News 2009:

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World CO2 since 1750 (cubic feet)

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July 3, 2009

Abyss of Joblessness; The Economy Can't Improve Unless We Put People Back to Work

How do you put together a consumer economy that works when the consumers are out of work?

Bittersweet ending to planting of 12,000 trees

Thousands of EarthKeeper volunteers from more than 100 churches and temples planted more than 12,000 white spruce and red pine seedlings measuring 12 to 16 inches tall in all 15 Upper Peninsula counties and Minocqua, Wis.,

Brazil Wants C02 Cuts Based On Historic Emissions

Brazil wants historic emissions to be the basis for greenhouse gas pollution targets, slated for discussion during December climate talks in Copenhagen, Brazil's top climate negotiator said in an interview.

Carbon Footprint Calculator Enables First-Ever Country By Country Comparison

A first-ever analysis and comparison of the carbon footprints of different countries using a single, trade-linked model has been created by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Centre of International Climate and Environment Research - Oslo (CICERO).

Coal ash from Tenn. power plant will be dumped in Alabama

More than half of the coal ash that spilled from the Tennessee Valley Authority´s Kingston, Tenn., power plant will be disposed of in an Alabama landfill.

Critical clean water protections approved by key Senate committee

Because of the Supreme Court's decisions, government officials had declared thousands of bodies of waters -- including lakes, streams, and wetlands -- outside the purview of the Clean Water Act. As a result, the people who rely on those water bodies cannot depend on the Act's safeguards against unregulated industrial pollution and destruction.

Crude futures down on gloomy economic, oil data amid light trade

Crude oil futures in Europe were rangebound Friday, unable to recover from bearish economic and oil data released this weak, sources said, with the market also seeing light trading activity due to today's US public holiday.

Deterring Terror, a response

The greatest threat faced by Americans today is the projected $20 trillion debt because of expenditures to protect us against dangers that do not exist.

Developing Global Climate Strategies - a response

The acquiescence of scientists to the bullying by the crowd insisting on global warming orthodoxy -- that anthropogenic-caused climate change will destroy the earth unless we submit ourselves to government and allow tyranny to save us is despicable.

Dr. Bronner's Ups Ante in Lawsuit Against 'Organic' Personal Care Cheaters

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, the country's top selling natural soap brand, has upped the ante in its bid to clean up the rampant organic misbranding in personal care aisles.

Drilling Sinks Deep Response

If the assumptions on available oil reserves off Florida prove to be almost 4 billion barrels, this number should be seen against our current consumption levels of 8 billion barrels a year. Thus, it would equal a mere six months' worth of consumption.

E. coli O157 comes back with a vengeance, and other nasty toxins in meat

Where’s the tainted beef?
If you regularly eat fast-food burgers or unlabeled supermarket beef, you’ve almost certainly consumed a JBS product in the past month. That’s because Brazil-based JBS is the globe’s largest beef producer—and the third-largest U.S. beef packer.

Earth's Most Prominent Rainfall Feature Creeping Northward

The rain band near the equator that determines the supply of freshwater to nearly a billion people throughout the tropics and subtropics has been creeping north for more than 300 years, probably because of a warmer world, according to research published in the July issue of Nature Geoscience.

El Nino Seems All But Certain; Australia

An El Nino weather pattern this year appears almost certain, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said on Wednesday in a revised forecast, raising the prospect of drought in Australia and a even weaker monsoon in India.

Energy Efficiency; Can You Save Money Without Spending Money?

The good news is that there are plenty of great energy efficiency ideas out there that offer real saving

The bad news is that you still need to spend money to save money. It’s an inconvenient truth...

Entrepreneurship is All About Pain

Purchasing a solar system can also be a complicated and expensive affair. Researching contractors, navigating the patchwork of incentives and then plunking down $25,000 for a solar system can turn a lot of people off. But what if a company could take care of the process for you and guarantee clean electricity that is cheaper than utility rates over a 20 year period of time?

EPA Announces Energy Star Homes Reach Nearly 17% Market Share for 2008

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that nearly 17 percent of all single-family homes built nationally in 2008 earned EPA’s Energy Star label, up from 12 percent in 2007. Both home builders and home buyers are continuing to invest in high performing homes that save consumers money on their utility bills and help protect the environment.

EPA asked to toughen safeguards against toxic spills

Environmental justice advocates have asked the U.S. EPA during a June 30 public hearing to undo a Bush-era hazardous waste rule change that they argue lessens safeguards to prevent toxic spills and contamination.

EPA Extends Comment Period for Renewable Fuel Standard Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is extending the comment period by 60 days on its proposed rule revising the national Renewable Fuel Standard program, commonly referred to as RFS2. The original comment period was to end on July 27, 2009 and will now end on September 25, 2009.

EPA Grants California GHG Waiver

“This decision puts the law and science first. After review of the scientific findings, and another comprehensive round of public engagement, I have decided this is the appropriate course under the law,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

EPA Proposes Stringent Standards for Large Ships

The Environmental Protection Agency today announced the next steps in a coordinated strategy to slash harmful emissions from ocean-going vessels.

Federal Efforts a Travesty

...because the primary requirement of any federal approach to climate change mitigation is that it phase out coal — quickly. Coal power is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and no attempt to reduce net emissions will succeed if coal emissions are not reduced. And yet the federal bill (Waxman/Markey) will, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent analysis, actually allow an expansion of coal emissions until 2020.

French Radioactive Waste to Double by 2030

France's highly radioactive waste will more than double by 2030 mainly as spent fuel derived from nuclear reactors mounts up, the French national radioactive waste management agency (Andra) said on Tuesday.

Increase in Renewables Aids Human Rights

In recent years the legion of supporters of renewable energy has expanded to include labor unions concerned about jobs, as well as national security and energy independence experts such as George Schultz and James Woolsey.

Interior Dept Designates Solar Energy Zones

"This environmentally sensitive plan will identify appropriate Interior-managed lands that have excellent solar energy potential and limited conflicts with wildlife, other natural resources or land users," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said.

Kazakhstan finishes final leg of Sino-Kazakh oil pipeline project

The pipeline will give China direct access to Kazakhstan's oil provinces in western Kazakhstan, allowing it to increase imports of Kazakh crude.

Key Energy Elements in U.S. Climate Bill

The bill, which was introduced by U.S. Reps. Henry Waxman and Edward Markey, seeks to reduce U.S. emissions 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050, from 2005 levels. Its future is uncertain in the Senate.

Below is a list of how the climate legislation could help spur new energy markets:

Legislation supporting nuclear energy advances in Italy

The government has said it is working toward a target of 25% of energy to be provided by nuclear power by 2030. Italy closed all its nuclear power plants after the 1986 Chernobyl accident.

Los Angeles Will End Use Of Coal-Fired Power

Los Angeles will eliminate the use of electricity made from coal by 2020, replacing it with power from cleaner renewable energy sources, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

Loss Of World's Seagrass Beds Seen Accelerating

The world's seagrass meadows, a critical habitat for marine life and profit-maker for the fishing industry, are in decline due to coastal development and the losses are accelerating, according to a new study.

McIlvaine; Thousands of municipal drinking water projects in U.S., Canada moving forward

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 generated more than $2 billion in stimulus funding for U.S. drinking water infrastructure projects. Thousands of projects have been delayed because of lack of funding. Many of these projects are now moving forward.

Montana, Idaho Drought to Continue…. Could Harvesting Rain Help

Low snowpack levels currently being recorded through the end of January 2005 across North Central Idaho and western Montana could forecast water shortages later again this summer....

Some area utilities and communities have set up programs to educate locals in using this old fashion approach to dealing with the ongoing drought

More Than 800 Wildlife Species Now Extinct

More than 800 animal and plant species have gone extinct in the past five centuries with nearly 17,000 now threatened with extinction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature reported on Thursday.

New Loo Turns Waste Into Energy

Industrial designer Virginia Gardiner has designed not just a new toilet, but a new closed-loop management system that will allow individuals to, basically, recycle their poop. Yeah, I just said that.

NREL Energy Analysts Dig into Feed-In Tariffs

Feed-in tariffs (FiTs) are the world's most widely used policy to drive renewable energy development. They have helped transform cloudy Germany into the world leader of installed solar power and photovoltaic manufacturing.

Now FITs are stimulating green energy investment in North America, too.

Particulate Pollution Combined With Airborne Soot Adds To Global Warming

Particulate pollution thought to be holding climate change in check by reflecting sunlight instead enhances warming when combined with airborne soot, a new study has found.

Permafrost Melting a Growing Climate Threat

The amount of carbon locked away in frozen soils in the far Northern Hemisphere is double previous estimates and rapid melting could accelerate global warming, a study released on Wednesday says.

Regional Wind Energy Conference Garners Great Interest

The wind industry is hot. It's popular -- perhaps more popular than positively polled President Obama or the newly elected American Idol. It's the buzz of both energy-related and mainstream media; it's the source of great press about mandates, tax credits and other goodies that the government might bring to the table. It's the subject of bestselling books and well-attended conferences.

Renewable Energy Investors Are Cautiously Optimistic

In just five months, the U.S. government has gone from being a casual supporter of renewable energy to the one of world's biggest investors in the space. Now the private sector is trying to figure out what role it will play in this new era of government involvement.

Risk Of Mad Cow Disease From Farmed Fish?

Three U.S. scientists are concern about the potential of people contracting Creutzfeldt Jakob disease -- the human form of "mad cow disease" -- from eating farmed fish who are fed byproducts rendered from cows.

Screwing up environment not so great for economy, studies find

Sea Ice At Lowest Level In 800 Years Near Greenland

New research, which reconstructs the extent of ice in the sea between Greenland and Svalbard from the 13th century to the present indicates that there has never been so little sea ice as there is now.

Seagrass Losses Reveal Global Coastal Crisis

A global study of seagrass, which can absorb large amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide, found that 29 percent of the world's known seagrass had disappeared since 1879 and the losses were accelerating.

Seattle recycles a record 50%, aims for 60% by 2012

Seattle recycled a record amount in 2008, diverting half of the city´s waste from the landfill, according to Mayor Greg Nickels.

The city´s 2008 recycling rate for residential, commercial and self-hauled waste was 50%, a 1.8% improvement from 2007. It is the fifth year in a row the rate has increased since the city dropped to a 38.2% recycling rate in 2003.

Senate's Weak Climate Bill Faces Opponents From All Sides

The American Clean Energy and Security Act, originally penned by Henry Waxman and Ed Markey, went to the House floor in a watered-down version saturated with compromises to lure support from on-the-fence legislators and special interest groups. Even so, the bill only managed to pass with a seven vote margin, 219 in favor to 212 opposed.

Severe water scarcity boosts desalination market

Demand for fresh water is increasing around the world, especially in regions with rapidly growing populations and badly affected by long, drought seasons. Water is only going to become scarcer and many governments are looking at desalination and investing in this technology to supply water to their populations.

Share Your Disappointment in Your Representative's Vote Against a Clean Energy Future

Last week, your representative voted against comprehensive climate and energy legislation. Fortunately, the House of Representatives still voted to pass this landmark bill, which establishes a critical first step that would put in place a nationwide plan to rein in global warming pollution and create an entirely new, cleaner approach to our nation's energy system.

SoberLook - US Banks Will Roll the Wall of Maturing Debt

Study To Measure Long-Term Hard Water Damage

The State of Rainwater Harvesting in the U.S.

Rainwater catchment or rainwater harvesting (RWH) are catch-all terms for collecting, storing, and later using precipitation from rock out-crops, roofs, and other surfaces. Across the globe, rainwater is used for many purposes, including drinking water, irrigation, aquaculture, air conditioning, groundwater recharge, and fire fighting. It has been utilized for many centuries.

Third Consecutive Improvement in Global Credit Quality in June

Kamakura Corporation reported Wednesday that the Kamakura index of troubled public companies made a third consecutive dramatic improvement in June after reaching its worst point, 24.3%, in the current recession in March. The Kamakura global index of troubled companies decreased by 2.4 percentage points to 16.4% of the public company universe in June.

Threshold Crossed

It's more than a milestone. It's a clear message to the American people. By passing a comprehensive energy bill that includes carbon caps out of the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 219 to 212, President Obama has a crossed a threshold never achieved before -- one that sets out to change American energy policy.

U.S. EPA releases list of high-hazard coal ash sites

The U.S. EPA has identified 44 "high hazard potential" coal ash impoundments across the country, warning they could pose health and safety risks if they rupture.

U.S. Gives Up To $408 Million To 'Clean Coal' Projects

The U.S. Energy Department said on Wednesday it will provide up to $408 million in funding for two projects aimed at developing advanced "clean coal" technologies.

Video Contest Winners Inspire Stewardship For The Nation's Waters

Thanks to the 1972 Clean Water Act, there have been great improvements to our nation's waters over the past 37 years; however, there is more that we can do. Educating citizens about actions that they can take to reduce their impact is vital to improving the nation's water quality.

Washington Acts While Wall Street Waits

"Stimulus" implies something that will work quickly, but political and bureaucratic reality is far different. Congress passed the $787 stimulus package in February; most energy dollars won't go out the door to fund projects until August and September at best. That's pretty quick for government speed, but a long time for clean- tech developers and entrepreneurs used to a faster business pace.

Washington Releases Summary of State and Federal Bioenergy Incentives

The Washington State Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development ("CTED") yesterday released a summary of legislative actions from 2003 to 2009 that provide state bioenergy incentives. The summary covers production and tax incentives, public sector production, financial assistance, expedited permitting, and distribution and use incentives.

June 30, 2009

2.1 Million-Year High Measured for Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere

Carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere has risen to its highest level in at least 2.1 million years, according to a new investigation of the greenhouse gas’s role in ice ages over the millennia.

17 Groups; Proposed Energy Deployment 'Bank' Will Thwart 'Cleanest, Greenest and Least Risky' Energy Alternatives

In a letter to the members of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 17 major groups - including the Union of Concerned Scientists, the League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club - warned that the proposed Clean Energy Deployment Administration in the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009 will not "reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the most efficient, environmentally sound manner possible." The groups also warned that Senate's current CEDA proposal will "pose unnecessary and potentially enormous risks to our environment and to the U.S. taxpayer.

A Majority Of Consumers Want Businesses To Increase Use of Renewable Energy

Four out of five U.S. consumers support clean energy and 55 percent want companies to increase their use of renewable energy...

Air Pollution From Freeway Extends One And A Half Miles Away

Environmental health researchers from UCLA, the University of Southern California and the California Air Resources Board have found that during the hours before sunrise, freeway air pollution extends much further than previously thought.

Awaiting Mandate, US Biodiesel Makers Stall

When Imperium Renewables Inc. opened what was then the largest U.S. biodiesel plant on the coast of Washington state two years ago, its executives thought it would be the cornerstone of a far-flung empire.

Bay Foundation blasts proposed Surry coal plant

The latest salvo from the Bay Foundation claims the plant will add 950 tons of nitrogen pollution, 118 pounds of mercury pollution and 14.6 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution to the air above the bay each year.

Breaking the Organic Monopoly and the 'Natural' Foods Myth

After four decades of hard work, the organic community has built up a $25 billion “certified organic” food and farming sector. This consumer-driven movement, under steady attack by the biotech and Big Food lobby, with little or no help from government, has managed to create a healthy and sustainable alternative to America’s disastrous, chemical and energy-intensive system of industrial agriculture. Organic food and farming represent

Catching rain water is against the law

Who owns the rain? Not you, it turns out. You're actually breaking the law if you capture the rain falling on your roof and pour it on your flower bed! A prominent Utah car dealer found that out when he tried to do something good for the environment.

Climate and the $3,100 Lie Detector

How can you tell when a politician in Washington isn't telling the truth? When they claim that the cost of capping carbon emissions and reducing foreign oil dependence will cost American families "$3,100."

Consumers Are Saving More and Spending and Borrowing Less

Americans are continuing to tighten their belts with almost two-thirds (63%) of Americans saying they are spending less overall and two-thirds (64%) saying they are less likely to take out a loan. They are also weaning themselves from plastic with one-third (33%) saying they are using their credit card less often than before.

Crops face toxic timebomb in warmer world; study

Staples such as cassava on which millions of people depend become more toxic and produce much smaller yields in a world with higher carbon dioxide levels and more drought, Australian scientists say.

Developing Global Climate Strategies

Global warming's disastrous affects loom, says the United Nations. But fixing it remains elusive and expensive, it acknowledges. To do so, the industrialized world must lead by example and help fund efforts taken by poorer countries.

ETRM? Um, Yeah … It's Complicated

The phrase "Energy Trading and Risk Management" (ETRM) would seem pretty self explanatory. It means, well, the trading of energy and managing the risk associated with the trade or trades. Right? Well, yeah, but not really.

Fall Creek resident seeking approval of wind energy project

A family, the Fall Creek school district and Xcel Energy could all benefit if a 120-foot wind generator is constructed within the village of Fall Creek limits, according to Jeff Burns, who is eager to get approval for the generator on his property.

Federal Court in Alaska rules on infectious, medical waste

A Federal Court in Alaska has ordered Nancy and James Oliver, doing business as Safety Waste Incineration in Wasilla, Alaska, to stop receiving, incinerating or handling hospital, medical and infectious waste after July 1, according to the U.S. EPA.

Feds seek to control even your kitchen sink

The Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787) is likely to move forward in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this week. This sounds like a great piece of legislation from the name, but one doesn’t have to think long about the implications of the bill to see it as one of the biggest power grabs in history.

Friends of the Earth Launches Ad Campaign Opposing House Climate Bill

Friends of the Earth launched an advertising campaign today against the energy and climate change bill that is expected to come to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives later this week.

GE's Finance Arm Lining Up Green Power Deals

General Electric's Energy Financial Services is working on thousands of megawatts of renewable energy projects, but is not likely to move forward until the U.S. government decides on rules for new grants.

Get Smart

Tell Ken Copp that the U.S. electric grid needs to "get smart," and he'll politely set you straight. ..."The way we look at it, the grid's been smart for a while," he said. "It takes some pretty sophisticated tools to monitor, dispatch and control electricity flow."

Greenpeace Opposes Waxman-Markey

"Since the Waxman-Markey bill left the Energy and Commerce committee, yet another fleet of industry lobbysists has weakened the bill even more, and further widened the gap between what Waxman-Markey does and what science demands.

House passes Clean Energy Act; Senate action pending

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a global warming bill.

The Senate has yet to vote on the legislation, which will then require a conference committee to resolve differences between the two bills.

Iberdrola Renovables builds three new wind farms in the US

Spanish clean power company Iberdrola Renovables is consolidating its position in the US by starting the construction of new wind farms in Illinois, North Dakota and Oregon.

IEA sees non-OPEC supply falling by 400,000 bd between 2008-2014

The agency has also cut its forecast of capacity growth within the OPEC oil cartel. Having previously forecast that OPEC capacity would grow by 3.2 million b/d by 2014, it now sees OPEC capacity growth at just 1.7 million b/d.

Increasing Dust Accelerates Mountain Snowmelt

...Dust darkens the surface of winter snows, warming it by absorbing sunlight that the white surface would have reflected. That causes the snow to melt earlier than in the past, running off before the air has warmed enough to spur plant growth, researchers report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Is rainwater harvesting allowed where you live

Utah--Homeowners who want to use rainwater in Utah have to purchase a water right through the state, but Utah Senator Scott Jenkins wants to change all that.

It’s Now Legal to Catch a Raindrop in Colorado

For the first time since territorial days, rain will be free for the catching here, as more and more thirsty states part ways with one of the most entrenched codes of the West.

Precipitation, every last drop or flake, was assigned ownership from the moment it fell in many Western states, making scofflaws of people who scooped rainfall from their own gutters. In some instances, the rights to that water were assigned a century or more ago.

Japanese nuclear agency OKs commercial restart at plant in quake area

Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency approved in principle Monday the restart of commercial operations at the quake-stalled Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, the world's largest by output.

New Generation Biofuels Seen in 2010 at Earliest

The first biofuels produced using new generations of biomass raw materials could be available in commercial volumes from 2010 at the earliest, German junior Environment Michael Mueller said on Monday.

New Measures to Aid Solar on Public Lands

The Associated Press Hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands are being studied for their potential as solar power sites, Ken Salazar, the Interior secretary, said on Monday.

NYMEX crude 62 cents higher as dollar relinquishes gains

NYMEX August crude futures on CME's Globex system were 62 cents higher
Monday at $69.78/barrel after the US dollar relinquished overnight gains.

Oil company deals had slight impact on whole gasoline prices; GAO

Three of seven large oil company mergers since 2000 studied by the US Government Accountability Office have had a slight impact on the domestic wholesale gasoline market, the agency said Friday.

Ontario, Canada Lauded as North American Wind Power Leader

Ontario, Canada was hailed as North America's wind energy leader recently at an international conference in South Korea, where George Smitherman, Ontario's Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, accepted the 2009 World Wind Energy Award.

Pinpointing Drought Coast To Coast

Take vast quantities of satellite remote sensing data. Season with time. Mix generously with information about climate, soils, and recent rainfall. These are the ingredients for the Vegetation Drought Response Index.

Plastics recycling on the rise in Canada, report says

Canadians have more access to recycle plastics today than just four years ago, according to a report from the Environment and Plastics Industry Council.

Access to all types of consumer plastic recycling has improved, including film and bags, to which 44% of Canadians had access in 2005 and 53% now have access.

Private Turbines Stir Up Concern

As the state pushes for more wind energy and fewer local restrictions, Menomonee Falls is one of the first communities in southeastern Wisconsin to tackle the issue, trying to strike a compromise between small windmills and commercial farms.

Rainforests More Fragile Than Estimated

If the planet warms even a moderate amount, a new study predicts that as much as 40 percent of it could be condemned to vanish by the end of the century.

A crippled Amazon could hasten global warming. If a significant portion of its trees die off, their vast stores of carbon would be emitted back into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, pushing the climate further into dangerous levels of warming.

Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 062909

Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to active levels. Unsettled to active levels occurred until 29/0600Z, followed by mostly quiet conditions. ACE solar wind observations indicated Earth remained under the influence of a coronal hole high-speed stream. Solar wind velocities gradually increased until around 29/1500Z (peak 575 km/sec at 29/1501Z), then remained elevated for the rest of the period. A period of sustained southward IMF Bz occurred until around 29/0200Z (minimum -9 nT at 29/2102Z).

Seven wind power bases to be set up in China by 2020

China plans to build seven wind power bases with a minimum capacity of 10 gigawatts (gW) each by 2020, in a move to dramatically increase the use of the clean energy.

Smart Policies Can Cut Emissions by Delivering 24/7 Solar Energy

Concentrating solar thermal (CST), a renewable energy technology that can provide electricity around-the-clock, has the potential to replace traditional fossil fuel-based power sources and become a central part of the U.S. power supply.

SoberLook - When Traveling to Switzerland, Make Sure to Bring 135 BILLION Dollars Worth of Bonds

Italian finance police on Friday reportedly arrested two men crossing into Switzerland carrying what looks to be around 135 billion dollars worth of US government bonds, potentially the biggest smuggling attempt in history. The Guardia di Finanza was not able to confirm if the bonds were genuine."

Thank Senator McCain for Leadership on Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons are a grave and growing danger to humanity. They have become a security liability rather than an asset, and U.S. nuclear weapons policy needs to be changed to reflect new global realities. 

Earlier this month, Senator John McCain acknowledged this crucial fact when he gave a remarkable speech on the Senate floor...

The Federalization of All Waters of the U.S.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787) by a vote of 12-7 on June 18, 2009. As described below, this bill would place virtually all the waters of the United States under federal control.

The Oil Intensity of Food

Today we are an oil-based civilization, one that is totally dependent on a resource whose production will soon be falling....Most tractors use gasoline or diesel fuel. Irrigation pumps use diesel fuel, natural gas, or coal-fired electricity. Fertilizer production is also energy-intensive. Natural gas is used to synthesize the basic ammonia building block in nitrogen fertilizers. The mining, manufacture, and international transport of phosphates and potash all depend on oil.

The Science is Clear; We must Limit Global Warming Now

The House of Representatives took a historic vote to pass comprehensive climate legislation that would put in place a nationwide plan to rein in global warming pollution and create an entirely new, cleaner approach to our nation's energy system.  
 
This legislation does not include everything we wanted—nor did we expect it would—but it establishes a critical first step in building the foundation to rein in global warming pollution, reduce our dependence on oil, and transition to a clean energy economy.

Time running out to protest PATH line

There is another proposed new electricity transmission line slated to cut across the state of West Virginia.

Transparency is the New Gold Standard, US Wealth Managers Must Redefine Role to Regain Trust in Current Environment

Private banks and wealth managers have seen their profits plummet in the wake of unprecedented financial turmoil, investment scandals and the decline in world wealth, according to a new report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Tribes must consider issues claiming water rights

As Oklahoma tribes begin to assert water rights, constructing water rights claims will become important, said David Gover, an attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, during the recent 2009 Sovereignty Symposium.

U.S. to Begin Funding High-speed Rail Service in September

In a bid to rival the express trains of France, Japan, Spain and China, regions in the U.S. have been given guidelines on how to apply for $9 billion allocated to build a national network of high-speed rail corridors, the Department of Transportation said.

Unchecked Climate Change Would Result in More Heat Waves, More Flooding, and Reduced Crop Yields in Minnesota, New Report Finds

If heat-trapping emissions are not dramatically curtailed, global warming will significantly harm Minnesota's climate and economy, according to a new report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The report also shows how clean energy strategies—such as those proposed in a comprehensive bill the House of Representatives will vote on this Friday—would help blunt the extent and severity of climate change in Minnesota and nationally.

US EPA sets hourly standard for nitrogen dioxide emissions

A US Environmental Protection Agency proposal released Monday set the first-ever hourly national air quality standard (NAAQS) for nitrogen dioxide at between 80 parts per billion and 100 ppb. The standard may require the use of NO2-removal equipment at those coal-fired power plants that do not have such controls in place.

US ethanol imports dropping, domestic output on the rise; EIA

US ethanol imports dramatically dropped over a 12-month period while domestic production rose, according to Energy Information Administration statistics released Monday.

US Supreme Court won't hear ruling blocking Illinois coal plant

The US Supreme Court on Monday said it would not hear a power plant developer's appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked it from building a 534-MW coal-fired plant in southern Illinois.

A US appeals court in Illinois in October 2006 ruled in favor of the Sierra Club...

Wastewater Treatment Plant Mud Used As 'Green' Fuel

Dependency on oil and coal could be coming to an end. Researchers from the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) have analysed the environmental and human health impacts of an alternative fuel that solves various problems simultaneously. This is the solid waste from the water treatment plants of large cities.

Who Owns the Rain? Hint; It's Not Always Homeowners

Across the country, resourceful homeowners have embraced rainwater capture as a way of conserving community water supplies while maintaining healthy gardens. Unfortunately, rain barrels are sometimes at odds with the law. Facing certain water scarcity, cities and states have begun to wrestle with the conundrum of water rights versus conservation. When it all shakes out, will you own the rain that falls on your own property?

Wind Energy Infrastructure Would Raise Price 20 Percent, Pew Says

Harnessing and delivering enough wind power to make it a significant source of energy in the U.S. may raise its cost by 20 percent, according to the Pew Center for Climate Change.

Zoners find room for home turbines

A change in state law last year gave the Ohio Power Siting Board authority to approve large projects generating five megawatts of power or more. It also gave local zoning boards the responsibility to regulate small wind turbines producing fewer than five megawatts.