The committee entitled, “Bush Administration Environmental Record at Department of Interior and Environmental Protection Agency,” met today. Senator Barbara Boxer called the hearing to explore how the administration has held up with respect to environmental integrity. A driving force behind the committee was the denial of California’s petition to curb greenhouse emissions by allowing the state to regulate vehicular fuel efficiency. The hearing was also looking into a proposal to loosen rules protecting endangered species. You can watch a full video of the hearing here.

Boxer, who is chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, wasn’t too happy when two high-level officials at the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Interior failed to show up for the hearing.

“They’re cowardly and they have been a danger to the people of this country,” Boxer said.

Below is just a taste of what Bush and Co have been up to since taking office.

A History of Bush’s Environmental Record

• Proposed drilling of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - October 2000, this was a campaign trail proposition!
• Blocks safeguards on arsenic in drinking water, sulfur in diesel, and releases of raw sewage - January 2001, Inauguration Day
• Bush repudiates the Kyoto Protocol - March, 2001
• 178 Countries agree to Kyoto, Bush does not - June 2001
• Bush kills more of Clinton’s safeguards on drinking water - July 2001
• Bush cuts funds for renewables - February 2002
• Introduces “Clear Skies” initiative which allows for more air pollution - February 2002
• Bush denies EPA findings on Global Warming - June 2002
• Proposes removing wetland protections - January 2003
• EPA silences effects of global warming in environmental report - June 2003
• Creates “Healthy Forrest” initiative which allows more logging - December 2003
• Bush delays mercury reduction for 18 years - January 2004
• NASA scientists censored by Administration on global warming effects - October 2004
• Promises more funding for renewables in State of the Union, breaks the promise five days later - February 2005
• Bush supports House bill allowing more smog - October 2005
• Wants to lower the price of gas at the expense of air quality - April 2006
• Cuts funds for wind and geothermal energy - February 2007
• Bush blocks G8 plans to reduce global warming pollution - June 2007
• Bush opposes incentives for renewables - February 2008
• Bush censors reports on climate change, again - April 2008

Oh, and that image was specifically chosen for the “Dance of the Dwarfs” title. Made me think of our little “Decider.”

Image source: umjanedoan on Flickr

As the world continues to be shaken up by horror stories on Wall Street, it might be worth taking a few steps back to consider your immediate quality of life.

SustainLane, a San Francisco based green media company has just announced its brand new U.S. city rankings today. Starting in 2005, SustainLane went through an exorbitant examination of sustainability initiatives in U.S. cities looking at a variety of factors: average traffic commutes, affordable housing, waste diversion, green space, energy usage, green buildings, natural disaster risk, air quality, water quality, public transportation, local food sources, and government innovations. James Elsen, the founder of SustainLane explains it in his article What’s A Sustainable City, Anyway ?

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From  Green Options’ sustainablog

In SustainLane’s first city ranking, released in spring 2005, Portland came out on top, with San Francisco and Seattle not far behind. In the words of James Elsen, West Coast cities and “blue” cities (New York, Chicago, Boston) turned out to be way ahead in the green game than “red” ones. The latest city rankings report benchmarks each city’s performance in 16 areas of urban sustainability, including an essential new measurement this year: Water Supply.

>> Read the rest of this post at sustainablog 

Okay, that’s not true. However, it summarizes how environmentally out-of-touch I feel the Alaskan Governor is. For example, just one day before being picked as the GOP vice president, she wrote a letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urging him to shoot down pollution-reduction efforts aimed at cargo containers. Palin’s concerns were aimed at the Alaskan economy, and well…not the environment. Oh, and it gets better! Check out some of the other things Palin has had to say on the topic.

From Think Progress

Palin Denies Man-Made Global Warming. When asked for her “take on global warming,” Palin replied, “A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I’m not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.” [Newsmax, 08/29/08]

Palin Says She’s Not A ‘Doom-And-Gloom Environmentalist’ Who Blames Global Warming On ‘Human Activity.’ “I’m not an Al Gore, doom-and-gloom environmentalist blaming the changes in our climate on human activity, but I’m not going to put my head in the sand and pretend there aren’t changes.” [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 12/4/07]

Challenging ‘Uncertain Climate Models,’ Palin Is Suing To Lift Protected Status For Polar Bears. After a multi-year court battle, the Bush administration recognized in 2008 that polar bears are threatened with extinction by global warming. Announcing Alaska’s suit to block the listing, Palin said, “We believe that the listing was unwarranted and that it’s unprecedented to list a currently healthy population based on uncertain climate models.” [Reuters, 5/22/08]

Palin Established Illegal Fly-By Wolf Hunting Bounty. In 2007, Palin illegally established “a $150 bounty to the state sanctioned airborne wolf hunters as an added incentive to increase their kills,” soon overturned by the Alaska State Court. [Alaska Wildlife Alliance; Anchorage Daily News, 3/31/07]

Related posts:

Palin Changes Position on Global Warming - Then Denies It
Why Palin is a Bad Choice for the Environment
World Views of Sarah Palin & The Environment

Image source: bobster1985 on Flickr

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Palin’s concerns were aimed at the Alaskan economy, and well…not the environment. Duh! Claiming that shippers are already burdened by high fuel prices, she said this “may harm California by driving port business away from its ports.” As those three ports together account for over 40-percent of U.S. goods, that kinda seems unlikely. The bill’s author isn’t impressed by Palin’s suggestion either.

“We are losing about 3,400 Californians each year because of pollution. … I don’t think Gov. Palin truly understands the impacts going on here,” says state Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D), who sponsored the bill. “She certainly displays a lack of understanding,” Lowenthal went on to say.

Many California environmentalists consider this to be the most important pollution reduction effort made in the state this year.

“Why should Gov. Schwarzenegger take into account what out-of-state interests are saying?” said Lisa Warshaw, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for Clean Air. “It’s unfortunate that she is using her popularity to push her agenda on this state.”

The bill would impose a $60 fee for every 40-foot cargo container entering those ports. It would bring in about $400 million per year, which would go towards the installation of cleaner truck and train engines and projects aimed to reduce congestion and idling. That sounds pretty good to me!

Image source: tinou bao at Flickr

Exelon has chosen the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) marketed by GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy. Each of the reactors will produce approximately 1,500 MW of electric power.

One of the key design features of the ESBWR is a large degree of passive safety provided by large water reservoirs, natural coolant circulation and safety systems that operate without any electrical power. (Link to animation of ESBWR safety system operation)

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As I recently discussed, sometimes we need to look to the past for solutions to our current problems. Queensland University professor Zhu Huai Yong has done just that, noting that painting glass windows with gold particles can purify the air.

Zhu came across this realization after studying medieval painted church windows, which were often decorated using glass colored with gold nanoparticles.

Though people likely did not realize it at the time the churches were built, the sun-energized nanoparticles destroy air-borne pollutants, as sunlight creates an electromagnetic field that resonates with the gold particles’ oscillations.

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Now here’s an innovation that might make me consider moving back to New York City: air-purifying concrete. The small Dutch town of Hengelo is testing out the concrete paving stones, which contain a titanium-dioxide based additive that binds to nitrogen particles emitted by car exhaust and turns them into harmless nitrates.

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As the date for the 2008 Games rapidly approaches, Beijing struggles to improve air quality for the “green games.” By closing factories, limiting vehicle use, and halting all construction projects, Chinese authorities are trying to make last-minute improvements that rely on wide-spread compliance. Athletic performance, health, and China’s reputation could suffer if the smog doesn’t clear.

China has implemented a variety of emergency measures to tame the haze, which will have a significant impact on all levels of society. Personal vehicle use is limited from July 20 to September 20. Drivers in Beijing can only drive on alternating days and high emissions vehicles are banned completely. Meanwhile, mass transit is being expanded and work hours staggered to help ease transportation woes.

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If this provision never becomes law, then those of you who may someday become victims of lung disease, will have to do without rehab when you reach Medicare age.

Congress overwhelmingly approved the Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act, which, among other things, would make life easier for Americans who suffer from lung disease.  This, you say, may not tie into environmentalism, but think again; coal smoke, smoking, second-hand smoke, pollutants in the air, all add to lung disease, and heaven knows we’ve had a century of air pollution pouring into our lungs.  It isn’t over yet.

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The power conservation warnings and the “Code Red” air quality alerts made me think about last week’s announcement by Unistar Nuclear, a partnership between Constellation Energy, Areva, Bechtel, and EDF, that they had successfully filed their combined Construction and Operating License (COL) application for a third unit at Calvert Cliffs.

The plant is not exactly in my backyard, but it is only about an hour’s drive south of my home. Though watching and waiting for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to issue a new nuclear plant license to allow the beginning of construction can be a bit like watching grass grow, the decision to “docket” the application indicates that real progress continues.

If you want to read an article that provides an indication of how the idea of the plant plays to local politicians I recommend a visit to a Washington Post article titled Coalition Formed to Advocate For New Power Plants, Lines.

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There are 1.3 million long-haul diesel trucks with sleeper cabs in the United States, with most drivers averaging over 100,000 miles annually. These trucks are highly affected by skyrocketing fuel prices and are dependent on foreign oil. As the value of the dollar diminishes, transportation costs are partly to blame.

Idling Trucks Waste Fuel

Truck drivers are required to rest for 10 hours for every 11 hours of driving. A large amount of fuel is consumed when drivers leave trucks idling to maintain comfort. 85% of the energy is wasted sleeper cabs are heated by an idling truck. It is even more inefficient to cool the sleeper cab, wasting 94% of the fuel’s energy.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/15/trucks-reduce-emissions-by-83/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/08/transportation-fuel-produced-from-trash-in-worlds-largest-plant-in-2009/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/08/transportation-fuel-produced-from-trash-in-worlds-largest-plant-in-2009/#comments Thu, 08 May 2008 07:40:12 +0000 Sarah Lozanova http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/08/transportation-fuel-produced-from-trash-in-worlds-largest-plant-in-2009/ 300 garbage collection trucks in California will soon be fueled by the same trash that they haul. Landfill gas will be purified and liquefied, producing up to 13,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) daily.

This facility at Waste Management’s (WMI: NYSE) Altamont Landfill in Livermore, California will begin operation in 2009. It comes with a price tag of $15.5 million, with grants providing $1.4 million.

Cleaner Fuel

Waste Management is the largest waste management company in North America and operates the largest US fleet of heavy-duty collection trucks. The company has a goal to reduce fleet emissions by 15% by 2020.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/08/transportation-fuel-produced-from-trash-in-worlds-largest-plant-in-2009/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/01/chicago-unvails-plan-to-punish-driving-while-encourage-riding/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/01/chicago-unvails-plan-to-punish-driving-while-encourage-riding/#comments Thu, 01 May 2008 14:15:36 +0000 Sarah Lozanova http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/01/chicago-unvails-plan-to-punish-driving-while-encourage-riding/

The average Chicagoan spends an hour and a half commuting to and from work each day. With the second largest public transportation system in the country, one million people ride city buses each day. Mayor Daley considered both facts when he devised a plan aimed at easing congestion, commuting times, and air pollution in the central business district. A $153 million federal grant can help make this plan a reality.

Priority Given to Buses Over Cars

The first part of the plan entails creating a 100 mile bus corridor with dedicated bus lanes during peak hours. Kiosks selling bus tickets allow passengers to quickly board buses and many routes will run express, resulting in fewer stops. Traffic lights will be programmed to turn green for buses, helping to keep them in motion. Hybrid buses will be used, reducing pollution in these heavily populated areas.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/01/chicago-unvails-plan-to-punish-driving-while-encourage-riding/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/26/co2-capture-and-technology-of-the-future/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/26/co2-capture-and-technology-of-the-future/#comments Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:27:50 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/26/co2-capture-and-technology-of-the-future/
Today’s topic is inspired by Solar Today magazine. “Scrubbing Carbon from the Breeze” was written by Rona Fried, Ph.D., president of SustainableBusiness.com in the May/June 2008 issue. Unfortunately this particular article is not available online.

As climate change become a more central issue for people and governments around the globe, a lot of people are looking for solutions - fast solutions. If there were a quick and inexpensive way to dramatically reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, we should go for it right? Well a number of “quick fix” solutions, which have centered around hacking the environment to fight climate change, have been floating around for years. One strategy is to capture the CO2 with plankton and bury it in the ocean (which is much easier and cheaper than pumping it into the ground). Another is to change the composition of our atmosphere to reflect sunlight. Others tend to be more sci-fi and outlandish - but all of them might just turn out to be disastrous.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/26/co2-capture-and-technology-of-the-future/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/23/wall-street-cools-on-coal-along-with-the-american-public/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/23/wall-street-cools-on-coal-along-with-the-american-public/#comments Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:33:58 +0000 Carol Gulyas http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/23/wall-street-cools-on-coal-along-with-the-american-public/ I had read in Grist on April 15 that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway had cancelled six proposed coal plants, but now it seems that opposition to building new coal plants is spreading, among Wall Street investors and the American public. Back in August 2007, 1600 Utahans signed a petition asking Buffett to cut Rocky Mountain Power’s dependence on coal, with the added message that Utahans want their utilities to investigate cleaner energy sources.

The most recent issue of Solar Today includes an article by Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute about the public outcry all across American which, in addition to the cost of the plants, has led to the cancellation of hundreds of coal plant construction projects. And a survey conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation, published yesterday, shows that “79% of respondents would prefer to try and meet demand through greater energy-efficiency and conservation before building more coal-fired plants. Only 19% say they disagree.” With that kind of public opposition, it’s not surprising that Wall Street is cooling on coal plants, too.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/23/wall-street-cools-on-coal-along-with-the-american-public/feed/ http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/04/18/lettuce-eat-green/ http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/04/18/lettuce-eat-green/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:57:16 +0000 Keith Rockmael http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/04/18/lettuce-eat-green/ Restaurants here in San Francisco open, and close, almost as often as the fog rolls in so we don’t usually pay an extreme amount of our precious attention to another restaurant du jour. Mixt Greens recently opened but they don’t qualify for new kid on the block status nonetheless they do deserve green props. Thus I direct my attention to their third installment of the Mixt Greens empire.

This third location, located in SoMa, just opened and used zero-VOC paints to improve the air quality, and I could definitely smell the food and not the fumes. They even used recycled paint to cover their ceiling. I didn’t find any bamboo or cork for the flooring but something better as they used an unfinished concrete floor with 50% flyash content. That high flyash content along with the fact that the floor will last a long time (plus it’s easy to clean) makes that choice a no-brainer.

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]]> http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/04/18/lettuce-eat-green/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/04/4-factors-slowing-solar-energy-growth-in-us/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/04/4-factors-slowing-solar-energy-growth-in-us/#comments Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:19:38 +0000 Sarah Lozanova http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/04/4-factors-slowing-solar-energy-growth-in-us/

Despite all the talk about solar energy, it only generates a measly .1% of electricity in the US. Meanwhile, national demand for electricity is growing by 2% annually. Considering that solar technology has been in use for decades, why is it not more widespread?

Cheap Fossil Fuels

Even though sunlight is free, fossil fuels in the US have been widely available at a very low cost. There are extensive coal fields all across the country. Nationally, coal produces about 50% of our electricity, with a majority of it being used for base load. That means that coal plants produce a steady stream of electricity a majority of the time.

Natural gas however has skyrocketed in price over the last 6 years. It is widely used to generate electricity during peak times, typically on warmer days when we are cranking up the air conditioning. Natural gas plants can start up quickly and come to the rescue when needed, but the cost of fuel has gotten quite high recently.

Solar energy is very capable of producing peak electricity and is ideally suited for for it. Solar radiation is what causes us to need air conditioning in the first place. The utility companies have started taking notice of solar energy’s potential to generate electricity during peak demand.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/04/4-factors-slowing-solar-energy-growth-in-us/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/03/dry-cleaning-how-safe-is-that-suit/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/03/dry-cleaning-how-safe-is-that-suit/#comments Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:52:35 +0000 Sarah Lozanova http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/03/dry-cleaning-how-safe-is-that-suit/

The chemical perchloroethylene (or “perc”) might not ring a bell, but it is likely be found in your home. Considered by the EPA to be both a health and environmental hazard, it is a solvent used by most dry cleaners across the country for more than 70 years. It is shown to cause liver cancer and can even harm the central nervous system in lab animals.

When clothes are cleaned with perc, they will actually off-gas this substance into the air. It most commonly enters the body through the air, but can also be absorbed through the skin or found in drinking water.

“When you go and pick up that bag and bring it home, you still have perchloroethylene off-gassing or coming off the clothes,” said Melanie Marty of the California EPA. “You don’t want something in widespread use that’s been shown to be a carcinogen.”

Is it necessary to use toxic chemicals to get our clothes “clean”? Before you get too depressed, let’s examine some solutions.

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