Later today at the White House is a Clean Energy Forum, several of our own Sierra Student Coalition (SSC) folks will be there as part of the Energy Action Coalition. From our SSCers' blog post over on Climate Crossroads:
On Wednesday, December 2, four members of President Obama’s Cabinet will [...]
The Chicago public hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency's Big Polluters (tailoring) rule is now underway, and we've got folks tweeting from inside. Follow the #bigpolluters hashtag all day on Twitter to stay up to date on it all. Also, later today we'll have a nice wrap-up from [...]
This post was written by Jeff Speir, apprentice for the Sierra Club Clean Energy Solutions Campaign.
Following in the wake of the consumer, economic, and environmental success of the "Cash for Clunkers" program this summer, the Obama administration is considering using stimulus [...]That's a photo of Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope (left) testifying at today's Environmental Protection Agency public hearing on the Big Polluters rule. We'll have more of a wrap-up blog post tomorrow, once the Chicago hearing is complete (today's [...]
A report out this week from the U.S. Green Building Council says that "(d)espite a challenging economic outlook, green building will support 7.9 million U.S. jobs and pump $554 billion into the American economy – including $396 billion in wages – over the next four years (2009-2013)..."
Phew! The report [...]
Tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov. 10th) we'll have two of our folks tweeting from the two very important Senate hearings. Justin Guay, the apprentice for our global warming and energy team, will be twittering with the @SierraClubLive from the Senate Finance Committee hearing on climate legislation and jobs. You can [...]
There is a shocking article in today's Miami Herald about a town in the Dominican Republic being plagued by terrible birth defects. The residents claim all the birth issues are being caused by coal ash that was dumped nearby by a U.S. company. The company denies it.
From the article:
There's been a lot of news out about various aspects of the coal industry lately, so I wanted to share the links to get it out there. These are in no particular order, but all are interesting.
First up, last Friday the newspaper Business Lexington in Kentucky published side-by-side editorials on [...]
Saw this video today over on the "It's Getting Hot in Here" blog and had to share. Students at Washington University in St. Louis got tired of seeing the influence coal execs were having on their campus and decided to hold a flash mob protest at an energy summit [...]
It's sad, but it's also not a surprise: Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are boycotting the mark-up of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. We released our thoughts on what we think the Republicans are doing instead of taking part in the [...]
Day 3 of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee hearings on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. Witness list here. Away we go! (Today is also the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming hearing investigating the forged letters from coal lobbying firm [...]
We mentioned the mountaintop removal coal mining hearings that happened two weeks ago, and how tense they were. Well those hearings were about the permits that would allow certain kinds of mountaintop removal coal mining - and today is the last day to submit your comments telling the US [...]
Get ready for some fun this week. Starting tomorrow are the hearings on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Tomorrow's hearing features secretaries Ken Salazar, Ray LaHood and Steven Chu, of the interior, transportation, and energy departments, respectively, as [...]
***UPDATE - 9:54am: Well nevermind. Rep. Markey just postponed the hearing because the witnesses did not get their testimony to the committee in time. New date for the hearing TBA. ***
If you're interested in watching today's Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming hearing on those forged letters to' [...]
Coal Country is a documentary that takes an eye-opening look inside the lives of Appalachian residents threatened by Big Coal's destructive practice of mountaintop removal. The movie will be getting a jump-start with house parties the week of Nov. 10, which will have sneak-peek [...]
Much has happened in the past 24 hours - lots of good news stories that deserve a read.
First up, yesterday President Obama signed an executive order that "challenges agencies to lead by example in energy and environmental performance and gives them 90 days to set a 2020 greenhouse [...]
Today was a big rally at the Capitol Building for the release of the brand new "Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act" bill from Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer.
Lots of folks turned out, including plenty of veterans and clean energy activists - [...]
We'd been telling you about the big clean energy rally last night in Pittsburgh, and some news stories are now in. The rally was a big success, with thousands gathering to hear some great speakers and bands - and all happening right before [...]
Today the Senate debates amendments that could strip Environmental Protection Agency authority to regulate global warming pollution from power plants and that could "defund" the White House Council on Environmental Quality head Carol Browner. Phew - it's an all out assault on protecting the environment, that's for sure.
And [...]
This is a guest post from Jesse Prentice-Dunn of the Sierra Club Green Transportation Program
Today at the White House, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson and Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood took the first step towards making President Obama’s vision for cleaner, more efficient cars a [...]
Our own Sierra Club Global Warming and Energy Team Apprentice Justin Guay will be twittering from today's Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee hearing "to explore potential costs and price volatility in the energy sector as a result of a greenhouse gas trading program." That's the title!
The hearing has [...]
Investigators have found yet another forged letter from lobbying firm Bonner & Associates (hired by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity) to Congressman Tom Perriello (D-VA). This time the faked letter speaking out against the American Clean Energy and Security Act was "sent" from a veterans group.
The details are [...]
Yesterday came the announcement of a great new coalition called "Clean Energy Works." It's comprised of more than 60 groups spanning environmental, union, veteran and religious organizations - and the coalition is aimed at passing strong clean energy legislation.
You can follow along with Clean Energy Works via its Twitter [...]
Here I was about to type up a post on the interesting energy news of the day, and then this big news came down. Duke Energy is leaving the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE). This news was tacked on as an update in that article:
Duke Energy left [...]This is a guest post by Jesse Prentice-Dunn of the Sierra Club Green Transportation Program.
Cash for Clunkers ended with a bang this Monday, finishing a frantic month for dealers and consumers alike. Now that the dust is settling, lots of people are asking “What [...]
In today's news there are some good examples of people taking energy and global warming issues into their own hands. First, in Los Angeles, residents have taken enough measures to reduce energy usage by the amount it would take to power 53,000 homes. That decreased power usage also equates [...]
Here is some energy news making the rounds today. First up, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is getting a little ridiculous on its crusade against clean energy and climate legislation. They're now asking the Environmental Protection Agency to hold a large public trial about the science of global warming. [...]
Today's NY Times has an excellent article about the oil companies behind all the protests to the clean energy and climate legislation in Congress. The article discusses the industry front group Energy Citizens and its campaign to undermine any legislation that would restrict its emissions.
If you're interested in' [...]
As we approach the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, the Sierra Club today released a new report analyzing the green rebuilding efforts under way in New Orleans. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina has provided the city of New Orleans with a unique opportunity to develop a national [...]
Good morning, folks. Here are some good news stories to get your brain working.
First up, an interesting NY Times story out of Utah, where a Native American tribe is investing in biofuels made from algae: "A New Test for Business and Biofuel." From the story:
The Southern Utes, one of [...]Ugh, after a week of exposed dirty tactics (ACCCE's forged letters), Media Matters is pulling back the veil on some more low-down work.
This time it's the oil and gas industry funding disruptive turnout to various town halls organized by members of Congress. Read more in the Media Matters post "[...]
Sierra Club columnist Javier Sierra recently had the opportunity to sit down for a conversation with Nancy Sutley, head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He wrote a column on this discussion, which you can read on his Sierra Club page. But we also wanted to [...]
Just in case you hadn't seen this news yet - the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) is the group that hired Bonner & Associates, the lobbying firm that sent those forged anti-climate legislation letters to Cong. Tom Perriello in Virginia. ACCCE is denouncing the forgeries, saying [...]
Yesterday, Senator Diane Feinstein publicized the stats she received from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the Cash for Clunkers program, and they're pretty darn good. Let's take a look. Of the 120,000 sales reviewed so far:
The fleetwide average fuel economy of new vehicles sold under the [...]Research organization McKinsey & Company released a report last week detailing the massive savings the U.S. could receive if it invested heavily in energy efficiency. From the report:
The research shows that the U.S. economy has the potential to reduce annual non-transportation energy consumption by roughly 23 percent by 2020, [...]UPDATE: Big surprise, coal is linked to this. We have copies of these forged letters and they say "Virginia gets 56% of its energy from coal."
More to come!
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Oh for shame, lobbyists. An investigation has found that a lobbying firm forged letters from the NAACP and a Hispanic community [...]
There's big news out of Tennessee today - the Inspector General of the Tennessee Valley Authority released a report saying the TVA could have prevented last December's devastating coal ash spill near Harriman.
From the report:
"Furthermore, had corrective measures been taken [...]This is a guest post by Allison Forbes of the Sierra Club's Labor and Worker Rights Program.
Where in the U.S. are workers preparing for the new clean energy industries? I'm talking with our union partners about just that -- and how we build new [...]
The Climate Ride is approaching (Sept 26-30), and they've let us know about a fantastic guest blog post that describes more about the ride and who's taking it on.
Over at the 1Sky blog the co-founder of the Climate Ride wrote a post where [...]
This is a guest post from Ann Mesnikoff, head of the Sierra Club Green Transportation Campaign.
Watchers of the auto industry (and of GM in particular) have been wondering why on earth Fritz Henderson, the head of NEW GM (fresh out of a whirlwind bankruptcy) recalled Bob Lutz out of [...]
Perhaps one of the lesser thought about risks of increasing global warming is what it will do to the security of nations around the globe.
As water supplies dwindle, oceans rise, and more - people will be moving and border clashes could increase. Yesterday the Pew Environmental Group unveiled a [...]
This is the weekly blog post from Bruce Nilles, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign.
As of today, 100 coal plants have been defeated or abandoned since the beginning of the coal rush. Late yesterday, news came down that Utah-based Intermountain Power Agency is abandoning plans for [...]
Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be a busy day for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as they hold a hearing entitled "Moving America Toward a Clean Energy Economy and Reducing Global Warming Pollution: Legislative Tools." What that long name really means is they'll be [...]
So of course you're heard by now that the American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES) passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. We were thrilled with the news. It's a great step forward for a clean energy future in the U.S., but the bill still needs [...]
This is a guest post from Jesse Prentice-Dunn of the Sierra Club Green Transportation Campaign.
Great news! After four years of waiting and a misguided rejection by the Bush Administration, the EPA has finally granted California the waiver necessary to implement its clean car [...]
This is great news for the public's right to know. On the heels of the Sierra Club filing a Freedom of Information Act request two weeks ago requesting that the government release the list of 44 coal ash storage sites deemed "high risk" - today the Environmental Protection Agency [...]
We're all closely watching C-Span this morning as the U.S. House of Representatives debates the American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES). We've been hearing that a vote will come around 2pm. If you can't watch C-Span to hear all the debate, then you can follow along on Twitter. Many [...]
This post was co-written by Bruce Nilles and Mary Anne Hitt, director and deputy director, respectively, of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign.
This has been a historic and game-changing week in the fight to end mountaintop removal. We will undoubtedly look back on the events of the [...]
This is a guest post from Ann Mesnikoff, head of the Sierra Club's Green Transportation Campaign.
Yesterday President Obama signed the bill that includes the "Cash for Clunkers" program into law. So, what are we getting? For one thing, this is a smaller program – one billion taxpayer dollars toward [...]
I'm back from a fantastic press conference on the American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES) over at the Capitol here in Washington, DC. We had a phenomenal list of speakers all urging members of the U.S. House of Representatives to pass ACES when' [...]
We're talking coal and tar sands today, friends.
First up, the good news: a planned coal plant in Nevada is now officially off the books. Yesterday NV Energy shelved its plans for the 1,500 megawatt Ely Energy Center.
Second, time for you to take some action. This' [...]
Blech, today's news has not been great so far. The Supreme Court decision came down earlier today that the Kensingon gold mine in Alaska can dump its waste into Lower Slate Lake even though the waste will kill just about everything in the lake.
Why? Because the justices referred to [...]
You've probably heard a lot by now about the American Climate and Energy Security Act (ACES, HR 2454), or as some others are calling it, the Waxman-Markey Bill (named for the two House reps who authored it). This clean energy jobs/climate plan has been winding through U.S. House of [...]
There are some good and interesting articles in news out there on the clean energy front, so I thought I'd share a few that caught my eye.
First up, a segment from NPR on an oil worker who chose to become a wind turbine technician.
From [...]
This post was co-written by Bruce Nilles and Mary Anne Hitt, director and deputy director, respectively, of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign.
Today the Obama Administration announced steps to end the fast-tracking of certain mountaintop removal coal mine permits and to add [...]
Chevron CEO Dave O'Reilly (left) listens to Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press
As promised here is a video clip from last night's debate - where Carl Pope gets Dave O'Reilly to agree to work with him against the [...]
Yesterday was the Environmental Protection Agency's hearing on a Renewable Fuels Standard. We had many Sierra Club staffers and clean energy advocates there, and here are two write-ups from our folks on how the hearing went.
Ann Mesnikoff, director of the Sierra Club [...]
Now, color me uninformed, but I figured when we were talking about weatherizing homes and offices so they were more energy efficient (making them better for the environment and saving people money), we were talking about buildings in hot and cold climates.
Yet this article [...]
This is a guest post by Jesse Prentice-Dunn of the Sierra Club Green Transportation Campaign.
Usually I look forward to Tuesdays because of my evening softball league; however, next Tuesday promises to be more exciting. On June 9th, the EPA will hold a public hearing in Washington, [...]
We've got an update on the June 2nd Big Picture House Parties up over on the campaign's Climate Crossroads page. Go check it out! And while you're there, join the Climate Crossroads Big Picture group to stay up to date on the campaign's activities.
[...]We'll have an update soon on how last night's Big Picture House Parties went, but for now I wanted to share this great new video we have updating how the campaign is going. Enjoy! (And if you haven't joined the Big Picture group over on our Climate Crossroads website, [...]
We've been saying it all along with our Big Picture campaign: President Obama sees the Big Picture. He knows that we can create economic prosperity, reduce our dependence on oil and coal, and tackle global warming at the same time. But to achieve his vision he will [...]
This is a guest post from fellow Sierra Clubber Jenny Coyle.
There's an old saying that residents of inland California may suddenly own waterfront property after the next big earthquake shakes up the state. Because, you know, the coast would fall off into the ocean. [...]
The huge mid-day rally in Seattle. Photo by Dan Ritzman.
Yesterday was the EPA's second public hearing on its global warming endangerment finding and we've got a great review of how it went over on our Big Picture Campaign blog. Go check [...]
This is a guest post from Ann Mesnikoff, director of the Sierra Club's Green Transportation Campaign.
The White House Rose Garden is the perfect place to be on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, especially when the President is announced a fabulous deal on achieving [...]
The crowd at our mid-day EPA hearing press conference.
I had the pleasure of attending much of yesterday's first public hearing from the Environmental Protection Agency on its global warming endangerment finding. This hearing was held at the EPA office in Arlington, [...]
Phew - just got back from today's first big public hearing on the EPA's global warming endangerment finding. Today's was held at the EPA office in Arlington, VA, and it drew a great crowd of folks who believe the EPA must take action against global warming. I will have [...]
I have two good stories to share with you this morning, one is fantastic and the other is...something. First up, the fantastic - Veterans Green Jobs is a non-profit that trains and places veterans into green jobs. Really cool idea, and you can [...]
Talk about saving one form of energy and expending another - tomorrow is the annual Bike to Work Day across the U.S. and Canada. Any Compass readers out there taking part? I myself take the commuter rail into work, and it's a long ride, so biking to work isn't [...]
This is a guest post from Jesse Prentice-Dunn of the Sierra Club Green Transportation Campaign.
With so much talk of climate change legislation coming from Capitol Hill and play-by-play accounts of President Obama’s visit to one of my favorite local burger joints, Ray’s Hell [...]
