Published on July 31st, 2009
Freshman congressman Tom Perriello, a Democrat representing the 5th district of Virginia, had a hard decision to make in voting for the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). His hard fought seat and freshman status left him vulnerable to Republican attacks vehemently opposed to the bill, yet he voted for the legislation nonetheless, believing it the right thing to do.
The decision to do so was made even harder after he received five letters from local constituency groups, including a Hispanic advocacy group and a local chapter of the NAACP, opposing the legislation. Or so he at first thought. According to an investigation by DailyProgress, it turns out those letters weren’t what they appeared to be and were in fact forged by Washington DC-area lobbyists.
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Published on July 28th, 2009
House Republican Representatives Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Michael Conaway of Texas hope to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act - come hell or high water.
In the spring of 2007 the Supreme Court ruled the Clean Air Act provides the authority for the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas pollution. The ruling cleared the way for the EPA to consider scientific evidence to determine if greenhouse gas emissions pose a danger to public health, and if so, should be regulated. Despite that decision, little headway was made under the Bush Administration and then-EPA administrator Stephen Johnson.
The stage was set for change when the Obama administration took office, and the GOP immediately set out to block the EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions in anticipation of action from the EPA finally moving forward and acting on the court’s ruling. Here’s how it has played out:
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Published on July 8th, 2009
Greenpeace activists in Italy and the U.S. staged protests today as leaders of the eight richest nations began the latest G8 summit in L’Aquila Italy.
At least 100 activists in Italy occupied four coal-fired plants to demand action from world leaders to avert the worst consequences of global warming.
Greenpeace said that G8 leaders must “stop putting the interests of polluting industries such as coal ahead of the climate.”
“The sort of action G8 leaders are putting on the table regarding climate change would lead to more greenhouse gas- polluting power stations like this one,” Greenpeace protester Julien Vincent said by phone from a platform about 650 feet up a chimney at a coal plant in Brindisi, Italy where “carbon dioxide is belching out” at an alarming rate.
Vincent refers to backtracking from the commitment of major nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2050.
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Published on June 30th, 2009
Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe is known to most outside his home state as a leading denier of anthropogenic global warming, going as far as calling it the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on mankind.” Wow, them’s fightin’ words. So not surprisingly, Inhofe has come out swinging in the wake of the recent passage in the House of Representative of the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill.
What is a little surprising is how Inhofe doesn’t appear to learn any lessons from his past adventures in list building, scandal and fear mongering, and character assassination. Inhofe is either really not very bright, or purposely and cynically deceitful. Either option isn’t pretty.
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Published on June 29th, 2009
On an historic day which proved America’s spirit during the Revolutionary War, the spirit of America was again proved. As news came that Nevada’s unemployment rate hit a record high of 11.3 percent, Senate majority leader Harry Reid addressed the people whose roles are instrumental in helping America survive: CEOs of renewable and clean energy businesses from around the country, several Fortune 500 company leaders, labor union representatives, environmental leaders, renewable energy trade association representatives, and community college presidents.
While the opposition may have changed from the battle at Bunker Hill, the spirit of revolution remains. America is looking forward. Tired of the oppressive reign which the world of oil has had, we are beginning, now more than ever, to fight back, to free ourselves.
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Published on June 17th, 2009
Published on June 11th, 2009
A lot of things make much more sense now. I wonder what planet he comes from. And, more importantly, I wonder why so many republicans cheered when he announced that he is not of this world. How long have they known?!?!
…I’m scared.
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Published on May 19th, 2009
This advice doesn’t come from me personally, I am only passing it on from a lead official within the German Emissions Trading Authority, the American counterpart of which is still a gleam in the eyes of Henry Waxman, Ed Markey, and supporters of their proposed American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 now slowly taking shape in Congress.
He made clear that his advice comes from experience, expressing the hope that the Americans, who need to get up to speed quickly, could learn from the German’s first stumbles initiating their own cap and trade program, as was Germany’s first-round of emissions trading (Germany’s first round of trading, the “learning by doing phase”, lasted from 2005 to 2007. The second round of trading, the “stabilization and refinement phase” is in place until 2012.)
The advice? Beware the lobbyists and the excessive pressure they exert on the process.
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Published on May 18th, 2009
This is something that Bush had promised to do, even going as far as citing a federal regulation as a reason that individual states couldn’t up their own auto emission standards… but he never seemed to get ’round to setting the numbers. The announcement, set to go public tomorrow (according to the Politico.com source, and now NPR) will have the backing of many of the industries big movers and shakers. Arnold Schwarzenegger is planning on attending the event, a big deal when one considers that California was leading the charge against Bush’s EPA to get the ability to set higher standards themselves. Hopefully, this means that the 13 states and D.C. legislation can go by the wayside, and we can get down to the business of actually building better more efficient cars.
From NPR’s story:
Officials said Tuesday’s announcement moves toward the 30 percent goal by 2016, starting with model years 2011 and beyond.
Obama’s move also would effectively end litigation between states and automakers, who sought to block state-specific rules. The new federal rules would prompt automakers to drop their lawsuit. Two car companies that have been part of the litigation — General Motors and Chrysler — have received billions in government loans during a dramatic downturn in car sales and weakened economy.
Sounds like things have been happening behind the scenes (isn’t that always the sense you get from Obama? “Look over there at the abortion issue while I get things done over here”):
In secret conversations, the Obama administration has lined up support from many state governments and a huge array of domestic and foreign automakers, including GM, Ford, Chrysler, BMW and many more.
Perhaps we are reaping the rewards of the Socialism of the Car Industry faster then we all thought possible!
Image from flickr user: Guilherme Kardel under Creative Commons License
Published on May 15th, 2009
The whole thing is happening without flashy ad campaigns, so it’s not surprising if you’ve never heard of municipal solar financing. But the financing program, also known as property tax financing, is a veritable underground solar revolution.
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Freshman congressman Tom Perriello, a Democrat representing the 5th district of Virginia, had a hard decision to make in voting for the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). His hard fought seat and freshman status left him vulnerable to Republican attacks vehemently opposed to the bill, yet he voted for the legislation nonetheless, believing it the right thing to do.
