Six large European oil and gas companies recently announced a commitment to engage on climate policy, calling for a price on carbon. The now-emerging picture of their coordinated corporate talking points, however, leaves no doubt that promotion of natural gas is a core part of the group’s position. Is this development a beneficial push to help… Keep reading →
On May 20, 2015, the European Parliament voted to reject a plan that would eliminate the requirement for import licenses of ethanol of agricultural origin.
A staggering C$1.149 billion ($958 million) – that’s how much money developers had offered the Lax Kw’alaams Band, a First Nation community of 3,600 on British Columbia’s northwest coast, for clearance to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in their territory. They said no. “Hopefully, the public will recognize that unanimous consensus in communities (and… Keep reading →
Electric vehicles (EVs), particularly if they are stylish and high performance, such as Tesla’s Model S, tend to be expensive. Which means that they appeal to the affluent or the environmentally committed. Those who drive them, like those who have installed solar PV panels on their roofs, tend to brag about them to neighbors, friends… Keep reading →
Even more can be done without too much pain US energy-related CO2 emissions have declined in 5 of the past 8 years, almost without trying very hard, mostly due to reductions in the electric power sector. Current trends, including lower energy demand growth rates (graph below), continued substitution of gas for coal and increasing the share… Keep reading →
On Thursday, December 4, 2014, in Texas Oil and Gas Assoc. v. City of Denton, Cause No. 14-08933-431, 431st District Court, Denton County, Texas, the Denton Drilling Awareness Group and Earthworks filed a Joint Petition in Intervention seeking to “provide a vigorous defense of the legality and enforceability” of the December 2, 2014, ordinance (the “Ordinance”) which banned hydraulic fracturing in Denton. The suit was originally filed on November 5, 2014, by the Texas Oil & Gas Association, a day after Denton voters passed the Ordinance by a 59-41 percent margin.
EPA Proposes To Remove 72 Chemicals From Approved Pesticide Inert Ingredients List: On October 22, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested public comment on a proposal to remove 72 chemicals from its list of substances approved for use as inert ingredients in pesticide products. 79 Fed. Reg. 63120. EPA reportedly is responding to petitions submitted by the Center for Environmental Health, Beyond Pesticides, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and others that have asked EPA to issue a rule requiring disclosure of 371 inert ingredients found in pesticide products. EPA developed an alternative strategy designed to reduce the risks posed by hazardous inert ingredients in pesticide products more effectively than by disclosure rulemaking. EPA outlined its strategy in a May 22, 2014, letter to the petitioners, which is available online. Many of the 72 inert ingredients targeted for removal are on the list of 371 inert ingredients identified by the petitioners as hazardous. The 72 chemicals are not currently being used as inert ingredients in any pesticide product and include:
Denmark has joined the club of European countries that have planned to become much more or completely reliant on renewable sources for their energy needs. The country plans to have 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2050, and to eliminate fossil fuels in vehicles by that deadline too. Denmark already relies on wind turbines for… Keep reading →
On October 31, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released two plans related to climate change. The Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan and the Climate Change Adaptation Plan are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for flooding, rising sea levels, and extreme temperatures/weather patterns. These plans come five years after the 2009 Executive Order on Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance that set energy, climate, and environmental goals for government agencies. The release of the plans gave Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz an opportunity to outline how the use of clean energy resources, as part of the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, has been implemented within the Department. DOE has increased the number of buildings that achieved federal guiding principles for high performance and sustainable buildings. It has completed a biomass cogeneration facility in South Carolina and an 11.5 megawatt wind farm, both of which serve to reduce the use of non-renewable energy. DOE was also recognized as a 2014 GreenGov Presidential Award Winner for its work with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to produce a five percent reduction in DOT’s total fuel consumption, and a 20 percent increase in DOT’s use of alternative fuels.
