Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy
The huge Congressional climate bill has been formally introduced, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454). Over a month of discussion and heavy dealmaking has finally come to an end, recalling the famous Otto Von Bismarck quote "Laws are...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy
In a historic vote last night, California's Air Resources Board passed the implementing regulations for the nation's first low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) by an overwhelming 9-1. This vote will put into action the LCFS first proposed by Governor Schwarzenegger...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
On Saturday, March 28, millions of people and thousands of cities and municipalities participated in "Earth Hour" - a World Wildlife Fund organized event aimed at building awareness and action to stem climate change by turning lights off for the...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
In a forceful speech tonight, President Barack Obama asked America to join him in bringing about a revolution in how we produce and use energy. Already in his young presidency, he has signaled his desire to regulate greenhouse gases from...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
The tar sands issue will never be the same after the President's visit to Canada this week. It has been catapulted to the top tier issues between the U.S. and Canada. Now the spotlight will be on what can be...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
As the President heads to Canada this week, the Canadian government is expected to table a proposal to "protect" their carbon-heavy tar sands operations in Northern Alberta from future global warming regulation. The Canadians are confident, apparently, that the U.S....
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
The tar sands as a major source of oil for North America looks most favorable when oil prices are high and oil companies have cash to invest. That has meant a resurgence of interest in tar sands development over the...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
In a taped statement yesterday, President-elect Obama addressed an international meeting on climate change hosted by California Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger in and co-hosted by an all-star, bi-partisan group of governors active on global warming issues (see Canada's reaction here). My colleague, Peter Miller, who was...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Green Enterprise , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Read Nobel Laureate Al Gore's opinion piece today in the New York Times about what this means to him. He comments on how best to channel the energy and enthusiasm for change that is ushering in our 44th President of the United...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Will Steger is the first person to have made his way across the Antarctic on foot, a daunting terrain of ice waves and howling winds. There were no dogs, no company at all. Just endless white, a man and his wooden...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy
Yesterday, two important reports were released and their conclusions are startling. First was the Munk Centre's report cataloguing a "pollution delivery system" from Alberta, Canada, to the Great Lakes. It warned that the air and water pollution from increased tar...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Today, key players in the aviation industry, led by Boeing and Virgin Atlantic Airways, have joined forces with academics and environmental groups to launch a push for low carbon fuel. This new coalition, Sustainable Aviation Fuels Users' Group, is being advised by NRDC and the...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy
Following nine months of assault on Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Congress decided today to keep intact a critically important fuel contracting requirement- marking a big win for clean energy supporters. The provision-- known...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Canada has sent its fourth delegation in so many months to Washington D.C. to convince Americans that there is no need to worry about the tar sands oil extraction in northern Alberta. This barrage of visits reminds me of when a colleague...
Posted by Liz Barratt-Brown in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Yesterday, our Canadian colleagues won a landmark tar sands case. The Canadian Federal Court found that there were gaping holes in the environmental assessment of a huge tar sands project that would strip mine the Boreal forest for oil. The Kearl...
