EES PAN: In The News
back to EES homepage and menu
Here we provide links to news about energy secuirty and environment issues. We need your help to keep this updated and interesting.
The topic areas we wish to cover are listed here. Send your suggested links to the eesteam@daukpan.org.uk
Climate Change : information and legislation
On April 17, 2009 the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposal finding greenhouse gas emissions pose a danger to the public's health and welfare, a determination that could trigger a series of sweeping regulations affecting everything from vehicles to coal-fired power plants. Washington Post article here.
Leading Democrats in the House have introduced legislation to combat climate change with an eye towards passing a bill by 2010. Yes, things move that slowly in Congress.:) Among other things, the legislation would create a cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases and mandate that a certain percentage of energy come from renewable sources. You can read about the bill and the politics of climate change here. New
Things have predictably reached a snag in the climate change legislation debates, with recent questions being raised about whether or not the US can in good faith negotiate at the upcoming climate change treaty negotiations in Copenhagen if nothing is happening on the domestic front. New
In a new twist, the Oil industry is now adopting the tactics of the anti-healthcare reform protesters and are bussing in their employees to prostest the adoption of emission targets in a climate change bill.
Green Energy
The Obama administration’s first major test of geothermal energy as a significant alternative to fossil fuels has fallen seriously behind schedule, according to a recent article in the NYT.
This April 2009 article explores the challenges facing the Obama Administration's clean energy development policies.
International developments
Australia recently passed aggressive renewable energy targets that dramatically improve upon their old targets. The targets now match those set by the EU in 2007. Good news for the planet. New
Here's a story for those of you who joined us for the screening of "Who Killed the Electric Car?". The UK government is planning to provide up to a 5000 GBP incentive to people who purchase electric cars. The plan is at the center of efforts to reduce the UK's climate change emmisions. New
On February 28 2009, a New York Times article analyses the impact of Obama's backing for an international climate pact.
US state and local developments
In September 2008 ten Northeastern states belonging to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative launched their cap and trade programme for carbon emissions. Read the New York Times article.
US federal legislative and executive initiatives
President Obama signed an historic public lands and waters omnibus bill into law at the end of March 2009. The culmination of years of campaigning by environmental advocates around the country, the bill creates millions of acres of new Wilderness and over 80 new Wild and Scenic Rivers.
The Environmental Protection Agency will, for the first time, require that pesticide chemicals be tested for their impact on humans and animals. This Washington Post article discusses the development. A little scary to think this hasn't been required yet.
US Democratic Party developments
US activism and campaigns
The Blue Green Alliance, a partnership of the United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club has released a Report by The Center for American Progress, headed by John Podesta, on Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low Carbon Economy.
In an interesting pairing, the Blue Green Alliance hit Washington DC recently to advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act and climate change legislation, highlighting the link between combating global warming and the creation of jobs linked to the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. New
Old news items are archived here
Produced by Elaine Capizzi, Peter Durante and Quinn McKew,
Updated by Quinn McKew on August 20 2009