Schwarzenegger Seeks Role of 'Energy Tsar' in Obama Administration

First sign of the apocalypse in 2011:

"People are very receptive when I talk about these things because I'm a Hummer driver not a tree-hugger."  - Schwarzenegger

Mr Schwarzenegger suggested he would like to go to Washington and influence national policy on clean energy use, and promote environmentalism.

The former Hollywood action star has until now refused to disclose what he plans to do after he leaves office next month.

Giving his first indication of what direction he wants to pursue however, Mr Schwarzenegger said he was a "very big believer in environmental issues" and wanted to build, at the national level, on legislation he enacted in California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr Schwarzenegger suggested he was an ideal person to appeal to the American public at large on environmental issues because of his "celebrity power, knowledge and experience."

He added that energy consumers were more likely to listen to him about the need for reform because he would not be seen as a radical, adding: "People are very receptive when I talk about these things because I'm a Hummer driver not a tree-hugger."

What Schwarzenegger can do for energy and the environment

• Schwarzenegger... moving to 'renewable nuclear'?

• Schwarzenegger to veto renewable energy bills

• California's High-Speed Rail Will Rely on Chinese - FAIL

• End of "The Inland Empire"

• Hasta La Vista, Baby: Arnold May Close 220 California State Parks

• Schwarzenegger Picks HighSpeed Rail over Poor & social services

• Schwarzenegger roll back on humanity and green

Schwarzenegger roll back on humanity and green

I just watched a fluff piece on 'how great Arnold was on the environment'.... boy things change fast ;-)

I am baffled how investing in sustainable energy would not return a better on investment than 'tanked transport' and overrun gov projects???

 

FROM: businessgreen

Schwarzenegger has built himself a reputation as a world leader on tackling climate change and has imposed some of the most stringent green regulations anywhere in the US since he took office.

However, his state's budget crisis is now so severe that some reports claim the government will run out of money next month - a scenario that prompted Schwarzenegger to write to President-Elect Obama earlier this month, asking him to "Waive or greatly streamline National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) requirements consistent with our statutory proposals to modify the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA) for transportation projects".

The move was seized upon by green groups as evidence that the Governor was seeking to roll back important environmental protections in an attempt to accelerate state capital investment projects.

Speaking at press conference this week, Schwarzenegger said that the relaxation of the environmental rules was needed to helkp tackle rising unemployment. "It’s about jobs, jobs, jobs," he said. "That's why I've been adamant about easing environmental regulations and other red tape in order to get the infrastructure going, to get infrastructure projects moving as quickly as possible."

The Governor, currently locked in a stalemate with his legislature over his proposed budget, urged Democrat legislators to compromise and approve the budget despite the push to water down environmental rules.

The request for Obama to waive the National Environmental Protection Act is not the first instance of Schwarzenegger seeking to streamline planning rules to water down environmental inspections. At the end of September, he signed bill SB 375, introducing rules to help plan suburban communities that produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, but also exempting home construction projects from the California Environmental Quality Act.

Schwarzenegger has traditionally been an ally of environmental groups, but his complaints about the economic effect of delays to infrastructural projects have been mounting recently.

California's unemployment rate was at 8.4 per cent in November, and is estimated to reach nine per cent.

Read full from businessgreen

 

Schwarzenegger... moving to 'renewable nuclear'?

Filed under, are you kidding me?

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger... said over the weekend he would veto the bills and do the job himself through an executive order this week. What gives?

Part of what's at issue affects just California. The bills would limit the amount of out-of-state clean power that utilities could get, which the governor says would hamstring the state's efforts. AP quotes the governor's communications director Matt David: "The poorly drafted, overly complex bills passed by the Legislature are protectionist schemes that will kill the solar industry in California and drive prices up like the failed energy deregulation of the late 1990s."

But there's another aspect of the fight which could have huge implications for the rest of the country, even as the Senate continues debating new energy and climate policies. The L.A. Times reports that Gov. Schwarzenegger is considering including nuclear power as renewable energy:

Environmentalists who have been told about the governor's still-evolving plans said Schwarzenegger also was considering directing the California Air Resources Board to look at broadening the state's definition of renewable energy sources to include large hydroelectric dams and nuclear energy plants.

Read more from Keith Johnson Wall Street Journal Environmental Blogger

Seriously? - Has Governor Schwarzenegger read up on recent nuclear energy costs, fuel reserves, water demands or next GEN reactors? If the answer is yes than he would have a extremely hard time putting together a 'cost benefit analysis' reflecting a prosperous 20 year program over biogas, tidal, geothermal, wind and solar. I know CA is $20 billion in the hole...  so please buy him a calculator ;-)

Will Terminator take a knee in California?

Schwarzenegger -- branded "very green for a Republican" by the
conservation groups -- became an overnight hero for many environmentalists
including myself.

Politicians are still hammering out differences over the proposed "Global
Warming Solutions Act". If passed, it is likely to play a role in November's
vote for governor and in national politics for years to come.

His opponent & the state EPA “believes "chances are very high" Democrats will
pass a bill the governor can sign by the end of session Aug. 31.”

For Schwarzenegger to win the race, he will need to be “wagged” by the
“green politics” tail.

While his opponent denied playing politics with the environment by putting
the incumbent on the spot before the election. Nunez said, "I think the 2008
presidential election will be won or lost on environmental degradation and new
thinking on the environment,"

"Given that he has staked a large part of his reelection plea on his
environmental record, I don't think he is in a position to veto this bill," said
Bill Magavern of the Sierra Club.

This IS not an environmentally “perfect bill”... it has issues with
deployment, feasibility, infrastructure, and sustainability. All of which
Schwarzenegger is addressing…

But if Schwarzenegger vetoes the "green politics" bill it will be used
against him in his reelection bid.

This “bill” and “bipartisan” should not drive the vote…

The Terminator has completed “ground breaking” environmental changes either
“party” has failed to do since the 1977 clean air act was enacted.

California is an environment-savvy state where being green wins votes. But it
is also the Driven by 30 years hypocrisy… California world's 12th largest
emitter of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide and it faces environmental
and health disasters with warmer temperatures and population projected to grow
from 35 million today to 55 million in 2050.

California can sure “talk” green, and I think if Schwarzenegger is given an
“honest” campaign he can “bring it”!

Terminator should not be forced to take a bipartisan knee based on “one” bill
when he clearly “stands tall” on the main issue.

Environmental law & programs can not continue to erode with every passing
election.

For 30 years bipartisanship has derailed the vast majority of long term
environmental actions. For the salvation of our nation and planet, we need to
bridge the lines of party to agree on long term “Environmental Stewardship”.

HAD “1977 Clean Air Act” standards been properly enforced over the last 30
years… none of this would be up for debate.

 

Please hate the game, not the player (s)

Schwarzenegger can not catch a break

QUOTE: Schwarzenegger has become the GOP's Al Gore but the trouble is that his "environmentalism" isn't about curbing our reckless consumption; it's about having more cool choices -- if you can afford them.

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger does seem to understand that the planet is in trouble. As a green Republican, he is a welcome contrast to the know-nothing, do-less attitude of President Bush. His movie star persona is perfect for delivering lines like "Arnold to Detroit: Get off your butt."

But when he says the problem with environmentalism is that it's not hip or sexy -- that the movement has been a failure because it's based on guilt and sacrifice, not optimism and fun -- I must respond with one of the more eloquent lines from his signature role as an android assassin: Wrong

 

Read more from: Schwarzenegger: The Fake Environmental Hero

 

 

DuPont chemical still allowed in California.

California's governor has vetoed a bill that would have banned a DuPont-made chemical in food packaging in that state.
Advertisement

 

Instead, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier this week signed a pair of bills backed by the chemical industry that establish a regulatory framework for chemicals that are potentially hazardous to human health.

 

But Schwarzenegger, in a veto statement, said he did not think a "chemical-by-chemical, product-by-product approach" was an effective way to make state policy.

 

"I prefer a more systematic, science-based approach that would take into account the health effects, risks, and available alternatives for chemicals used in commerce today," the governor said.

 

The "green chemistry" initiatives that Schwarzenegger signed into law could lead to a ban of chemicals in household items that are determined to have harmful health effects. Schwarzenegger said PFOA and PFOS, the perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, targeted in the vetoed bill, should be reviewed under the new state program.

 

DuPont spokesman Dan Turner said the governor took the right approach in vetoing the PFOA bill and establishing the new chemical review initiative.

 

 

PFOA, also known as C8, is used in the production of DuPont's nonstick coating Teflon and other products. The chemical is not used to make grease-resistant coatings for food packaging, like DuPont's Zonyl line of products, but it shows up in trace amounts as a byproduct.

 

Read more From delawareonline.com

Schwarzenegger Picks HighSpeed Rail over Poor & social services

CBS - Schwarzenegger on Monday unveiled a plan that relies largely on cuts to health care and social services for the poor.
About $7.4 billion of his proposal would come from cuts, include reducing cash assistance to needy families by 15.7 percent in April, then eliminating the entire welfare-to-work program in July.

California Approves Start of $4 Billion High-Speed Rail Line (DOE)

The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board voted on December 2 to begin construction in the Central Valley of a new high-speed rail corridor linking Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. The decision to begin the 65-mile stretch ...

"In California, we have secured a total of $4.3 billion to begin construction on the core of our system.  That includes a recent $715 million in federal funding, on top of previous economic stimulus funds and state and local matches...In short, the progress, pace and precision of California's project has been nothing short of remarkable."

"remarkable." indeed... California has derailed ANY fiscal viability of these programs. In less than a decade, California has blow billions of taxpayer dollars on similar projects, why not give them MORE, MORE, MORE. Completely ignoring California already is in debt Billions of dollars and on a path to defaulting it onto U.S. taxpayers during one of the hardest economic times in our nations history.

On a trade mission to Asia, Schwarzenegger said he hopes China will invest in his state both in terms of financing and in bidding to work on the project. California is about $19 billion in the red, so "creative financing" is a must, the governor acknowledged ... the project could cost $40 billion - Epic FAIL

Haase Comments:
It is imperative that we move towards a (More bucky Fuller) generation of cars and public transportation that can reduce our dire addiction to fossil fuels. 
And rail is another good answer. Highspeed is the problem.
 
Not even I and a room full of enviros would promote fossil fuel guzzling "high speed" rail that costs more than filling a SUV with gas with equal if not more environmental impact. 
 
"Rail done right" has proven to save billions every year in job time, fuel costs and resources.

This program will not. 
 
 
Have a good weekend,

Schwarzenegger to veto renewable energy bills

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he will veto legislation that would have given California the nation's most ambitious renewable energy standards.

The measures approved by the state Legislature Friday night would have required California to get a third of its energy from renewable sources like wind, solar and geothermal by 2020.

Schwarzenegger supports that goal...

Read full AP release

Arnold Schwarzenegger accused of profiting from #deforestation #ClimateChange #Environment

The Independent ..."The industrial-scale deforestation caused by some of the companies that Mr Schwarzenegger profits from accelerates the climate change that he wants to stop. In environmental terms, it's a weaponised contradiction," said Andrew Simms, chief analyst of Global Witness's environmental programme.

A spokesperson for DFA said they are "not aware of any companies from the Global Witness list held in Dimensional portfolios that are engaged in illegal activities related to deforestation. We expect publicly listed companies to comply with their legal and regulatory obligations.

"Anybody with information regarding possible illegal activities should report them to the appropriate legal, regulatory and judicial authorities."

Please continue reading from Arnold Schwarzenegger accused of profiting from deforestation -  - The Independent | shared via feedly mobile

California's High-Speed Rail Will Rely on Chinese - FAIL

PopSci Schwarzenegger Hopes California's Future High-Speed Railroads Will Rely on the Chinese, Again

Chinese workers built this country's railroad system 150 years ago, laying track for less than $30 a month in a grand effort to connect the coasts for the first time. Future railroad systems might also be built by the Chinese - or Chinese-owned firms, at least. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is hoping to spur Chinese interest in helping his beleaguered state build a new high-speed rail network. China has plenty of experience with high-speed trains.

On a trade mission to Asia this week, Schwarzenegger said he hopes China will invest in his state both in terms of financing and in bidding to work on the project. California is about $19 billion in the red, so "creative financing" is a must, the governor acknowledged ... the project could cost $40 billion - Epic FAIL

California’s AB23 – a litmus test for climate law

WashingtonExaminer ...The ballot initiative also has the power to reverse one of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature environmental accomplishments. In 2006, he signed the Global Warming Solutions Act, a Democratic bill that requires reduction of greenhouse gas emissions statewide to 1990 levels over the next decade.

The law, AB32, is a cornerstone of the environmental legacy the Republican governor is trying to leave and is scheduled to take effect in 2012. The California agency overseeing air regulations has already started working on the rules to implement it.

Proposition 23 calls for a postponement of AB32 until the state's unemployment rate, now at 12.4 percent, falls to 5.5 percent and stays there for a year — a feat that has happened just three times over the last 30 years, according to state statistics.

Charles Drevna... wrote that a defeat for the initiative "could energize environmental fanatics around the country and in Washington to match California's destructive policies with their own versions of AB32."

Oil companies have contributed millions to pass Proposition 23 campaign, with $6.5 million coming from three sources: Texas-based Valero Corp. and Tesoro Corp., which have contributed $4 million and $1.5 million respectively; and Flint Hills Resources of Wichita, Kan., a company owned by David and Charles Koch, which donated $1 million. The Koch brothers have attracted media attention recently because of their contributions to Republican and tea party causes.

They all came up with the same formula: energy costs are too high, regulations are too much, and the taxes are too high," he said.

Schwarzenegger has registered his own frustration with the oil companies as they have poured millions of dollars into the initiative. In a September speech to the Commonwealth Club in Santa Clara, he said the companies were acting on "self-serving greed."

Unlike many environmental showdowns, this contest does not draw a straight line between environmentalists against businesses.

Please read full at WashingtonExaminer

Schwarzenegger takes green roadshow to New York

Reuters: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will go to New York on Monday to discuss his landmark law on global warming with fellow Republicans as pressure builds on U.S. President George W. Bush to take a tougher stance on greenhouse gases. Schwarzenegger will meet separately with Gov. George Pataki and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg "to discuss the implementation of California's landmark market-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction system," his office said on ...Link (via: http://www.ecoearth.info)

Schwarzenegger to sign bill against coal-fired power Wednesday

MarketWatch: On Wednesday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill prohibiting the state's electric utilities from signing long-term contracts with coal-fired power plants, or investing in such plants, at least until equipment to control carbon dioxide is deployed. Schwarzenegger signed the bill as part of ceremonies in San Francisco and Malibu to enact a landmark bill to cut the state's greenhouse gas emissions, Assembly Bill 32, the governor's office said  ... Link

Schwarzenegger signs major warming law

California’s landmark effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions is just one step in a long-term strategy to combat global climate change, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said ahead of Wednesday's signing of the bill. In Old MSNBC News

BP America will work with Schwarzenegger on greenhouse gas bill

BP America is eager for a market-based way to lower emissions and has supported "cap and trading" programs in other areas (like the EU) for some time. BP releases an annual BP Sustainability Report. And BP has worked with Gov. Schwarzenegger in the past, as well. In July, the company hosting the Governor and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a Climate Change Meeting and in 2004, Schwarzenegger unveil the first BP-branded retail-designed hydrogen site in America.

United States: Schwarzenegger Explains Why He Went Green

ABC News: Just days after California passed legislation restricting greenhouse gas emissions, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said fighting for environmental issues is important, even if that meant opposing the president. "I don't think one should look at greenhouse gas emissions or global warming as a political issue," Schwarzenegger told ABC News. "So, if that policy of fighting global warming is against our, the Bush Administration, then so be it." State ...Link

News Have a great weekend, I just wrapped up the week in EHS New's below.

Summary of the Week in EHS

---

WI: LTC to host 2006 We Energies renewable energy workshops

Lakeshore Technical College will host We Energies renewable energy workshops on Sept. 13 and 27. Presented by We Energies in collaboration with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, the two workshops are designed for residential customers to learn about renewable energy and systems available for use in the home. Participants will learn how to control energy costs, get tax credits and secure financial assistance to get started with environmentally safe, renewable energy systems. Source: The Sheboygan Press, 8/29/06.

Plasma assisted engines fuel efficient, cleaner
Gasoline, diesel, and turbine engines could soon burn cleaner or be more fuel efficient through the application of Plasma Assisted Combustion, a technology originated and developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and now poised to enter the marketplace. The technology consists of an electronic device that can be attached to an existing fuel injector that applies electrical voltage to the atomized fuel stream prior to combustion - generating a plasma in the fuel. This effect essentially breaks down the long chains of hydrocarbons in the fuel into smaller parts - allowing the fuel to be burned more completely, resulting in more miles per gallon, or reducing harmful emissions.
Source: Physorg.com, 8/30/06.


Fueling the future with citrus waste
To establish ethanol as an alternative to petroleum fuel, researchers are seeking new sources of candidate materials that are cheap, abundant, and sustainable. In Florida, which is one of the world's largest producers of citrus products, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Citrus and Subtropical Products Research Laboratory are looking for ways to use the ~3 million t of wet pulp and peel waste produced every year by citrus-processing companies. The waste could yield 50 million gal of ethanol fuel annually, says Bill Widmer, the researcher heading the project.
Source: Environmental Science & Technology, 8/30/06.

IL: Lt. Gov. praises WMRC biodiesel program

Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn has praised the biodiesel program operated by the Waste Management & Research Center as one of the ways America can reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Quinn visited the University of Illinois to highlight how WMRC uses waste oil from a student dining hall to power its "vegetarian" biodiesel truck. Quinn says such efforts will lead the way to a better future for Illinois.

'Compost effect' may cause global warming to reach crisis point in 2050

Independent (UK): The world faces a catastrophic rise in global warming in 2050 unless urgent action is taken to cut human-induced carbon emissions, a leading academic warned yesterday. Professor Peter Cox, of Exeter University, told the Royal Geographical Society annual conference that temperatures could rise 8C by 2100 because of a "compost effect" which could see carbon dioxide levels increase 50 per cent faster than previously estimated. Currently, around one quarter of carbon ...

EPA Brags About Going 100% Green

Axcess News: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has closed a deal making it the first federal agency to purchase renewable energy, or "green power," equivalent to 100 percent of its annual electricity needs. The agency signed a contract with 3 Phases Energy Services to purchase more than 100 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in renewable energy certificates, effective Sept. 1. The arrangement extends annual green-power purchases to more than 190 EPA facilities nationwide. This ...

Supreme Court case challenges Bush stance on global warming

San Francisco Chronicle: Opening briefs are due before the U.S. Supreme Court today in a case challenging the Bush administration's reluctance to issue regulations to control global warming. California and 11 other states have joined with environmental groups in a legal attack they hope will compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take action to curb the release of heat-trapping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. The EPA maintains it has no authority under ...

Brazil Arrests 31 in Environmental Corruption Case

Associated Press: Police arrested 24 federal environmental protection agents accused of falsifying reports and selling illegal permits, and seven people who allegedly bribed the officials, Brazilian authorities said. Federal police said in a statement that the suspects, who were arrested in Rio de Janeiro state on Wednesday, allegedly bought and sold permits for out-of-season fishing and illegal construction. Police said nearly 200 officers participated in the investigation, which began in ...

Ocean Plant Stress Adds More Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas

Voice of America: In the plant kingdom, greener does not always mean healthier. Scientists have found that microscopic ocean algae called phytoplankton actually get greener when they are stressed. A new study finds this is why the tiny plants in a large region of the Pacific are failing to absorb as much of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as they normally do, with implications for global warming. Plants thrive on carbon dioxide just as animals do on oxygen. This is good for the atmosphere because ...

United States: Schwarzenegger makes deals with the Dems

Associated Press: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to cap California's greenhouse gas emissions is just the latest in a string of recent deals with the Democrats that could help him win back the moderate voters so vital to his re-election bid this fall. The deal announced Wednesday between the Republican governor and leaders of the Democratic-controlled Legislature would make California the first state to limit carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases from factories and other industrial ...

Fires and drought ravage southwest China

Agence France-Presse: A major drought affecting millions of people in southwestern China is being called "the worst in a century", as state press reports said searing temperatures had set off uncontrollable fires. Fire fighters and more than 1,500 residents were battling forest blazes that had consumed 67 hectares (165 acres) in the northern part of Chongqing municipality since Wednesday, a report by China Radio International said. Officials in Chongqing were calling the drought the worst ...

Alarm sounds on US population boom

Boston Globe: The United States, now at nearly 300 million people, is the only industrialized country that has experienced strong population growth in the last decade, creating concerns that the boom and Americans' huge appetites for food, water, and land will sharply erode the nation's natural resources in coming years, according to a report released yesterday. The Northeast remains by far the most densely populated region of the nation, but it also had the slowest population growth in the country ...

'Schwarzenator' vs. Bush

ABC News: A president who doesn't acknowledge the virtually universal consensus among scientists that mankind is dangerously overheating its home planet stands to be upstaged by a governor -- a fellow Republican -- who does. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reached a deal with state Democrats today on legislation that would make the state the first to impose across-the-board strict greenhouse gas emissions cuts on industry, energy plants and businesses -- the same sort of regulations a ...

U.S. must use less foreign oil

Associated Press: U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar challenged automakers to make sure each car sold in the nation is capable of running on alternative fuels to help reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil. More than 1,000 auto and oil industry representatives attended an energy summit co-sponsored by Lugar and Purdue University on Tuesday. But the Indiana Republican's ideas -- including tougher fuel economy standards -- met resistance from industry officials who said they already were doing their ...

China: Denies Droughts Caused by Big Dams

Inter Press Service: China's worst drought in fifty years has forced Chinese leaders to defend their record of building vast hydro-engineering works at a time when the country's finite water resources are increasingly depleted by population growth and rapid economic development. Authorities have vehemently denied that continuous drought and shortage of drinking water in southwest China, which has affected the lives of 17 million people, are somehow related to the completion this year of the Three Gorges ...

Global Warming Feedback Loop Caused by Methane, Scientists Say

National Geographic: In the ongoing debate over global warming, climatologists usually peg carbon dioxide as the most dangerous of the atmosphere's heat- trapping gases. But methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide, might be even more problematic. According to Tessa Hill, a geologist at the University of California, Davis, more methane is released into the atmosphere from ocean deposits during periods of warming than previously thought. This expelled methane ...

Algae may produce biofuels

United Press International: The newest source of biofuel, an oil alternative, could be algae that feed off of polluting factory emissions, researchers say. "Looking for economical ways to produce biofuel is, shall I say, popular these days," Amir Drory of Kibbutz Ketura, Israel-based Alga Technologies told United Press International. Companies try making the oil alternative from "agricultural products, all kinds of creatures, or fermentation," Drory said. AlgaTech, with Drory ...

The Greening of Work (Original post by By Laura B.)

Read the full story in the Los Angeles Times.

When Toyota Motor Corp. moved one of its divisions into an environmentally friendly, or “green,” building in Torrance three years ago, it expected to save on its energy bills. The building offered natural lighting, electricity-generating rooftop solar panels and water recycling.

But something else also happened. Employee morale jumped while absenteeism fell. The overall energy and worker productivity savings more than offset the added cost of making the facility environmentally friendly.

Ethanol keeps gas prices high?

Ethanol has been touted by President Bush and others as a possible long-term cure for Americans' addiction to fossil fuels, especially expensive gasoline. But right now it is pushing pump prices higher in the U.S. » original news

Rain gardens — a growing idea taps stormwater

Read the full story in the Grand Rapids Press. (Original post by By Laura B.)

GRAND RAPIDS — Patricia Pennell is happy to help you create a beautiful rain garden in your yard — even if you don’t know or care much about the harmful effects of stormwater runoff.

Ocean plankton absorbs less CO2 than expected

Even phytoplankton are letting us down when it comes to global warming. These microscopic ocean-dwelling plants, which were thought to be gobbling up atmospheric carbon dioxide, are apparently not doing as well as was hoped. In the past, satellite images of ocean colour were the main tool for measuring photosynthetic biomass: the greener the ocean the more CO2 was being taken up by the phytoplankton. This idea now seems to be misleading. » original news

Renewable energy museum planned

Read the full story in the Peoria Journal Star. (Original post by By Laura B.)

Bruce and Joyce Papiech are determined to spread the word about renewable energy sources.

They have created Sustainable Energy Education (SEE), an approved not-for-profit company. They plan to build a 40,000 square-foot museum complex in Sublette near the GSG 40-turbine wind farm, which they also own.

Congressman aims to eliminate SUV tax breaks

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Tax breaks benefiting buyers of sports-utility vehicles fly in the face of a good energy policy and are costing American taxpayers billions of dollars a year, according to a report from Rep. Edward Markey. "It is incredible that the Bush Administration and Republican Congress can be so blind as to leave these tax loopholes in place while our dependence on Middle East oil soars, the price of gasoline spikes, and our soldiers are mired a war in the Middle East," said Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts. » original news

Is Canadian e-waste an environmental disaster in waiting?

Read the full story at Canada.com. (Original post by By Laura B.)

That state-of-the-art personal computer in which you invested more than a thousand dollars as little as two years ago is now worth nothing. Actually, less than nothing. In accountants’ terminology, it’s now a liability — not an asset.

The reason lies within.

Nestled safely within the womb of your user-friendly computer system lurks a conglomeration of contaminating chemicals, heavy metals and plastic compounds that collectively have been proven to cause neurological disorders, a variety of cancers, kidney failure, endocrine disruption and a host of other ills to virtually all parts of the human body.

China nomads on energy's cutting edge (USA Today)

In China, coal is the main source of energy. It also contributes to polluted skies and respiratory disease. As the government works to get 15% of China's energy from renewables by 2020, it is beginning with villages. With a government subsidy, a photovoltaic solar unit is affordable for inhabitants.

EPA to co-sponsor Green-Diesel Technology conference in Chicago

WHAT: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5’s Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative will co-sponsor “Tools and Incentives for Green-Diesel Technology: Lower Emissions, Higher Profits,” a two-day conference on financial programs that fund diesel emission reduction and fuel-efficient technologies for heavy-duty trucks and locomotives. Topics include freight movement and finance, grant and loan programs, and tax incentives. Participants will work together to develop new finance tools and incentives for green-diesel technologies.WHO: EPA Region 5 acting administrator Bharat Mathur, Illinois Department of Transportation secretary Tim Martin, LaSalle Bank senior vice president of surface transportation Rob Hart and other senior-level policy officials in the finance, trucking and rail industries as well as policy-makers in state economic, environmental, energy and transportation agencies.

WHEN: Wednesday, Sept. 6, 11:30 a.m. until Thursday, Sept. 7, 2:40 p.m.

WHERE: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 230 S. LaSalle St., Chicago.

More information and the latest agenda updates are at www.epa.gov/midwestcleandiesel. To register, e-mail Julie Henning, henning.julie@epa.gov, (312) 886-4882.

China breeds rapeseed with record high oil content for biodiesel

Read the full post at Biopact. (Original post by By Laura B.)

Earlier we had a close look at China’s ambi- tious biofuels pro- gram, and we noticed that the country’s biodiesel industry was underdeveloped, compared to its already large ethanol production capacity. That is now about to change. China has bred a new kind of rape- seed with a record high oil content in a move to develop its biodiesel industry, the Ministry of Agriculture announced. According to Xinhua, the new rapeseed has an oil content of 54.72 percent, nearly two percentage points higher than the previously reported highest oil content, according to a test report from the ministry.

G8 Leaders For $50 Billion Global Solar Fund

"President Gorbachev has called for strong commitments to sustainable energy and warned of the dangers of continued reliance on oil and gas and nuclear power while relegating renewable energy to secondary status. Gorbachev, Green Cross International and its American affiliate Global Green USA, have urged the G8 to make significantly increased investments in renewable energy, including the creation of a $50 billion Global Solar Fund over 10 years." » original news

NASA and Boeing join Brazil to develop biokerosene aviation fuel

Read the full post at Biopact. (Original post by By Laura B.)

Earlier we wrote about biofuels for aviation, reporting that Argentina’s air force carried out the first tests with green fuels in a large aircraft (a C130). We also pointed out the many challenges facing the production of biofuels for airplanes. Now America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Boeing are teaming up with Brazilian biofuel company Tecbio to develop biokerosene (”biojet”).

Iowa offers 100% biodiesel “at the pump”

Read the full (short) story at BrownfieldNetwork.com. (Original post by By Laura B.)

One-hundred percent biodiesel is now available at the pump in some Iowa locations. Prairie Land Co-op is offering B100 at its cardtrol pumps in Ellsworth, Hubbard, and Ackley, Iowa, and B50 at its pumps in Garden City, Iowa. This is the first time B100 is available at the pump.

Public Doesn’t Understand Global Warming

Read the full story at GreenBiz.com. (Original post by By Laura B.)

Recently, the David Suzuki Foundation conducted a focus group about global warming to see where people are at in their understanding of this complex and challenging problem. The results? Let’s just say they were disconcerting, to say the least, says Dr. Suzuki.

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Quote of week: "I'm not judging people, I'm judging their actions. It's the same type of distinction that I try to apply to myself, to judge, but not be judgmental." Jeff Melvoin

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Have a great weekend

!!!

Christopher Haase

(ESS, Environmentally Sensitive Solutions, Inc.)

Director of Environmental, Health & Safety

ESS, Cleaning the world “One Solution at a Time”

Man bear pig and Terminator battle for planet in New Hampshire

Gore, Schwarzenegger to plan presidential climate forum

Associated Press: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former vice president Al Gore are planning a bipartisan presidential forum on energy and climate change in New Hampshire in December, the governor's office confirmed Thursday. The forum, which is still in the planning stages, is being designed so presidential candidates from both parties will attend. Adam Mendelsohn, a spokesman for the governor, said the format was not completely developed, but the former vice president was handling the ...Link

Calif. regulators OK major greenhouse gas rules - hoping for change

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger addresses the California Air Resources Board urging them to adopt some of the nation's most sweeping clean air regulations, in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010. The CRB was expected to pass a key piece of the state's 2006 climate law, called AB32. If it passes, power plants, refineries and other major greenhouse gas emitters will have pollution capped by new regulations being considered by the regulatory agency. The new rules set up the nation's most extensive carbon trading market that officials hope will provide a financial incentive for the state's worst polluters to cut emissions.

The Air Resources Board voted 9-1 Thursday to pass the key piece of California's 2006 climate law - called AB32.

"We're inventing this," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the state's air quality board. "There is still going to be quite a bit of action needed before it becomes operational."

...California is trying to "fill the vacuum created by the failure of Congress to pass any kind of climate or energy legislation for many years now," said Nichols.

A standing-room only board chambers featured testimony from more than 170 witnesses Thursday. Outside the chambers, a few climate change skeptics held signs reading "Global Warming: Science by Homer Simpson."

Some businesses that would fall under the new rules say the system could dampen California's already flagging economy, complicate lawmakers' efforts to close a $28.1 billion revenue shortfall and lead to an increase in the price of electricity.

The rate increases, however, would still need approval from the state.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told the board he is sensitive to the recession, but argued that many of the new jobs being created under the system are in the clean technology industry.

"The real jobs we're creating right now are green jobs. Since 2006 or so green jobs have been created 10 times faster than in any other sector, so it's also an economic plus," he said.

But he said reducing greenhouse gas pollution is not just about climate change, but about human health and national security.

"I despise the fact that we send $1 billion a year to foreign places for our oil and to places that hate us. We send this money to people that hate us and that are organizing terrorists and trying to blow up our country," he said.

Supporters say the system will help spur economic recovery and innovation, pushing business to invest in clean technologies.

They say the billions of dollars the state collects in the system could help fund clean air programs and help offset any increases in utility rates. Details of the uses of these new funds is still uncertain.

California has already enacted the strictest climate-related regulations in the country involving renewable energy mandates for utilities, tighter fuel-efficiency standards for automobiles and low-carbon fuel standards.

The state's landmark climate law had a Jan. 1, 2011, deadline for devising and enacting the so-called cap-and-trade system.

Here's how it would broadly work:
A company that produces pollution, such as a utility or a refinery, buys a permit from the state that allows it to send a specified amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air each year.

Those permits could then be bought and sold by the polluters in a marketplace.

If a company in Fresno is 15 percent under its pollution allowance, it can sell the unused portion to a company in Long Beach that has exceeded its quota. The Fresno company gets to keep the money.

Polluters can even make a profit, if the marketplace sets a price above the initial cost of the permit.

The lone dissenting board member, Dr. John Telles, said he had concerns that the new market created by the regulation was too vulnerable to cheating.

"We're potentially vulnerable here to be manipulated," he said. "And I don't see enough safeguards in the design of the market."

The board's staff said it would be working on market issues in the coming year before the launch of the program, but recognized that they were creating something that had not been tried before.

Adding another wrinkle, a company that exceeds its allowance can also buy what are called "offsets." These can be bought by companies with forestry or other projects that reduce greenhouse gases.

Those companies can sell those to polluters in the marketplace, also at a profit.

...Obama, who made the climate bill the centerpiece of his Democratic agenda, pulled support for it after the midterm elections put Republicans in control of the House. The president said he would be looking at other ways to address climate change.

While the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the first-ever rules to reduce greenhouse gases from large industrial polluters, the GOP, with some support from Democrats, vows in 2011 to block it from moving ahead with the regulations.

California's system, however, could end up being linked to ones being developed in other countries. State officials are talking with the European Union as well as provinces in China and Canada to link systems.

Read more at physorg

Schwarzenegger Talks Green

Arianna Huffington, was a little skeptical about Arnold Schwarzenegger's green credentials as Governor of California:
"It is incredibly important to ask whether the measures that are being taken are enough to get us to the stated goal, or is it another way to get credit for something that will never happen. And by then, of course, the governor will no longer be in office and there is no accountability."

Of course Ms. Huffington ran, and lost, against Arnie, so her criticisms should be taken in context, but she is right to say that announcements in themselves are not going to stop global warming. She is also right that some of the Governor's 'green' moves are little more than gestures (a Hummer on biofuels is still a Hummer). Fortunately, however, as we learned through Remy at the fabulous O2 Network, the Governor seems to be going out of his way to prove that his greenness is more than just talk. In a recent interview on CNN Money he sets out some of the measures he is taking to make California a leader in sustainability. Read full here