Sierra Club Activist Wins Prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize

Michigan farmer and Sierra Club activist Lynn Henning has been awarded this year's prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, considered the "Nobel prize for environmental activism." Henning took action after concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO's) began polluting the water near the 300-acre corn and soybean farm she works with her husband in Lenawee County. Over the last decade she has become a leading voice calling on state and federal authorities to hold these livestock factory farms accountable to water and air quality laws.

Read more about Lynn and send her a congratulatory note at http://www.sierraclub.org/people/henning

 

Tragedy in Coal Country

Our thoughts are with the miners, families and communities of West Virginia as the sadness sinks in from the April 5 West Virginia coal mine explosion. We send strength to the rescue workers and healing to everyone who is affected by this disaster.

To express your thoughts with the family and friends of the miners, visit this website.

To donate to the West Virginia Council of Churches' Montcoal Mining Disaster Fund, visit their website.

Reposted from http://connect.sierraclub.org/post/ClimateCrossroadsBlog/tragedy_in_coal_country.html

Suburbs Turn Blue, Ballot Initiatives, State Fiscal Crises, Economic Boost

* Why Republicans are losing their hold on suburban America.

* Ballot Initiatives: Good or Bad?

Legislators can’t make unwanted ballot measures go away. But they can put them through some extra hoops. The Florida Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of religion. It also protects life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And it defends the rights of pregnant pigs.

* State Fiscal Crises

The moribund economy is drying up tax revenues more dramatically than expected, forcing 22 states, including California, to confront growing budget gaps. Some states have already eliminated jobs and services -- and more cuts are likely.

* Fighting Climate Change Will Boost the Economy

Rather than cost money, California's plans to fight global warming and improve energy efficiency will boost household incomes by $48 billion and create as many as 403,000 jobs in the next 12 years, according to a UC Berkeley economic study released Oct. 21.

State Election Outcomes, Offshore Wind, New Study: Adapting to Climate Change

* State Election Outcomes Handicapping

The nation’s worsening economic picture and Democrat Barack Obama’s widening lead in the presidential race appear to be boosting the prospects for Democrats to expand their lead in the state legislatures.  The summary report on Stateline includes links to state-by-state details, maps and other fun stuff!

* New Jersey Moves Forward on Offshore Wind Plan!

The Board of Public Utilities voted unanimously to award a $4 million wind energy grant to Garden State Offshore Energy for its proposed 345.6-megawatt wind farm off the coast of Avalon. The BPU set aside up to $19 million. Gov. Corzine said he expects the other bidders to participate in developing wind energy as the state moves to create 3,000 megawatts of electricity by 2020.

* Time to Adapt as Earth Warms Up

Preparing for global warming demands government action because temperature increase is unavoidable and will affect everyone, European scientists said in a study published recently by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

Adaptation is needed ``so that humankind can cope with the significant inevitable climate change that we are already committed to,'' Richard Somerville of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said in an interview.

The study proposes that world leaders prepare society for changes such as increases in sea levels in low-lying areas and for water shortages in parched regions.

Water Efficiency, Removing Obstacles to Clean Power, State Impacts of Fiscal Crisis, Benefits of High Gas Prices

* New Water Efficiency Info. Source

The Alliance for Water Efficiency, a national non-profit organization that promotes the efficient and sustainable use of water, has announced the formal launch of a comprehensive web-based Water Efficiency Resource Library. The Resource Library is intended as a one-stop shop for water efficient product and program information.  Library sections cover residential plumbing and appliances, toilet testing, landscape and irrigation, commercial and industrial water conservation, water rates and rate structures, water loss control, codes and standards, drought planning, and numerous other topics. Research reports, published documents, and case studies are included, providing a comprehensive picture of what water efficiency measures prove to be the most successful, and how water utilities and consumers can best achieve water efficient use.  Upcoming features being added to the site are state by state summaries and an on-line discussion forum.

* New Report: Taking the Red Tape Out of Green Power

A comprehensive effort to address global warming and jump start a clean energy economy must be addressed at the federal and local levels.  Permitting obstacles in many towns and cities undermine local investment in green technology and make it difficult to install small-scale solar and wind systems.  Taking the Red Tape Out of Green Power, a new report released by the Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) addresses this issue.  This report is a resource for local officials all over the country who are working to create a regulatory system that promotes green jobs and fosters a new clean energy economy.

* Washington Post on State Impacts of Financial Crisis

The U.S. financial crisis is hampering the ability of many state and local governments to borrow cash for short-term expenses and is threatening to delay long-term road, school and airport projects, including some in the Washington area.

* High Gas Prices Have Benefits

California drivers used 7.5 percent less gasoline in June compared with the same month in 2007, the state Board of Equalization reports.  BOE said consumption in June was 1.214 billion gallons, nearly 100 million gallons less than what motorists used in June 2007.

Bike Power, Climate Change & Forests, Efficient Buildings, Solar Power

* OR Chapt Office Moved by BIKE

"We had nine bikers pulling trailers. Since the distance was short (0.8 miles) we each made two trips.  One person, Nick Littlejohn, made three trips with his high-capacity home-built rig, to bring the total bike trailer miles traveled (BTMT) to 15.2. We moved a lot of DEISs."  Scroll down here for cool Oregon Chapter story & pics.

* Impacts of Climate Change on Forests

This paper summarizes key scientific literature on climate change and forests, focusing on policy and management options for the future. Published by  Defenders of Wildlife and the National Forest Restoration Collaborative.

* States Act to Reduce Carbon--WA Post

The country's first cap-and-trade auction for greenhouse gas reduction raised nearly $40 million for Northeastern states to spend on renewable energy technologies and energy-efficiency programs, officials of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which ran the auction, said...

* The Twilight of the Utility Bill?

Carl Pope muses on building efficiency standards.

* Solar is hot!

With energy prices at record highs, sun power is emerging as one of the viable energy-producing alternatives to oil and coal. Governing Magazine reviews several local solar energy projects that are up and running.

Green Economic Recovery Plan, Brownfields to Renewable Energy, Great Lakes Compact

* Green Economy Recovery

The "Green Recovery" report is part of a larger proposal by several labor and environmental organizations to improve the shaky American economy by infusing $100 billion - the amount spent on the 2008 economic stimulus checks - into promoting renewable energy, retrofitting buildings to be energy-efficient and expanding public transportation. The proposal could create 2 million jobs nationwide, provide more jobs than an equal investment in the oil industry and bolster employment in the construction and manufacturing fields, according to the study.

The report was prepared by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, using data from the federal and state levels of the Department of Commerce. About half of the proposed $100 billion could come from tax credits, $46 billion from government spending and $4 billion in federal loan guarantees. One way to get the money would be to close tax preferences for oil companies, and another could be revenue from emissions-trading markets, said Robert Pollin, one of the report authors and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute at UMass Amherst.

* EPA Powers Up Contaminated Sites (aka Brownfields) into Renewable Energy

In a novel approach to return land to productive use, EPA has identified thousands of properties that could potentially host solar, wind or biomass energy production facilities. EPA pinpointed these energy assets using Google Earth and has listed each property's attributes for energy redevelopment.
"EPA is putting renewable energy production on the virtual map," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "Our new interactive Website encourages states and energy companies to put previously contaminated properties back to work."

* Great Lakes Compact Awaits Bush's Signature

The House gave final approval Tuesday to an interstate agreement designed to protect the water in the Great Lakes.

The eight-state agreement, which has been years in the making, comes amid concern that thirsty regions of the country and the world could attempt to tap into water from the lakes as their own water supplies diminish. The five Great Lakes hold about 90% of the nation's surface freshwater, providing drinking water for more than 30 million people.

"This prevents a run on our water," said Rep. Paul Ryan, a Janesville Republican. "This puts all the stakeholders on the same page to protect our crown jewel."

Carbon Reduction to CA Boost Economy, Real Estate Runoff Regulation, Pay As You Drive, RGGI

* Global warming fight will boost California economy, study says

Costly as it may seem, California's mandate to cut climate-altering exhausts from vehicles and industry by nearly one-third in the next 12 years actually will boost the economy, a state analysis released Wednesday predicts.

* Court Rules: EPA Must Protect Waters from Real Estate Runoff

The Environmental Protection Agency is obliged by the Clean Water Act to protect the nation's waterways, beaches and drinking water from pollution caused by real estate development and should set standards for limiting construction runoff by the end of next year, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

* Pay As You Drive: A Solution to Traffic Congestion?

When it comes to traffic reduction, we need all the help it can get. And sometimes the only thing to finally get people out of their cars is to offer them cold, hard cash.

The proposal for a voluntary pay-as-you-drive, or PAYD, insurance program for California drivers, being pushed by Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, might be one of the carrots that actually works. The draft proposal would let drivers have the option of buying auto insurance plans that are based on the number of miles they drive.

His plan has received rave reviews from economists and environmentalists alike for providing a solution to our state's most pressing problems: clogged roads, air pollution, high fuel prices. But it is Poizner's emphasis on reporting mileage while maintaining driver privacy that is especially appealing to consumers.

* NYTimes: States Aim to Cut Gases by Making Polluters Pay

Ten states are about to undertake the nation’s most serious effort yet to tackle climate change, but there are worries that it may fail to reduce pollution.

Pigs Fly in MS, Garbage & Global Warming, States Act on Carbon, Renewables Power CO

* Big Win in Mississippi -- YAZOO!

"The day pigs fly and hell freezes over is the day the Bush EPA vetoes a pet project of Trent Lott and Thad Cochran," says Mississippi Sierra Club organizer Louie Miller. "But that's what we saw yesterday when the EPA killed the Yazoo Pumps Project."

* Garbage & Global Warming: A Report & Recommendations

The National Zero Waste Committee has been working on a campaign to educate Sierra Club members, elected officials and the general public about the relationship between zero waste (recycling and extended producer responsibility) and global warming.  The report "Stop Trashing the Climate" describes the relationship and provides policy recommendations.  The report is rather long but they've just come out with a one page handout that lists "key findings (10 of them) and a call to action with twelve (12) policy recommendations.

* Carbon Goes To Market: Governing Mag. looks at state action on carbon

Late this month, 10 Northeastern states will conclude an auction like no other in American history. What's up for grabs is not art or property. It's carbon — or more specifically, the right to emit carbon dioxide from a power plant. As anyone familiar with what's causing global warming knows, carbon has a cost. Soon, in Baltimore, Boston and Buffalo, carbon also will have a price . . . 

* Renewable Power's Rapid Growth in Colorado

The Washington Post reports that when Colorado voters were deciding whether to require that 10 percent of the state's electricity come from renewable fuels, the state's largest utility fought the proposal, warning that any shift from coal and natural gas would be costly, uncertain and unwise.

Then a funny thing happened. The ballot initiative passed, and Xcel Energy met the requirement eight years ahead of schedule. And at the government's urging, its executives quickly agreed to double the target, to 20 percent.

Strict Stormwater Rules, Evolving Evangelicals, Efficiency Info., Streetcars, Big Box Solar Roofs

* New rules on stormwater ordered in WA State

Developers building everything from homes to shopping centers could soon be forced to take extensive steps to keep polluted stormwater out of streams and Puget Sound.

* The New Evangelicals

Interesting article in the June 30 New Yorker magazine on the evolution of the Christian Right, including an active concern with climate change.

* Energy Efficiency Info Source for STATES

On August 12, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) unveiled a new Web resource for state policymakers and energy efficiency advocates. The site will serve as an easy-to-use online database of energy efficiency policies in the states, searchable by state or by policy. The database covers: appliance standards, building codes, clean distributed generation policies, tax incentives, vehicle policies and a host of utility-related energy efficiency information. The site currently offers information for most of the leading states. By October, it should include policies for all states and will be expanded to also cover state climate policies and smart growth initiatives.

* Streetcars Make a Comeback Across the Country -- NYT

Cincinnati and at least 40 other cities are exploring streetcar plans to spur economic development, ease traffic congestion and draw people back from the suburbs -- old tech is new again.

* Giant Retailers Look to Sun for Energy Savings

Chains are seizing a chance to bolster environmental credentials, and gain a tax advantage, by installing solar roof panels.