Scientists' Ten Steps to Reduce Your Global Warming Impact.
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Tie fighters
Remember that story about how the Japanese government is urging businessfolk to dress down to save energy?
Apparently Japanese necktie makers don't appreciate it.
