Green Building , I've written about the fascinating subject of Green Building a number of times here, including this special article I did for the FPA website. The "Financial Times" had a useful update the other day, Greener bricks on the old block, focused on the retrofitting of existing buildings. JPMorgan Chase, for instance, one […]
As we come down to decision time for the caucus voters in Iowa (January 3), the primary voters in New Hampshire (January 8), and big contests to follow later in the month in Michigan, South Carolina and Florida, it's crucial to remember that the next President of the United States is going to have a […]
A story from the "NY Times" , Plan on Airline Emissions Hints at U.S.-Europe Rift , is a window onto an interesting bigger story: how global warming is impacted by aviation. I've written on one aspect of this recently in a story I did for "Planning" on Sustainability at the Airports. I also blogged on […]
as they say in the movie biz. POTUS has signed the energy bill. Bush signs bill boosting fuel standards reports the A.P.'s H. Josef Hebert, the writer who's been on this story all along. (As have I , see any number of items on the energy bill under Governments and Politics going back to the […]
Andrew Revkin had a sobering article in the "NY Times" on Sunday – As China Goes, So Goes Global Warming. First of all, with all of the hoopla surrounding the meetings in Bali, Revkin puts it nicely in perspective: "The Bali achievement? Two more years of talks." More to the point, though, is the fact […]
Energy Bill – “You can’t always get what you want,” quoth the Stones. “But if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.” Well I think the U.S. needs more than what we’ll get out of Washington in the energy bill, but it just might be a good down payment. See U.S. […]
The Democrats in the Senate have failed again to surmount Republican obstruction on getting even a scaled-down energy package moved along. Last week, the Democratic leadership was forced to give up the ghost on the Renewable Portfolio Standard. Today Harry Reid had to give up the package of tax cut rescissions that the oil and […]
It appears as if the entire constellation of those who've got a stake in addressing the climate change crisis have descended on Bali over the course of the last ten days. The conference wraps up tomorrow. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the U.S. has reiterated the Bush administration's adamant opposition to mandatory GHG reductions. (See No […]
As of Friday, December 7, a day which will live in infamy because of the Senate Republicans' unwillingness to overcome the undue influence of the special interests of the electric utility and oil & gas industries (in cahoots with three Democrats), the renewable portfolio standard of 15% and the tax revisions providing $21 billion in […]
As reported in October at The Envelope, Please , former U.S. Vice President Al Gore shared the Nobel Peace Prize this year with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. They were awarded the prizes today in Oslo. Go here for the speech given by the Chairman of The Norwegian Nobel Committee, Ole Danbolt Mjös, and […]
Senate cloture bid on energy bill fails is the story this morning from "The Hill." With 60 votes necessary to close debate and proceed to a vote on the superb energy package that came over from the House yesterday, only 53 votes could be mustered. Three Democrats, Byrd, Landrieu and Bayh voted against closure. Byrd […]
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi referenced this famous line from Emerson's "The Concord Hymn" in talking about the energy bill being passed out of the House today. Her idea is that Congress can start a new American Revolution with passage of this legislation. It's called the "Energy Independence and Security Act" and we've talked […]
The Senate , The Committee on Environment and Public Works today marked up the "Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act" (S. 2191). This has the support of America's leading environmental organizations, a coalition of four major religious organizations, and the Apollo Alliance, an initiative by labor unions and others to rejuvenate "our nation's economy by creating the next […]
Cross your fingers. The House of Representatives might yet include critical provisions that are devoutly to be wished. Reuters reports that a letter sent by the House Democratic leadership today to its members says the pending bill, due for a vote in the House tomorrow or Thursday, would have a provision that "strengthens and extends […]
Renewable fuel compromise key to bill is the headline from A.P. and we learn, among other things, that “Democratic leaders working on an energy bill were trying to forge compromises Monday to increase the use of renewable fuels both in cars and by electric utilities after reaching a deal earlier that would raise vehicle fuel […]