Debunking Myths About Energy Security and Independence
The phrases "energy security" and "energy independence" get thrown around a lot in debates about clean energy, climate change, oil drilling and any policy having to do with our energy supply. And they get used in at least two highly misleading ways by groups that are often diametrically opposed to each other. First, supporters of aggressive alternative energy policies frequently argue that policies like renewable portfolio standards will "promote energy independence....
CONTINUE READINGRand Paul, Constitutional Pervert
..and he's not the only one. You can be forgiven for not knowing the name of Arunava Majumdar: he is a distinguished energy engineer who currently runs the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA - E), and who until a few days ago was President Obama's nominee (since last November) to become DOE's new Undersecretary. It was a great appointment. By all accounts, Majumdar did a terrific job at ARPA - E. He even received the suppo...
CONTINUE READINGComparing Canadian and US Environmental Law: Judicial Review
In a prior post, I talked a little about proposed changes to Canadian environmental laws that would roll back significant protections and procedural requirements. I also talked about some of the differences between Canada and the United States that might be the basis for very different histories of environmental law in the two countries. But there are two additional differences that I actually think are even more critical. I’ll tackle one of them here. US enviro...
CONTINUE READINGHow To Mobilize Public Support for Environmental Protection
To be politically sustainable, environmental law needs grassroots support. Joan Blades, one of the founders of Move-On, recently spoke at Berkeley's Energy and Resources Group about her thoughts on political mobilization. It's well-worth a look. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTK3f-2POi8] ...
CONTINUE READINGWhy Oil Companies Might Want to Kill Renewable Energy
Dan’s post about the connections among various efforts to decrease renewable energy production raises the question of why fossil fuel interests would want to take those steps. One obvious answer is the potential for economic competition in the future – though to the extent that renewable energy continues to be more expensive than many fossil fuel options, that depends on (uncertain) predictions about future changes in the relative costs of the two categories. Anot...
CONTINUE READINGSometimes People Really ARE Out to Get You
The Guardian has a rather startling story about organized efforts to stamp out wind and solar energy. (I suppose the fact that I find it startling is an indication of my naiveté.) Not too surprisingly, the Koch oil interests are a major funding sources. The Guardian lists some of the efforts to eliminate clean energy, which seem to be at least loosely coordinated: A new $6m election ad buy by the ultra-conservative group Americans for Prosperity attacking Barack...
CONTINUE READINGMay 17th Sacramento Lunch on California Infill Policies, Featuring State Sen. pro Tem Darrell Steinberg
For those planning to be in the Sacramento area next Thursday, May 17th, please join us for a lunch event on California's land use policies, featuring a keynote address by State Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. Here are the details: The Future of Infill: How CEQA Reform and the End of Redevelopment Will Affect Sustainable Development in California What is the future of infill development in California in a time of limited public resources? Speakers will di...
CONTINUE READINGCarbon as Commodity and Currency
As a number of writers have suggested, it's intriguing to think about the ways in which carbon functions like money to an increasing extent as a medium of exchange, and a measure and storehouse of value. Thus, alongside (and intertwined with) the existing money-based economy, we can envision the emergence of a carbon-based system of activity and exchange. Here are some examples. In a cap-and-trade system, people trade the right to emit carbon. Carbon can also be cash...
CONTINUE READING40 years hasn’t taught some agencies much
Cross-posted at CPRBlog. You would think that by now federal agencies would have the NEPA process pretty well down. After all, it's been the law since 1970, requiring that every federal agency prepare an environmental impact statement before committing itself to environmentally harmful actions. And it's not that hard to do. Agencies just have to describe the action, alternatives to it, and their effects on the environment relative to not taking the action. Pretty stra...
CONTINUE READINGMurderers, Tyrants, Global Warming and the Heartland Institute
The image to the left is not a joke. It's instead part of a just-cancelled Heartland Institute campaign -- cancelled after howls of protests, including from a climate skeptic who refused to participate in a Heartland event if it went forward. The Unabomber billboard showed up on the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago (home of the Institute) this week. Other billboards were to appear around the city with photos of notorious figures like Charles Manson, Osama bin Laden...
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