GOP's Fossil Fuel Privilege

by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse

Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) says Democrats killed THE comprehensive climate bill because Americans "reject further burdensome cost increases on aspects of everyday life."  Johanns is concerned about a plan to pass the current non-climate bill and add cap and trade later in a House-Senate Conference bill.

Time for a reality check. The current energy policy is the Bush/Cheney policy with some green. The burdens and costs of this policy, Mr. Johanns, are not borne by the fossil fuel industry, but by people living in fossil fuel territory hit by major oil disasters and thousands of "incidents" that killed OR injured many and assaulted our environment each year.

If the GOP wants to keep this extreme policy, then IT SHOULD at least be honest by mandating that the fossil fuel industry pay for external costs upfront, or impose a fossil fuel tax on all Americans to pay for a victims' recovery fund to cover the costs of health care, economic impacts and environmental recovery that your victims will need to deal with the damage from your backwardness. No more hiding reality from the public.

continued at Daily Kos...

The Truth About Global Warming; Monday Earthship

by eKos

Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.

Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.

Peruse the eKos Library to find previously listed diaries. You can also follow eKos on Twitter.

Tonight's editor: ellinorianne

Please remember to rec the BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 69

All views expressed by today's editor do not necessarily represent those of eKos or eKos listed diarists.

continued at Daily Kos...

Breaking - 4.9 million barrels - 6 Updates below fold

by teacherken

just received a notice from Washington Post.  There is as yet nothing other than the headline on their website.

the message included

The blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico gushed even more oil than the worst-case scenario envisioned, a whopping 4.9 million barrels, or 205.8 million gallons, according to a new analysis by government scientists charged with estimating the flow rate.

Worse than the worst-case scenario

and at a maximum of $4,300/barrel, fines of over $21 billion dollars

I realize this diary does not contain much data.  I will update as I get more.

Now that this is up, let me note all subsequent updates will be below the fold.

The story says the government scientists charged with estimating.  It is still an estimate, and I presume one reason BP is hiring all the scientists is to be able to challenge the government's figures.

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What on Earth is an Ecocity?

by citisven

Some of you may be familiar with my diaries about ecocities. From Venice and Istanbul to West Oakland, I've written about urban areas within an ecocity context, and I'm about to launch another series about places I've visited or studied recently.

While it's fun to showcase elements of cities considered to be in balance with the web of life, it's equally important that there be a metric with which to measure a city's "econess." Not only to avoid greenwashing, but to make sure that well-intentioned city planners', architects' and residents' efforts are channeled toward the greatest possible ecological good.

Enter International Ecocity Standards. Please follow me below the fold for an overview of this new and exciting project that I think will revolutionize city design the way the LEED® rating system revolutionized building design.      

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Science Tidbits

by possum

The time has come to gather around and take a well deserved hiatus from all the politics of the day.  Science talk is here.  New discoveries, new takes on old knowledge, and other bits of news are all available for the perusing in today's information world.  Over the fold are selections from the past week from a few of the many excellent science news sites around the world.  Today's tidbits include "green" packing material from mushrooms and agricultural wastes, shade grown coffee farms support native bees, signs of reversal of arctic cooling, reducing soot emissions is key to saving Arctic ice, most panda habitat is outside nature reserves, and ancient reptiles make tracks.  Pull up a comfy chair.  There is plenty of room for everyone.  Settle in for one more session of Dr. Possum's science education and entertainment.

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Large Scale Land Investments Do Not Benefit Local Communities

by NourishingthePlanet

In April 2010, more than 120 farmers’ groups and non-governmental organizations all across the world signed a statement declaring their opposition to the guiding principles endorsed by the World Bank, the FAO, IFAD and UNCTAD on "responsible" land investments.

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ACTION - Save the MN Boundary Waters from Sulfide Mining!

by LiberalBadger

The Boundary Waters (BWCAW), Minnesota’s pristine wilderness area, is a national treasure. Every year, more than 250,000 people escape to its remote lakes and forests to canoe, hike, camp, and fish. In 1978 the Boundary Waters area was established as a protected wilderness, but it is not safe from new threats.

A new and dangerous type of mining that has never been done in Minnesota is being proposed near the Boundary Waters. Sulfide (also called "hard-rock" or "non-ferrous") mining often creates acid mine drainage, and can leak sulfuric acid and heavy metal contaminants into nearby waters.

Many of the proposed mines are right on the edge of the Boundary Waters, and alongside precious waters like the South Kiwishiwi and Bald Eagle Lake in the wilderness. If built, they would not only threaten these waters, but the Boundary waters as well. One company is already undertaking exploratory drilling under Birch Lake, whose water runs right back into the wilderness.

We need to make sure the Boundary Waters are protected as a pristine area for generations to come. We’re asking the EPA to block any new mines that could pollute the Boundary Waters, degrade water quality, or exceed water quality standards.

Find out what you can do about it over the fold...

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To Subscribe or Not: That is the question

by A Siegel

Like composting, newspaper reading was something absorbed while is in the womb.  For much of my childhood, the Siegel clan had a morning and afternoon paper along with several local weeklies and national magazines. (Yes, college marketing matters: pa Siegel is still subscribing to Newsweek, come hell and high water, more than 50 years after that first cheap college subscription.)

Thus, the idea of life without a dead-tree edition with the morning coffee is a step yet to be taken despite the richness of the blogosphere and the CO2/environmental/watts of energy implications of tons lbs of paper delivered to the door.  While we are approaching the time where some form of flexible web reader might make the dead-tree edition truly superfluous, for the moment my Siegel clan gets its hands dirty with the paper in the morning. And, for the moment, this is The Washington Post ... but should it be is a question that we discuss.

Follow after the fold for discussion of how a bad NY Times column promoting climate denial and dissing the blogosphere tips the scales for The Post ... for this week, at least.

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BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 69

by Gulf Watchers

The current ROV DIARY: Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV # 262 - gchaucer2

Rules of the Road

• We take volunteers for subsequent diaries in the sub diaries or ROV's as we have playfully coined them.
• Please rec this mothership diary, not the ROVs.
• Please be kind to fellow kossacks who may have limited bandwidth and refrain from posting images or videos.

PLEASE visit Pam LaPier's diary to find out how you can help the Gulf now and in the future. We don't have to be idle! And thanks to Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier for working on this!

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