Sierra Club India: Ramesh's Reversal?

Indian environment minister Jairam Ramesh has been called India's green revolutionary, its green crusader; A title not undeserved for a minister able to defy king coal by securing a tax on its production and calling for an environmental levy on mining in addition to the wide array of laudable actions the Indian government is taking under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (PDF).

These actions, which firmly supported the concept that polluters pay, have placed Jairam Ramesh on a collision course with industries and ministries bent on business as usual. This includes high profile showdowns with UK based Vedanta who had plans to displace villagers in order to mine Bauxite in the Nyamgiri hills and the Indian Coal ministry over the "go/no-go" decisions to develop coal projects in forest zones nationwide.

Indian children protect themselves from coal ash.

But after an impressive bout of standing up to destructive development it seems the green revolutionary may be changing his colors. Among the most problematic in his recent project clearance spree have been clearances for a 10,000 megawatt nuclear power project in Maharashtra, a $12-billion steel plant to be built by South Korean firm Posco in Orissa, and the lifting of a moratorium on new projects in 8 highly polluted areas across India.

Sierra Club Organizes for the House Transportation Tour

Oil prices are on the rise across the country just as a key player on the national transportation scene is finishing up a tour of the country to hear input from selected voices on improving and reforming our nation's transportation infrastructure.

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, led by Congressman Mica (R-FL) wrapped up its final hearing this morning outside Memphis, Tennessee, after having stopped in eleven cities across the country over the last two weeks — the session held in an airport hangar at the DuPage Airport in West Chicago taking the cake as the most unusual of their stops. The Sierra Club hit the ground running as soon as the hearings were announced to highlight the need for transportation choices that will move us off oil.

Our transportation system uses 70 percent of the oil that we burn in the United States, and two thirds of that oil is used in Americans’ personal cars, trucks, and SUVs. Meanwhile, just over half of all Americans have access to any kind of public transit, keeping those without access to public transportation or with safe walking and biking infrastructure shackled to the gas pump and susceptible to the squeeze of high gas prices, with no choice but to remain dependent on oil. 

Fighting Back for Clean Air and Water

During the past week we've seen people across the country standing up to support the Environmental Protection Agency's safeguards for public health.

Many polluters and public officials don’t want the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address threats such as air toxics, soot and smog, coal ash, global warming, and water pollution.

Thankfully, that didn't stop EPA from doing their job to protect our health and safety. On Wednesday, they issued long-overdue new health standards that will finally limit mercury and other air toxics from thousands of industrial boilers, including those found on college campuses. EPA estimates the new standards will create 2,000 new jobs, will save 2,600 - 6,600 lives per year by 2014, and will prevent 42,000 asthma attacks and 4,100 heart attacks every year.

There is more to the story though - the final rule proposed by EPA is weaker than their initial proposed rule, and many health advocates worry the EPA backed down from the stronger standards due to heavy pressure. That's why people across America are standing up and fighting back.

In just the past week:

• Minnesotans hand-delivered 4,000 postcards this week to Senator Amy Klobuchar, urging her to support strong EPA rules that will save lives.

• In Montana on Monday, more than 600 people rallied at the state capitol to defend clean air and water protections.

• In Colorado, residents have planned rallies for Saturday in Denver and Boulder to fight back and defend clean air and water.

• In Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, DC, hundreds of citizens packed EPA listening sessions to call for strong greenhouse gas standards.

• In Washington State, 500 people descended on the state capitol to support measures to protect health and the environment, including the retirement of the state's only existing coal plant.

• In Seattle, the Dean of the University of Washington School of Public Health wrote a strong opinion piece in the Seattle Times supporting the shutdown of the Washington coal plant because of the serious health effects of burning coal. He wrote, "As a public health measure, this is a no-brainer - right up there with treating high blood pressure, immunizing children and assuring clean water and safe food."

These are just a few examples of the people who are standing up, from coast to coast, and fighting back for clean air and water. Americans support EPA's work to protect public health and the environment. In the 40 years since Americans demanded its creation, EPA has saved millions of lives by enforcing clean air and water standards. More than 1.7 million asthma attacks and $110 billion in healthcare costs were avoided in 2010 alone thanks to the agency’s efforts.

We can't take this progress for granted. We must all join together and make our voices heard if we want to ensure another 40 years of strong safeguards for the health and safety of our families.

We need your support now: www.StopPolluters.org

-- Mary Anne Hitt, Director of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign

This Week's Blogosphere Soup

A quick review of this past week's happenings in the blog world

It was a four-day work week with lots of happenings. It seems like all eyes have been on Lybia and Wisconsin -- two places that have few things in common. But there was also a lot of activity on our favorite blogs. Here's a look at what I came across:

-- $100 oil! And Big Oil is going to start donating dough directly to political candidates. More about that here. Follow the money, people!

-- Money and politics are a part of the Koch Industries repertoire. Here are some words on the Koch Brothers and their dirty hands in what's going on in the Badger State. And everyone's talking about this crank caller, who claimed to be David Koch, got through to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and had an interesting conversation, to say the least. Read about it here, here, and here. And watch Jon Stewart's segment on The Daily Show.

Also:

-- A NASA satellite named Glory will study the relationship between climate change and solar cycles.

-- How to drive a car using mind control.

-- Nuclear power is such a deadbeat.

-- And last but not least, is it true the term "urban homestead" has become trademarked?! What's next, farmers' markets?

-- Brian Foley

Seven Ways to Transform California Climate Policy and Empower Local Action

This article originally appeared on ICLEI USA's Local Action Blog.

The Golden State offers great promise for the country when it comes to forward-thinking climate policy. Even Big Oil didn't have the juice to stop California's growing clean energy economy when Prop. 23 went down decisively in November. But if we want to turn this promise into reality we’ll have to navigate the challenge of the state budget crisis and identify the policy levers that will keep the ball rolling. With the eyes of the nation on California, we've got to get this right.

Yet Another Climate Non-troversey

Remember "Climategate" and all that hoopla over those hacked emails from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research organization? Climate deniers claimed these emails validated their accusations that scientists were mere alarmists and that there was nothing to worry about. Well, today an investigation by the Commerce Department vindicated the scientists of any wrongdoing.

No big deal right? I mean, other investigations have come to the same conclusions. Except, this investigation was requested by none other than the King of All Climate Zombies himself, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma. How do you like them apples?

-- Brian Foley

A New Module for Power Conversion

Hooray for efficiency! Efficiency is one of those under appreciated, but very effective, concepts that's rarely in the headlines. That's why reading this article about a potentially new technological mechanism that enhances power conversion in our products (cuts energy waste by 90 percent) brightens the day.

The idea focuses on a "gallium nitride power conversion module" as opposed to a conventional silicon-based one. What can come out of this are "electric cars that drive farther without recharging, the disappearance of bricklike device chargers and solar panels that generate more electricity." Transphorm,the start-up behind the breakthrough, is financially backed by Google Ventures and others. The minds behind this are enthusiastic. Via NYT's Bits blog: "We will save hundreds of terawatt hours when Transphorm's technology is fully implemented, the equivalent of taking the West Coast off the grid." They say it'll be like shutting down 300 coal plants! Visionary or hyperbolic?

-- Brian Foley

Details on the Now-Approved House Budget Plan

Last Saturday the House of Representatives passed a funding bill, or Continuing Resolution, that rolls back bedrock government programs that protect Americans' health and environment while doling out giveaways to corporate polluters. The bill, H.R. 1, which passed by a vote of 235-189, now heads to the Senate for approval.

The Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to take action on greenhouse gases have been under attack in the House since the New Year started. One of the attacks that we were expecting was a possible amendment to the Continuing Resolution (CR) - the appropriations bill to fund federal agencies - to undermine the EPA budget and therefore, its mission to protect public health and environment.

Ode to Bikes

In Nairobi, a group of teens called Wafalme, put together this music video about their bikes. It was one of the winners of the "1 Minute To Save The World" global video contest centered on climate-change solutions. The video description states, "Most of us just sit and wait for the governments to take action about climate change Wafalme instead think that together we can, with small actions in our daily life, make a difference. The most simple and innovative solution is coming from a group of kids in the slums of Nairobi: using bicycles instead of cars!" These same teens made this "Trash is Cash" video. Enjoy.

(via HuffPo.)

-- Brian Foley

Another Busy EPA Listening Session in DC

Today was the fourth of five Environmental Protection Agency listening sessions on its proposed carbon pollution protections - also known as New Source Performance Standards (NSPS).

We've covered the previous three sessions (details on the first session in DC here and here, and on the session we packed in Atlanta right here), and this session was for coalition representatives to air their concerns about these proposed safeguards. The Sierra Club was there to stand up for Clean Air and have people sign petitions and "I Love Clean Air" cards to send to EPA.

These safeguards are part of the Sierra Club's huge health campaign - check out the website here to learn more.

This listening session featured officials from climate change policy centers, law schools, state environmental agencies, and energy companies. Overall, the speakers were united in their support of EPA's proposed rules, just adding that EPA should not undermine but rather build on the many state-based carbon pollution reduction programs already in place (see the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the Western Climate Initiative, etc...).

"Be aggressive and be flexible," said Bill Bumpers, an environmental lawyer. "You have the opportunity to address greenhouse gas emissions." He also warned that some of EPA's other current safeguards may interfere with the new carbon safeguards if not carefully dealth with.