Energy
Ralph’s Pretty Good Stimulus: A Missed Opportunity
A Prairie Home Companion is sponsored by, among others, Ralph’s Pretty Good Grocery: “If you can’t find it at Ralph’s, you can probably get along without it.”That’s my initial and preliminary take on some of the energy and transportation provisions of the stimulus, although a lot that isn’t in there we probably can’t get along …
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CONTINUE READINGA Victory for the California Team
AP reports that: The Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Overseas Private Investment Corp. agreed to provide a combined $500 million in financing for renewable energy projects and take into account greenhouse gas emissions associated with projects they support. The lawsuit was originally filed in San Francisco federal court in 2002 by Friends …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Bush Legacy
The New York Times has a story this morning that tries to summarize Bush’s environmental legacy. As the story points out, there are positive notes, like the diesel regulations and the last-minute designation of marine sanctuaries. Yet, the overall message is negative. The Bush Administration will largely be remembered as a time of environmental setbacks …
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CONTINUE READINGHow Smart Can You Get?
It is said that it cost $3 million to air a 30 second advertisement during last weekend’s Superbowl. If that is the case, then General Electric chose to spend that much (plus change for production cost) to run a cute little musical piece based on the Scarecrow’s song from the Wizard of Oz — “If …
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CONTINUE READINGObama Addresses Efficiency Standards
President Obama is pushing for the adoption of better efficiency standards, the Times reports: Over the last three decades, Congress has demanded stricter efficiency standards on 30 categories of products, as varied as residential air-conditioners and industrial boilers. But successive administrations have failed to write regulations to enforce the laws, even when ordered to by …
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CONTINUE READINGEarth, we’re just not that into you
As part of the continual fallout from last month’s Pew poll on the country’s “top priorities” for 2009, which ranked the issue of global warming dead last, I’ve found myself in several conversations recently about terminology. Assuming one believes that this ranking is too low, is part of the problem the poll’s use of the term …
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CONTINUE READINGWhy Does Larry Summers Want to Accelerate Climate Change?
I’ve never been a huge fan of Greenpeace: although I like much of the work they do, it has always seemed to me that they are more interested in headlines than the slogging work it takes to promote sustainability. But they had a great idea a few days ago: commission the respected private corporate consulting …
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CONTINUE READINGEnergy law courses
If you’re interested in learning more about energy law, you might want to take a look at these two Berkeley classes which are now available on youtube:: Law 270.6 – Energy Regulations and the Environment – http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8256AD22B9C1CE53 Law 270.7 – Renewable Energy & Alternative Fuels – http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=214AD3BA0B8D3FBA The downloads are free and available to anyone.
CONTINUE READINGOn the International Renewable Energy Agency
Steve’s post on the proposed International Renewable Energy Agency raises an important question: why do it this way? It would seem to me that if one really wanted to make a difference here. you would try to integrate renewable energy issues (and perhaps mandates) into the one international organization that really matters: the World Trade …
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CONTINUE READINGBarack Obama: America’s #1 Liberal
…if you follow Robert Frost and define a liberal as a man “who is too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.” He lets Daschle go today after allegedly fully backing him yesterday. More to the point for this weblog, in the Senate, he completely checks out on the fight over transit funding, …
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