Energy

America’s Energy Future: A New Report

The National Research Council has released a new report (available for purchase here) on America’s energy future.  Here are some key take away points: Use of existing energy-efficiency technologies is the nearest-term and lowest-cost option for moderating our nation’s demand for energy, especially over the next decade. The potential energy savings available from theaccelerated deployment …

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Think About Carbon First, Act Later

The Worldwatch Institute reports on a new policy recently announced by the World Bank — before approving future projects, the Bank intends to develop an estimate of likely greenhouse gas impacts.  At a minimum, this will provide greater transparency concerning the implications of a World Bank decision.  Hopefully, it will encourage projects more likely to …

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2 Funny!

This is from Grist’s mock facebook page for Steve Chu: Steven took the quiz “Do you know more about energy than Sarah Palin?” and the result is “OMG I HOPE SO, MR. ENERGY SECRETARY“. You’re the flipping Secretary of Energy. Your vocabulary has moved beyond Sarah’s staples of “Drill, Baby, Drill” and “Nu-cu-lar.” You understand …

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Why Al Franken Matters

Norm Coleman was pretty good on environmental issues.  But Franken has the capacity to become a real leader on environment and energy issues.  In his campaign, he called for a major push on clean energy: When I was a kid, I watched John F. Kennedy tell us that we would put a man on the …

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No drilling for dollars this year

Earlier this week, Cara noted that the tentative state budget agreement struck between California Gov. Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders included permission for new oil drilling in the state’s waters off Santa Barbara, despite the fact that the State Lands Commission, the body responsible for issuing oil leases, had rejected the proposal in January. Cara also …

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Water for Power Plants: A Major Concern All of Its Own

As the demand for freshwater grows and supplies dwindle, should water use become a major factor in choosing new sources of electric power?  That is a question addressed recently in a hearing sponsored by a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology. The United States Geological Survey says that 48 percent of …

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How is Cap’n Trade’s brand faring? The Jon Stewart barometer

There’s been some good discussion of the pros and cons of the Waxman-Markey ACES bill at Ethan’s recent post criticizing cap-and-trade.  One commenter worries that , whether or not the bill would ultimately succeed in reducing greenhouse emissions, the public perception of ACES is that it’s a corporate giveaway, which harms all efforts for environmental regulation.  Red Desert …

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New California offshore drilling part of budget deal?

Lost in the swirl of reports on what may, or may not, be part of the California budget deal legislators appear to be closing in on is this detail, reported by the AP: Aides to the governor and Legislature spent their weekend rushing to work out legislative language that could resolve the remaining issues. . …

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Is India Going Green?

According to a story in today’s NY Times,  India is making a major push toward renewable energy: “We need to get our act together,” said Gauri Singh, joint secretary in India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, which was set up 26 years ago, “because India is growing faster than anyone can imagine. Renewable energy …

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Greetings from New England – Home to Green Jobs, But No Polar Bears

Residents of Pittsfield, Massachusetts who stay close to home may not have seen a polar bear in – well – a long time, and the economy may be in a general slump. but the town fathers and mothers have seen a recent growth in green jobs.  The Berkshire Eagle reports that The Center for Ecological …

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