Most Read Blog Entries This Week

It was a bad year for US carmakers, corn ethanol and EPA rollbacks. But not for wind.

For the nation's most promising clean energy source, it was another record-breaking 12 months, says the American Wind Energy Association, in its take on the industry's 2008 accomplishments.

America surged past the 20,000-megawatt installed capacity milestone in the summer months. It struck the 21,000 megawatt-mark by September's end. And it closed the year with a sprint to the finish, beating out Germany to become the largest generator of wind energy in the world.

What did the boom bring?

This mighty nation is enslaved by the collective imperative to shop or perish and as a result is dragging the whole globe to perdition. That's why the news this past week about the economic troubles of the nation's retailers has been, well, sorry to say so, good news overall.

Story after story about how retailers are slashing prices and taking losses to move inventory after a dismal holiday shopping season. I couldn't help but be glad when I heard a report on National Public Radio on how empty the stores are now. I didn't imagine that everyone was home sulking, but suddenly free to do something more fulfilling.

The NY Times summed it up this way:

Retailers have no choice but to find creative ways to clear their store shelves, because they have to make room for spring merchandise.

After 9/11, President Bush famously told America: go shopping! In anticipation of a coming snowstorm the week before Christmas, Mayor Bloomberg promised efficient snow removal and told New Yorkers: go shopping! Soon after his inauguration, President Obama will likely sign an economic stimulus bill into law that will authorize the government to print close to $1 trillion of new currency. Why? So that America can once again go shopping! as before.

Good grief.

Our $13 trillion economy is based essentially on shopping -- for cars and houses, clothes and televisions, gadgets and gifts -- a treadmill of consumption with no "off" switch. The Chinese economy, a juggernaut of production, and the American economy, its all-consuming counterpart, together account for half the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the global financial crisis and the global climate crisis, they are working in lock step to bring spring merchandise to a store near you. The retailers are making room on their shelves for it, the marketers are preparing the enticing come-ons, and we are all expected to show up and buy things we really don't need so that the economy can recover and grow without limit.

It’s official: New coal lost its luster in 2008.

According to the Sierra Club, two dozen proposed new coal-fired power plants were defeated or abandoned this past year, "laying the groundwork to fundamentally change the way the U.S. rebuilds and repowers itself."

Global warming was a significant factor.

Investors yanked money out of the sector amid concerns that coming carbon regulation would add to already soaring costs of new coal facilities. States refused permits for failing to address CO2 pollution concerns.

The full highlights of the "year in coal" are here (pdf). They include:

Tests Show High Levels of Arsenic from Coal Ash Spill (Knoxville News Sentinel)

A coalition of environmental groups said yesterday that water quality tests near the spot where 1.1 billion gallons of coal fly ash spilled into Tennessee's Emory River have turned up levels of heavy metals up to 300 times higher than regulatory limits.

NASA Climate Expert Makes Personal Appeal to Obama (Guardian)

NASA climate scientist James Hansen has written a new year appeal to Barack and Michelle Obama, warning of the "profound disconnect" between public policy on climate change and the magnitude of the problem.

Czechs Take Presidency of Europe (Reuters)

The Czech Republic has assumed the rotating presidency of the EU. Member nations have expressed concerns over how well its president, Vaclav Klaus, could follow France’s tenure, in which Pres. Sarkozy tackled a wide array of issues, including climate change.

Coral Growth in Decline at Great Barrier Reef (MSNBC)

The rate at which corals absorb calcium from seawater to calcify their hard skeletons -- and thus grow -- has declined dramatically in the last 20 years. Signs point to climate change as the culprit, according to a study of samples from Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Maryland Utilities to Add Conservation Fees (Baltimore Sun)

Maryland consumers will begin paying small monthly fees on electric bills this year to subsidize an ambitious energy-efficiency initiative, under plans approved by regulators this week.

Bush May Be Giving Obama Breathing Room to Fight Global Warming (Los Angeles Times)

Recent moves by lame-duck officials, though frustrating to environmentalists, offer Obama time and political cover to deliberately craft rules on CO2 emissions, some energy lobbyists have said.

Tenn. Gov. Promises More Oversight of Ash Ponds (AP)

Tennessee's governor has promised greater oversight of coal ash retention ponds after viewing damage from a spill that released more than a billion gallons of ashy sludge.

Duke Energy's Solar Panel Plan Approved (Charlotte Observer)

The North Carolina State Utilities Commission has approved Duke Energy's $30 million plan to place solar panels at up to 425 sites to generate some 8 megawatts of electricity -- or enough to power 1,300 homes.

Environmentalists Challenge SC Coal Plant Permit (AP)

A coalition of green groups is challenging a state-issued air pollution permit for a coal-fired power plant in Florence County, South Carolina, lawyers for the Southern Environmental Law Center have said.

Electricity Study Embraces Energy Efficiency for Texas (Houston Chronicle)

Texas could reduce its peak electric usage by more than 23% in the next 7 years if utilities would invest more in efficiency programs, according to a study released by the Public Utility Commission.

Calif. Sues Federal Government over Changes in Endangered Species Act (Los Angeles Times)

California has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, charging that a recent rule change by the Bush administration illegally gutted provisions of the Endangered Species Act, essentially quashing the role of science in decisions made by federal agencies.

Developer Sues TVA for $165 Million in Tennessee Sludge Spill (CNN)

A real estate developer has filed a $165 million lawsuit against TVA, the nation's largest public utility, claiming damages from a massive coal sludge spill that dumped more than a billion gallons of waste into central Tennessee.

2009 To Be One of Warmest Years on Record (Reuters)

The average global temperature for 2009 is expected to be more than 0.4 degrees celsius above the long-term average. This would make it one of the top-five warmest years on record, British climate scientists have said.

In San Francisco, 'Congestion Pricing' is Something They're Sneezing At (Los Angeles Times)

San Francisco is considering a congestion pricing scheme that would charge motorists $3 to drive into downtown during peak commute hours and another $3 to leave. The reaction has ranged from lukewarm to downright hostile.

Feds Approve Gas Drilling Plan for Montana (AP)

The Bush administration has approved a plan that could allow more than 18,000 natural gas wells to be drilled on 1.5 million acres of federal land in Montana's remote Powder River Basin over the next two decades.

High Level of Arsenic Found at TVA Spill Site (The Tennessean)

A high level of arsenic has been found in a waterway next to TVA's Kingston coal plant where a dike break last week released a billion gallons of polluting coal ash sludge.

Insurers' Natural Disaster Losses Rise in 2008 (AP)

Insurers' losses from natural disasters rose by about 50% in 2008, with Caribbean hurricanes Ike and Gustav powering the increase and climate change increasingly a factor, a leading reinsurer has said.

Kirk Kerkorian Sells Remaining Ford Shares (Los Angeles Times)

A spokeswoman for Tracinda Corp., Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian's investment company, has confirmed that it has dumped its remaining stock holdings in struggling Ford Motor Co.

Record Number of Californians Installing Solar Panels in December (Environmental Leader)

The number of Californians installing solar panels hit their highest level ever in December, thanks to state subsidies and rebates.

BLM Increases Acreage for Geothermal Development (Sustainable Business)

The US Bureau of Land Management has leased another 146,339 acres of land for geothermal power development, adding to the 244,000 acres already leased for this purpose in the past 18 months. The most recent tracts are in Utah, Oregon and Idaho.

Obama Sketches Out Recovery Plan (CNNMoney)

President-elect Obama on Saturday offered the most detailed statement yet of his economic recovery package. It includes plans to double renewable energy production and make public buildings more energy efficient.

U.S. Forest Policy Is Set to Change, Aiding Developer (Washington Post)

The Bush administration appears poised to push through a change in US Forest Service agreements that would make it easier for mountain forests to be converted to housing subdivisions.

Big Solar Power Plant Planned for Northwest China (Reuters)

Two Chinese companies have announced plans to build a solar power plant in northwestern China that could one day be the largest photovoltaic solar project in the world.

Mass. Launches Effort to Protect Coast Residents (The Boston Globe)

Massachusetts has kicked off an innovative pilot program to defend the state's 78 coastal communities against rising sea levels and fiercer storms brought on by global warming.

Minn. Lawmakers Going to the Source of Dirty Car Emissions: Fuel (Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Minnesota State Legislature will consider a bill to implement a low carbon fuel standard that would force the petroleum industry to cut the carbon content of its fuels by 10% over 10 years.