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Entries from January 2009

Voting Withdrawal Blues? A carbon cap video fix

January 30th, 2009 · 1 Comment

With Obama in the White House and, for most of you, no election any time soon, are you feeling voting withdrawal. If so, the Environmental Defense Action Fund has a fix for your voting blues: a chance to vote for the best short video that best explains how capping greenhouse gas pollution will break America’s […]

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Tags: cap and trade · emissions · Energy · environmental

The Jobs are “Blowin’ in the Wind”

January 29th, 2009 · 3 Comments

Jerome a Paris’ Wind power set to decline under Obama? highlighted how the on-again, off-again federal renewable energy policies have created a boom-and-bust cycle, with 2009 looking to be perhaps a minor bust after 2008’s record-setting boom period. And, that this might occur despite the Administration and Congressional focus on renewable energy. And, despite our […]

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Tags: coal · Energy · renewable energy · wind power

$3 billion more for transit: Kudos to some House Ds

January 28th, 2009 · Comments Off on $3 billion more for transit: Kudos to some House Ds

With $850 billion (or so, who is counting, anyway) on the table, moving around about 1/3rd of one percent might seem like nothing but $3 billion here, $3 billion there and it starts to add up. Earlier today, the House approved Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY)’s amendment to add $3 billion in capital investment in transit. […]

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Tags: Congress · Energy

Carbon Cap / Tax … and Dividend?

January 28th, 2009 · Comments Off on Carbon Cap / Tax … and Dividend?

Amid all the discussions about potential paths forward in terms climate legislation, there is basic agreement about the need to ‘put a price on carbon’ to incentivize reducing carbon intensity (and usage … or, actually, dumping into the atmosphere) throughout the economy. And, then the debate turns to “what to do with the resources”. For […]

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Tags: climate change · Energy · Global Warming · government energy policy

TVA to consider e-mail controls?

January 27th, 2009 · Comments Off on TVA to consider e-mail controls?

Sadly, one of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) core responses to the massive ash spill in December and other recent mishaps will be to institute some form of e-mail control over its 50-person public relations staff. As per Epic Cover-Up at TVA Coal Plant, an internal memo was accidently sent to the wrong addressees. Th3 […]

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Tags: coal · Energy

A few decades of prevention vs 1000 years of Hell …

January 27th, 2009 · Comments Off on A few decades of prevention vs 1000 years of Hell …

Whether it is avoiding fatty foods, saving money for the future, or taking cod liver oil regularly, somewhat unpleasant actions today to prevent disaster tomorrow are a struggle against our very nature. This struggle extends from individuals to society, as present consumption and today’s concerns too often triumph over a ‘discounted’ future. With climate change, […]

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Tags: climate change · Global Warming

WashPost: Energy Efficiency Ignorance and Truthiness

January 25th, 2009 · Comments Off on WashPost: Energy Efficiency Ignorance and Truthiness

Energy is on our minds. Energy alternatives and energy efficiency articles are weekly, if not daily, items in our newspapers. Last week, The Washington Post‘s home section had an amusing, somewhat informative story about a home energy audit in its Thursday Home section. A worthwhile read that will, we can hope, get a few more […]

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Tags: Energy · energy efficiency · journalism

Cleaning up some coal

January 23rd, 2009 · Comments Off on Cleaning up some coal

Some coal plants, that is … Hidden in the open, amid much noise about the Obama Administration’s first steps, few have heard a very positive Obama team action that suggests that more tools are now on the table for turning the tides on Global Warming’s rising seas. Less than three days after the Bush Administration […]

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Tags: coal · electricity · Energy · environmental

Ways and Means passes stimulus elements, including energy items

January 22nd, 2009 · Comments Off on Ways and Means passes stimulus elements, including energy items

Earlier today, House Ways and Means Committee passed “H.R. 598 by a party-line vote of 24 to 13. The legislation will now be combined with other components of the recovery package from other House Committees into H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for consideration by the full House of Representatives next week.” “This […]

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Tags: Energy · energy efficiency · financial policy · government energy policy · renewable energy

Making some energy efficient sausage …

January 22nd, 2009 · Comments Off on Making some energy efficient sausage …

If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made. Otto von Bismarck The House of Representatives is starting the grind of turning the draft American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 (ARRA) into legislation. It isn’t a pretty scene to watch … yet, watch it you must if you care about […]

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Tags: Congress · Energy · energy efficiency · government energy policy