With the historic passage of climate legislation through the House of Representatives, many concerns have trickled forth. Does the climate legislation do enough? Will it even work? Does it have the right aim? With the issuance of similar concerns have come proposed solutions and substitutions. The republicans have proposed that 100 nuclear power plants be built by 2030 in place of the proposed cap-and-trade climate bill. I’ve recently written two articles on the Republican “solution” to both the climate and economic crises. And today I’m writing more.

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced his own personal blueprint for the nation’s recovery. He began by re-stating the Senate Republicans’ plan that would replace the cap-and-trade legislation passed by the House, which includes building 100 nuclear power plants within 20 years, the encouragement of electric cars for conservation, offshore exploration for natural gas and oil and doubling energy research and development to make renewable energy cost-competitive.

Read more of this story »

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved by a vote of 15 to 8 a piece of legislation that would open up huge areas of the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere for drilling of oil and natural gas. It also contains requirements for increases in renewable energy generation, and a number of other energy-related measures, but it seems a sad and regressive alternative to Waxman-Markey, which may reach a floor vote in the House by next week.

Read more of this story »

Late in the Bush administration, the president lifted an executive order banning offshore drilling. A few months later, facing skyrocketing gas prices, Congress allowed a congressional moratorium, dating back to 1982, to lapse. Offshore drilling has been blatantly polarizing national politics ever since.

Read more of this story »

Submitted on January 16, their last day of official business, the Bush plan called for a 60-day public comment period of its 5-year offshore drilling plan. Salazar will add another 180 days to the review process.

Read more of this story »

State regulators rejected a compromise that would have closed four offshore oil platforms and allowed new drilling for the first time in forty years.

Last summer, when a compromise deal to shutter some platforms in exchange for opening new ones was first approved by Santa Barbara County, it was hailed by some as ‘win-win’ because it put an end-date on offshore oil and gas development in the area. But over the last few months, public opposition galvanized against the proposed new wells.

The 2-1 vote on Thursday by the State Lands Commission to reject the Tranquillon Ridge lease was the culmination of that public opposition, opposition that began nearly forty years to the day earlier, when the Santa Barbara coast suffered from a major oil spill.

Lt. Governor John Garamendi, one of three members of the lands panel, said allowing any drilling in state waters would send the wrong message to oil companies, giving them the impression that California was opening up for business.

>>See also: Bush Lifts Ban on Offshore Drilling - Why It Matters and Why It Doesn’t

Read more of this story »

Cleanup crews are working to mop up an oil spill off of the Santa Barbara coastline of over 1,100 gallons. The 27 barrel spill occurred at Platform A, the site of a disastrous 1969 spill which killed thousands of sea birds and covered hundreds of miles. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is still doing checks and flyovers to look for injured wildlife, especially sea birds.

Read more of this story »

This discovery, coupled with initiatives to develop alternative energy projects, such a brand new biogas factory, will put Cuba on the fast track to achieving energy independence.

Read more of this story »

1) Renewables and Alternative Fuels–It is a distraction from the dire need to promote renewables and move to a clean, energy independent future.
2) Short Term Solution–We live in a country that has 4.5% of the world’s population and uses 25% of the world’s oil. Any oil found would simply be a short term solution. The time and money spent searching and drilling would be better spent promoting renewable energy and alternative fuels.
3) Price at the Pump–We wouldn’t save at the pump for about a decade, and even then the savings would be only a few cents.
4) Marine Life–Drilling offshore would negatively impact delicate marine ecosystems. Plus, the US government recently calculated there was a 33-51% chance of a major spill in the lifetime of an offshore oil and gas lease in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska. Thems not good odds!
5) Climate Change–As Jerry James Stone said in a comment in his recent Red Green and Blue article “the offshore solution does not address our climate crisis. We would still be burning the same amount of fossil fuel, and that is BAD!”

Read more of this story »

“The energy bill puts us onto that path of independence by having a comprehensive legislation which is the result of a bipartisan compromise in favor of sweeping innovation solutions for America’s energy future,” said Pelosi in a press conference today. “It is imperative that we are energy independent, so we can enhance the prospect for a great future of renewables and creating good paying jobs.”

The bill passed in the House by a vote of 236-189, with ten Republican’s supporting the bill and thirteen Democrats opposing it. It includes measures to “extend the tax credits for renewables, curb energy speculation, establish a national renewable electricity standard, release 10 percent of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, repeal subsidies to oil companies, and force oil companies to explore on the land already under lease (”use it or lose it”).” It also comes with provisions on efficiency and public transit. And there are even incentives for “clean coal.”

The act allows drilling 100 miles off the Atlantic coast and Florida’s Gulf coast, but that buffer zone could be reduced if a state’s government allows. It will also let state’s decide on whether or not to permit oil-shale development on federal lands within their borders. Here are some videos from the floor debate:

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

Read more of this story »

The Gang-of-20 bill severely limits offshore drilling to a handful of Southeastern states that must opt in to allow increased drilling, and moves the drilling boundary to 100 miles offshore (from its current 200 miles) “with states given the option to set it at 50 miles.”

Some oil industry representatives question the effect of the proposals, citing federal studies that show that more than 80% of known oil reserves are inside the 50-mile limit and therefore unavailable. Very little is known about oil reserves beyond 100 miles. Waters off almost the entire Pacific coast — where all three governors oppose drilling at the 50-mile barrier — is considered too deep for drilling 100 miles offshore.

Read more of this story »

Read more of this story »

The proposal is expected to come up for a vote next week. Along with allowing offshore drilling, it is also expected to roll back tax breaks on the largest of oil companies, where those royalties will be used to spur renewable energy programs and conservation. But the proposal, announced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, would essentially end the long-standing federal ban on oil and gas drilling that has barred oil companies from more than 80 percent of Outer Continental Shelf waters from New England to Washington state.

Read more of this story »

First let me say that I know gas prices are high. I know that not everyone can easily absorb the high prices. But, I thought that we were adjusting…weren’t we adjusting? People are actually driving less, and are turning in their SUVs for more fuel-efficient cars. These were positive steps.

And then, someone (he whose name we do not speak aloud) suggested opening up our coastal waters to drilling and all heck has broken loose. Never mind that the amount of oil available offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a drop in the bucket  compared to demand. Never mind that at best, drilling there will lower gas prices by a few cents, many years from now. Never mind that protections for our unspoiled spaces are always so hard fought for, but so easily given away.

Read more of this story »

Image and Via: Sierra Club

And now the blueprint:

“Nuclear power is the obvious first step to a policy of clean and low-cost energy. One hundred new plants in 20 years would double U.S. nuclear production, making it about forty percent of all electricity production. Add 10% for sun and wind and other renewables, another 10% for hydroelectric, maybe 5% for natural gas—and we begin to have a cheap as well as clean energy policy.”

The second step is to transition into an electric vehicle nation, where half of the cars are electric. According to Brookings Institution scholars, this could be done without building more power plants because of the vast amounts of energy that goes unused at nights. That power, which is already produced, would be used as vehicles charged overnight.

The third step? “Explore offshore for natural gas (it’s low carbon) and oil (using less, but using our own).”

And finally, put more money toward research - doubling funding. We need to work to create answers to meet energy challenges, which include: improving batteries for plug-in vehicles, making solar power cost competitive with fossil fuels, making carbon capture a reality for coal-burning plants, safely recycling used nuclear fuel, making advanced biofuels (crops we don’t eat) cost-competitive with gasoline, making more buildings green buildings and providing energy from fusion.

Here lies his blueprint. He exposed it to proponents and opponents alike. And he closed by stating that “our policy of cheap and clean energy based upon nuclear power, electric cars, off-shore exploration and doubling energy R&D will help family budgets and create jobs. It will also prove to be the fastest way to increase American energy independence, clean the air and reduce global warming.”

He welcomes comments at www.alexander.senate.gov.

For a full text of his speech, click here.

Photo Credit: www.alexander.senate.gov

>>More coverage of the Republican National Convention at RG&B

“So, do you want to put your country first?,” asked former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. “Then let’s reduce our dependency on foreign sources of oil and promote oil and gas production at home. In other words: Drill, baby, drill! And drill now!,” he said. Steele is one of the Republican Party’s few prominent African-American politicians in a year where a very low 1.5% of Republican Party delegates are African American.

Read more of this story »

>>More convention coverage at RG&B>>

Read more of this story »

Udall, in his nine years in the House of Representatives, has cast just a single vote contrary to the League of Conservation Voters established position on any number of environmental issues (Udall’s only strike was his 2007 Farm Bill vote). He has consistently promoted the development of wind and solar energy to counteract the environmental damage of fossil fuels. More recently, however, Udall has waffled on his longstanding commitment to the environment, throwing in his lot with the “Gang of 10″. This is an important development because Udall has, until now, been known as part of the staunch opposition to offshore drilling. The “Gang of 10″, of course, are promoting increased domestic oil, gas and nuclear energy production as the solution to America’s energy crisis

Read more of this story »

Both Katrina and Rita were category 5 hurricanes and each one caused damage to an estimated 3,000 oil platforms and 22,000 miles of pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico. The following damage is recorded:

52 platforms with major damage

19 of the floating drill units exposed to hurricane force winds went adrift or were damaged

115 platforms destroyed

Eight rigs destroyed

535 pipeline segments damaged

Dr. Nagarajaiah explains that the rigs and platforms may have ongoing damage due to past storms, making them more susceptible to current and future storm surge and wind damage. If and when damage occurs to these platforms, equipment and pipelines the potential for more increases at the pump becomes greater and greater. This Science Daily article states:

When Katrina and Rita struck, gas prices soared as a result of damage to oil facilities. With oil prices at all-time highs this year, U.S. oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has a direct impact on gasoline prices.

Read more of this story »

Billions and billions of dollars in potential storm-related losses.

A civil and mechanical engineering professor at Rice University, Nagarajaiah recently analyzed the impacts on offshore drilling of the powerful 2005 hurricanes, Katrina (which made landfall three years ago today) and Rita. The storms, both of which reached maximum Category 5 strength (winds of up to 175 mph) though weakened before landfall, made their presence felt to some 3,000 offshore platforms and 22,000 miles of pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico.

Read more of this story »

The debate on whether to lift the Congressional moratorium on offshore drilling and open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska rages on in its acrimonious glory, yet one point has been mostly drowned out in all the posturing - if we need more domestic sources of oil, then why are we exporting 1.8 million barrels of it every day?

There is at least one voice in government asking this question. Representative Edward J. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence, sent a public letter to George Bush on Tuesday, saying, in a nutshell,

“Mr. President, keep our oil at home”

Oil exports increased to 1.806 million barrels per day in May, the last month for which data is available, an increase from 1.433 million barrels a year prior. In February of this year, oil exports reached their highest level ever, according to Markey. Almost 10% of U.S. daily consumption of oil.

Well, there you go. An instant source of domestic oil! No need to wait 10 or 12 years for oil from offshore or ANWR.

Read more of this story »