Coal to Liquid Fuel Promotion Act

 

Background:  In the 110^th Congress, S 155 and HR 370, sponsored by Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning and Kentucky Congressman Geoff Davis would establish a “Coal To Liquid Fuel Promotion Act”, and establish incentives to increase production of synthetic fuels from coal. The so-called Fischer-Tropsch technology of conversion is proven and economically viable when crude oil prices exceed $50 a barrel. Without question, U.S. and Kentucky economic prosperity is closely tied to the availability of reliable and affordable supplies of energy. Since 1973, U.S. energy production has only grown by 13 percent, while U.S. energy consumption has increased by 30 percent. According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the United States, by 2015, is expected to need 44% more petroleum, 38% more natural gas, 43% more coal, 54% more electricity, and 54% more renewable energy.

 

The Northern Kentucky Chamber supports:  a comprehensive approach to national energy  policy. Further, we support the development of proven energy technology, with the added benefit that these particular fuels could increase national security by providing a secure fuel source for our military.

 

Promoting Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Technologies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas and Traditional Air Pollutant Emissions

 

Background:

As the production, distribution, and consumption of energy is associated with the release of greenhouse gases and traditional air pollutants, and the effects of these emissions occur at both a national and international scale, effective leadership and coordination from the Federal Government to tackle integrated energy and environmental challenges is needed. 

 

To ensure the availability of clean, reliable, affordable energy and to reduce adverse air quality associated with energy production, distribution, and consumption, federal lawmakers should consider legislation that:

 

• Provides for a comprehensive approach to national energy policy. This energy policy should also be integrated with environmental protection policies.
• Provides for research and programs to reduce total energy consumption and energy consumption per capita while not constraining GDP growth or productivity.
• Provides for research to develop, promote, and implement renewable energy technologies for power production and transportation.
• Provides for development of technologies to extract energy from coal, such as through gasification or liquification, while capturing and sequestering CO₂.
• Creates a stable energy market for traditional fuels to protect businesses making investments in the renewable and clean coal technologies necessary to transform the nation’s power and transportation energy systems.

 

Regulation of Greenhouse Gases

 

Background:

Continuing access to and availability of low cost energy remains vital to Northern Kentucky’s economy. In addition, limiting new regulation, especially in a time of economic uncertainty, is essential. As the 111^th Congress develops a comprehensive plan to manage the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, care must be taken to protect consumers and businesses from significant and sudden price increases for energy and other goods.  Coal-fired electric power generation represents over 50% of the electricity generated in the United States and over 90% of that generated in Kentucky.  States and regions that are heavily dependent on coal used in electricity generation, such as Kentucky and the Midwest, must not be disproportionately impacted by climate change regulation.

 

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce encourages Congress to incorporate the following principles and policy attributes into potential climate change legislation:

 

1.   Regulation of greenhouse gases should not be done within the framework of the existing Clean Air Act.  New legislation should be developed that is separate but compatible with existing Clean Air Act programs.

2.   Must be broad reaching and market-based, with price signals leading to technological innovation and investment, energy efficiency, and conservation.

3.   Must consider varying impacts on consumers across regions and economic sectors.

a.   Emission allowances should be allocated at no cost rather than auctioned so that customers in coal dependent states do not pay twice-once for the cost of the allowances and again for the cost of replacing generation with lower-carbon alternatives.

b.   Emission allowances should be based on and equal to recent historical emissions to minimize the disproportionate state and regional impacts to consumers in coal dependent states.

4.   Must contain an emission trajectory that begins to reduce greenhouse gas emissions gradually while providing price certainty for consumers and allowing needed technologies to be developed and deployed.

Mar 10, 2010 Emissions plan could create huge industry (Tulsa World) ...program that would create a market for carbon dioxide "credits." Under such a program, companies that help offset carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -- a forester that plants trees, for example -- could sell credits to polluting companies, such as energy plants and manufacturers. Joung said a...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Spain's solar power tower (CNN) That means he is responsible for the 624 giant mirrors -- or heliostats -- that reflect the sun's rays into a receiver located at the top of the tower. The effect is incongruously life-like; hundreds of enormous mirrors all turning themselves towards the sun like a field of giant metal...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Cautious Obama joins climate fray (The Hill) Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Graham that was postponed.    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 'Green' rebirth of vacant buildings as W. Side homes attracts support (The Buffalo News) PUSH already manages six units of housing. Planning Board members gave favorable reviews to the new projects. Only one concern surfaced at Tuesday's City Hall meeting. Board member Horace A. Gioia wondered how subsidized housing might affect others who own investment properties that do not...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Jump-starting nuclear energy (Los Angeles Times) Currently, nuclear power plants supply about one-fifth of the nation's energy. Nuclear reactors produce more than 70 percent of the carbon-free electricity in the country. The president supported nuclear energy when campaigning for the White House.    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Israel Intends to Build Civilian Nuclear Plants (New York Times) Syria insists that Israel bombed an unused military facility. Israel has another, smaller, research reactor at Nahal Soreq, near Tel Aviv. France is a major vendor of civilian nuclear technology.    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Schwarzenegger wants more drilling, less greenhouse gas (The Sacramento Bee) I know that AB 32 will create jobs." The law is the target of a proposed initiative, primarily financed by two Texas-based oil companies.    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Recovery emerging from U.S. factories (Los Angeles Times) Just replacing the 2 million-plus factory jobs lost in the last two years would be noteworthy. The United States' industrial might has been declining for decades. In the United States, government policies have tended to be neutral or even negative when it came to the manufacturing base. U.S....    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Kansas City Power and Light to use methane from St. Joseph landfill to produce electricity (The Kansas City Star) Joseph Landfill Gas to Energy Project also will include 49 new wells to collect the methane at the landfill, which has 3 million tons of garbage collected from 17 counties. Last September it solicited plans for converting the methane into usable energy. Joseph expects to use the money it gets...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 China tells US to do more on climate change (Associated Press Online) ...$10 billion pledged at last December's Copenhagen climate change conference to poor countries to help them deal with the effects of global warming. At Copenhagen, many developed countries had hoped the Kyoto Protocol, which only requires emissions cuts of rich countries, would be replaced with...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Highlights of Senate jobless aid bill (Associated Press Online) Extends a variety of energy and alternative fuel tax credits. Cost: $26 billion. --Unemployment assistance: Extends through Dec. 31 unemployment assistance for the long-term jobless and a 65 percent health insurance subsidy for the unemployed.    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 NRG Energy to get up to $154M from government to install carbon dioxide capture system (The Dallas Morning News) NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) Inc. won up to $154 million in funding from the Department of Energy to install a system to capture carbon dioxide from a coal-fired power plant. The building plans fit with NRG's view that carbon dioxide emissions will eventually be regulated. And the award comes as NRG...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Future role of natural gas discussed at Houston energy conference (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) It is part of the long-term energy solution," said Mulva, whose Houston-based company has interests in the Barnett Shale of North Texas. There is now the potential for the world to develop "multiple centuries of supply" of gas, he said. Natural gas increasingly could be used in electric power...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 CERAWEEK 2010 (Houston Chronicle) Daniel Goldwyn, the State Department's coordinator of international energy (OOTC:ILGL) affairs, served on a panel.    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Obama and senators seek climate compromise (Los Angeles Times) By Jim Tankersley President Barack Obama convened a meeting of more than a dozen Democratic and Republican senators this afternoon to discuss energy and climate legislation. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who are piecing together a large-scale energy...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 California global warming law may lead to job losses, report says (Los Angeles Times) The analyst's report came in response to a query from Sen. Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto), a critic of the law. The analysis, based on broad economic models, drew criticism from some academics, including Harvard economist Robert Stavins.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Global warming skepticism rising in the GOP (Los Angeles Times) ted." That's particularly true among Republican candidates. Rubio has pummeled his primary opponent, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, over Crist's support for emissions limits.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 China and India to Join Copenhagen Climate Change Accord (New York Times) WASHINGTON — China and India formally agreed Tuesday to join the international climate change agreement reached in December in Copenhagen, the last two major economies to sign up. Ramesh confirmed India’s action in an e-mail message. India sent a letter on Monday to the United Nations...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 China, India give nod to Copenhagen climate change accord (Washington Post) China joined India on Tuesday in giving qualified approval to the Copenhagen climate accord calling for voluntary limits on greenhouse gas emissions.The official messages to the U.N. climate change secretariat did little to ease the pessimism that a legal international agreement on global warming...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Cap-and-trade could boost energy markets, executive says (Tulsa World) ...cap-and-trade program that would create a market for carbon dioxide "credits." Under such a program, companies that help offset carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -- a forester that plants trees, for example -- could sell credits to polluting companies, such as energy plants and manufacturers....    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 New 'gang' Gathering On Energy? (Politico) Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.)The meeting was called as Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) encouraged the White House to consider legislation that she’s introduced with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the ranking member on the Energy and Natural Resources committee, spoke in favor of the energy bill that passed her...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 House changes to jobs bill could risk Republican support in the Senate (The Hill) Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the Republican Conference Chairman.Sen.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Obama pushes senators for climate bill (Associated Press Online) The bill would abandon a broad "cap-and-trade" approach to reducing carbon pollution. Motor fuel may be subject to a carbon tax whose proceeds could help electrify the U.S. transportation sector. There's not 60 votes for nuclear power the way I would like.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Outside science academies to review warming panel (Associated Press Online) A large number of top climate scientists have participated in the IPCC.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Square Feet: Landlords Show Tepid Response to Hourly Electricity Rates (New York Times) They then pay prices that change each hour with changes in overall demand. Edward V. Piccinich, executive vice president for the big landlord SL Green Realty, said that an ESCO contract could save 4 to 5 percent on electricity transmission costs. For smaller landlords, even smart meters might not...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 White House hosts meeting on energy, climate (Associated Press Online) The bill would abandon a broad "cap-and-trade" approach to reducing carbon pollution. Motor fuel may be subject to a carbon tax whose proceeds could help electrify the U.S. transportation sector. There's not 60 votes for nuclear power the way I would like.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 EPA: U.S. saw record decline in greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 (Los Angeles Times) It’s the largest year-over-year drop that the EPA has recorded since it began tracking greenhouse gas emissions in 1990. Still, annual U.S. emissions remain 14% higher than they were in 1990, the EPA reports. The EPA’s draft report, “Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks:...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Israel, Syria pursue nuclear-powered Mideast (Associated Press Online) Syria has little know-how or money to invest in building nuclear power plants, which are enormously expensive. The United Arab Emirates in December awarded a South Korean consortium a contract to build energy-producing nuclear reactors. Israel is believed to have used that reactor to construct a...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Climate-change deniers take a lesson from anti-evolution activists (Washington Post) The latest is that South Dakota’s state legislature called for a “balanced” approach to teaching about climate change in schools. Even many global warming deniers won’t dispute that the earth’s climate is changing, often arguing instead about what’s to blame. The South Dakota...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Chanel does climate change, with real icebergs (Associated Press Online) After milling about in a daze, they dispersed, and Lagerfeld's parade of climate change chic commenced. Fancy knit sweaters glinted with beadwork, like icicles.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 AP Interview: Silva says Iran sanctions dangerous (Associated Press Online) And that, he suggested, might lead to war. "We don't want to repeat in Iran what happened in Iraq.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 China, India give qualified nod to climate deal (Associated Press Online) ...-- China joined India on Tuesday in giving qualified approval to the Copenhagen climate accord calling for voluntary limits on greenhouse gas emissions. The official messages to the U.N. climate change secretariat did little to ease the pessimism that a legal international agreement on global...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 PUSH Buffalo details plans to transform West Side buildings (The Buffalo News) PUSH already manages six units of housing. Planning Board members gave overwhelmingly favorable reviews to the new projects. Only one concern surfaced at today's City Hall meeting.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 China and India Join Climate Accord (New York Times) WASHINGTON — China and India formally agreed Tuesday to join the international climate change agreemen reached last December in Copenhagen, the last two major economies to sign up. Ramesh confirmed India’s action in an e-mail message. India sent a letter on Monday to the United Nations...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 EU climate chief: global deal unlikely before 2011 (Associated Press Online) ...BRUSSELS, Mar. 9, 2010 (AP Online delivered by Newstex) -- The European Union's climate change chief says a global deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions may not be possible before 2011. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard says it would be risky to expect a legally binding deal to...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Israel, Syria announce intent to develop nuclear power (Los Angeles Times) The construction of a nuclear reactor could draw international attention to Israel's nuclear activities. Borloo was enthusiastic about that idea, Landau said. Israel has never acknowledged being a nuclear power, following a policy it calls "nuclear ambiguity." Israel also has a smaller nuclear...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Common Council member seeks wind-power debate (The Buffalo News) As one example, Knoer pointed to the Union Ship Canal at Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park in South Buffalo. One businessman recently contacted the city to discuss the feasibility of installing windmills, said Kearns. But he added that there are no plans in the works for such a project. Kearns...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Legislative analyst (The Sacramento Bee) Wiegand Mar. 9, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- The Legislature's nonpartisan analyst says California's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law could cost jobs in the near term, while its long-term impact is uncertain. But, Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor concluded in...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Israel, Syria announce nuclear energy ambitions (Associated Press Online) ...on coal," Landau said. The program aims to help Israel secure its energy supplies and battle global warming. Israel currently uses coal and natural gas to produce electricity. The effort by Israel, which has long been suspected to have a secret nuclear weapons program, runs the risk that its...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Bush Interior secretary discusses transformation to enthusiastic environmentalist (Los Angeles Times) There certainly were many players for whom environmental matters and conservation were somewhere lower along the totem pole. Conservatives -- with four decades of relentless critique of environmental laws, what they call "command and control" -- have come to conflate a critique of the tools for a...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Utah Senate rejects carbon trading support (The Salt Lake Tribune) By reducing their greenhouse gas output, they can sell their credits to multinational companies that can then show customers and investors that they're acting on behalf of the environment. Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, read from the Chicago Climate Exchange's Web site, saying it's clearly...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Syria wants to develop nuclear energy (Associated Press Online) ...to pursue nuclear power to meet growing energy needs. Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad says "the peaceful application of nuclear energy should not be monopolized by the few that own this technology but should be available to all." He says Syria is looking at "alternative energy sources,...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 EPA official says action plan on BPA is near (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) On Monday, Washington state's Legislature approved a ban on the chemical in baby bottles, water bottles and other containers. Bans now are in place in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, the city of Chicago and three counties in New York. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., say that the United States would...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Making clean tech cheap, as well as green (The Boston Globe) ...the greenhouse gas emissions they produce, several said. Once the cost of pollution is factored in, advocates say, clean technology becomes more attractive.``Clean tech is always in a boom-and-bust cycle,'' said Matt Moscardi, manager of investor programs at Ceres, a green investment coalition...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 EDITORIAL: Nuclear Power (Richmond Times-Dispatch) Everything there is to say . . . has been said." Alas, the same standards don't apply to Nevada's Yucca Mountain. After years of discussion, no new arguments have come to light that would justify the administration's decision to withdraw the Nuclear Regulatory Commission license application for...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 EPA official says agency will act soon on BPA (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) ...chemical industry lobbyists to talk about BPA. Critics say the delay was suspicious given that Jackson had so publicly called for the need to protect the public from BPA and other chemicals months before agency officials excluded BPA from its Dec. 30 list of four chemicals that would face...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Conversation about growth in global energy demand begins with China (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) ...energy," said Rob Barnett of IHS CERA, based in Cambridge, Mass. Barnett was among nine global energy experts from IHS CERA making up the panel at the opening day of the CERA Week 2010 Energy Conference at the Hilton Americas Hotel. IHS CERA is a leading international adviser to energy...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Solar Industry Learns Lessons in Spanish Sun (New York Times) Half the solar power installed globally in 2008 was installed in Spain. In Spain, the tariff, now adjusted quarterly, is about 39 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity from freestanding solar power plants, and slightly higher for panels on rooftops. The city is home to a number of solar...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Earnings roundup: H&R Block, Yingli Green Energy (Associated Press Online) ...the earnings stories for Monday, March 8, from AP Financial News: KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) Inc. said its fiscal third quarter profit rose 7 percent, as lower costs offset a revenue drop that stemmed from handling fewer returns. NEW YORK (AP) -- Yingli Green Energy...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 AIG, McDonald's, IMAX, Yahoo are big movers (Associated Press Online) MetLife Inc. (NYSE:MET PRA) (NYSE:MET PRB) (NYSE:MEU) (NYSE:MLG) (NYSE:MET) in a government-approved deal. McDonald's Corp., up $1.45 at $65.12 Strong overseas growth outweighed U.S. sales as the world's largest fast-food chain posted a 4.8 percent increase in sales. Tim Hortons Inc., up 25 cents...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Oil and Gasoline Prices Begin to Creep Up (New York Times) HOUSTON — Crude oil and gasoline prices are inching up again. Gasoline supplies also remain ample, but prices at the pump have been rising along with oil prices. Gasoline prices typically go up in the spring as refiners retool and switch to more expensive blends of gasoline.    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Epa Defends Greenhouse Gas Caps (Politico) John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) introduced legislation that would delay the new rules by two years. The regulations, he said, would “safeguard jobs, the coal industry and the entire economy.”And Rockefeller isn’t the only one trying to stop the rules. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Yingli posts 4Q loss, sees strong 2010 shipments (Associated Press Online) Analysts typically exclude one-time items. Revenue climbed 44 percent to 2.53 billion renminbi ($370.8 million) from 1.76 billion renminbi in the prior-year period.    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Los Angeles Times James Rainey column (Los Angeles Times) That vast oversimplification (Jones acknowledges that from 1995 to the present temperature increases fell just short of statistical significance) nonetheless became the basis for a misleading headline. One purports that increasing carbon dioxide really amounts not to a threat but to a sort of...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 South African minister is nominated for UN post (Associated Press Online) The compromise calls for reducing emissions to keep temperatures from rising more than 2 C (3.6 F) above preindustrial levels.    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Nuclear energy gets new French-driven boost (Associated Press Online) ...nuclear energy" to meet international goals set for slowing global warming, Sarkozy said. Nuclear reactors do not produce the carbon emissions that scientists blame in part for climate change. His recommendations come at a time when the Obama administration has called nuclear power a key part...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Bloom Energy unveils its 'Bloom Box' fuel cell (San Jose Mercury News) Arnold Schwarzenegger introduced Sridhar as camera crews jockeyed for position around a cluster of Bloom Boxes, also known as Bloom Energy Servers, which look like sleek refrigerators. Experts say it is not yet clear whether Bloom can deliver on those claims.Its cells are not cheap: The...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Gordon landfill could be solar farm (Chattanooga Times/Free Press) They should find out this month if the grant is awarded, he said. The stimulus funds would be used to install a 40-kilowatt ground-mounted solar installation, Mr. The county expects to save $8,000 to $10,000 off its $518,000 annual electricity bill, officials said. Mr.    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 IMF suggests how to raise climate change funds (Associated Press Online) He only provided a broad outline of the plan, as the organization will release a paper later this week with full details. The United States is currently the largest shareholder. "We all know that (carbon taxes and other fundraising methods) will take time and we don't have this time.    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Sarkozy urges global expansion of nuclear energy (Associated Press Online) ...that "cheat" and use the technology to make weapons. "We need nuclear energy" to meet global goals for fighting and slowing climate change, Sarkozy said in opening an international conference in Paris on the future of nuclear power. He wants France, which is reliant on atomic reactors for a...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Organizers prep for 70 mln Shanghai Expo visitors (Associated Press Online) ...open for visitors after the Expo ends on Oct. 31, he said. Zhou said the visitors, mostly expected to be Chinese, needed to plan their trips in order to maximize their time, and to show patience. "Expo visitors should also be polite and respect one another. For example, visitors from Shanghai...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 David Wu and space-geeks of Congress fight Obama's NASA plan (The Oregonian) It's important for where the human race is going eventually. Alan Grayson of Florida: "I think that what you're doing is taking a shot in the dark. Most of that money would be used as incentives to pay private companies to develop space vehicles.    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 AFTER ERRORS, GLOBAL WARMING GETS A COLD SHOULDER (The Boston Globe) Also, the fact-checking and review of future reports needs to be more thorough.    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 The Heat Over Bubbling Arctic Methane (New York Times) This is as true for the bubbling emissions of methane from the frozen, but warming, sea bed as for sea ice around the North Pole. Satellites use reflected sunlight, and so cannot see the Arctic in winter. We need both in situ and satellite monitoring to assess greenhouse gases.    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 Green living with Ed Begley Jr. (CNN) Begley: I did it because my father, Ed Begley, Sr. was a conservative that liked to conserve. Begley: It's human nature to resist change. Begley: Get out of your car as much as you can.    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 The mighty thorium (The Columbus Dispatch) Harry Reid, D-Nevada., introduced a bill that would direct thorium research begin at the Idaho National Laboratory.    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 Business vs. clean energy (The Columbus Dispatch) I think climate change is the best example of how they come together. And even though for years he opposed the development of nuclear power, he now says it is "safer than it was 10 or 15 years ago." Such talk dismays many environmentalists. McHugh said, "We need to pursue the cleanest, fastest,...    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 As LAUSD tightens belt, 'green' resolution helps trim water, energy costs (Los Angeles Times) Eight of a planned 250 schools will have solar power installations. Increasing the amount of natural light in classrooms also triggers melatonin production that leads to healthy sleep cycles and makes textbooks and other materials more colorful and compelling to students, Loftness said.    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 For 2 leaders, state is a player in fight for jobs (The State) I see myself as part of that." Born in North Carolina with a degree in civil engineering from N.C. State University, Leatherman moved to South Carolina in the 1950s. He assumed chairmanship of the Finance Committee in 2001, when Republicans took control of the Senate. Leatherman, 78, was born...    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 EDITORIAL: Kansas (The Kansas City Star) In estimating the nation's wind-power potential, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory produced a color-coded map, and the sweet spot was purple. Today, the generally accepted total cost for nuclear power is 11.1 to 14.5 cents a kilowatt hour. Coal is cheaper, about 4.8 cents to 5.5 cents a...    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 Experts urge businesses to plan ahead for carbon rules (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Kohl's generates solar power from panels mounted on the rooftops of 81 stores. There's almost a siege mentality," von Paumgartten said.    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Lawmakers move to restrain EPA on climate change (Washington Post) John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) introduced a bill that would put a two-year freeze on the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) are co-sponsoring a "resolution of disapproval" introduced by Sen. Earl...    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 Coffee supplies hit by rising demand, climate change (USA Today) The World Coffee Conference ended yesterday in Guatemala. Keep a caffeinated eye on the price of that latte.    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 Big Green figure jumps ship to Big Oil (USA Today) Deryck Spooner is leaving the Nature Conservancy for the American Petroleum Institute, which has mounted a campaign against cap-and-trade legislation, The Hill reports. Spooner headed the Conservancy's climate-change advocacy and outreach. Here's more on the Conservancy's climate-change positions.    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 US envoys' visit to Beijing aims to heal ties (Associated Press Online) China vowed again Tuesday to resist new sanctions against Iran, as top U.S. envoys landed in Beijing on a mission to patch up ties hit by disputes over trade, Taiwan and Tibet. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Senior White House Asia adviser Jeffrey Bader may have been hoping to...    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 EDITORIAL (The Salt Lake Tribune) Come rain or shine, the garbage keeps pouring in, and will continue to do so until 2060. We hope those long-rumored requirements become a reality, and St. George is wise to be proactive. Transitioning to clean energy is also the right thing to do for the planet.    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 Energy leaders will blanket Capitol (Houston Chronicle) SWIFT ENERGY CO (Newstex ID is 1201966)" NewstexID="1201966">Bruce Vincent, president of Houston-based Swift Energy Co. (NYSE:SFY) and chairman of the IPAA. Companies from Houston sending members include Enervest Energy, Foothill Energy, Genesis Crude Oil, Guggenheim Services, Linn Energy...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 US envoys' Beijing visit aims to heal ties (Associated Press Online) ...Chinese foreign policy hawks have said such frictions should prompt Beijing to withhold cooperation on issues like climate change and punishing Tehran for its nuclear defiance. Beijing has already drawn flack for ruling out new sanctions against Iran, a major source of energy supplies for the...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Tom Barnidge column: Barnidge (Contra Costa Times) ...emerged: --Your carbon footprint derives largely from your mode of transportation. Bicycles and walking are best, followed by public transit and hybrid cars. If you drive a gas guzzler or rack up the air miles, you're sticking a knife in Mother Earth. --Your home's heating and cooling system...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 State issues alternative energy grants (Lexington Herald-Leader) ...-- SOMERSET -- A company that plans to generate electricity at unused natural gas wells will get as much as $500,000 in state assistance, Gov. Steve Beshear announced Monday. The Somerset company, Wellhead Energy Systems LLC, has developed a self-contained generator that can be placed at...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 OPINION: Global warming (Sun Sentinel) It's the science, they scolded in letter after letter, not the aberration. Yes, the issue isn't so much hot and cold, but the extreme weather we are seeing. That much is disconcerting, at least. (For the record, I'm not sold on the "human contribution" to climate change. There was no science in...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Climate scientists quizzed by British lawmakers (Associated Press Online) ...climate data. But a former researcher at the University of East Anglia's prestigious Climatic Research Unit admitted he had withheld some scientific data about global temperatures collected from around the world and written some "awful" e-mails to critics who asked to see his data. The...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Climate scientist to be quizzed by UK lawmakers (Associated Press Online) ...climate data. But a former researcher at the University of East Anglia's prestigious Climatic Research Unit admitted he had withheld some scientific data about global temperatures collected from around the world and written some "awful" e-mails to critics who asked to see his data. The...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Environmentalists question coal's place in Obama policy (McClatchy Washington Bureau) Coal-fired power plants are expensive to build, but last for decades. The federal share includes $1 billion for FutureGen, a planned coal gasification plant that would store carbon dioxide emissions. Gasification plants, however, are more expensive to build.    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Weather issues will soon become Sochi's problem (The Seattle Times) In Vancouver, "the cherry trees are blooming on my street six weeks early." And the temperature in Sochi Saturday? At the lower elevation at Cypress, site of the men's snowboard parallel giant slalom, Canadian gold medalist Jasey Jay Anderson said conditions made it feel like "you're swimming...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 The power of market fundamentalism (Washington Post) The entire U.S. energy system in the 21st century is still fundamentally based on 19th century concepts and 20th century technologies. Some news media organizations now present showmen masquerading as political thinkers who package hatred and divisiveness as entertainment. Utilities crave...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Ukraine's Yanukovych: EU ties a 'key priority' (Associated Press Online) ...(gas pipeline) infrastructure." Barroso said an association agreement between the EU and Ukraine could be concluded within a year. This would allow Ukrainian exporters free access to a European market of 500 million people and may double trade between the two, he said. On energy issues,...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Businesses offer alternatives to deforestation (Los Angeles Times) But eventually these "avoided deforestation" efforts could be included in mandatory carbon cap-and-trade systems, such as one already in place in Europe. It is home to 380 families in 43 villages, including Boa Frente.In exchange for their bolsa floresta _ or forest allowance _ villagers also...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Protecting forest could limit climate change, but residents have no other livelihood (Los Angeles Times) Arnold Schwarzenegger to measure the carbon in their forests with the goal of selling carbon credits in California's cap-and-trade market, set to begin in 2012. Slash-and-burn deforestation accounts for about 15 percent of humanity's carbon dioxide emissions. Many settlers never got title because...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 The O.J. tactic: Climate change skeptics sound like Simpson's lawyers: If the winter glove won't fit, you must acquit (Los Angeles Times) The best analogy is perhaps the O.J. Simpson trial.The "dream team" of lawyers assembled for Simpson's defense had a problem: The evidence against their client was formidable. Nicole Brown Simpson's blood was all over his socks, and that was just the beginning. If the winter glove won't fit, you...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Natural gas lobby steps up to challenge coal (The Hill) According to the Congressional Research Service, displacing older coal plants with nearby natural gas facilities could cut greenhouse gas emissions from the utility sector by 20 percent.    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 A federal effort to lead 'green' technology (Los Angeles Times) The efforts also led to revolutionary civilian technology, such as the Internet. Now, the same approach is being tried for energy and "green" technology.    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Green Inc. Column: U.S. Lawyer Finds Europe Going Astray (New York Times) Roderick formerly was with the environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth International and is a co-director in Britain of the Climate Justice Program.Even so, Mr.    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 A stink in Central California over converting cow manure to electricity (Los Angeles Times) But for dairyman John Fiscalini, the dung on his farm is renewable gold: He's converting it into electricity. NOx levels for the valley are federally set. Koetsier had been using his digester and generator system since 2003 as a way to power his barns and eliminate his dairy's electrical bill.    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 ARPA-E, a federal effort to lead 'green' technology (Los Angeles Times) The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA in Pentagonese backed projects that led to such military advances as the light rapid-fire M-16 rifle and Stealth warplanes that were invisible to radar. The efforts also led to revolutionary civilian technology, such as the Internet. Now, the...    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 Winter Games 2014? Better prepare for the weather (The Seattle Times) In Vancouver, "the cherry trees are blooming on my street six weeks early."And the temperature in Sochi on Saturday? At the lower elevation at Cypress, site of the men's snowboard parallel giant slalom, Canadian gold medalist Jasey Jay Anderson said conditions made it feel like "you're swimming...    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 Sacramento mayor outlines green tech, arena push (The Sacramento Bee) Hyatt Regency Sacramento, the mayor said he would launch a green initiative in the next few months aimed at attracting clean tech jobs and businesses to the region. Johnson said the plan would help create low-, medium- and high-wage jobs in the green technology sector and involve local...    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 BRIEF (The Sacramento Bee) ...manufacturing facilities in California. Funding is from federal stimulus funds. The low-interest loans are to be announced this spring. A second initiative, the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, will offer $59.5 million in state funding to companies creating...    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 OSU dials up research dollars (The Columbus Dispatch) OSU Medical Center is one of only seven sites in the United States to offer such treatment.    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 Ukraine's Yanukovych heads West but looks East (Associated Press Online) ...vector will be the dominant one in Yanukovych's policies," said Vadim Karasyov, director of the Institute of Global Strategies, a Kiev think tank. "The Western vector will be used for Yanukovych's image-making and to calm his critics." The gravest concerns have surrounded energy policy. Russia...    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 Environmentalists question coal's place in Obama policy (McClatchy Washington Bureau) Coal-fired power plants are expensive to build, but last for decades. The federal share includes $1 billion for FutureGen, a planned coal gasification plant that would store carbon dioxide emissions. Gasification plants, however, are more expensive to build.    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 EDITORIAL: This act is not just about jobs; it's about the future (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) The bill would allow construction of new nuclear plants, no longer requiring a site for long-term disposal of spent nuclear fuel to be developed before a nuclear plant could be built. However, the bill also requires that power generated from any new nuclear plant built in the state be used only...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Liveblogging (The Oregonian) ... On the PIELC schedule (PDF) are a number of talks touching on issues affecting Oregon and the West: sage grouse, the Klamath Basin, energy development and others. Saturday, Feb. 27 11:03 a.m. Underway right now is one of two panels at PIELC discussing the recently signed Klamath Basin...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Warming panel, under attack, seeks outside review (Associated Press Online) But researchers acknowledge that they have been too slow to respond to a drip-drip-drip of criticisms in the past three months.    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Liveblogging (The Oregonian) ...p.m. One conservation technique being promoted at PIELC is Voluntary Human Extinction. "Phasing out the human race by voluntarily ceasing to breed will allow Earth's biosphere to return to good health," the movement's Web site says. "Crowded conditions and resource shortages will improve as...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 N.J. solar initiative getting noticed (The Philadelphia Inquirer) But within weeks they were everywhere: outside the supermarket, the tire store, the park. When Joe Orman left his Cherry Hill tobacco shop last week, the parking lot was empty.    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 SUPPLY AND DEMAND: Climate study looks at risks to water source (Las Vegas Review-Journal) The study is funded by the bureau and the seven Colorado River Basin states. "There's a lot of uncertainty.    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 BRIEF (The Baltimore Sun) The Johns Hopkins University also will provide a 51 percent match to the federal Climate Showcase Communities grant. The nonprofits will also be connected to resources for energy-efficiency upgrades. City officials say the money will help Baltimore achieve its goals of reducing energy use and...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Nature diarists now scientists (Star Tribune) It's frequently confused with phrenology (with an "r"), a snake-oil-based field that purports to link skull shape to personality. But the confusion may not continue much longer. At one end of the field, Richardson, at Harvard, is using automated cameras to supplement human observers in a...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Al Gore, Dolly Parton to receive honorary degrees from Tennessee (The Commercial Appeal) At UTK, he established and endowed the Nancy Gore Hunger Chair for Excellence in Environmental Studies to honor his late sister. He is a member of the board of directors of the Howard H. Baker Jr.    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Independent Board to Review Work of Top Climate Panel (New York Times) He said that plans for assembling the panel would be announced next week.“I think we are bringing some level of closure to this issue,” Mr.    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Emissions bill to signal new approach on climate (Washington Post) Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), declared, "Cap-and-trade is dead."Graham and Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) have worked for months to develop an alternative to cap-and-trade, which the House approved eight months ago. Senior Obama administration officials have also...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Senators to propose abandoning cap-and-trade (Washington Post) Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), declared, "Cap-and-trade is dead."Graham and Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) have worked for months to develop an alternative to cap-and-trade, which the House approved eight months ago. Senior Obama administration officials have also...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Coal mines eyed near Red Lodge, Bridger (Associated Press Online) Nearby, Arch Coal (NYSE:ACI) recently paid more than $70 million for rights to mine a 731 million ton reserve.    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Poll says voters want cleaning of House and Senate (The Florida Times-Union) The best-financed among them is Democrat Heather Beaven, a Navy veteran who runs an educational nonprofit organization. Adding to the challenge, Republicans outnumber Democrats by about 30,000 in Mica's 7th District. Beaven said prospective voters aren't reflexively skeptical of incumbents....    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Wal-Mart presses vendors in China to meet higher standards (Washington Post) And China and Wal-Mart have come under sharp criticism for conditions in factories. Likewise, as consumers grow more environmentally aware, Wal-Mart's executives have responded. The daughters of subsistence farmers, they were supplying street markets when a Wal-Mart buyer discovered them a decade...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 GT Solar signs new contracts worth more than $200M (Associated Press Online) ...companies. GT Solar makes equipment and develops technology for the solar power industry. The company said the contracts include a $137 million follow-up order from the Chinese customer, as well as orders from Tianwei New Energy Holdings Co., Phoenix Photovoltaic Technology Co., Yingli Green...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 After right-wing smears, Van Jones gets a second chance (Washington Post) Yes, it was a misstep to sign a 911truth.org petition. This is a nation built on second chances."It is good news that Jones has gotten that quintessentially American second chance. Joe McCarthy (R-Wis.), who were driven out of public office because right-wing demagogues targeted and distorted...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Wal-Mart urges vendors in China to go green (Washington Post) If Wal-Mart were a sovereign nation, it would be China's fifth or sixth largest export market. And China and Wal-Mart have come under sharp criticism for conditions in factories. The daughters of subsistence farmers, they were supplying street markets when a Wal-Mart buyer discovered them a...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Vancouver Olympics going for the green (Los Angeles Times) At least $3 million in carbon offsets _ investments in clean-energy projects whose climate change benefits "offset" the greenhouse gases generated by the Games _ is being provided by a private sponsor.    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Book review of "The Essential Engineer," by Henry Petroski (Washington Post) Climate change, ocean acidification and the energy crunch loom -- and Petroski gives us a discourse on the design and meaning of the ampersand. To an engineer like Petroski, that means that it is time to build. It will be the optimistic engineers who hear the warnings not as doomsday scenarios...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 End to bickering urged to achieve new climate pact (Associated Press Online) ...countries Friday to stop bickering in climate change negotiations, as a Chinese delegate accused rich nations of reneging on commitments to fight global warming. Officials from more than 100 countries are attending an annual U.N. environmental meeting on Indonesia's resort island of Bali. They...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Will Canada's wind turbines invade lakes? (Detroit Free Press) Clair The turbines in the SouthPoint Wind project would be in 13 rectangular farms, three along southern Lake St. The closest turbines would be about a mile from the Canadian shore. --About 165 turbines would be in southern Lake St. Clair and the rest in northern Lake Erie.    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Sacramento mayor outlines green tech, arena push (The Sacramento Bee) Hyatt Regency Sacramento, the mayor said he would launch a green initiative in the next few months aimed at attracting clean tech jobs and businesses to the region. Johnson said the plan would help create low-, medium- and high-wage jobs in the green technology sector and involve local...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 The Oregon Zoo hopes to educate the public about the plight of polar bears and everyday ways they can help save habitat (The Oregonian) She hands out stickers emblazoned with a polar bear's face; they read, "Lights out! Veterinarians discovered the problem: allergies. Keepers trained the female bear to enter a small cage and to roll over. Conrad and Tasul took turns chewing on its edges and trying to crush it, pushing hard with...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Wal-Mart to slash greenhouse gas emissions (Los Angeles Times) ...greenhouse gas emissions from the life cycle of its products by the end of 2015, the retail behemoth said Thursday. The number represents 1 1/2 times the company's estimated carbon growth over the next five years, or the equivalent of the emissions from nearly 4 million cars over one year,...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 EDITORIAL (The Philadelphia Inquirer) The question of where to dispose nuclear waste hasn't been answered. They need to understand that Three Mile Island and Chernobyl weren't the only reasons America stopped building nuclear plants. Nor was the lack of a repository for nuclear waste.    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Wal-Mart Unveils Plan to Make Supply Chain Greener (New York Times) Soon, Wal-Mart was wielding its heft to change industry practices.Wal-Mart said supplier participation in its effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would not be mandatory. Mitchell added that large stores have been shown to encourage consumers to drive farther from home, increasing emissions.    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Regulating the regulators? Tougher PSC rules pushed (The Palm Beach Post) The only suggestion that became law from the dozens included in the report was the two-year ban for commissioners lobbying or working for utilities, a measure sponsored by then-Sen. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, a former PSC aide. "We need to have folks that are going to be impartial. Charlie...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Consumer loans, rebates, tax credits ease sting of green improvement costs (The Press-Enterprise) Loan payments go to the county tax collector along with regular property taxes. At a Home Depot (NYSE:HD) store in Riverside, 1,500 square feet of 9 1/2 -inch thick pink fiberglass insulation costs about $1,230. The city rebate combined with the federal tax credit would reduce the homeowner's...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Hummer: In the end, just too big for its own good (Associated Press Online) General Motors Co. said Wednesday its bid to sell Hummer to a Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer had collapsed. He noticed other people's attitudes toward Hummers started changing soon after. The 2010 Hummer H3 gets as up to 18 highway mpg, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fuel...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Wal-Mart to push suppliers to cut emissions (Associated Press Online) Matt Kistler, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of sustainability, said clothing could be made to be washed in cold water instead of hot water.    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Bloom Energy unveils its 'Bloom Box' fuel cell (San Jose Mercury News) Arnold Schwarzenegger introduced Sridhar as camera crews jockeyed for position around a cluster of Bloom Boxes, also known as Bloom Energy Servers, which look like sleek refrigerators. Experts say it is not yet clear whether Bloom can deliver on those claims. Its cells are not cheap: The...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Wal-Mart sets goal to slash greenhouse gas emissions (Los Angeles Times) ...(NYSE:WMT) Stores Inc. plans to cut 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the life-cycle of its products by the end of 2015, the retail behemoth said Thursday.The number represents 1 { times the company's estimated carbon growth over the next five years, or the equivalent of...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Wal-Mart wants suppliers to cut greenhouse gas emissions (USA Today) NEW YORK (AP) Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), the world's largest retailer, says it wants its suppliers to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2015. READ: Wal-Mart's press release Wal-Mart plans to focus on product categories that have the highest carbon footprint...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Bloom Energy unveils 'power plant in a box' (Seattle Post Intelligencer) Arnold Schwarzenegger hailed the server as a potential revolution. Solid oxide fuel cells are more efficient and operate at higher temperatures than proton exchange membrane fuel cells, which have been commercially available for years. But making a solid oxide fuel cell that lasts has proved tricky.    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Dj Biz Markie Spins Clean Energy (Politico) Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Alliance for Climate Protection President and CEO Maggie Fox, Hip Hop Caucus President Rev.    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Fairfax County community events, Feb. 25 to March 4, 2010 (Washington Post) A McLean Art Society meeting. 10 a.m.-noon, McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave. COLVIN RUN COMMUNITY CENTER DANCE, dance to contemporary and classic dance music. SE, Vienna. $85; Vienna residents, $68.    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Official: Climate change treaty unlikely this year (Associated Press Online) ...and developing countries are not likely to reach a treaty this year on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which have sparked fears of weather-related disasters, the U.N. climate chief said Thursday. Yvo de Boer, who announced last week he would resign July 1, said there was not enough time to...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Sign-up is urged for offshore wind farm (The Buffalo News) This is not one," said Thomas A. Kucharski, president and chief executive officer of the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise economic-development and marketing group. "This is about building a cluster. The authority set a June deadline for developers to submit proposals, with a goal of selecting a...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Weather agencies to gather more data (Arkansas Democrat Gazette) Panel on Climate Change prompted public debate over the reliability of climate-change predictions.Skeptics claim scientists have secretly manipulated climate data and suppressed contrary views - allegations that have been denied by researchers and the climate change panel.Ban urged environment...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Fiscal growth requires teamwork, says Obama (Arkansas Democrat Gazette) Today, GM has increased production, is paying back rescue funds ahead of schedule and is hiring back workers, he said.    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 The O.J. tactic (Los Angeles Times) And Earth's major natural systems are all showing undeniable signs of rapid flux: melting Arctic and glacial ice, rapidly acidifying seawater and so on. Jones could be considered the Mark Fuhrman of climate science; focus on him and maybe people will ignore the inconvenient mountain of evidence...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Ukraine's Tymoshenko to rivals: oust me if you can (Associated Press Online) Tymoshenko told a government meeting Wednesday, appearing in a stark red dress instead of the soft tones she is known for wearing. The deputy head of Yanukovych's party, Anna German, said Yanukovych would never be able to work in tandem with Tymoshenko and would seek to replace her by this...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Some jobs cost more to create than others (USA Today) The Senate passed a $15 billion jobs bill Wednesday that includes tax incentives for hiring and more money for highway construction. The bill goes to the House, which passed a larger jobs measure in December that included highway and education spending.Republicans such as Sen. Judd Gregg of New...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Projects across USA turn landfill gas into energy (USA Today) Instead of letting the gas escape into the air, these projects collect the gas and treat it so it can be used for electricity or upgraded to pipeline-grade gas.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Signs of Life, and Change, in Climate Inquiry (New York Times) Pielke’s expertise in political science and environmental policy was certainly appropriate for this report. “Climate extremes and disasters are a social phenomenon as much as a physical phenomenon,” Dr. Pielke would still be able to play an important role as an expert reviewer or...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 A Maker of Fuel Cells Blooms in California (New York Times) K.R. Sridhar, co-founder and chief executive of the Silicon Valley start-up Bloom Energy, holds up a stack of fuel cells in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday. The company’s first product is a huge box of fuel cells that it hopes will allow homes and businesses to generate their own electricity.Our...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Orange County officials form clean-tech trade group (Los Angeles Times) Inspired by cousins such as Clean Tech Los Angeles and CleanTECH San Diego, CleanTech OC is long overdue in a county with as many as 300 green technology companies, organizers said. CleanTech OC will officially launch after an inaugural board meeting at Bryan Cave's Irvine office Wednesday....    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 U.N. agrees to refine climate data (USA Today) ...from climate skeptics that fears of global warming are overblown.A U.N. conference in Copenhagen in December failed to achieve a binding deal on curbing greenhouse gas emissions. But Ban said it was important that the confrence set a target of keeping keep global temperatures from rising, and...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 The Philadelphia Inquirer Inga Saffron column: Phila. firm will design U.S. Embassy in London (The Philadelphia Inquirer) This is only the fourth time the foreign service has held such a competition to select an embassy architect. Their design is a perfect glass cube set in a circular park. There are no fences." Visitors, however, will still have to pass through a screening pavilion before entering the embassy lobby.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 UN weather meeting agrees to refine climate data (Associated Press Online) Newstex) -- Weather agencies from around the world have agreed to collect more precise temperature data to improve climate change science, Britain's Met Office said Tuesday. And in Indonesia, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged environment ministers Wednesday to reject efforts by skeptics to...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 NAACP president on Van Jones (CNN) Washington (CNN) -- Van Jones is an American treasure. Policies he has promoted are bringing change to downsized economies across America. Long before joining the administration, Van was America's champion for green jobs.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Obama's nuclear option:: (The Dallas Morning News) Those plants also generate about 75 percent of all clean energy produced in the U.S., far more than wind and solar combined.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Treasury Tries To Humanize Geithner (Politico) ...made Geithner available for a lavish profile in Vogue magazine, which is about as far from the financial trades as Geithner can get.The article, written by Rebecca Johnson, is illustrated by pictures of Geithner in his baseball uniform at age 8 and in a cap and gown at his Dartmouth graduation...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Epa Takes Heat On Climate Rule (Politico) Her committee is exploring alternative climate proposals, including a carbon tax, according to aides.Sen.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Energy Star logo not so hard to get (Arkansas Democrat Gazette) At last count, the star was awarded to more than 40,000 models in more than 60 product categories, according to the EPA.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Phila. firm will design U.S. Embassy in London (The Philadelphia Inquirer) This is only the fourth time the foreign service has held such a competition to select an embassy architect. Their design is a perfect glass cube set in a circular park. There are no fences." Visitors, however, will still have to pass through a screening pavilion before entering the embassy lobby.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Bill seeks to boost state firms' green technologies (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Orion Energy Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:OESX) of Manitowoc and A.O. Smith Corp. (NYSE:AOS) of Milwaukee. The bill would give a boost to a variety of technologies, such as those that directly use renewable energy -- solar water heating systems marketed by A.O. Smith and alternative lighting...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe challenges EPA's climate change policies (The Daily Oklahoman) However, he said, the report has numerous errors.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Get greener, state tells big retailers (The Boston Globe) ...efficient than what was presented.'' Bowles declined to comment further.Under 2007 rules, large developments must quantify and reduce greenhouse gas emissions when undergoing environmental review. Governor Deval Patrick has challenged big-box retailers to install solar panels on their roofs,...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Bloom Energy Claims a New Fuel Cell Technology (New York Times) The Bloom fuel cell’s heart is a thin white ceramic wafer made from sand. Sridhar, a former NASA scientist, picked up a stack of fuel cells that resembled floppy disks. Bloom executives would not disclose the composition of the ink.Small cells are stacked to make a larger device.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Spanish Town's Bid to Welcome Nuclear Waste Site Divides Region (New York Times) The government will also pay €2.4 million annually to the municipality and €3.6 more to neighboring communities. But neighbors say they are suspicious of one another. There were no injuries, but the accident only fed mistrust of the nuclear industry.Today, the issue is equally contentious.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Guess which top Obama aide will leave first (Washington Post) Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a holdover who's already been there three years, won't be there forever. Add the top White House aides -- Larry Summers, Nancy-Ann DeParle and Carol Browner. Apparently the powers that be cannot agree on a candidate.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 NAACP leader: Van Jones a treasure (CNN) Washington (CNN) -- Van Jones is an American treasure. Van Jones also may be the most misunderstood man in America. Long before joining the administration, Van was America's champion for green jobs.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Republicans seize on climate errors to challenge EPA (The Hill) Jones told the BBC that there had been no statistically significant warming over the past 15 years.Environmental groups said Inhofe had taken Jones’s statement out of context. He said there were only 20 votes of support, far from the 60 necessary to end a filibuster.That would leave the EPA to...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Oregon Senate approves bill to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks (The Oregonian) The Senate's 12 Republicans all voted against it, joined by Sen. Alan Bates, D-Ashland, was the only supporter of the bill to speak.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 EDITORIAL (The Oregonian) Oregon also gave away millions of tax dollars to energy projects that never generated any renewable energy or fuel. The credibility of the BETC program has been badly dented, and to an extent, so has one of the few promising sectors of the Oregon economy: clean energy. But it is vital that Oregon...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Eastern Europe Looks to Neighbors to Break Russia's Energy Grip (New York Times) Bajnai said.Land-locked Hungary is also looking to Croatia, its southern neighbor, as a viable alternative for natural gas supplies. Bajnai conceded that by supporting the South Stream project, Hungary’s dependence on Russian gas would increase, not decrease. E.ON, a major German energy group,...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 State investigates Texas trucking company, Oregon nonprofit over energy tax credits (The Oregonian) Its main Oregon operation is a trailer in a truck lot in Northeast Portland. In 2006, Oregon taxpayers were on the hook for $173,287 to outfit trucks with fuel-saving equipment. Between 2007 and 2009, Mesilla received final approval for 752 tax credits, according to state records.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Earnings roundup: Checkpoint Systems, DTE Energy (Associated Press Online) ...THOROFARE, N.J. (AP) -- Checkpoint Systems (NYSE:CKP) Inc. said that it shifted to a profit in the fourth quarter from a year-ago loss weighed down by one-time items. DETROIT (AP) -- DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) said that its fourth-quarter earnings slid 7 percent, mainly because of lower sale...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Sanders: Skeptics Like Nazi Deniers (Politico) It'll disappear!"Sanders' Nazi comparison is sure to enrage Republicans who are already skeptical of the science behind climate change. But Sanders wasn't the only one throwing bombs at a hearing that was ostensibly about the EPA's fiscal 2011 budget.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 A look at global economic developments (Associated Press Online) ...percent, while Hong Kong gained 1.2 percent, South Korean shares edged up 0.1 percent and Australia's market was flat. --__ ATHENS, Greece -- Protesters blockaded the Athens Stock Market on the eve of a general strike, as the leader of Greece's largest labor union warned the government's...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Democrats' ambitious legislative agenda pushes K Street salaries skyward (The Hill) Lobbyists for energy clients beat out financial lobbyists for top billing.Energy has long been a significant source of lobbying spending. The sector spent $465 million lobbying in Washington in 2009, which was about $8 million more than in 2008. Revenue adjusted for inflation dipped in all three...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 EPA lays out timetable for regulating greenhouse gas emissions (Washington Post) Jackson emphasized that the administration was required to act under a 2007 Supreme Court decision that said greenhouse gases from motor vehicles qualified as a pollutant under the 40-year-old air-quality law.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Planet Panel (Washington Post) Excerpts from The Post's online discussion of climate change QAre Obama's proposed $36 billion loan guarantees for nuclear plants a smart option? The Obama administration is promoting nuclear power because it does not involve CO2 emissions. Follow climate change policy news at...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Oakland solar firm secures $1.4 billion loan (Contra Costa Times) Each tower will contain a boiler filled with water. The concentrated heat will create steam to drive a turbine that creates electricity. Earlier this month, BrightSource submitted a proposal that called for a smaller solar complex.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 EDITORIAL: Power of support (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) If their answer is climate change, they need to rethink their position and move beyond one company's unhelpful behavior. The United States has 104 nuclear power plants. It is recognizing that nuclear energy has an important role to play. It had previously pulled the plug on Nevada's Yucca...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Trent Lott among FedEx lobbyists (The Commercial Appeal) That was down from $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2008.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 EDITORIAL: Gas pains (The Daily Oklahoman) Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Edward Markey, D-Mass., are investigating fracturing for its alleged environmental effects. Yet they seem to have bought into the fear-mongering extant over fracturing. The technique involves injecting water, sand and chemicals into shale formations. This cracks open...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Turf grass not always a 'green' thing, study shows (Los Angeles Times) For the first time, scientists compared the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by ornamental turf grass to the amount emitted in the irrigation, fertilizing and mowing of the same plots. They also factored in the nitrous oxide released from soil after fertilization. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Has nuclear power's time come? (CNN) The figure I quoted at TED was that 21 nations have nuclear power, only seven have nuclear weapons, and in every case they got the nuclear weapons first, then the nuclear power. Sweden has nuclear power -- 40 percent of their power is from nuclear. Do we worry about them having nuclear weapons?    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Epa Delays Greenhouse Gas Curbs (Politico) The agency would phase-in permit requirements starting in 2011.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Hartford Law Firm Showing Off Its $4M 'Green' Renovation (The Hartford Courant) A drape that separates the kitchen area from the rest of the room is made of woven metal, which is 70 percent recycled scrap steel.    more...