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IN TODAY’S AUDIO REPORT: One step forward and two steps back for Obama and the Democrats — the changing political climate of climate change politics…. All that and more in today’s SPECIAL Green News Report!
Got comments, tips, love letters, hate mail, Cash for Clunkers? Drop us a line at GreenNews@BradBlog.com or right here at the comments link below. All GNRs are always archived at GreenNews.BradBlog.com.
IN ‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’ (links below): No easy solutions for mercury pollution in the Great Salt Lake; Food industry says safety is the responsibility of consumers; Could revolutionary greenhouse design revolutionize Big Ag? …See below for more!
Info/links on stuff we talked about on today’s episode, plus MORE green news, all follows below…
- Obama’s new mileage rules will be first real step to curb planet-warming emissions
Another significant change is that the new standards will include tougher requirements for each class size of vehicles, as well as a higher average across each company’s fleet, according to the official. The previous rules covered only the fleet average, which meant that companies could offset a giant SUV with some more fuel-efficient models.
“This has the effect of preserving consumer choice,” said the official. “You can continue to buy whatever size car you like, all cars get cleaner.”
- Obama to Toughen Rules on Emissions and Mileage
- Obama Nominates Superfund Polluter Lawyer To Run DOJ Environment Division
On Tuesday, Obama “announced his intent to nominate” Ignacia S. Moreno to be Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division in the Department of Justice. Moreno, general counsel for that department during the Clinton administration, is now the corporate environmental counsel for General Electric, “America’s #1 Superfund Polluter”.
- Coal, Electric Industries Big Winners in Climate Bill Deal: Regional Interests Watering Down Bill Aimed at Curbing Global Climate Change Effects
The saga highlights the thorny congressional climate change debate, where partisan politics takes a backseat to regional interests, and the influence of the energy lobby is king. Indeed, the concessions from Waxman and Markey to this point have been made to satisfy Democrats representing regions heavy with coal, oil and automaker interests.
The resulting dynamic is one of multi-layered tension that pits industry against environmentalists, regional interests against national and global interests, and congressional lawmakers against emission reforms that might help the planet, but could also cost jobs in their districts.
- Some enviro groups not happy with Waxman-Markey bill
- GOP plans 450 climate bill changes
They plan to introduce amendments covering a huge swath of issues from lowering the emissions targets and renewable electricity standard included in the bill to making the controversial Yucca Mountain in Nevada a storage facility for carbon capture and sequestration waste.
…Republicans are also considering introducing a series of state-specific proposals targeted at making lawmakers take tough votes against their home districts.
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Still, other amendments would mandate intense reporting requirements, force congressional reauthorization every two years, and limit lawsuits.- Warming Skeptics Get Heard on the Hill: More GOP Doubts Expressed as House Prepares to Take Up Emissions-Cap Bill
- Paul Krugman, NYT: The Perfect, the Good, the Planet
After all the years of denial, after all the years of inaction, we finally have a chance to do something major about climate change. Waxman-Markey is imperfect, it’s disappointing in some respects, but it’s action we can take now. And the planet won’t wait.‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’: More green news not covered in today’s audio report… See below!
- No easy solutions for Great Salt Lake mercury
Dealing with mercury problems plaguing the Great Salt Lake won’t be as simple as finding and eliminating its sources, a national mercury expert said Tuesday.
- Food Companies Are Placing the Onus for Safety on Consumers
Yet the supply chain for ingredients in processed foods — from flavorings to flour to fruits and vegetables — is becoming more complex and global as the drive to keep food costs down intensifies. As a result, almost every element, not just red meat and poultry, is now a potential carrier of pathogens, government and industry officials concede.
- Camarillo-area greenhouses produce 21st century crops
The facility generates its own renewable power. It hoards rainwater. It hosts its own bumblebees for pollination. And it requires a fraction of the chemicals used in neighboring fields to coax plants to produce like champions.
This fledgling movement to grow food crops in closed, sustainable environments could become as revolutionary to farming in the 21st century as California’s development of massive farms was in the 20th, agriculture experts say.
- Categories: EnvironmentGreen News
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Reader Comments on
‘Green News Report’ – May 19, 2009
16 Comments(Comments are now closed.)
16 Responses
(Comments are now closed.)
They have to sell all the TRUCKS before they can sell the HYBRIDS
I’m working all out to make the perfect be the enemy of the not good enough. While this might seem to be contrary to the perfection of patience, it isn’t so patient as to just take ruination lying down.
Oh, and once again, sterling work. Sterling work.
no 99, your spot on. The best we can do is always not good enough. Just like network security. And yeah, my posts perhaps seems redundant. but what the hey?
A really interesting greenhouse design is made by a company called Valcent. They appear to be having some financial problems, but the principle appears to be sound.
http://www.valcent.net/s/HDVGS.asp
Love David Blume’s work on ethanol.
http://www.permaculture.com/book_menu/489/490
Finally, you can make your own ethanol at home:
http://www.microfueler.com/
Thanks, 99!
You may also like this article on Grist, “The Waxman-Markey Rorschach Blot”.
And thanks for the links, LGardener. Growing crops on a vertical system is an interesting idea.
I think there is a reason I’m bookmarked to Philpott at Grist…. 😛
Its like.. not kissing smack…in the face.
Oh yeah, were talking not what?
Only now, we want to plant produce in Afghanistan?
How can we green up All blow you face offs prisons?
Past partisan tense…new verb, and beyond!
Hey there tricky dicky jr, we remember, we are kind and generous beings with concise law in our learned hands.
That’s why you only go to jail!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H–zNBAZ5g
Horses Home Journal;
* Politics * Lifestyle *
Obama’s energy policies are flawed. In the interest of “bipartisanship” , he is only continuing republican policies.
All the new transmission lines he wants our tax dollars to pay for are for wind farms , for the most part. The most unreliable form of energy in existance.
They only produce when the wind blows..not during peak use hours. The energy can’t be stored so all the old coal and gas fired power plants have to be on stand by. The wind farms can’t be sited close to people as they are a health risk.The turbines have to shut down during high winds as the blades are subject to catch fire from friction. Energy is lost in transmission.
So these state to state transmission lines are a boon doggle. Enron drove up the market by closing power plants and exporting energy.
Enron was into wind energy. Larry Summers through D E Shaw Group bought a lot of Enron assets and the employees came along with them. Larry is part owner of D E Shaw but he would like to keep that quiet. His wind farm is First Wind. Just as crooked and mean spirited as Enron. He is trying to take over NY and ME with wind farms . Sued everywhere he goes.
An anti trust lawsuit against First Wind states the wind farms pay environmentalists to write positive data. Check out cohoctonwindwatch…the lawsuit is in their archives. windaction.org and windwatch.org for the rest of the story.
The NY AG Andrew Cuomo is investigating First Wind for anti trust violations, fraud, bribery of public officials . The Conn. AG is investigating Iso New England for stand by energy not produced. 86 million was paid out for it
Two wind farms Cohocton in NY and Stetson in ME were built by First Wind and are not online. Cohocton was found out by the public. Stetson is still pretty much kept a secret. No room on the grid. ME is exporting energy. Two renewable plants have been slated to close to make room for Stetson. They lawyered up however.(Enron plan of action)
The Conn. AG’s investigation …wind farms purported to be on line and not..I am sure are connected.Larry Summers does not need to be anywhere near govt. policy. Friend of Ken (Lay that is)
Just a comment.
The trade-in for getting a new, if the new one does only 1 mile extra pr. galon, sure sounds like aid to the car industri, more than concern for enviroment!
Is it not abuse of peoples concern for enviroment I ask.
(if you can find the misspellings, you should allso be smart enough to correct it yourself)