The elephant in the tornado forecast office.
| New Efficient Methanol Fuel Cell Methanol Fuel Cell Membrane MIT engineers have improved the power output of one type of fuel cell by more than 50 percent through technology that could help these environmentally friendly energy storage devices find a much broader market, particularly in portable electronics.From MIT:The new material key to the work is also considerably less expensive than [.] |
| Carbon-capping climate Senate bill dies U.S. legislation that would have set up a cap-and-trade system to limit climate-warming carbon emissions died on Friday after a procedural vote in the Senate. The bill, which had bipartisan support but not enough to overcome opposition, aimed to cut total U.S. global warming emissions by 66 percent by 2050. Opponents said it would cost jobs and raise fuel prices in an already pinched American economy. |
| Congress to hear global warming woes of Colorado River. Federal scientists and Western water managers will call Congress’ attention Friday to the potentially devastating effects of climate change on the Colorado River, warning that an expected warming trend would reduce the amount of water in the river. |
| Biofuel Update Algae Biofuel At the Peak Oil Conference last week I heard several speakers state that “ethanol is a disaster” and “biofuels are a bust”.With the recent start up of a commercial cellulosic ethanol plant and with so much development in algae based biofuels, I think biofuels are going to play a major role as a [.] |
| Mayor Hickenlooper on Colorado Matters Mayor Hickenlooper is a guest on today’s episode of Colorado Matters - a daily production of Colorado Public Radio. With host Ryan Warner, he discusses details of the Greenprint Denver Advisory Council’s recommendations, shares his thoughts about the proposals, and examines next steps. Listen live this evening at 7 p.m. on KCFR 1340 AM, or [.] |
| Rural leaders seek solutions at climate change conference. For some Alaska villages, the search for solid ground is as much a concern as the search for a stable energy future. |
| Insulate and Seal Rebates Now Available Insulating and sealing your home helps reduce heating and cooling needs, which saves energy and money. But many of Denver’s older homes lack proper insulation. If you’re a homeowner of an existing home that needs retrofitting, rebates are now available to help with your installation costs. Learn more. |
| The Benefits of Hybrid Cars The soaring oil prices and the rising level of awareness among the masses regarding the rapidly deteriorating environmental conditions are compelling many car makers to switch over the developing hybrid cars. There are already more than one million hybrid vehicles running on American roads (May, 2008). Big car companies like GM and Toyota have [.] |
| Press Release: Voinovich Proposes Legislation to Increase Global Warming Pollution for Decades FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tony Kreindler, EDF, 202-572-3378 or 202-210-5791 (cell)(Washington — May 2, 2008) Ohio Senator George Voinovich today proposed to address the rapidly escalating threat of climate change by delaying meaningful federal action to control greenhouse gas emissions, obstructing existing state programs, and allowing U.S. global warming pollution to increase for decades to come. “This proposal can be summed up in one word: bankrupt,” said Steve Cochran, national climate campaign director at Environmental Defense Fund. “It’s a detailed prescription for doing nothing. If you think climate change is a hoax, this is your bill."
The plan outlined by Senator Voinovich today postpones meaningful action on greenhouse gas emissions for at least twenty years, calling for weak, non-binding emissions reduction benchmarks – current levels in 2020 and 1990 levels in 2030 – while providing taxpayer-funded subsidies for favored technologies. If the subsidies failed to achieve their goal, the Environmental Protection Agency could establish a cap and trade system to reduce emissions – but it could be suspended at the whim of the federal government, and it would come with an astonishingly low $5 per ton “safety valve” – an artificial price control on emissions reductions.
In the meantime, the proposal would take away state authority – confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Massachusetts v. EPA – to control global warming pollution. Dozens of states across the country, including California, Florida, and the Northeast members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, have set ambitious emissions reduction targets.
Widespread scientific consensus holds that the U.S. needs to reduce emissions to roughly 80 percent below current levels by mid-century to help avoid the worst consequences of climate change. The U.S. can meet that target by reducing emissions by a manageable two percent per year – every year of delay will require steeper emissions cuts at a higher cost to the economy.
The Senate is expected to vote in early June on the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (S. 2191), a bipartisan bill that puts an enforceable limit on pollution and puts the U.S. on a path to meeting science-based emissions reduction targets without harming the economy. The Energy Information Administration reported earlier this week that the bill’s mandatory cap and trade system would effectively reduce emissions without impacting strong long-term economic growth in the U.S.
“Senators looking for an environmentally effective and economically sound climate policy need to look no further than the Climate Security Act. Senator Voinovich’s proposal is just an escape route from credible action, and it leads to the same old expensive and ineffective policies that have already failed to curb emissions,” Cochran said. “It’s an attempt to block real action, and it’s only going to raise the price of fixing this problem down the road.”
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About Environmental Defense Fund
A leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org
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| Press Release: Statement on Grants to Convert NC Hog Lagoons
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Dr. Joe Rudek, 919-881-2913
Georgette Shepherd, 919-880-8033
(Raleigh, NC - June 4, 2008) The NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources today announced that three hog farm operations in Sampson County will receive funding to install innovative waste treatment technologies, the first cost share grants to be awarded under the NC Lagoon Conversion Program established by the 2007 General Assembly. The following statement may be attributed to Dr. Joe Rudek, senior scientist with Environmental Defense Fund. Rudek helped document the air and water pollution associated with the traditional lagoon and sprayfield system and helped shape state legislation that permanently bans open air lagoons for treating hog waste.
"The hog farmers receiving the first grants are innovators. They deserve a salute for their commitment to finding ways to treat swine waste that will protect the state’s air and water quality and the health of communities.
"The technologies selected for funding will use a centralized system large enough to treat nearly 60,000 hogs. This is a great beginning for the state’s push to convert all open air lagoons to modern systems.
"The Lagoon Conversion Program was designed to help farmers make the switch to better systems, and its success over the coming year should spur legislators to provide additional funding in the state budget."
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| The elephant in the tornado forecast office. Is global warming behind severe weather? |