May 5, 2008

Americans Grow Up, Reject Gas Tax Holiday (Gristmill)

A new poll reveals that 49% percent of Americans think lifting the gas tax is a bad idea, while 45% approve of it. It may be a tiny margin, but it's the first time the public has expressed a willingness to be taxed more for energy, rather than less, in at least a generation.

Editorial: Big Oil's Friends in the Senate (New York Times)

Congress is on the verge of allowing vital tax credits to expire that are crucial to the future of renewable energy sources. And the Senate Republicans bear the heaviest burden.

Wisconsin Squabbles over Wind Power (WaPo in Houston Chronicle)

New proposals to construct wind farms in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior off Wisconsin's shores face an uphill battle as NIMBY opponents gear up for a big fight.

McCain Calls for 700+ New Nuclear Plants Costing $4 Trillion (Climate Progress)

McCain has called on America to follow in France's footsteps and generate 80% of US electricity from nuclear. That would require 700 new nuclear plants by 2050 -- about one a month.

Northern California Surging Ahead on Solar Power (The Union Tribune)

A new progress report reveals that fogbound homeowners in San Francisco and N. California are rushing to go solar at a much higher rate than residents in sunny San Diego and the rest of Southern California.

Greenpeace Report Labels Carbon Capture 'False Hope' (The Charleston Gazette)

Carbon capture and sequestration, or so-called "clean coal," is expensive and risky, wastes energy and cannot deliver greenhouse pollution reductions in time, according to a new report being issued today by Greenpeace.

Asia Fears Lost Decade, Unrest from Food Price Shock (Reuters)

Soaring food prices may throw millions of Asians back into poverty, undo a decade of gains and stoke civil unrest, regional leaders warned on Sunday during the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank.