A new study from Cornell Professor Robert Howarth shows that natural gas from shale beds extracted through hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” has the same effect on the climate as burning coal, tarnishing one of the natural gas industry’s major claims of being a less polluting and more climate friendly fossil fuel. A megawatt of electricity [...]
Archive for April, 2011
Is fracking worse for the climate than coal?
Posted in Air Quality, Global Warming, natural gas, tagged climate change, Cornell University, Global Warming, greenhouse gas, hydraulic fracturing, natural gas, shale gas on April 11, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Your Grocery Bill and the Amazon Rainforest: What’s the Big Deal?
Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, tagged Carbon Dioxide, climate change, Energy, Global Warming, Public Citizen, public citizen texas on April 11, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Could your trip down to the neighborhood meat market, or your favorite burger joint be contributing to the demise of the Amazon rainforest? Cattle ranching in Brazil is the leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon. This is old news though. Cattle ranching has been the leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest since [...]
Texas News Roundup for April 11, 2011
Posted in News Roundup on April 11, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The Texas Progressive Alliance reminds you that it does not shut down as it brings you this week’s blog roundup. Off the Kuff discusses the bet the Republicans have made about how the voters will react to deep cuts to public education. At TexasKaos, Lightseeker warns Don’t Buy Into the Lie – Help Spread the [...]
Noisier, Nastier, and Costlier Elections
Posted in Campaign Finance, tagged campaign finance reform, Judicial elections, Wisconsin on April 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Most folks outside of Wisconsin and the Washington beltway were not paying much attention to that state’s recent state supreme court justice election, but in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision this election was a study in what judicial elections have evolved into — a trend of “noisier, nastier and costlier” elections [...]
Corporate welfare for oil and gas or fully funded schools?
Posted in Air Quality, natural gas, tagged fracking, north texas, Tax break on April 8, 2011 | 3 Comments »
Texas oil and gas officials will plead with House Appropriations Committee members next week that the industry needs its $1.2 billion annual tax break, more than children need fully funded schools or the elderly need nursing homes to stay open. The committee will take testimony on April 14 from industry representatives and others on the controversial [...]
Bill of the Day – SB 15 – was good, now not so much
Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Energy, tagged Coal, Energy, public citizen texas, SB 15 on April 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Today, the Senate Natural Resources Committee passed out a state energy policy bill that no longer calls for the closure of the state’s worst air polluting power plants According to committee chair Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay), Senate Bill 15 would create a 12-member Texas Energy Policy Council to advise legislators on “strategic, market-based” energy and [...]
Texas nuclear plants’ ability to handle a blackout
Posted in Nuclear, tagged Blackout risk, comanche peak, Nuclear, STP on April 7, 2011 | 1 Comment »
A 2003 Nuclear Regulatory Commission report shows the susceptibility of US nuclear power plants to blackouts that could lead to core damage. Click here to read the 2003 NRC report and click here to read the 2005 re-evaluation report. Draw your own conclusions but be warned, these are not user friendly reports. Click here to [...]
And the landscape of merry and desperate drought
Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, tagged drought, Texas, wildfires on April 6, 2011 | 1 Comment »
In most years, the dark clouds over the Texas Panhandle in the spring means rain. This year, they’re more likely be an indicator of wildfires which have already burned thousands of acres in March as the state stares once again into the face of a severe drought. Our neighbor, Oklahoma was drier in December, January, [...]
Bill of the Day – SB 875 by Fraser – BAD
Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, tagged clean air act, greenhouse gas emissions, SB 875 on April 5, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Senate Bill 875 by Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horsehoe Bay) would take away a Texan’s right to sue a company for “nuisance” or “trespass” resulting from greenhouse gas emissions if that company is compliant with air emissions permits issued by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or an agency of the federal government. The bill would roll [...]
Razing Arizona? – Save the Grand Canyon
Posted in Radiation, tagged Grand Canyon, radioactive contamination, uranium mining on April 5, 2011 | 1 Comment »
A crucial ban on mining uranium around the Grand Canyon is about to expire, and corporations have already staked more than 1,100 claims to drill. Ripping up radioactive material around a national landmark, with its fragile ecosystem and designation as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, will cause irreversible damage to its [...]
It all began with an innocent phone call…
Posted in Consumers, Energy, Good Government, tagged Fuelberg, Green Dreams, pec on April 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
On April 13th, the Uptown Marble Theater at 218 Main Street in Marble Falls will present the world theatrical premiere of Green Dreams, a 50 minute documentary about the revolution at the Pedernales Electric Cooperative. Following the screening will be a meet & greet with PEC’s newly-hired CEO, R.B. Sloan. Former PEC General Manager Bennie [...]
Whaaaa, don’t take my tax break away
Posted in natural gas, tagged natural gas, Tax break, Texas budget deficit on April 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
In another effort to stave off critics who call a $1 billion annual tax break for high-cost gas producers in Texas outrageous, a study paid for by the industry has emerged intended to scare folks into believing that for every $1 the state spends in tax breaks it gets back about $4 in related economic [...]
News Roundup for April 4, 2011
Posted in News Roundup on April 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The Texas Progressive Alliance would have voted against HB1 as well as it brings you this week’s blog roundup. Off the Kuff notes that when one Bradley goes away, another one gets nominated. Three Wise Men examines the possibility of a federal government shutdown and what Republicans are doing with the budget in Texas. Musings [...]
“Jumpers” (ジャンパー) wanted
Posted in Nuclear, Radiation, tagged Fukushima, Job posting, Nuclear, Radiation, TEPCO on April 3, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Wanted: Short term, possibly long term position that pays thousands of dollars for up to an hour of work requiring little training working in perilously radioactive environments. A Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) official said this week that the company has tasks fit for “jumpers” (ジャンパー) — workers so called because they “jump” into highly [...]
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