The panel, bookended by the bolo-tied U.S. Senator from Colorado Ken Salazar and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, along with Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano represent the new-look Democratic Party in the West.

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Obama’s Emergency Economic Plan

Unlike McCain, who can’t remember the price of gas or how many houses he owns, Obama recognizes working Americans are struggling.  In response to the current economic crisis, Obama’s Emergency Economic Plan offers both long and short term solutions.  In a move reminiscent of Robin Hood, Obama would take from rich oil companies and give to the American people. The emergency plan also includes a $50 billion stimulus package designed to save 1 million jobs. 

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This marks the first endorsement by a major biofuels trade association in the 2008 US presidential campaign, and only the second time in the ACGA’s twenty-one year history that they have ever endorsed any presidential candidate.

The American Corn Growers Association represents 14,000 members in 35 states. Keith Bolin ACGA president and a corn and hog farmer in Obama’s home state of Illinois issued a simultaneously glowing endorsement of Obama and blistering critique of McCain.

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My first piece of political craftiness will show your above-average grasp of U.S. politics (by knowing at least one of the candidates for president). You’ll certainly be fashionable if you sport these beautiful earrings blessed with the face of a possible U.S. president-to-be!

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Besides helping sell products of questionable societal value (and with plenty of negative social and ecological impacts), we kissed off corporate America after just a few years on the treadmill to nowhere. Now we operate a diversified family-scaled, small business based on an organic farm powered by the wind and sun. We use our profits to make the world a better place and have built our business around our passions.

The main requirement of a for-profit business is to make profits, at least once every three years says the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). No requirement specifies how much profit must be made, just some. That’s the big difference between a hobby, where generating revenue is not the primary goal of the activity, and a business. There is no such thing as a “hobby business.” The non-profit business, formed as a special type of corporation depending on its purpose, uses revenues collected to fund its mission, whether it’s saving open space or planting trees around the world to help mitigate the effects of global warming, provide nature-enhancing livelihoods and prevent soil erosion like Trees for the Future does.

As my wife and I explore at length in ECOpreneuring and in my blogs, we approach our passions — writing, photography, hosting people at Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast and desiring to restore the planet — not as hobbies, but as business enterprises. You can blog on the Internet about growing in your garden, or you can write articles about growing food organically in your garden for Hobby Farm Home magazine and blog for GreenOptions.com. One’s a hobby; one’s a business and provides income from writing about something you love.

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McCain told The Pueblo Chieftan last week that he wants to renegotiate the 1922 Colorado River compact to re-appropriate water from the upper basin states, like Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming, where the river originates and give it to lower basin states like California, and his home state of Arizona. McCain said:

“I don’t think there’s any doubt the major, major issue is water and can be as important as oil. So the compact that is in effect, obviously, needs to be renegotiated over time amongst the interested parties. I think that there’s a movement amongst the governors to try, if not, quote, renegotiate, certainly adjust to the new realities of high growth, of greater demands on a scarcer resource.”

“Over my cold, dead, political carcass,” said Bob Schaffer, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. “The compact is the only protection Colorado has from several more politically powerful downstream states. Opening it for renegotiation would be the equivalent of a lamb discussing with a pack of wolves what should be on the dinner menu.”

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Thus far in 2008, oil and gas companies have spent $55,339,015 million on lobbying in an effort to convince lawmakers to vote in the industry’s favor and against renewables.  Not surprisingly, the top spender is Exxon-Mobil.  At the current rate of spending, the industry is set to break last year’s record of $83 million. Big Oil defends this increased spending in response to more energy bills being on the “menu” and denies it is responsible for the failure of these bills; however, lobbying dollars speak for themselves. According to CNN:

The oil industry may have not gotten its drilling wish list just yet, but so far they have been able to avoid higher taxes.

Meanwhile, the renewable energy folks haven’t seen a big increase in funding.

Looking at the dollars spent lobbying Congress, that may not be surprising. The renewable industry and their allies in the environmental movement have spent a combined $19 million lobbying Congress this year - half what the oil industry has spent.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/20/campaign-contributions-versus-lobbying-big-oil-spends-big-money-in-washington/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/19/drilling-in-the-amazon/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/19/drilling-in-the-amazon/#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:34:57 +0000 Amiel Blajchman http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/19/drilling-in-the-amazon/ According to a recent report from Save America’s Forests, some of the most ecologically sensitive parts of the Amazon are also home to large blocks of oil and gas reserves. Similar to the situation in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR), global (and American) demand for oil and gas is resulting in natural resource exploration in areas that until recently, have been untouched. And, while the debate over offshore drilling and oil extraction in the ANWR seems to dominate the headlines and the political sphere, a similar discussion is not happening in this case.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/19/drilling-in-the-amazon/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/13/poll-americans-more-likely-to-vote-for-a-candidate-who-supports-conservation-and-efficiency/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/13/poll-americans-more-likely-to-vote-for-a-candidate-who-supports-conservation-and-efficiency/#comments Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:34:34 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/13/poll-americans-more-likely-to-vote-for-a-candidate-who-supports-conservation-and-efficiency/ Despite the fact that a plurality (less than half) of Americans favor a pro-nuclear-energy candidate, more say they would rebuff a candidate who wants to build nuclear power plants than say this about any of nine other possible energy reforms, according to a new Gallup Poll.

The poll, conducted over July 25-27 found that Americans seem more prepared to support candidates who focus on demand-side management (consumer conservation of energy), raising fuel efficiency standards, increasing government spending on alternative fuels, establishing price controls on gasoline, imposing a windfall profits tax on oil companies, and easing restrictions on offshore drilling.

The two positions receiving the strongest “Less Likely to Vote For” percentages - “Building more nuclear power plants” and “Suspending the federal gas tax for several months” - are both positions Senator McCain has strongly endorsed throughout the summer.

Related Posts:

• Poll: Americans Don’t Think More Drilling Will Lower Gas Prices
• Bush Lifts Executive Ban on Offshore Drilling - Why it Matters and Why it Doesn’t
• McCain Calls for More Offshore Drilling - What Else Would he Say in Houston?

]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/13/poll-americans-more-likely-to-vote-for-a-candidate-who-supports-conservation-and-efficiency/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/06/paris-hilton-responds-to-john-mccain-ad-its-hot/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/06/paris-hilton-responds-to-john-mccain-ad-its-hot/#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:16:28 +0000 Clayton B. Cornell http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/06/paris-hilton-responds-to-john-mccain-ad-its-hot/ This story contains additional media. Click here to view the media.

Last week, Paris Hilton responded to John McCain’s “celebrity” ad with a surprisingly well-done response, discussed above in CBS News coverage (once you get past the ad. Available in its original form at funnyordie.com).

While hilarious—and rest assured that numerous internet commenters have already given Paris props for the rebuttal—viewers may be giving to much credit to the “Paris Hilton Energy Plan,” which is really just a succinct outline of McCain’s policy proposals: offshore-drilling + tax credits for hybrid/electric vehicles.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/06/paris-hilton-responds-to-john-mccain-ad-its-hot/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/04/obama-pushes-back-with-renewed-focus-on-energy/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/04/obama-pushes-back-with-renewed-focus-on-energy/#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:18:36 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/04/obama-pushes-back-with-renewed-focus-on-energy/ Reveals “New Energy Plan For America” in Michigan

From Senator McCain blaming Barack Obama for high gas prices, to the House GOP’s recent (and ongoing) faux-libuster demanding an up-or-down vote on increasing domestic oil drilling, there’s no doubt that the Republican Party is pulling out all the stops to make oil the wedge issue in the upcoming election.

But speaking today at Michigan State University, Barack Obama revealed his “New Energy Plan For America,” which he said would create 5 million new jobs and eliminate our need for Middle Eastern oil in 10 years.

Obama’s plan would release light oil from the emergency oil stockpile and replace it later with heavier crude. Light crude oil is easier to refine into gasoline than heavier oil. In 2000, President Clinton used a similar tactic to make oil available at a time of rising oil prices. Obama’s new plan would also create a windfall profits tax on oil companies and a $1,000 energy rebate for families (read it here: Barack Obama’s New Energy Plan For America).

Obama’s remarks today in Michigan are part of a coordinated push-back against his Republican opponent. As part of that push, the Obama camp released a new television commercial linking McCain to Bush, Bush to McCain, and both of them to Big Oil. This story contains additional media. Click here to view the media.

In his Monday remarks, Obama also pointed to some recent incoherencies found in statements made by John McCain. For example, quoting McCain, Obama said:

“Our dangerous dependence on foreign oil has been 30 years in the making and was caused by the failure of politicians in Washington to think long-term about the future of the country.”

And then he added:

“What Senator McCain neglected to mention was that during those 30 years, he was in Washington for 26 of them.”

The quick McCain camp was quick to shoot back, The Los Angeles Times reports. In a statement emailed to reporters, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said:

“Tapping the strategic oil reserve is not a substitute for a real plan to increase supply through additional drilling and nuclear power.”

Am I just being obtuse, or perhaps someone can help me understand exactly how nuclear power will increase oil supply.

Related Posts:

• Why Liberals Should Be Happy Obama Changed His Position On Offshore Drilling
• 5 Reasons Why We Don’t Need a Windfall Profits Tax on Energy Firms
• Poll: Americans Don’t Think More Drilling Will Lower Gas Prices
• Obama Campaign Seeks To Make Oil Prices Irrelevant

Photo: Transplanted Mountaineer via flickr under a Creative Commons License

]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/04/obama-pushes-back-with-renewed-focus-on-energy/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/08/01/50-dont-think-obama-or-mccain-can-lower-gas-prices/ http://gas2.org/2008/08/01/50-dont-think-obama-or-mccain-can-lower-gas-prices/#comments Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:01 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2008/08/01/50-dont-think-obama-or-mccain-can-lower-gas-prices/ According to a survey commissioned by Cars.com during July, about 50% of US consumers don’t believe that Obama or McCain has a magic rabbit up their sleeve that will lower prices at the pump any time soon

Turns out, 50% of people in the US are wiser than I thought: there is no quick fix or simple solution.

Another interesting result from the survey: 48% of consumers don’t see McCain or Obama as having a particular advantage when trying to work with the auto industry to bring more fuel efficient or plug-in vehicles to the market in the future.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/08/01/50-dont-think-obama-or-mccain-can-lower-gas-prices/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/28/obama-campaign-seeks-to-make-oil-prices-irrelevant/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/28/obama-campaign-seeks-to-make-oil-prices-irrelevant/#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:20:56 +0000 Clayton B. Cornell http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/28/obama-campaign-seeks-to-make-oil-prices-irrelevant/

Watching the news is a dangerous enterprise for those of us trying to maintain a clear picture of this election season’s most important issues. Despite all the chatter, it seems relatively obvious that our most fundamental problem is American energy policy, or more specifically: oil prices and our dependence on cheap energy.

If you buy that premise, which I’m prepared to debate elsewhere, then this election should really only be decided by one evaluation criterion: which candidate has a better plan to reduce our oil consumption, replace it with viable alternatives, and spur innovation and commercial development of new technologies (and a new green-collar economy)?

A quick survey of both candidate’s websites makes it fairly obvious (see the official stance of Obama and McCain). I’ll be comparing each candidate’s plan in more detail later on, but for now I’ve republished some of the main points from Obama’s campaign website, in order to highlight how he intends on dealing with oil prices and our dependence on them.

To assist in this evaluation, here are three important criteria. If we’re serious about transitioning away from petroleum as our primary transportation fuel, we’re going to have to hit it from multiple angles. It doesn’t seem totally unreasonable to estimate that each of these could account for 1/3 of our total fuel usage:

• Decrease consumption and improve efficiency (#8 & 9).
• Develop and rapidly commercialize alternative fuels and infrastructure (#1, 4, 5, 6, 7).
• Develop and rapidly implement new technology (#1, 2, 3).

Key elements of Obama’s plan:

1. Invest $150 Billion over 10 Years in Clean Energy with a focus on technology developed in the US:

This includes next generation biofuels and fuel infrastructure, commercialization of plug-in hybrids, development of commercial-scale renewable energy, low-emissions coal plants, and beginning the transition to a new digital electricity grid.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/28/obama-campaign-seeks-to-make-oil-prices-irrelevant/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/23/mccain-credits-bush-for-drop-in-oil-prices-white-house-replies-wasnt-us/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/23/mccain-credits-bush-for-drop-in-oil-prices-white-house-replies-wasnt-us/#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:34:54 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/23/mccain-credits-bush-for-drop-in-oil-prices-white-house-replies-wasnt-us/ The presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain on Wednesday credited the recent drop in the price of oil to President Bush’s lifting of a presidential ban on offshore drilling. “The price of oil dropped $10 a barrel,” said McCain, who argued that the psychology of lifting the ban has affected world markets.  But the White House didn’t go quite that far.

When asked about the McCain statement, presidential spokeswoman Dana Perino said the recent drop in price could also be a product of diminished demand.

“I don’t know if we fully deserve the credit, but I do think that it was important to send a signal to the market that we are serious about moving forward.”

At last check, a barrel of light, sweet crude oil fell to $124.47 on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Wednesday. That’s down from more than $140 a barrel earlier in the summer.

Related Posts:

• “Bush Administration Proposes ‘Fire Sale’ of Rocky Mtns. For Oil Shale Development”
• “Bush Lifts Executive Ban on Offshore Drilling - Why it Matters and Why it Doesn’t”
• “McCain Calls for More Offshore Drilling - What Else Would he Say in Houston?”

Photo Credit: jurvetson via flickr under a Creative Commons License

]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/23/mccain-credits-bush-for-drop-in-oil-prices-white-house-replies-wasnt-us/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/23/is-free-trade-the-solution-to-climate-change/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/23/is-free-trade-the-solution-to-climate-change/#comments Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:01:59 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/23/is-free-trade-the-solution-to-climate-change/ Globalization is a fact of modern times, and supporters of “free trade” tout it is good for the US economy and supports world peace.  Given that it will take a global effort to solve the climate crisis, free trade has a new spin: The solution to global warming.  In fact, Republican presidential candidate John McCain thinks that a free-market provides solutions to climate change, such as capping carbon emissions, which contradicts the very notion of free trade’s elimination of government imposed regulations.  Even Rush Limbaugh’s not buying free trade is the solution (mostly because he doesn’t believe in global warming).

Free trade puts corporations and profits first, ahead of environmental and social concerns.  McCain thinks this is not a problem, “As never before, the market would reward any person or company that seeks to invent, improve, or acquire alternatives to carbon-based energy…”  Will the market reward alternative energy companies with profit?  The US and EU are already calling on the elimination of tariffs for goods and services that protect the environment and fight climate change to help these companies profit.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/07/23/is-free-trade-the-solution-to-climate-change/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/07/01/who-might-win-mccains-battery-competition-part-i-firefly/ http://gas2.org/2008/07/01/who-might-win-mccains-battery-competition-part-i-firefly/#comments Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:28:34 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2008/07/01/who-might-win-mccains-battery-competition-part-i-firefly/

Editor’s note: This post is a lead-in story to the Gas 2.0 interview with Mil Ovan, Senior Vice President and Co-founder of Firefly Energy.

Last week John McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee for the 2008 Republican ticket, suggested that a $300 million government-sponsored competition would be a good way to spur development of next generation battery technologies.

His comments generated debate in the blogosphere and around the United States. Meanwhile, Barack Obama, the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic ticket, called McCain’s proposal a gimmick suggesting that $300 million was not enough.

Regardless of my feelings about the proposed competition or the candidates themselves, it got me thinking about just who might win it if it were to become a reality. All that thinking led to this post, and, hopefully, to several others that will look at the most promising next generation battery technologies on the horizon.

This week I’ll start with Firefly Energy.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/07/01/who-might-win-mccains-battery-competition-part-i-firefly/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/07/01/interview-with-mil-ovan-svp-and-co-founder-of-firefly-energy/ http://gas2.org/2008/07/01/interview-with-mil-ovan-svp-and-co-founder-of-firefly-energy/#comments Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:28:04 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2008/07/01/interview-with-mil-ovan-svp-and-co-founder-of-firefly-energy/ Editor’s note: This interview is a companion piece to Part I of the Gas 2.0 series about who might win John McCain’s proposed $300 million dollar battery competition if it were to become reality.

Last week John McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee for the 2008 Republican ticket, generated debate by suggesting that a $300 million government- sponsored competition would be a good way to spur development of next generation battery technologies.

His comments got me thinking about just who might win such a competition it if it were to become reality.

Firefly Energy is one of the companies that made it to my short list. Founded in 2003, they have been working on reinvigorating old-hat lead-acid battery technology in such a way that it would become brand new and cutting edge once again.

Firefly’s innovation is that they’ve taken the heavy lead plates you’d find in a classic lead-acid battery and replaced them with a light carbon-graphite microcell foam that’s been impregnated with lead.

I recently had a chance chat with Mil Ovan, Senior Vice President and Co-founder of Firefly, about the company, their take on McCain’s competition, Firefly’s battery technology, environmental worries about lead, the Oasis battery, electric vehicles and the company’s plans for the future.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/07/01/interview-with-mil-ovan-svp-and-co-founder-of-firefly-energy/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/06/23/mccain-proposes-300-million-prize-to-developer-of-super-battery/ http://gas2.org/2008/06/23/mccain-proposes-300-million-prize-to-developer-of-super-battery/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:25:58 +0000 Max Lindberg http://gas2.org/2008/06/23/mccain-proposes-300-million-prize-to-developer-of-super-battery/ On his campaign swing through the west, Sen. John McCain proposes awarding $300 million to the first developer of a battery technology that exceeds all known technology today.  The package would have to be superior to any technology known today, to power plug-in hybrids or electric cars.

McCain is also focusing on alternative fuels, suggesting a $5,000 tax credit for every person who buys a zero-emission vehicle.  He says that should level “the playing field for all alcohol fuels that break the monopoly of gasoline”.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/06/23/mccain-proposes-300-million-prize-to-developer-of-super-battery/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/06/20/offshore-drilling-ban-opens-discussion-for-other-domestic-oil-options/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/06/20/offshore-drilling-ban-opens-discussion-for-other-domestic-oil-options/#comments Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:54:51 +0000 Heidi Suydam http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/06/20/offshore-drilling-ban-opens-discussion-for-other-domestic-oil-options/

This was a big week for our Presidential candidates and energy policy, specifically domestic oil drilling. With the recent decision by a House Sub-committee to continue the ban on more offshore drilling, spirited discussion regarding domestic oil has sprung up everywhere. This week John McCain extended his support for offshore drilling, stating that he thinks the ban should be lifted however he also made the statement that he opposes any drilling of ANWR. Barack Obama opposes lifting the ban on offshore drilling and ANWR drilling.

As Americans, we have a lot to think about. The fact is we do have domestic oil that we are not extracting. Geologists report we have billions of barrels in both the Bakkan Shale and ANWR. Why is John McCain in favor of lifting the offshore drilling ban while at the same time opposed to ANWR drilling? Is it politically convenient? Is it a possible attempt to satisfy both sides of a debate? Why is Barack Obama opposed to all new domestic drilling? Despite the fact that offshore drilling is technologically at its best, we have other options in other areas.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/06/20/offshore-drilling-ban-opens-discussion-for-other-domestic-oil-options/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/06/12/mccains-plan-to-combat-climate-change/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/06/12/mccains-plan-to-combat-climate-change/#comments Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:01:41 +0000 Sarah Lozanova http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/06/12/mccains-plan-to-combat-climate-change/ Editor’s Note: This is a follow up post to Obama’s Plan to Reduce Foreign Oil Dependence.

Regardless of who is elected next November, both candidates agree that climate change is a fact and not a theory. “I know that climate change is real,” said John McCain. “We can have a debate about how serious it is, but the debate about climate change is over.”

McCain and Obama however vary widely in their response to this issue, leaving the American people with a choice of approaches when choosing the next president. McCain’s primary weapons in this battle includes implementing a cap and trade system for emissions and utilizing greater amounts of nuclear power.

Cap and Trade

“Cap and trade is being implemented in Europe and they have stumbled and they’ve had problems but it is still the right thing to do,” said John McCain. “It is what we did in relation to acid rain.”

One of the reasons McCain supports this approach is because it encourages the market to respond with the lowest cost approach. He believes the market will correct itself with the use of cleaner technologies without the need for intervention, such as a tax credit or major investment from the government.

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