Climate change is clearly an important issue, and there is a lot that needs to be done about it at all levels of society. Fortunately there have been individuals and localities that have made great efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, and this should be applauded. I want to focus on a particular success in [...]
Archive for May, 2009
Mayors to the Rescue on Climate Change
Posted in Global Warming, tagged Air Quality, Carbon Dioxide, City Government, Clean Energy, climate change, Climate Protection Agreement, co2, college station, emissions, Kyoto, Local Government, Mayors, Seattle, Texas, wind on May 29, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Sometimes your leaders listen: Lloyd Doggett and the Safe Markets Development Act
Posted in Global Warming, tagged ACES, Austin, Carbon Dioxide, Clean Energy, climate change, congressman lloyd doggett, Global Warming, Lloyd Doggett, Waxman-Markey bill on May 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
We’ve been disappointed by the process that the American Clean Energy and Security Act has gone through recently, so a few weeks ago I went to go see my Congressman during his “neighborhood office hours” (at the Randall’s at the corner of William Cannon and MoPac) and talk to him about climate change. Then this [...]
Net Metering and Resurrected Solar Bill Passes Texas Senate
Posted in Energy, Renewables, tagged distributed solar, electric coops, environment texas, governor perry, green jobs, hb 1243, houston chronicle, made in texas, pec scandal, public citizen texas, retail electric providers, sb 545, sb 921, solar, solar rebates, texas consumers, texas senate, transparency on May 28, 2009 | 6 Comments »
Last night at 11:58 pm (wink, wink), just as we suspected would happen, the Texas Senate unanimously passed through the net metering bill, HB 1243, with solar SB 545 amended on as a bonus. This is great news for Texas consumers, the environment, and solar power. As you may recall, HB 1243 will ensure that [...]
Good Day (for Texas) Sunshine!
Posted in Energy, Renewables, tagged good day sunshine, green jobs, hb 1243, net metering, sb 545, solar energy, solar in schools, solar power, Texas Legislature on May 28, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Hogwash: Confined Animal Feeding Operations
Posted in Global Warming, Toxics, tagged Agriculture, antibiotics, CAFO, Confined Animal Feeding Operation, Confinements, environment, Factory Farm, FarM Bill, Hog Factory, Manure, Pfisteria, Pigs, pollution, Runoff, Subsidies, Texas, Water Pollution, Water Quality on May 27, 2009 | 1 Comment »
I would like to discuss an issue that has been important to me for several years, but does not get much attention outside the Midwest or agriculture heavy states like North Carolina. In these states much of the landscape is covered by large indoor animal feeding units. These confinements, or Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOS), [...]
A Ray of Hope for Solar Power
Posted in Energy, Renewables, tagged bio gas, buy back rates, hb 1243, net metering, non wind rps, rps, sb 545, senator fraser, small wind, solar, texas senate, troy fraser, voter id on May 27, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Earlier this morning, I offered the consolation that bills which died due to the Voter ID debacle could be revived as amendments to other bills. This afternoon, I’m keeping an eye on the Senate to see if my solar dreams will come true. This afternoon, the Senate has HB 1243 on their intent calendar. HB [...]
Voter ID Chubfest Put Texas Environmental Bills At Risk
Posted in Global Warming, tagged Air Quality, amendments, austin american stateman, chubbing, driver's license, electric coops, Energy Efficiency, kip averitt, solar energy, solar power, stalling, texas house, texas senate, voter id, Waco on May 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
If you’ve been following the Texas Legislature at all over the weekend, you’ve probably heard the term “chubbing” at least once. Yesterday marked the deadline for all bills that originated in the Senate to pass second reading — which means that any bills that didn’t make it through the House by midnight last night are [...]
A Look at Coal Mining
Posted in Global Warming, tagged Carbon Dioxide, Coal, coal mines, Kentucky, Leaching, Mines, Mining, Moutain Top Removal, Open Pit Mining, Powder Creek, Strip Mining, Tar Sands, Wyoming on May 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
While we at Public Citizen Texas are fighting the building of new coal power plants in Texas and the surrounding states, the focus has largely been on the CO2, sulfur and other pollutants emitted into the air by the burning of coal, not to mention its inefficiency as a fuel source. We often over look [...]
The Influence of Energy Industry Contributions
Posted in Global Warming, tagged Air Quality, campaign contributions, Clean Energy, Contributions, Energy, Energy and comm, house energy and commerce committee, house of representatives, jim matheson, oil, renewable energy, waxman-markey, Ways an, ways and means committee on May 25, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Last week we saw the Waxman Markey bill go to the Energy and Commerce committee. Watching the markup process increased my interest in the role special interest money plays in the political process. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is responsible for oversight in legislation concerning: telecommunications, energy, international commerce, public health, consumer protection [...]
Act Now To Stop New Coal and Nuclear Subsidy
Posted in Coal, Energy, Nuclear, tagged cap and trade, clean coal, Coal, comanch peak, hb 4525, manufacturing plants, Nuclear, risk, South Texas Project, subsidy, Texas Legislature, texas senate on May 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
A bill currently moving in the Texas Legislature, HB 4525, would create new state subsidy of $50 million each for new nuclear and coal plants. We need your help to stop this pork bill from passing. Call your Senator now and tell them that nuclear power doesn’t need taxpayer help! Although the claim of HB [...]
URGENT ACTION ALERT: Help air quality and solar in Texas!
Posted in Global Warming, tagged 2009 iecc building codes, auto emissions, building codes, clean air, dirty energy, Energy Efficiency, federal stimuls funds, green jobs, lobbyists, plug-in hybrids, sb 541, sb 545, sb16, solar energy, texas capitol, texas house, voter id on May 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The House has been moving very slowly in an effort to kill a Voter ID bill, but it appears the logjam has been broken. Now we have to pass our key solar and clean air bills before midnight Tuesday, May 26, which is the deadline for the House to pass any bills from the Senate. [...]
Sunday Morning Sequestration Revelation
Posted in Coal, tagged abilene, Carbon Dioxide, carbon sequestration, Coal, mercury, pollution, sweetwater on May 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Check out the following letter to the editor from the Abilene Reporter News. Turns out a local resident of Sweetwater recently had a revelation about the nature of coal and carbon sequestration. Interesting theory… Why are we digging up stuff God wants buried? I believe that God has a purpose for coal, and it’s up [...]
Take Action to Fix Climate Change Bill
Posted in Global Warming, tagged carbon credits, climate change, climate change bill, climate change legislation, Coal, Democracy Now!, emissions, giveaways, greenhouse gasses, house energy and commerce, industry, Nuclear, oil, Public Citizen, tyson slocum on May 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
As expected, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved climate change legislation last night and sent it along in the legislative process. We strongly urge lawmakers to make major overhauls to this bill or go back to the drawing board. The problem? Oil, coal and nuclear industries had far too much say in its shaping, [...]
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