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Posts Tagged ‘Texas’

TCEQ begins process to enact Sunset legislation

Posted in Air Quality, Sunset, TCEQ, tagged , , , on August 22, 2011 |

TCEQ will soon be making some big decisions on how to implement reforms passed during the last legislative session, especially on its penalty policy–and your input is needed quickly:

  • Comments are due on August 30th

Last session, Public Citizen worked with a partnership, The Alliance for a Clean Texas (ACT), and thanks to the efforts of thousands of citizens who joined forces with ACT, the Texas Legislature made some very important improvements to TCEQ’s laws regarding enforcement policies and penalties for polluters.

Lawmakers raised penalties to $25,000 per violation and told TCEQ to minimize the economic benefit to polluters of breaking the law. Now, to make these new policies work, TCEQ commissioners must adopt rules that address:

  • The economic impact of decisions to pollute (The state auditor has previously found that fines are 1/8 of the economic value gained by violating the law.)
  • How to assess fines for repeat violators.
  • Whether to assess a separate fine to each permit violation or just one per overall incident, called speciation. (This can make a huge difference in the size of the fines and the incentive for companies to not pollute.)
  • Whether to put TCEQ’s enforcement policies into the rules or just adopt them as general guidelines. (Putting the policies into rule makes them stronger and harder for the TCEQ to let polluters off with inadequate penalties.)

Comments are due August 30th on these rules. To sign on to ACT’s draft comments, go here. You may also use them to develop for your own comments. You can find tips about writing comments here. Go here for the TCEQ Sunset Process hub on the ACT website.

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SPIN BABY SPIN – Renewables continue to grow in Texas

Posted in Energy, Renewables, solar, tagged , , , , , , on August 19, 2011 |

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the operators of the Texas electric grid, has released its Emerging technologies report that includes the state of renewables on the Texas grid.

Monthly wind energy graph

Some interesting facts show that wind generation continues to provide a significant amount of energy to the grid as the technology matures, new turbines are developed and better tools are put in place to maximize the turbines generation. The effects of the CREZ (certified renewable energy zone) transmission line build out are starting to be seen as congestion from wind rich west Texas is reduced and more energy is being able to be delivered to the major urban ares. The report shows that wind generation provided 9.9% of the total energy used from January thru June of this year.

Other good news is that the capacity factor (100% capacity factor would be a perfect generator running flat out all of the time all 8760 hours of the year) for the wind fleet has now reached 38.3%  and continues to increase, that’s better than a lot of natural gas plants.

In addition on June 19, 2011, at 10:26 PM, ERCOT set a record for instantaneous wind generation of 7,355 MW (which represented 77.6% of installed wind generation capacity and 14.6% of the ERCOT load at the time).  This broke the previous instantaneous wind generation record of 7,227 MW set on December 10, 2010. So much for wind not working in the summertime.

The amount of wind produced energy continues to increase and the new coastal wind farms have been a major contributor.  According to the CEO of ERCOT wind has saved us a couple of times this year. Back during the February 3rd rolling blackouts the wind farms played a large roll in keeping the grid running when the aging fleet of fossil fuel generators, along with some brand new ones, failed in the cold.  Then during the current heat wave, the coastal wind farms supplied around 2000 mw of much needed energy during one of the highest energy demand days, keeping the lights on. Perhaps the PUC should start paying more attention and let us add some solar to the mix instead of letting the 500mw non-wind project expire as they did.

ERCOT Wind Generation Capacity

Recently San Antonio put out a request for a large solar project and was bombarded with proposals.  ERCOT then announced they are planning to un-mothball several old gas plants just in case we run short on energy again.  It’s the same thing we saw during the legislative session – the fossil fuel companies got to keep billions in tax breaks but solar didn’t get a dime.   Now the PUC is having a meeting (August 22nd) on how they can “fix” the market to get more generation built when they already have the tools and the opportunity staring them in the face.

During a recent ERCOT meeting held at the peak of the energy demand, I over heard folks saying how “it sure would be nice to have some more solar on the system.” Perhaps the politicians should get out of the way and let the engineers do their job.   The public power utilities (municipally owned and rural electric cooperatives) are leading the way.  San Antonio is looking to build 400mw utility scale solar, Austins 30mw Webberville project moving along and several other Munis and Co-ops looking to build solar projects.  But where is the much vaunted deregulated energy market when we need them?  Relying on 30-50years old smelly, toxin spewing existing fleets – or business as usual.

As Texas bakes in the the record summer heat wave and our scarce water resources are being sucked up by traditional power plants ( a typical coal plant can use 10 million gallons of water a day) low impact non polluting energy sources are being allowed to languish on the sidelines. Its time to get with it, and bring some new industries, more jobs and clean renewable energy to the Texas grid to keep the lights on and meet the EPA regulations for clean air and water for us and our children to enjoy. Companies want to build 3000 MW of offshore wind beyond the barrier islands south of Corpus Christi, and there is a 10,000 mw farm that is in the plans to be built up in the Panhandle.

To paraphrase, the answer my friends truly seems to be blowing in the wind, just as the sun comes up every morning.

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Pipelines trump your property rights.

Posted in Tarsands, tagged , , , , on August 19, 2011 |

Energy companies are increasingly suing South Texas landowners as they work to build pipelines to accommodate surging oil and gas production.

The question isn’t whether a company can route a pipeline across a property owner’s land.  Pipeline companies, under Texas law, wield the power of eminent domain and can use it to acquire an easement even if the property owner opposes it.  But landowners can negotiate for compensation and when those talks break down, companies can file suit.  Actually, all the companies have to do is make and offer and if the landowner doesn’t accept, then they can file suit (really hardly a negotiation, more like a shakedown).

In 2011, pipeline companies have filed at least 184 lawsuits against landowners in four South Texas counties, but concerns about pipelines snaking across your property whether you want them to or not should be of concern to more than South Texans.  Folks in the DFW area have already expressed concern over the probability of increase pipelines in their region with the every expanding fracking industry.  And many property owners along a proposed tar sands pipeline from Canada to Houston have already experienced heavy-handed treatment from the pipeline company, even though many of the needed permits are not yet in place.

So while fracking or tar sands mining may not be happening in your backyard, it doesn’t mean that these activities won’t affect you directly.

If you want to read more about the proposed tar sands pipeline and the proposed pipeline routes, click here.

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Strange but true tale from the world of Texas politics

Posted in Campaign Finance, tagged , on August 19, 2011 |

Leave it to Texans for Public Justice to bring us another strange but true tale from the world of Texas lobbyists.

A well known Texas lobbyist was recently caught writing himself unauthorized checks out of a client’s political committee.  That in and of itself is not strange, wrong, but not strange.  The strange part is that a sane lobbyist would have chiseled every other client before targeting a trade association for loan sharks! Click here to read TPJ’s Lobby Watch with this story.

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Texas drought, is this a come to Jesus or climate change moment?

Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, tagged , , , , , on August 18, 2011 |

The worst Texas drought since the 1950s has a handful of cities facing a prospect they’ve never encountered before: running out of water.

Many lakes and reservoirs across the state are badly depleted after more than a month of 100-degree temperatures and less than 1 inch of rain. The worst-off communities are already trying to run pipes to distant water, drilling emergency wells bringing on systems that turn waste water into tap water and banning water use for virtually anything beyond drinking, bathing and keeping businesses working.

Worst-case scenarios have a few towns running out of water in a matter of months.  Although Texas cities have gone bone-dry before —Throckmorton in 2000 — the nearly 500 water systems statewide now under some mandatory restrictions appear unprecedented.

Prayer gatherings for rain have been held across the state, the most notable being called by Governor Rick Perry in July.  So far, these measures have not brought even the promise of rain for most of us.

In the town of Llano, near Austin, which went to Stage 5 water restrictions back around the 4th of July weekend, officials have made a contingency plan to roll trucks of bottled water into town if rain doesn’t start to replenish the water supply, and workers are drilling test wells into parched, rock-like soil. Water restrictions are in effect in unprecedented in places like Midland, where barely a half-inch of rain has fallen since October of 2010.

If La Nina conditions return this fall, which the Climate Prediction Center says is likely, Texas is unlikely to see any significant relief from this drought well into next year.

As I sit at my desk with the sun pouring through the window heating everything around me, knowing that just outside the front door it is still a soil scorching 103 degrees F, I think that it may be time to raise the specter of (duhn-duhn-duhhhhhhn) CLIMATE CHANGE.  Even if Governor Perry is traveling around the country telling everyone that scientists have cooked up the data on global warming for the cash, the numbers here in Texas seem to be refuting his claim and you can expect to see us blogging about it soon.

Related articles

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A Plethora of Candidates for PUC Commissioner – Who would you pick?

Posted in Air Quality, Energy, tagged , on August 18, 2011 |

So far, there are nine candidates for the PUC Commission position that was vacated by PUC Chair, Barry Smitherman, when he resigned after being appointed by Governor Perry to the Texas Railroad Commission.   Included in the slate of candidates are attorneys, elected officials, and civil engineer.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas regulates the state’s electric and telecommunication utilities, implements respective legislation, and offers customer assistance in resolving consumer complaints.

Since the introduction of competition in both the local and long distance telecommunications markets and the wholesale and retail electric markets, the PUC has also played an important role in overseeing the transition to competition and ensuring that customers receive the intended benefits of competition.

The most recent person to throw their hat into the ring is Douglas Carter Davis, a senior policy adviser on redistricting to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and a former employee of Gov. Rick Perry.“I believe that my familiarity with the Governor’s philosophy makes me a unique candidate for appointment,” Davis wrote in expressing his interest in either being named a commissioner at the PUC or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.  His references include Dewhurst, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, and Sens. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) and Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands)

Douglas Carter Davis
Attorney John Mark McWatters serves on the U.S. Senate’s congressional oversight panel for the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program.  His wife is a vice president and general counsel at Holly Corp. and Holly Energy Partners LP.  His references include U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling and former Securities and Exchange Commissioner Paul Atkins.
Evin Lee Caraway III, is president and CEO of Worth Casualty Co., holds a law degree from Texas Tech University and has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthlysix times.  His references include Todd Staples and former PUC Chair, Barry Smitherman.

E.L. Caraway
Candidate, attorney Kenneth Bruce Florence Jr. of Center lists among his accomplishments that he a member of the genius society called MENSA, has a pilot’s license and has practiced law in Kenai, Alaska.
Nelson Humberto Balido, president of the tri-national Border Trade Alliance, says he’s happy to fill a post “anywhere the Governor needs me!” Anywhere the Governor might need him included Secretary of State, Transportation Commission and Texas Tech Board of Regents.

Nelson Humberto Balido
Leander Mayor John D. Cowman, a  real estate broker, confessed to being delinquent on his federal taxes in 2006 but also noted that he began mowing yards at age 10 and grew up in California where he enjoyed surfing and playing baseball. His references include U.S. Rep. John Carter and state Rep. John Schwertner, both Republicans from Georgetown.According to the Leander Ledger, the Mayor is is currently under an investigation by Texas Rangers following a complaint filed with the district attorney for allegations of misconduct and corruption of a city official.

John D. Cowman
Sugar Land City Councilwoman Jacqueline Baly Chaumette, who previously was appointed a director of the Brazos River Authority by Perry.

Jacqueline Baly Chaumette
Comal County Commissioner Gregory Parker who authored a book entitled “Global Warming. . . Really?” (obviously a climate change denier, a trait Governor Perry has rewarded handsomely in the past) and speaks frequently about energy issues to Republican and Tea Party organizations.

Gregory Parker
And finally, J. Paul Oxer, a civil engineer and managing director of McDaniel, Hunter & Price, Inc., said he once participated in class action lawsuits against his former employer, Enron, seeking benefits and severance pay. He was also a high school valedictorian who pleaded no contest in 1973 in DeKalb, Ga., to a misdemeanor charge of theft by taking. He noted that his probation included no fine and no reporting requirement.He wrote about this charge on his application that, “Even though it occurred more than 37 years ago, I’m including this information in the interests of completeness and integrity in answering all questions,”

J. Paul Oxer

The information here was gleaned by the Texas Energy Report from 91 pages of records released to them by Perry’s office under the Texas Public Information Act.

Obviously we don’t have the entire file on these folks, but given the important mission the PUC plays in Texas and the little bit of information provided by the Texas Energy Report’s review of the candidate records, we are interested in who you might choose for PUC Commissioner if you were Governor.

[polldaddy poll=5434660]

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NRC revisiting low-level radioactive waste reduction policy

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , , on August 17, 2011 |

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to its policy statement on volume reduction of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW).

The proposed revisions would urge licensees to minimize the volume of waste they produce since such a focus will extend the operational lifetime of the existing commercial low-level disposal sites and reduce the number of waste shipments.

The revised policy statement, however, would also recognize that volume reduction is only one aspect of an effective program for managing radioactive waste.
According to the draft policy statement, licensees should consider all means available to manage waste in a manner that is secure, and protects public health and safety. Such means include waste minimization; short-term storage and decay; long-term storage; use of the alternative disposal provision in NRC regulations at 10 CFR 20.2002; use of waste processing technologies; and use of licensed disposal facilities.

About 96 percent of all LLRW is generated by nuclear power plants. The remainder is generated by fuel cycle facilities such as uranium enrichment plants, and materials licensees such as hospitals, research institutes and universities.

Public comments will be accepted through Sept. 14. They may be submitted through the federal government’s rulemaking website at www.regulations.gov, using Docket ID NRC-2011-0183; or by mail to Cindy Bladey, Chief, Rules Announcements, and Directives Branch (RADB), Office of Administration, Mail Stop TWB-05-B01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

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This is the dawning of the age of the super PAC

Posted in Campaign Finance, tagged , , , on August 17, 2011 |

It is looking like the 2012 election will be dominated by the Super PAC.  If you thought your voice counted for little before, check out this MSNBC story on the new powerhouse super PAC called “Make Us Great Again” which, while claiming it is independent, just launched a website filled with photos of Rick Perry and campaign bullet points about the governor’s record creating jobs and lowering taxes in Texas.  No mention about slashing public education funding or what types of jobs were created in the state.

 

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Post-Fukushima NRC licensing hearing begins today in Austin

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , on August 17, 2011 |

A licensing hearing for South Texas Project reactors begins today in Austin, Texas.

The hearing is on the application to expand the South Texas Nuclear plant and raises key issues, especially in light of the explosions, fires and meltdowns at Fukushima.

An Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) panel–an independent body within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)–will hear oral arguments and conduct an evidentiary hearing beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Room 2210, Building F at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), 12100 Park 35 Circle in Austin. On the 18th and 19th the hearing will continue in Building E, Room 201 S at TCEQ.

The public is invited to the hearing, but participation is limited to the parties admitted to the proceeding: the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition, the South Texas Association for Responsible Energy, Public Citizen, the applicant, NINA, and NRC staff.

the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition, the South Texas Association for Responsible Energy and Public Citizen will raise the issue of whether it is possible to control multiple reactors after a fire or explosion at one of the units, and question the need for more reactors since new federal energy efficiency laws are in place.

Another major issue the groups hope to raise is the applicant (Nuclear Innovation North America – NINA) doesn’t meet federal requirements prohibiting foreign ownership, control or domination of a U.S. nuclear facility.

The South Texas Project expansion has been hurting for investors.  TEPCO, the owner of the ill-fated Fukushima reactors, will no longer invest in the reactors. Austin Energy has chosen not to invest and City Public Service in San Antonio has reduced its 50% interest to only 7%.  Even NRG, the major force behind the reactor project, is no longer investing.   The nuclear license is still being sought by NINA- a partnership of NRG Energy and Toshiba – but only Toshiba is an investing partner at this time and it is also a foreign company.  Opponents have called for a halt to licensing, especially since a license could be sold in the future.

“Fukushima shows just how dangerous it is to have a lot of reactors in one location. We will raise safety concerns about locating so many nuclear reactors close together,” said Karen Hadden, SEED Coalition’s Executive Director. “We’re raising concerns about the legality of foreign ownership of the proposed reactors.”

“Texas doesn’t need or want more nuclear power,” said Tom “Smitty” Smith of Public Citizen’s Texas office. “We have safer, cleaner and more affordable energy options available today. New federal building codes and appliance standards will improve efficiency, making the two additional nuclear plants unnecessary. San Antonio’s reduced nuclear project share is being replaced through energy efficiency, wind and solar power and natural gas.”

Background

The South Texas Project COL application was submitted to the NRC on Sept. 20, 2007, the first such application in the United States in nearly 30 years. The license would allow construction and operation of South Texas Project reactors 3 & 4 at the existing Bay City, Texas site.

Over the past four years, the proposed nuclear project has experienced:

  • Cost estimates that have skyrocketed from $5.6 billion to over $18 billion.
  • A major pull-back by NRG’s partner, San Antonio’s CPS Energy, from a 50% stake down to 7%, which left a huge investor gap.
  • NRG Energy and TEPCO will no longer invest in the project. Previously anticipated loan guarantees from Japan now appear unlikely. Despite the lack of further investment, NINA  continues to seek a license for the proposed reactors. NRG will give Toshiba $20 million for this purpose.

Individuals or groups not admitted to the proceeding can submit “written limited appearance statements” to the ASLB. Anyone wishing to submit a written statement can email hearingdocket@nrc.gov, or fax to (301) 415-1101, or send mail to: Office of the Secretary, Attn. Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. In addition, copies of written statements should be sent to  Michael.Gibson@nrc.gov and Jonathan.Eser@nrc.gov; by fax to (301-415-5599), or by mail to: Administrative Judge Michael M. Gibson, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, Mail Stop: T-3F23, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

Documents related to the South Texas Project COL application are available on the NRC website. Documents pertaining to the ASLB proceeding are available in the agency’s electronic hearing docket. NOTE: Anyone wishing to take photos or use a camera to record the hearing should contact the NRC Office of Public Affairs beforehand.

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Hotter ‘n Hell: the current state of Texas weather and a Texas bike race

Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, tagged , , on August 16, 2011 |

Houston hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday for the 15th consecutive day in a row breaking that city’s previous record of 14 consecutive days of 100+ degree heat set in July of 1980. For the year, Houston has seen a total of twenty-six 100-degree days. On average, the city usually only sees around 5 days with 100-degree heat per year.

While the Houston streak continues, several 100-degree streaks have been snapped in the last few days throughout Texas.

Austin ended a streak of 27 consecutive days with 100-degree heat this past Saturday.  Dallas, Texas ended a run of 40 days with 100-degree heat last Thursday.

But Wichita Falls, Texas had the longest streak of 52 consecutive days with 100-degree heat that ended this past Saturday.  However the temperatures immediately went back up over 100 degrees and  their extended 10 day forecast has them well above 100 degrees going into the weekend of Wichita Falls’ 30th annual Hotter”N Hell 100 mile bike ride (HHH).  This insane biking event, that draws from 8,000 to 10,000 participants from around the country to ride in bike routes up to 100 miles long, has been run before on days that made it into the 100s, but this year the race is in the midst of a record breaking heat wave.

According to Larry Magruder, MD and the 1998 Medical Director for HHH, out of over 120,000 riders only six deaths have occurred in the 29 year race history.  And because high temperatures are part and parcel of this particular bike race, the organizers are well prepared to deal with heat related medical problems with more than 800 local medical personnel volunteering their time to the Hotter’N Hell Hundred. Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, hospital workers, American Red Cross volunteers and staff, and others associated with the medical field work  to assure that no one is ever more than 5 miles from professional medical attention.

These folks are both knowledgeable and well prepared to deal with heat related medical issues, but if you are participating in extensive physical activity in this Texas heat, that is not being monitored and supported by medical professionals, you should learn how to prepare for extreme heat and learn the symptoms and treatments of heat related illnesses.  Click here to go to the Center for Disease Control’s extreme heat emergency preparedness and response page.

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The Public Needs Protection From Fracking Dangers

Posted in Air Quality, Water, tagged , , , , on August 15, 2011 |

Seal of the United States Department of Energy.

Image via Wikipedia

Public Citizen today urged a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) task force to prioritize the safety of water resources at contamination risk from hydraulic fracturing. Among the solutions Public Citizen proposed is repeal of the various exemptions the natural gas industry has received from federal environmental laws; the denial of drilling companies’ “proprietary” right to keep secret the identity of toxic materials they inject underground and an emphasis on improved outreach to affected communities.

The DOE’s Natural Gas Subcommittee should enact procedures to prevent water contamination around abandoned fracking wells, which has happened as fracking fluid and other contaminants have seeped into the groundwater. The public needs to be protected from chemically compromised water.

Just as worrisome, the hydraulic fracturing industry is exempted from elements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act. The subcommittee should persuade Congress to repeal these special exemptions, which limit the federal government’s ability to ensure that protection of water resources is prioritized.

The subcommittee also should make every effort to include the input of the people whose lives will be affected by fracking policies, instead of holding 75 percent of the public meetings in Washington, D.C. The public needs a voice in policies that will have an enormous impact on their homes, their water and their safety.

The DOE subcommittee and Congress should work together to ensure the health and safety of the public and the environment.

To read the comments sent to the DOE, visit: http://www.citizen.org/documents/DOEfrackingComments8.15.2011.pdf.

This is a reprint of a Statement from Tyson Slocum, Director, Public Citizen’s Energy Program

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From toilet water to tap water, the new liquid gold of West Texas

Posted in Coal Plants, Water, tagged , , , on August 12, 2011 |

So after years of diminishing water supplies made even worse by the second-most severe drought in state history, some West Texas communities are resorting to a plan to turn sewage into drinking water.

A water-reclamation plant believed to be the first in Texas will supply Big Spring, Midland, Odessa and Stanton and is currently under construction.

Officials have been working to dispel any fears people have that they will soon be drinking their neighbors’ urine.  They are promising the system will yield clean, safe water.

Similar plants have been operating for years in Tucson, Ariz., parts of California and in other countries. Water experts predict other American cities will follow suit as they confront growing populations, drought and other issues.

The Colorado River Municipal Water District in West Texas began considering a wastewater recycling plant back in 2000 and broke ground last month on the facility in Big Spring, about 100 miles southeast of Lubbock. When finished, it should supply 2 million gallons of water a day.

This year’s drought has made this dry region even drier, wreaking havoc on crops, ranch animals, wildlife and fish in the region.  At least one of the three reservoirs in West Texas may dry up if the drought persists through next year, as climatologists have predicted could happen, causing the district’s water supply to be reduced from 65 million gallons a day to 45 million.

The idea to recycle sewage isn’t new. Fort Worth and other cities across the nation have long used treated wastewater to water grass and trees and irrigate crops.

And you can be sure the proposed Tenaska coal plant in Abilene is hoping to cash in on that water after having been turned down by the city of Abilene.  However, after this year, this region might be reluctant to commit to providing that much water even if it is reclaimed from sewage.  Because power plants suck . . . lots and lots of water and they tend to get to do so before crops, livestock and even people.

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Groups use social networking as a response to corporate influence over our political process

Posted in Good Government, tagged , on August 11, 2011 |

 The Day When $$$$ Equals Speech

The American public has become increasingly frustrated and angry about the corporate corruption of Congress. With the influence over politics wielded by wealthy corporate interests through their political spending, even modest efforts to curb pollution, ensure clean water and safe food, secure our financial system and more are stymied.

The deluge of more than $30 million spent by outsiders in this week’s Wisconsin recall elections and the sudden appearance and subsequent dissolution of a corporation that gave $1 million to a political action committee backing GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney are only the latest examples of the stunning sums of money flooding our current campaign finance landscape. The growing influence of corporate interests comes from the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which gave corporations the “free speech” right to spend unlimited money to influence elections.

In response, a diverse group of more than a dozen organizations are participating today in “The Day When $$$$ Equals Speech.” Instead of words, participants are posting  a string of dollar signs on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social media networks in a vow to reclaim democracy, as seen in this sample tweet:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ http://bit.ly/DollarsOrDemocracy #WeThePeople will #reclaim

Participating groups include the Center for Biological Diversity, Campus Progress, the Center for Media and Democracy, Coffee Party USA, Common Cause, Demos, Greenpeace, the Hip Hop Caucus, Move to Amend, North Carolina Center for Voter Education, People for the American Way, Public Campaign, Public Citizen, The Story of Stuff Project, USAction, the We the People Campaign and The Young Turks.

“As corporations increasingly exert their influence over the political process, those of us without millions of dollars to spend on political campaigns are effectively silenced,” said Rick Claypool, online organizer for Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division. “It is as if we have to speak through a kazoo while corporate CEOs speak through megaphones.”

The Website,  www.DollarsOrDemocracy.org,  encourages others to join the online protest and explains the impact of the Citizens United decision.

Corporations flooded the November 2010 midterm elections with a record amount of money. It is predicted that the 2012 presidential elections will see even more corporate money and will cost $7 billion.  We need to stand up now against this ‘$ as speech’ trend that is taking over our government.

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Heat Wave Renews Call for Renewable Energy

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , , , on August 11, 2011 |

At the height of the energy crisis last week, Public Citizen’s Texas director, Tom “Smitty” Smith, told the Austin Chronicle, “Austin Energy was one of the first cities in the United States to really aggressively try to do this kind of load management, and days like this show how effective it is in preventing blackouts,” Smith continued. “It’s working, and it’s demonstrably cheaper than burning coal or gas to make electricity.”

To read the story discussing weather crisis and energy in the Texas deregulated market, click here to go to the Austin Chronicle’s story.

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Big Hot Texas Sun: Problem or Resource?

Posted in Climate Change, Co-op Reform, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Renewables, solar, tagged , on August 11, 2011 |

Pearl Brewery San Antonio

Pearl Brewery, San Antonio - home of one of the largest solar roofs in the region

We’re in the midst of a heat wave and drought that are on record to be Texas’ worst in recorded history. (and now imagine if global warming actually kicked in, the way all those scientists say! *wink*)

But we have a few options. Cope, adapt, or conquer. I much prefer the last solution to the first.

First, we can cope. Rep. Joe Barton from here in Texas once famously said in a Congressional hearing that his constituents don’t have to worry about global warming- they’ll just find some shade. Well, we can do that. We can also do what is more likely which is just go sit in our homes and offices and blast the air conditioning as much as we can to make these ever-warming, record-breaking hot, dry summers as tolerable as possible.

The only problem is, all that electricity comes from somewhere. And with record-breaking demand on the ERCOT grid, they have been warning Texans to conserve or risk rolling blackouts. And while blasting the a/c may seem like an affordable luxury for the people who live in the McMansions of West Austin, I don’t know about the rest of you, but most Texas families can’t afford the huge energy bills that would be associated with just setting the thermostat at 70 and letting it go.

We can already see what coping is getting us.

(more…)

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