Lisa Jackson

Urgent letter to EPA and Interior Dept. from coalfield residents

As three million pounds of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil explosives continue to rip through the lush green Appalachian mountains and historic mountain communities every day, coalfield residents from West Virginia issued an extraordinary letter on Wednesday asking EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to assert primacy over the negligent West Virginia […]

Jeff Biggers Politics

The EPA holds corn ethanol accountable … sort of

In February 2008, a group of researchers led by Tim Searchinger of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School published a paper (PDF) in Science Express called, “Use of U.S. Croplands for Biofuels Increases Greenhouse Gases Through Emissions from Land Use Change.” Their conclusion was startling: the government policy of supporting biofuel production, which had begun in the […]

Tom Philpott Politics

Barack gives biofuels the big thumbs up

[Update: While some may think this decision was a win for corn ethanol, House Ag Committee Chair Collin Peterson clearly does not. In fact, he is seriously ticked off about it. According to CongressDaily, Peterson responded to the indirect land use ruling as follows: “You are going to kill the biofuels industry. You are in […]

Tom Laskawy Climate & Energy

EPA chief stumbles over need to prepare for global warming

In one of her first interviews with the national press since being named to office, Lisa Jackson, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, started well in her defense of the need for government action to regulate the emission of greenhouse gases. She pointed out to National Public Radio that corporate lobbyists have a […]

Kit Stolz Climate & Energy

Mr. King Coal's Neighborhood Comes to Washington

What does a Wyoming rancher, a Navajo elder, a Southern community organizer, a Latino immigrant organizer from Chicago, a young indigenous Ottawa woman from Michigan, and an Appalachian coal miner’s widow have in common? All of their neighborhoods are under deadly assault from King Coal. And all of these six American heroes have journeyed to […]

Jeff Biggers Climate & Energy

EPA tosses flag on Cowboys’ new field

A mess in Texas?City of ArlingtonRemember how we reported on green sports venues, and one of them was the new stadium of the Dallas Cowboys, and the stadium was steeped in land-use controversy, but the good news was that the team was registering with the EPA to monitor the facility’s long-term performance? Turns out that […]

Katharine Wroth Cities

Obama’s green achievements at 100 days

Seventy-nine percent of Americans think President Barack Obama will do a good job protecting the country’s environment, according to the latest Gallup poll on the topic, released on Earth Day. That includes 95 percent of Democrats, 75 percent of independents and – most surprisingly — 65 percent of Republicans. At 100 days, what has he […]

Kate Sheppard Politics

Obama’s first 100 days of coal

“If you’re going to lead my country,If you’re gonna say it’s freeI’m gonna needa little honestyJust a few honest words” — Ben Sollee, “A Few Honest Words” With those proverbial first 100 days coming to a close, here are ten moments–some good, some confusing, some hair-raising–in the short swift time of coal in the Obama […]