Our economy is in crisis because of the house of cards we built on cheap energy, cheap oil to be specific. All of the flaws in our economy were revealed when oil prices spiked at just under $100 per barrel and Gasoline prices reached more than $4 per gallon in some parts of the country. Too much of our economy is based on oil.
The effects on the country were not subtle, raising the costs of everything, putting a bigger and bigger squeeze on consumers. Given the choice between paying the rent or mortgage on time or having food and gas, most would chose food and gas. When the situation continued and consumer debt began to rise many people found they could no longer keep up the house payments and then the defaults started.
On another side increased costs of construction made new homes too expensive, which meant less houses sold. Fewer houses sold meant less work for those building these houses. More unemployment meant less goods purchased. Less goods purchased meant lower production, which meant more unemployment. This viscous cycle continued even when gas and oil prices started to come down. In the past one part of a recovery would have been the wonderful production capacity of the USA. But over the last few decades we have slowly shipped our production to other parts of the world. Reducing those jobs in the US and making the situation less stable. Adding to the instability was the ever increasing costs of Health Care. The Job market, our very economy is teetering on the edge.
I try not to dump press releases into posts whole-cloth, nor am I completely innocent of having done so in the past. In any case, this is just too great not to note -- the City of Minneapolis now has a second plug-in hybrid car for official use.
Critics bemoan the fact that these vehicles, which plug into any standard outlet, increase energy consumption in the home or office. That's not necessarily untrue, but the fact remains that the energy they consume when charging their batteries can be produced cleanly through solar, wind, and hydro power a LOT more easily than onboard the vehicle.
Mayor Rybak is also using the right framing here on the economic benefits of having this operation going on right here in Minnesota. Read on.
August 19, 2010 (MINNEAPOLIS) - Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak today picked up the second hybrid vehicle owned by the City of Minneapolis that has been converted to a plug-in. The vehicle, which the mayor will use for his official travel, was converted to a plug-in by a new, Minneapolis-based start-up company, ReGo Electric Conversions.
The vehicle that Mayor Rybak picked up today is the second hybrid that the City has had converted to a plug-in. In 2007, the City converted the first of its hybrid vehicles to a plug-in using a Canadian technology that was not then available in Minnesota . At the time, the cost of the conversion was approximately $11,000. Mayor Rybak used that car as his official vehicle for three years, and has now returned it to the City fleet.
The cost of converting the hybrid that the mayor picked up today, however, was $4,995, or around half of the cost of converting the first hybrid three years ago.
Mayor Rybak said, "ReGo is creating good jobs, adding to the capacity of our region's growing green-manufacturing economy, enhancing our city's overall sustainability and creating good jobs - right here on Nicollet Avenue . I'm very pleased that the City is able to improve our sustainability and support a Minneapolis start-up at the same time."
ReGo's conversion process instantly increases gas mileage up to 85 miles per gallon. It expands the battery pack of existing hybrids while not sacrificing any trunk space, and the new battery pack can be plugged in to any standard outlet. In addition, ReGo conversion kits offer a unique weatherizing package that cuts down on the battery drain traditionally associated with cold Minnesota winters. All packs come with an insulation and battery warming system that helps minimize power loss during the winter.
ReGo's operations are also solar-powered. ReGo is based at Mulroy's Body Shop in south Minneapolis, which recently installed 176 solar panels, making it the largest solar array on a private business in Minnesota . Mulroy's is one of the few green auto-body shops in the United States .
"It's very exciting that this technology is now available right here in Minneapolis ," Mayor Rybak continued. "Taking this step is one simple way that the City - or anyone - can reduce our emissions and help support green jobs, and if we can do it by using a benign power source like solar, so much the better."
As if we needed any more evidence demonstrating that anthropogenic climate change is real, that it is occurring right now, and that it poses a major threat to the planet's environment, we now have it -- in spades. Let's begin with the assessment by a Penn State University investigation, which completely exonerated climate scientist Michael Mann from any wrongdoing in the ridiculous, trumped-up, never-any-truth-to-it, pseudo-"scandal" known as "climate-gate." In reaction to this report, former House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) -- full disclosure, Boehlert's on the NRDC Action Fund board -- issued a statement which read:
This exoneration should close the book on the absurd episode in which climate scientists were unjustly attacked when in fact they have been providing a great public service. The attacks on scientists were a manufactured distraction, and today's report is a welcome return to common sense. While scientists can now focus on their work, policy makers need to address the very real problem of climate change.
Well said, Congressman, and keep up the great work, Professor Mann!
*"no errors that would undermine the main conclusions in the 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on possible future regional impacts of climate change"
*"the summary conclusions are considered well founded, none have been found to contain any significant errors"
*"ample observational evidence of regional climate change impacts, which have been projected to pose substantial risks to most parts of the world, under increasing temperatures"
In fairness, the Dutch report leveled several criticisms of the IPCC report: 1) even the few, minor errors shouldn't have been allowed to slip by; 2) the report's summary statement should have been written to provide a higher amount of transparency regarding its sources and methods; and 3) the report tended to focus solely on the adverse consequences of climate change, not on potentially positive impacts. These are non-trivial issues that need to be addressed. Having said that, as Joe Romm points out, "the overwhelming majority of research since the IPCC has found that the IPCC has consistently underestimated many key current and future impacts, particularly sea level rise (and carbon-cycle feedbacks)."
In the end, the bottom line from these reports is clear: the science behind human-induced climate change has emerged from this entire, ridiculous, episode overwhelmingly intact -- if not strengthened. The only real question now is, what are we going to do about it?
Sure, it's easy now to see the blowout was an accident. Well, at least most of us can see it. There's the aforementioned candidate who I guess can't be called "GOBP", and just last month, when we already knew it was an accident, 10% of Americans still believed it was environmentalist sabotage. However, what I'm looking at is how we could see this nonsense was nonsensical before we had the evidence of an accident.
And yes, I realize the sources for these theories are, well, I'm pretty sure I heard the submarine claim from Michael Savage, and the rest are similarly credible. Suspicion of such sources turned out to be correct, but let's pretend we didn't know if the sources were credible, and we only have the theories themselves. Even though we're looking at debunking conservative paranoid fantasies that seem crazy on their face, we can think through other lies/myths/talking points the same way.
And if you think you're too smart to fall for what the right is dishing out, I have two words for you: ACORN videos.
As if the oil companies from Texas - and their allies in the corridors of power - hadn't done enough harm to our country already (for more, see the late, great Gulf of Mexico), now they are at it once again. This time, it's Valero and Tesoro, pouring money into a campaign this election season to undo California's landmark, clean energy and climate law, AB 32. On Tuesday, the oil companies' proposition was certified for the November ballot. The fight, as they say, is on!
Why should you care? Let us count the ways.
First and foremost, whether you're a Californian or not, this campaign should concern you because if the oil companies succeed here, they will try this everywhere - in other states and at the federal level. Mark our words, that's exactly what they're up to here.
Second, let's be absolutely clear about what this proposition says. As the Stop Dirty Energy website explains, "The Texas oil companies want you to believe it's simply a "temporary" suspension. However, their deceptive proposition would repeal AB 32 until unemployment reached 5.5% for a full year - a market condition that has only occurred three times in the last 30 years." Which means that this proposition is nothing less than "an effective repeal of [California's] clean energy and clean air laws." In sum, they want to kill this landmark law. Period. Don't let their propaganda fool you into believing anything else.
Third, let's also be clear who these people are and how utterly deceptive they're willing to be. According to the Stop Dirty Energy Facebook page, oil companies including Valero and Tesoro recently "released yet another study bought, sold, and paid for by polluters on the impacts of AB 32." The study, for the California Manufacturers and Technology Association (CMTA) by the California Lutheran University's right-wing economics chief," is nothing more than "junk economics paid for by polluters that defies the reality that clean tech is the fastest-growing segment of the California economy." It gets even worse, with the author of a previous, fallacious study by CMTA attacking AB 32 affiliated with the global-warming-denying Heartland Institute, which receives heavy funding from our friends at Exxon Mobil. This institute also enjoys holding conferences to downplay and deny climate science. That's who we're dealing with here. That's who we're fighting.
Fourth, it's important to emphasize what's at stake here. Other than minor matters (ha) like the environment, public health and national security, this is about J-O-B-S. Specifically, the only sector of job growth in California has been in the clean energy technology development sector. For more, watch this video and hear how AB 32=Jobs (and, on the flip side, how killing AB 32 will kill those jobs).
Fifth, this proposition will not just hurt California jobs, it will also hurt Californians' health and ability to breathe clean air. As the Stop Dirty Energy website points out, this proposition "would create more air pollution in California and threaten public health." Currently, "California's air pollution crisis contributes to 19,000 premature deaths, 9,400 hospitalizations, and more than 300,000 respiratory illnesses for California families." Just imagine how much worse it will be if the Texas oil companies get their way and gut California's clean air laws!
Finally, as NRDC wrote in a blog post entitled, "California Crossroads, "The oil companies have chosen California as their battleground to crush the progress the State's made in moving away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy." NRDC reported from a media event (see photo above) at "Pier 7 on the city's embarcadero, overlooking the bay that is the largest and most biologically productive estuary on the West Coast" (and also where "the tanker Cosco Buscan ran aground in 2007, spilling more than 53,000 gallons of heavy bunker oil, killing wildlife and providing a harbinger of the great environmental tragedy now unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico"). As the NRDC blog post puts it, "We can't let Texas oil destroy California's future simply for the purpose of stuffing more cash into their already bulging coffers."
That's why we need everyone - not just Californians, but every American who cares about clean energy and our planet's environment - to join our efforts at stopping this heinous, Texas oil company-funded Dirty Energy Proposition. Please click here for more information and to join the campaign. Sign up for Stop Dirty Energy Twitter feed, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. Also, check out the NRDC Action Fund Facebook page, as we will be heavily involved in this campaign.
Why does a national organization like NRDC care about a "California issue?" Other than the fact that California is an enormous - and enormously important -state, we care because, clearly, the Texas oil companies are attempting to set a national precedent in California against clean energy and climate action, and we can't let them do that.
We are convinced that stopping them here, exposing their lies, and deterring others from trying this in the future, is crucial to tackling our largest environmental challenges moving forward. It's also crucial, we might add, to fight against these well-funded, powerful, corporate polluters attempting to buy our politicians and our Democracy.
In the first two installments I examined Republican MN-GOV candidate Tom Emmer's positions on jobs and the economy and immigration. This time I will look into his statements and positions on environmental issues.
First and foremost, Emmer's campaign website has zilch and nada on it's issue page about environmental issues. Yes, that's right. One of the most important issues facing humanity and he doesn't consider it important enough to mention on his website.
That's because Tom Emmer is a global climate change denier -- it simply isn't an issue, he falls in with the crowd who believe it's a hoax. He characterized Al Gore's efforts to educate the world about the dangers of global climate change as "climate porn":
Sometimes it's good to be cautious--and other times it's better to go with your gut.
People told us not to visit Madagascar, that political conflict made the country unsafe for tourists.
But we decided to go anyway because if we had listened to those voices, we'd never have gone to Nairobi, Kampala, or Kigali.
We are cautious when we travel, but aware that our best and most eye-opening experiences are places well off the beaten path.
And, Anantanrivo, Madagascar's capital city, is a place we fell in love with.
The narrow streets, alleyways, cobblestone roads, and historic buildings remind you, at times, of parts of Western Europe. At the same time the markets, the noise, the traffic, the energy, the goats and livestock walking along the highways, were all quintessentially African.
Our journey started as we did a field visit to RTM. RTM is an Italian NGO, working with farmers to provide alternatives to slash and burn agriculture--which is practiced in many rural areas as a way to provide nutrients to the soil. Unfortunately, the nutrients don't last more than a season or two, forcing farmers to burn more forest.
Afterwards we met with Xavier Rakotonjanahary, Rice Breeding Coordinator, National Center of Applied Research for Rural Development. Xavier works with rural rice farmers, helping develop different breeds of rice that will help reduce labor, fertilizer, and other inputs.
We spent Danielle's birthday trekking in the rainforest in search of lemurs in the national rainforest of Antanarivo. Lemurs are only found in Madagascar (with the exception of the island of Comoros) largely because their ancestors were displaced everywhere else due to monkeys and apes.
In Madagascar, 90 percent of the country's original forest has been destroyed and lemurs are presently endangered due to deforestation and hunting. Additionally several species of lemurs are extinct, especially the larger species. The smaller lemurs are nocturnal and all we could see was their amazing red eyes on a night trek. We also saw large chameleons, turtles and giant snails.
During the day we saw lemurs playing (they travel as families) and eating flowers, leaves and fruits. In our video below you will see them playing, and can listen to a brief explanation about lemurs from our tour guide. They are pretty incredible animals with deposable thumbs and long tails that they use to balance themselves between trees.
In summary, if you are considering a visit to Madagascar, go. You won't regret it!
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(Big day for diary promotions -- great stuff in here! Keep'em coming, folks, this is going to be a very big month. - promoted by Joe Bodell)
The gubernatorial candidates at the Minnesota Environmental Partnership forum this Sunday were long on aspirations and a bit short on specifics. The remaining candidates in the race for Minnesota governor debated at the Living Green Expo on Sunday, with two notable absences. First, was the absence of Tom Emmer (R endorsed) and second was the quick departure of Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL endorsed.)
In a debate that was long on . . . well, just long, a few things stood out (More below the fold).
Last night I again intellectually approached the question of whether or not I should support Margaret for governor whilst enjoying the Prairie Home Companion. By the time American Routes gave way to MPR's local production I'd given in and decided to march for Margaret in the May Day Parade.
But when I woke up in the morning my arms were still sore from being twisted by various and sundry DFL endorsement cultists for the last few weeks. My decision making process was also influenced by memories of past May Day parades... Memories of a four mile hike which didn't agree with my gimpy legs. So I decided to catch the Living Green Expo and especially their governor candidate forum.
Obviously, the race for the gubernatorial endorsement is incredibly important. But there is also other business being conducted at the DFL State Convention this weekend. One of these items is voting to add planks to the Platform and Action Item agenda for the next two years.
In a moment, I'm going to make a plug for two resolutions. But first, allow me to do a public service announcement by talking more generally about the resolution process, schedule and implications.
(Great post, Thanks, Aaron. - promoted by The Big E)
The recent announcement by the Obama administration that they would open significant areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to oil and gas exploration has created a lot of consternation among environmentalists and a lot of skepticism in the "drill, baby, drill" crowd. And like most policy coming from the Obama White House, both groups aren't wrong. In case you hadn't noticed, this is a policymaking motif that's been Obama's hallmark, and this issue is a great example of the technique of attempting to split the difference between irreconcilably different groups. The question is "what is to be gained by splitting the difference?" or perhaps it's better phrased as "is there a middle ground on this issue at all?"
Predictably, coverage in the news media lacks nuance and missed some of the essential points of this policy shift in its rush to describe it in its usual way - who "won" and who "lost." And that's the fundamental problem here; this is a policy shift full of nuance, with lots of gray and very little black and white.
After the jump - what exactly is the new oil and gas policy and how does it fit into the overall policy direction of the Obama White House?
This is the first in a two-part series about Nourishing the Planet co-director Danielle Nierenberg's visit with COMACO in Zambia. Cross posted from Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet.
One of the first things you notice about grocery stores in Zambia is the plethora of processed foods from around the world, from crackers made in Argentina and soy milk from China to popular U.S. breakfast cereals. Complementing these foreign foods, however, are a variety of locally made and processed products, including indigenous varieties of organic rice, all-natural peanut butter, and honey from the It's Wild brand.
It's Wild was started by the Community Markets for Conservation(COMACO), an organization founded over 30 years ago to conserve local wildlife. COMACO helps farmers improve their agricultural practices in ways that can protect the environment-such as through conservation farming-while also creating a reliable market for farm products. It organizes the farmers into producer groups, encouraging them to diversify their skills by raising livestock and bees, growing organic rice, using improved irrigation and fisheries management, and other practices, so that they don't have to resort to poaching elephants or other wildlife.
By targeting hard-to-reach farmers that live near protected areas, "we're trying to turn things around," says Dale Lewis, Executive Director of COMACO. For decades, many farmers in eastern Zambia practiced slash-and-burn agriculture and were involved in widespread elephant poaching. Farmers killed elephants and burned forests not because they were greedy, but because it was their only alternative, Lewis explains. Degraded soils, the lack of effective agricultural inputs, and drought left many farmers in the region desperate, forcing them to turn to poaching and environmentally destructive farming practices.
By training more than 650 "lead" farmers to train other farmers, COMACO hopes to not only protect the environment and local wildlife, but also help farmers increase their incomes by connecting them to the private market.
COMACO supports the creation of regional processing centers and trading depots to make it easier for farmers to process their crops and transport them to market. The group also offers a higher price to farmers who grow rice and other products organically, and for those use the conservation farming techniques they've learned from COMACO trainers and lead farmers. Where farmers "comply with COMACO, they see benefits," Lewis says, including improvements in food security and health.
The resulting products are then sold under the It's Wild brand in major supermarket chains across Zambia, such as ShopRite, Checkers, and Spar. Next year, COMACO plans to export its products to Botswana. The organization is trying to do as much of the product distribution as possible so that the money stays with the farmers and not middlemen.
COMACO has also gotten technical support from multinational food giant General Mills. The company paid for a COMACO food technician to visit its headquarters in early 2009 to learn how different food processing techniques can increase the nutritional and economic value of the foods that the organization is selling.
Lewis hopes that eventually COMACO will be self sufficient-and profitable-without the current heavy dependence on donor funding. But that's not easy for an organization that works with thousands of farmers and has high administrative, transport, and salary costs.
Stay tuned this week for more about Dale Lewis and COMACO's work.
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Rumors are that Volkswagen has a one person car, with race car safety, that gets 258 MPG, for $600! It will be first sold in China. This is after years of the auto and oil industry claiming that it cannot be done!
We do know that Volkswagen is set to reveal the world's most economical non-hybrid car to shareholders attending the 42nd annual general meeting of Volkswagen AG in Hamburg. The single-seater is capable of 0.91 litres per 100km (or 258mpg in the old measure) and can manage a top speed of 123km/h.
(Great coverage and comment from the community -- more of the same please! - promoted by Joe Bodell)
Over the last three days, I attended three hearings on sulfide mining and SF2349, a bill that would have strengthened Minnesota's "damage deposit" regulations on sulfide mining operations. After nearly 12 hours of testimony from the DNR, industry representatives, citizens, environmental groups, and elected officials, Sen. Carlson (D-Eagan) withdrew his bill without any recorded vote. This may seem like a defeat for environmental groups that have pushed for this bill for the last two sessions. However, the fact that a group of elected officials finally heard a perspective on sulfide mining that was not from an industry group or a supportive legislator was a victory in and of itself. After the fold - three things we know for sure about this debate after these hearings.
After 18 months of sustained effort, a bill that would strengthen Minnesota's financial assurance regulations for sulfide mining (HF 2560 / SF 2349) will finally get a hearing in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Actually, there are three separate hearings, two today and one on Wednesday. (Details after the fold)
There has been a sustained effort to squelch public input on this issue, but these hearings represent a victory for opponents and a chance to hear both sides of the story of proposed copper-nickel-PGE mines in northeastern Minnesota. After months of a relentless campaign to convince Minnesotans that the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the PolyMet / NorthMet mine described the most innovative, environmental friendly, cutting edge sulfide mine ever, the Environmental Protection Agency brought advocates back to earth with a stinging rebuke.
As if we needed any more evidence demonstrating that anthropogenic climate change is real, that it is occurring right now, and that it poses a major threat to the planet's environment, we now have it -- in spades. Let's begin with the 
As if the oil companies from Texas - and their allies in the corridors of power - hadn't done enough harm to our country already (for more, see the late, great Gulf of Mexico), now they are at it once again. This time, it's Valero and Tesoro, pouring money into a campaign this election season to undo California's landmark, clean energy and climate law, AB 32. On Tuesday, the oil companies' proposition 
Sometimes it's good to be cautious--and other times it's better to go with your gut.
Afterwards we met with Xavier Rakotonjanahary, Rice Breeding Coordinator, National Center of Applied Research for Rural Development. Xavier works with rural rice farmers, helping develop different breeds of rice that will help reduce labor, fertilizer, and other inputs.
One of the first things you notice about grocery stores in Zambia is the plethora of processed foods from around the world, from crackers made in Argentina and soy milk from China to popular U.S. breakfast cereals. Complementing these foreign foods, however, are a variety of locally made and processed products, including indigenous varieties of organic rice, all-natural peanut butter, and honey from the 
