Regulation
A Tale of Two Cities
The old adage is that all politics is local. So is much, if not all, environmental policy-making. Recent reports from two American cities vividly demonstrate the wide gulf that often separates local efforts to adopt sustainable environmental and energy policies. A recent story in the Wall Street Journal reports the City of Boulder, Colorado’s groundbreaking …
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CONTINUE READINGStatistician contests George Will’s misguided climate op-ed
Nate Silver, the statistician who blogs at fivethirtyeight.com and made national news (and the Colbert Report) last year by being the most accurate and reliable predictor of the presidential election results, has turned his attention to climate change. In response to an op-ed yesterday by George Will in the Washington Post, Silver analyzes temperature trends and debunks the …
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CONTINUE READINGWhich oysters for the Chesapeake Bay?
Sunday’s Washington Post reports that a decision is expected soon on whether to deliberately introduce the Suminoe oyster, native to China and Japan, to the Chesapeake Bay. A decision would mark the end of an analytic process that has been going on for more than 10 years. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a …
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CONTINUE READINGA Glimpse Inside the Stimulus Bill
Although the stimuls bill passed last week, there still doesn’t seem to be a lot of detailed information about its exact provisions. It does appear, however, that the final legislation has considerable benefits for clean energy, as CNN details
CONTINUE READINGThe future of coal-fired electric power
Tomorrow’s New York Times has an interesting article on the future of coal-fired electric power in the United States. Coal is responsible for fully 20% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. “Clean coal,” meaning coal plants that result in no net emissions of carbon dioxide, would be possible only …
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CONTINUE READINGA smorgasbord of smelt and salmon news
There have been several developments in the Delta water saga since I posted on the request for relief from water quality standards submitted by the state Department of Water Resources and federal Bureau of Reclamation, and the potential for conflict between the water needs of smelt and of salmon.
CONTINUE READINGThe Environment and Your Sex Life
This being Valentine’s Day, it seemed like a good time for a posting on endocrine disrupters. Not being an expert on the topic, I first turned to the EPA’s website. There I was reminded that a 1996 statute requires EPA to screen chemicals for this effect. Proceeding at its usual hectic pace, ten years later …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Reverse Wimpy Effect
Does anybody remember Popeye? His friend Wimpy liked to say, “I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!” The Missouri Legislature is considering pulling a Reverse Wimpy. The Jefferson City solons are considering a bill that would let an electric utility say “I would gladly give you a power plant “tomorrow” if you …
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CONTINUE READINGBridging a Browner-Summers Gap?
Much has been made about a potential feud between White House Economic Advisor Larry Summers and White House Energy and Climate Advisor Carol Browner over how fast to cut carbon emissions. Summers has been vocal in expressing concerns over the economic effects of a tough climate policy. Browner, by contrast, is a strong advocate for …
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CONTINUE READINGYou won’t see this in the stimulus package
Just announced: A new UK program to give all homes an energy efficiency retrofit by 2030. This from the Guardian: All UK households will have a green makeover by 2030 under government plans to reduce carbon emissions and cut energy bills. Cavity wall and loft insulation will be available for all suitable homes, with plans …
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