Get Energy Smart! NOW!

The Waxman-Markety American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) targets for renewable energy and climate emissions reductions are, to put it simply, far from what they should be. And, let’s put aside “should be”, they are far weaker than they could be. Let’s stick with 2020 targets for a moment. The bill, as passed by the […]

[Read more →]

Last evening, Devilstower spoke of his regrets that there had not been more attention to this post when first published last fall and that this had not pursued as a path to ‘win’ coal companies’ agreement on a path forward to tackle climate change. Thus, with Devilstower’s permission, a guest post discussion of an innovative […]

[Read more →]

Let’s be clear: coal is a killer. Despite the fantasies that coal industry advocates and astroturf organizations like to sell about “clean coal“, coal is a killer in the near term (asthma, black lung, etc), mid-term (mercury), and long term (climate change). While coal has had a powerful role in powering the globe from poverty […]

[Read more →]

Kathleen Sebelius’ swearing in as Secretary for Health and Human Services represented a bitter sweet moment. She has been a strong public servant. A dedicated, principled, thoughtful, and courageous leader who won respect and admiration from Kansans. The nation — and the tough challenges of American health care — merits having someone of her qualities […]

[Read more →]

The Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, made comments re coal and its future in the American electrical system that, to be kind, make those concerned about effective paths forward on dealing with climate change uncomfortable. In particular, the following words quite frankly I doubt if the United States will turn its back on coal. We […]

[Read more →]

In 2008, Kathleen Sebelius undertook a courageous battle against coal industry interests attempting to buy their way into perpetuating highly polluting coal-fired electricity plants. She stood up against fossil-foolish distortions. She stood up against industry lobby money. She stood up in a tough fight against Republican legislators who were active collaborators with the polluters. She […]

[Read more →]

T. Boone Pickens efforts to convince the political leadership to invest heavily in a fundamentally flawed energy concept continue to move apace. Superficially, Pickens’ $10s (likely over $100 now) of millions expended on advertising, web sites, and otherwise provide a superficially appealing concept: Build wind turbines Use wind electricity to displace gas-fired electricity (about 22 […]

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]