Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
For a long time, the United States Air Force was keenly interested in liquid coal. But as time went on, the disadvantages became increasingly obvious. This week, we were pleased to discover that the Air Force was no longer pursuing...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
Heading into the fall, the Congressional debate is rightfully focussed on the landmark energy and climate bill as action moves from the House to the Senate. And part of that debate, thanks to NRDC, should be about the pincer move...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
While last summer's gas price spikes have finally faded in the rearview mirror, I was reminded this morning of how quickly things can change. At my local station, gas is creeping up to $2.62 per gallon. Nationally, in the last 20...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
Since at least President Nixon, our leaders have been calling for energy independence. And yet our reliance on imported oil keeps rising, and while our top trading partners are friendly countries like Canada we also rely on unfriendly regimes such...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
The single biggest pot of money provided to states and local jurisdictions for investments in transportation infrastructure -- a $27.5 billion shot-in-the-arm -- is more flexible than many realize, and President Obama and the recovery.gov web site should remind governors...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
A couple of weeks ago I noted some of President Obama's statements about transportation and land-development which showed that he cares about, and understands, important but oft-overlooked policies that have a huge influence on how much oil the nation...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
A big-tent coalition of groups running the gamut from the National Association of Realtors to the American Public Health Association to NRDC unveiled a new platform for federal transportation policy today as part of the Transportation for America Campaign. Check out...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
Ah, Washington. This is a lovely town, but it has its quirks. When, for example, taxes are the topic. Sen. Russell Long of Louisiana had a funny saying about the national aversion to the sticky issue of generating revenue: "Don't tax me,...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
Last week was a remarkably revealing week regarding this new Administration's transportation policy. First, on February 10th at a Florida town hall meeting, President Obama declares that I think a lot more people are open now to thinking regionally in...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
Are the goals of energy security and climatic stability fundamentally at odds? Or can we in the U.S. forge ahead toward a preferred future in which we address both these threats? These are valid questions. While we must be...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
Watching the Senate debate on the economic recovery bill, I am reminded of a remarkable event in 2001. The Surface Transportation Policy Project held an awards dinner to celebrate the tenth anniversary of ISTEA, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
The amendment I wrote about just a few hours ago was just passed by voice vote! That means little or no opposition against it. This is a good augury for public transportation, as I imply in the statement we just sent...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
As I’ve written about on these pages and in the Huffington Post, the transportation provisions in the recovery bill need to tilt more towards saving oil and cutting global warming pollution, meaning public transportation and rail. I’m not the only...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
Walking through a checklist of items needed for my trek to downtown D.C. from the suburb of College Park (by bicycle, no less!) for the Inauguration tomorrow, I keep reminding myself of a fact of life: After the dust has...
Posted by Deron Lovaas in Moving Beyond Oil
My friend Barbara McCann, communications consultant and coordinator of the "Complete Streets" campaign, is my guest on Switchboard today, penning a terrific piece I'm sure you'll enjoy: Right from the start, the US automakers looking for handouts on Capitol Hill...
