Red, Green, and Blue

Washington Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Wind Power in Landmark Case

Timothy B. Hurst — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:40:51 +0000

Wind energy advocates won a big victory Thursday in Washington when the state’s Supreme Court ruled that local county commissioners can’t block wind farms.

The case, Residents Opposed to Kittitas Turbines v. State of Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, represents a big win for renewable energy advocates in the ongoing struggle to site wind energy installations; a struggle that has become a pervasive part of local renewable energy politics.

>>More on Wind Energy at RG&B

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Real Wall Street Bailout As Sea Levels Rise

Susan Kraemer — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:16:21 +0000

A mere four centuries after the Dutch founded a little settlement in a far off land they named Nieuw Amsterdam; New York City could really use their expertize in dealing with sea levels. Even by the end of this century.

According to new sea-level rise research, by 2100, the area in lower Manhattan near the wall that kept the original settlement safe from invasion will need to be protected with Dykes. Or something.

Wall Street was named for that ancient protective wall.

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US Endangered Species Could Lose Vital Protection

Andrew Williams — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:15:43 +0000

Endangered US animal and plant species are in danger of losing vital legal protection designed to prevent them from extinction.

The outgoing Bush administration is proposing to rush through legislation that will remove the right of government experts to ensure that dams, highways and other big infrastructure projects don’t pose an unacceptable threat to fragile plants and animals under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Crucially, the regulations must be approved by Friday if they are to come into effect before President-elect Obama’s swearing-in ceremony on January 20th.

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FBI Increases Reward for Suspected Eco-Terrorists to $50K Each

Timothy B. Hurst — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:03:23 +0000

Looking back on so-called “eco-terrorist” organizations like the now less-active Earth Liberation Front, their actions almost seem quaint as compared to the destruction wrought by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, or what I like to call, ‘the real terrorism.’

But the Federal Bureau of Investigation doesn’t think the ELF’s actions were so quaint. On Wednesday the FBI announced it is increasing the reward for information leading to the arrest of four people accused of sabotage attacks in five Western states,”including the largest eco-related arson in history, a $26 million arson at the Vail Ski Resort in Vail, Colorado.”

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Elections ahead: Israel’s Environmental Crisis

Kay Sexton — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:12:53 +0000

When our own elections are over, it’s difficult to remember that in other countries big decisions are still being made. Israel gets to make more of those decisions than most countries although it may often seem that nothing changes there. The Knesset is elected for a four year term, but only one in the last eight Knessets has actually completed a full term. Elections are held much more often. Electoral apathy in Israel is high, and environmental issues are never at the forefront of the debate.

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Mining Association of Canada Hires Former Environmental Activist

Amiel Blajchman — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:35:05 +0000

According to a recent report, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) has just hired Julie Gelfand, formerly the president of Nature Canada, as MAC’s Vice President for Sustainable Development.

While Nature Canada and the Mining Association of Canada have worked together in the past (usually on industry-NGO-government panels such as the Mining Sector Sustainability Tables initiative), suffice it to say that the two organizations are not known for finding themselves on the same side of the negotiating table usually.

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Nike, Starbucks Demand Congress To Act On Climate Change

Jerry James Stone — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:04:31 +0000

Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, Sun Microsystems, And Timberland Demand That Congress Act Now On Climate Policy

Five leading companies joined Ceres today to announce a business coalition demanding stronger U.S. climate and energy legislation as early as 2009. The team includes Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, Sun Microsystems, Timberland And Ceres and is going by the moniker BICEP - I am thinking Nike had something to do with that one.

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Will the Klamath Dams’ Removal Benefit Farmers or Be Traded for New Dams in CA?

Jennifer Lance — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:12:45 +0000

Since it was announced last week that a deal had been reached for the probable removal of four dams on the Klamath River, I’ve been ecstatic. The Klamath dams have been the cause of massive fish kills, are owned by the richest man in America Warren Buffett, do not provide green energy, have shut down west coast fisheries, and have hurt the Native American culture. Of course, since the Bush administration negotiated the deal, I am wary there may be a hidden agenda for this once mighty river in my neighborhood.

Should the nonbinding deal go through, this would be the largest dam removal project in US history. The alternative for PacificCorp to re-license the dams was to build fish ladders mandated by federal biologists costing $300 million. Dam removal is the cheapest option and the best decision for the health of endangered salmon on the Klamath River. The California Energy Commission reported PacifiCorp could save $101 million over the next 30 years if the dams were removed and replacement power bought. As part of the deal, ratepayers will foot $200 million in removal cost, and California will ask voters to approve a $250 million bond. Studies and analysis will occur until 2012, at which point the dams could be removed in 2020. Under the deal, PacificCorp would receive immunity from the dams’ environmental liabilities.

Bush wanted the deal to remove the dams, yet his administration has always backed farmers in the dispute over water rights, such as when irrigation was shut off to under the Endangered Species Act in 2001. Even after the Klamath dams’ removal deal was announced on November 13, 2008, Bush released a statement saying, “Together, we have produced an agreement that will greatly reduce the risk of future shutdowns of the irrigation system.“ Already, the Klamath deal is under attack for supporting farmers over fish. Many suspect the deal will shut down California water quality hearings that may have doomed the dams anyway.

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Obama Welcomes Conferees to Schwarzenegger’s Global Climate Summit [w/video]

Timothy B. Hurst — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:57:13 +0000

On Tuesday, more than 600 environmental officials and activists, along with five U.S. governors and regional politicians from local and foreign regional entities gathered in Beverly Hills for a two-day Global Climate Summit, hosted by California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Conferees were greeted with an unannounced video welcome from president-elect Barack Obama, which, according to reports, received a standing ovation from those in the Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton.

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When Going Green Goes Wrong: Recycling

Kay Sexton — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:58:26 +0000

Like many people, I have become zealous about recycling. On bin day I put out my containers of paper, glass, cans and plastics, and look at my neighbours’ rubbish to see if they are doing as well as I am in reducing the amount of waste that leaves my house and goes to landfill. I’ve already blogged about the disappointment of finding that composting much of our food waste wasn’t a good option in our garden, but now it seems that my recycling efforts might be wasted too.

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