New legislation gets taxpayers off the hook for oil spills, accidents
An average of 1,119 carloads of crude oil a day are moved through the United States, and about every 77 seconds, a car carrying 30,000 gallons of crude oil leaves a station to begin its journey. In 2013, a whopping 408,000 carloads of oil were moved across the United States , according to Inside Energy, a collaborative journalism project supported by public broadcasting stations. Crude oil transport has various risks that have caught the attention of Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D-Albany, who is working to make the delivery and storage of crude oil at the Port of Albany safer. Supported by Assemblyman John McDonald, D-Cohoes; Assemblyman Phil Steck, D-Colonie; and Sen. Tony Avella, D-Queens, the Petroleum Storage Surety bill (A.7625/S.5751-a) would require the financial responsibility for cleanup and decontamination to fall on the oil companies as opposed to the taxpayers. “It’s really a simple concept and that is essentially to protect the taxpayers. It’s something we want to do as a preventative measure unlike what happened in Canada where the horrific tragedy of 47 lives being lost with the oil train accident Lac-Megantic, Quebec,” Fahy said.
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2015-06-15-92106.113122-New-legislation-gets-taxpayers-off-the-hook-for-oil-spills-accidents.html
DiNapoli wants safety assurances from companies involved in oil transportation
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, the sole trustee of the $183.5 billion Common Retirement Fund, issued letters earlier this month to several energy and transportation companies seeking information on their safety protocols in the event of possible derailments, oil spills or combustion. These 14 companies — all of which are long-term investments in the state’s retirement fund — include Exxon Mobil Corp.; Hess Corp.; CSX Corp.; Whiting Petroleum Corp.; World Fuel Services Corp.; EOG Resources, Inc.; Marathon Oil Corp.; Enerplus Corp.; Newfield Exploration Co.; MDU Resources Group, Inc.; ConocoPhillips Co.; Phillips 66 Co.; PBF Energy Inc.; and Forestar Group Inc. As of March 31, 2014, the total market value of the state’s three largest investments with these companies are as follows: Exxon Mobil Corp. with $1,242,782,249 in asset shares; ConocoPhillips Co. with $261,010,671 in asset shares; and EOG Resources, Inc. with $164,236,663 in asset shares. DiNapoli wants details pertaining to any elevated financial risks associated with the transportation of petroleum crude oil, how liability will be mitigated in the event of an accident, and at what point in the transportation of crude oil do the companies claim ownership of their product.
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-c-2015-06-15-92107.113122-DiNapoli-wants-safety-assurances-from-companies-involved-in-oil-transportation.html
5 Things You Need to Know About the EPA Fracking Report
Here are five takeaways, one for each year the EPA spent on this:
1. Oil and gas companies want you to know as little about fracking as possible.
2. Opportunities abound for disaster.
3. Fracking is happening close to where we live.
4. Lots of fracking is also happening close to our water supplies.
5. What they don’t know could hurt you. Of the 1,076 chemicals used in fracking that the EPA could identify, the agency was able to assess the chemical, physical, and toxicological properties for fewer than half.
Guesswork, inconsistency nag U.S. shale oil accounting
HOUSTON/NEW YORK – Steep downward revisions to oil and gas reserves at the end of this year are likely to increase scrutiny of how energy companies tally future barrels – a process that has become more opaque with the rise of shale drilling. The revisions due in December will reflect a deep plunge in crude prices and should not come as a surprise for investors who have been pouring billions of dollars into U.S. oil companies betting that crude prices will recover. But investors may not fully appreciate other risks stemming from the wide variety of methods companies use to estimate and vet their reserves, or economically-recoverable oil and gas. Reserves have long underpinned company stock prices. Reserve growth is used at companies, including ConocoPhillips as a component of the chief executive’s compensation. Yet there is plenty of uncertainty in the industry as measuring unconventional resources such as shale oil is a young science and there is no uniform process for reserve reporting, geologists, investors and lawyers say. http://permianshale.com/news/id/122240/guesswork-inconsistency-nag-u-s-shale-oil-accounting/
How fracking leads to micro earthquakes
Usually small though occasionally damaging, earthquakes are a side-effect of industrial processes such as geothermal energy and oil-gas production that involve injecting water underground. But scientists have been unclear about the exact role of fluid injection in triggering these human-made earthquakes. Now, for the first time, researchers at Caltech and other institutions in the United States and France have observed how fluid injection sets off micro-earthquakes on a sizable, subterranean fault. The findings could lead to better seismic risk management through improved understanding of fluid flow on faults, while also illuminating the mechanics of natural earthquakes. “At the moment, a major issue for industry is that there is no established theory to evaluate the seismic hazard associated with fluid injections,” says coauthor Jean-Philippe Avouac, a professor of geophysics at the University of Cambridge, and professor of geology at Caltech, and the former director of Caltech’s Tectonics Observatory (now closed), where the research began. http://www.futurity.org/fracking-earthquakes-942002/
WVa: How Fracking is Affecting Doddridge County
Several rural, quiet communities across West Virginia , like Doddridge County , are now home to fracking facilities. Hydraulic fracking injects a water chemical and sand mixture into the ground to uncover natural gas. Several environmental concerns have been associated with fracking, such as poor air quality, contaminated water and radioactive waste. “My particular concerns are for the children in this region that are continually getting exposed to the pollutants that result from this activity,” said Mirijana Beram, Member of the Doddridge County Watershed Association and resident. Mirijana has lived in Doddridge County for 35 years, and said she’s not only concerned with the environmental and health risks, but also the large amount of traffic created in the area. “Our road infrastructure has been sort of shot, our two-lane roads have not been geared for the heavy truck traffic, we have had major potholes, it has not been a real pleasant experience,” said Beram.
http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view§ion=5-News&item=How-Fracking-is-Affecting-Doddridge-County-23790
WVa: Many Attend Meeting to Learn about Natural Gas Fracking Process
HUNTINGTON , W.Va. (WSAZ) — Dozens of people attended a meeting Monday night to learn more about the controversial fracking process to extract natural gas. The meeting took place at the Westmoreland Women’s Club in Huntington. People who attended learned about the effects fracking could have on their land, water, air and health. The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition presented the meeting, mainly to educate those who live in counties that overlie the Rogersville Shale and may have been approached by industry reps seeking mineral rights or access to property. That area includes Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln, Putnam, Kanawha, Jackson, Roane and Calhoun counties. Speakers told the crowd it’s important to understand what they are signing regarding mineral rights, realize there’s nothing in law known as a standard lease, and possibly to join in with their neighbors to increase bargaining leverage. http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/Many-Attend-Meeting-to-Learn-about-Natural-Gas-Fracking-Process-307516241.html
Massive Texas blaze dying down following pipeline rupture
A blaze from a ruptured gas pipeline near Cuero in Texas is being allowed to slowly burn out. A local sheriff said he expects this to happen by Monday morning. A huge column of fire was visible for over 20 miles after the pipeline caught fire. No injuries have been reported so far, according to Raul Diaz, a deputy with the DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office, as cited by My San Antonio online news. “If we were going to have a fire from a ruptured pipeline, I don’t think we could have picked a better location, as there were so few homes around there,” said Joel Zavesky. He added the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t have any idea what caused the blaze. http://rt.com/usa/267163-texas-cuero-explosion-fire/
Texas: Editorial: Fracking op-ed was signed by public officials, but penned by big oil
With its Republican legislative allies facing criticism that they had robbed a North Texas town of its powers, the oil and gas industry settled on a PR move in late May that fought fire with fire: enlist local officials from a handful of Texas communities to lend their names to an opinion piece praising the new, high-profile law that quashed a North Texas town’s ban on fracking. In the opinion piece, versions of which have appeared in at least seven newspapers, including the San Antonio Express-News and the American-Statesman, officials from Karnes City , Pleasanton , Midland and Lubbock argue that, with the recently signed law, “lawmakers got it right by relying on fact-based information to develop a balanced solution for Texas .”
http://haynesville.com/news/id/107361/editorial-fracking-op-ed-was-signed-by-public-officials-but-penned-by-big-oil/
Texas: Plan for Fracking’s Waste Pits Could Save Millions of Birds
Federal agency aims to save the 500,000 to 1 million birds that die in the industry’s vats of oily residue each year. In parched Jim Wells County , Texas , the glistening pits brimming with oil and gas waste appear to be an inviting refuge for birds seeking a hospitable place to find water and rest. But the pits offer anything but sanctuary–and safety––for birds. They are filled with oily sludge or liquid contaminated with toxic chemicals used by drillers to frack wells in the booming oil and gas fields of south Texas . County Deputy Hector Zertuche, the local environmental crimes officer, said the pits become deadly traps for birds. “The birds see these pits and come in and before they know it are covered in oil or chemicals,” he said. “It’s a bad deal.”
PA: Bradford County might join lawsuit against gas companies: Commissioners concerned about growing problem of large deductions from royalty checks
TOWANDA – Bradford County might join one of the lawsuits that have been brought against gas companies for allegedly taking large, unfair deductions for post-production costs from local landowners’ royalty checks, the Bradford County commissioners announced Thursday. “We have instructed our solicitor to look at all the different lawsuits” that have been brought against gas companies for taking unreasonably large deductions for post-production costs from Bradford County landowners’ royalty checks, Doug McLinko, chairman of the Bradford County commissioners, said at the commissioners’ meeting on Thursday. “We are strongly considering joining one of the lawsuits” as a plaintiff, he said. Bradford County has leased the gas rights to over 900 acres of land that it owns, McLinko said. The county would join one of the lawsuits not only to “protect the county going forward” from large deductions being taken from its royalty checks, but to show support for property owners who are having “very unreasonable deductions” taken from their royalty checks,” McLinko said.
http://marcellus.com/news/id/124900/bradford-county-might-join-lawsuit-against-gas-companies-commissioners-concerned-about-growing-problem-of-large-deductions-from-royalty-checks/
Did the Government Illegally Open up 400,000 Acres in California for Fracking?
The Center for Biological Diversity and Los Padres Forestwatch have sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Secretary of the Interior in federal Court. The federal and state governments illegally opened up 400,000 acres for fracking in Southern California , which already has thousands of such dangerous oil and gas wells, environmentalists claim in court. The Center for Biological Diversity and Los Padres Forestwatch sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Secretary of the Interior and the director of California ‘s Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday in Federal Court. They claim the governments violated the National Environmental Policy Act by approving fracking without proper environmental analysis. “Long term, business-as-usual oil and gas development in Central California, which is what the federal government has approved here, facilitates the expansion of high-impact unconventional extraction techniques, like fracking, in a region already overburdened by oil and gas activities, polluted air, extreme water scarcity and landscape degradation,” plaintiffs’ attorney Tamara Zakim told Courthouse News in an email.
http://www.alternet.org/environment/did-government-illegally-open-400000-acres-california-fracking
NJ: Communities can do little to keep PennEast pipeline out
In Moore Township , where farmers tend miles of uninterrupted fields against the backdrop of Blue Mountain , residents pride themselves on their commitment to a pastoral way of life. So when PennEast Pipeline LLC proposed a 108-mile natural gas pipeline that would cut through seven miles of the township, residents made their dissatisfaction known. They planted signs in their yards and peppered supervisors with phone calls and emails, imploring them to stop it. Moore supervisors didn’t need any convincing. The last thing they want is a pipeline that would “come up over the mountain,” cross the historic Appalachian Trail and pass near the Hokendauqua Creek, a popular trout fishing spot among locals. “It will permanently leave a scar on the land that will never go away,” Supervisor Richard Gable said. “It’s going to affect a lot of people.” But as they looked at options, Moore supervisors learned there is little they can do. “Can we prevent them from coming through the township? The answer is no,” supervisors Chairman David Tashner Sr. told residents at a township meeting in October. Moore Township isn’t alone. Twenty-six municipalities from Wilkes-Barre to Mercer County , N.J. , could be affected. Of about 845 properties, nearly 200 are in Northampton County , according to PennEast. http://marcellus.com/news/id/124883/communities-can-do-little-to-keep-penneast-pipeline-out/
ND emergency agencies can apply for oil impact grants
BISMARCK , N.D. — North Dakota ’s Land Board is encouraging emergency services groups to apply for state grants aimed at helping address the adverse impacts of energy development. The Legislature this year allocated $6 million for emergency services in the 2015-2017 budget cycle. The state’s Energy Impact Office is accepting grant applications through June 17. The State Land Board is made up of the governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer and state school superintendent.
http://bakken.com/news/id/240064/nd-emergency-agencies-can-apply-for-oil-impact-grants/
Kayak protesters try to stop Shell oil drill rig in Seattle
SEATTLE — Greenpeace says 13 protesters in kayaks formed a blockade to try to stop Royal Dutch Shell’s drill rig from leaving Seattle on its way to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean . Group spokeswoman Cassady Sharp said the Coast Guard has arrested several of the “kayaktivists” who paddled out to stop the Polar Pioneer around 4 a.m. Monday. She says about 40 to 50 supporters in kayaks and canoes lined up behind the blockade. The petroleum giant’s plans to drill in the waters off Alaska drew a similar kayak protest in May. Activists also have chained themselves twice to a support ship in Bellingham , north of Seattle .
http://eaglefordtexas.com/news/id/153327/kayak-protesters-try-to-stop-shell-oil-drill-rig-in-seattle/
What’s the real cost of fossil fuel subsidies?
The governments of the world spend $10 million a minute to subsidize fossil fuels, according to a new working paper issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Roughly $5.3 trillion was the tally found by the IMF. To put that in perspective, Grist.org noted that’s more than all world powers spend on health care. The IMF stated that post-tax subsidies are large and pervasive in both advanced and developing economies and among oil-producing and non-oil-producing countries alike. But these subsidies are especially large (about 13–18 percent) relative to GDP in emerging and developing nations such as those in Asia and North Africa .
http://eaglefordtexas.com/news/id/153343/whats-the-real-cost-of-fossil-fuel-subsidies/
Small Earthquake in Alberta Could Be Linked to Fracking
Northern Alberta experienced another small earthquake over the weekend in an area where two others earlier this year were linked with fracking. http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/small-earthquake-in-alberta-could-be-linked-to-fracking-1.2422378
Canada: Expert: More research needed on fracking’s impact
The federal government needs to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to high-volume hydraulic fracturing, says one expert. John Cherry, a groundwater contamination specialist and the lead author of a 2014 Council of Canadian Academies report on fracking, told The Chronicle Herald that if Ottawa is going to encourage fracking, it needs to start funding research that will give Canadians a clearer understanding of the environmental ramifications. Cherry said the science regarding almost every important question about the impacts of fracking is extremely limited. He will be holding a talk at the University of King ’s College in Halifax on Monday titled Hydraulic Fracturing: Should Nova Scotia Experiment? “Right now, it’s not possible to determine whether the impacts will be significant or not,” Cherry said. “We don’t even know at the present time how to even go about proper monitoring because there’s so little experience with it.” He said he believes any province that has not embarked on fracking initiatives should hold off until more information about the potential effects is available.
Shell Wins Two More Permits for Planned Arctic Drilling Campaign
Shell has nabbed two more critical government approvals for its planned exploratory oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean this summer. The latest authorizations came from the Environmental Protection Agency, which is allowing Shell to discharge wastewater from its contracted drilling rigs, the Transocean Polar Pioneer and the Noble Discoverer, into the Chukchi Sea northwest of Alaska .
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/06/13/shell-wins-two-more-permits-for-planned-arctic-drilling-campaign/
Canada: Fracking: Yellowknife audience ain’t buying what GNWT is selling
The GNWT has been touring Northern communities to seek public input on its proposed fracking regulations, and demonstrate that regulatory framework’s viability as an approach to the controversial issue of hydraulic fracturing. Yellowknife is the latest, and last, stop on that tour. On Monday evening, up to 150 people inside the Multiplex’s DND Gymnasium listened to more than an hour of presentations from five territorial officials. Representatives of various territorial departments sought to explain the NWT’s proposed fracking regulations, offer background, and reassure residents that government proposals would balance fracking’s economic potential with the North’s environmental health. But while pushback from the industry may be some way off, pushback in Yellowknife came in waves. Eighty minutes into the evening, the floor was turned over to the public – and a succession of dissenting views ensued. The government panel members were decried as ‘puppets’, in industry minister David Ramsay’s absence, while several speakers said the advertised public engagement appeared devoid of genuine dialogue. Echoing a commonly expressed view in recent months, some residents felt the government had jumped the gun by proceeding straight to a discussion of regulations, without first asking if the territory’s residents wished to pursue fracking at all.
http://www.myyellowknifenow.com/6054/fracking-yellowknife-audience-aint-buying-what-gnwt-is-selling/
Britain: Lancaster MP opposes ‘pro-fracking policy’
Lancaster MP Cat Smith is calling on Lancashire County Council to reject fracking applications in the county. On Monday, county council officers announced they were rejecting plans for hydraulic fracturing at Roseacre Wood, near Blackpool , but supported plans at Preston New Road at Little Plumpton. The plans - proposed by oil and gas company Cuadrilla – are seeking permission to develop two new sites to explore for shale gas by drilling, hydraulically fracturing (fracking), and testing the flow of gas. Separate applications have also been received for a series of boreholes to monitor for seismic movement and water quality. http://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/lancaster-mp-opposes-pro-fracking-policy-1-7311383
OUR VIEW: Fracking ban is safe despite EPA report
First of all, the DEC was quick to point out that the state did a more comprehensive job than the EPA. Second, the state never made the claim that there was widespread harm. What it concluded after a lengthy review of the science and the experiences elsewhere, was that fracking was responsible for many examples of water pollution when water sources were near the drilling operations. That’s what the EPA found as well, although it somehow got lost in the scramble to get the news out. Even more important was something that the state concluded that was not in any way contradicted by the EPA study. New York banned fracking because after considering the potential harm, it could not come up with any reasonable set of rules and regulations that would prevent pollution.
Pennsylvania wants record $8.9M fine against dril…
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State environmental regulators are pursuing a record $8.9 million fine against a Texas-based energy company they say repeatedly failed to repair a natural-gas well that…
Most Pa. residents OK with fracking - The Robert Morris University Polling Institute showed 57.1 percent of state residents support the process, while 55.9 percent of Americans support it. “I’m not surprised at all,” said Vince Matteo…
Fracking companies asking for surface and mineral…
HUNTINGTON, WV - Close to 200 people crammed the Westmoreland Women’s Club to discuss offers from energy companies to buy or lease mineral rights on their properties that sit over the Rogersville…
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A proposed tax hike on Ohio oil-and-gas drillers that’s been intensely negotiated for weeks…
Frac sand towns question whether rules protect them against silica pollution. In the rush to provide sand used by oil and gas producers as proppant in hydraulic fracturing operations, some neighbors of the sand mines say their health concerns have been ignored. EnergyWire. 16 June 2015.
Lawyers for Texas and its powerful oil and gas industry won’t let Denton out of their sights – even after the North Texas city conceded that the Legislature defanged its six-month-old ban on hydraulic…
DENTON -Denton police arrested a 92-year-old woman and 64-year-old her son shortly before 8:00 a.m. Tuesday. The pair was blocking the entrance to the Vantage Gas Well at 1896 Nail…
State-by-state map shows North Dakota boom and Mi…
Business is booming in North Dakota, Texas, Colorado and Wyoming, thanks in large part to in mining activity. Alaska, Mississippi and Virginia, meanwhile, are stuck in a rut. Those are just some of…
NYMEX-traded July natural gas futures contracts fell by 2.28% on Thursday. Natural gas prices fell due increasing gas inventory data.
Energy industry is gassing down
U.S. energy companies are taking their foot off the natural-gas pedal, slowing down their production growth after years of furious pumping. In the past eight years, a combination of improvements in…
On Jun 15, 2015, we issued an updated research report on Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK).
One of the World’s Best Oil Companies Now on Sale
Concerns about finances and pricing differentials are unlikely to derail the Continental Resources story.
Global Oil Production Substantially Lower Than Believed
Following BP’s recent World Energy Review, many in the media reported the U.S. had overtaken Saudi as the world’s top crude producer, but this is not the case…
Peak Oil: Myth Or Coming Reality?
The recent oil price slump has reignited the debate regarding peak oil, both in terms of production and demand, but what are the key factors to
Polar Pioneer oil rig leaves Seattle; 24 protesters detained. Shell’s Polar Pioneer oil rig left Terminal 5 Monday morning, a day that saw yet another protest of the oil company’s presence in Seattle and its plan for Arctic Ocean drilling. Seattle Times, Washington. 16 June 2015.
Shell Arctic drilling rig departs Seattle surrounded by protesters. A Royal Dutch Shell PLC drilling rig that will search for oil in the Arctic left its temporary base in Seattle on Monday for the trip north to Alaska as dozens of activists in kayaks tried to stop it, authorities said. Reuters. 16 June 2015.
Shell’s Arctic oil rig departs Seattle as ‘kayaktivists’ warn of disaster. After a final protest by kayak-paddling activists, Shell’s deep-sea oil drilling rig left the port of Seattle on Monday morning, headed for Alaska’s Chukchi Sea – and, environmentalists say, towards imminent disaster. The Guardian. 16 June 2015.
Seattle wades into fight over oil drilling. Opposition from the mayor and a united City Council has drawn criticism from port officials and others who say rejection of Shell’s plans could cost the city jobs and harm its reputation with businesses. Wall Street Journal. 16 June 2015.
Jane Fonda on Arctic oil drilling: ‘This is the fight of our lives.’ Three months ago, Jane Fonda picked up Naomi Klein’s environmental treatise, This Changes Everything, and decided the personal was no longer enough: it was time to get political again, over drilling for Arctic oil. The Guardian. 16 June 2015.
Many temporary jobs leave with Polar Pioneer
The oil rig Polar Pioneer left the dock in Seattle early Monday morning, met by activists in kayaks protesting Shell’s plans to explore for oil offshore in the Arctic. “We couldn’t stop it, we knew…
Environmental movement making a real impact in the US, study finds. The environmental movement is making a real difference in the U.S., according to a new research that shows states with strong green voices have significantly lower emissions of the gases that drive global warming. The Guardian. 16 June 2015.
Study: The greener a state’s legislator, the cleaner the air. States where the congressional delegation votes greener tend to have air that’s cleaner, spewing less heat-trapping gas, a new study finds. Associated Press. 16 June 2015.
The quake was recorded approximately 27 kilometres south of Fox Creek, Alberta. Chevron Canada has confirmed that “a magnitude 4.4 seismic event was recorded by seismic monitoring arrays operated by…
Environmentalist blames Canada’s Harper for revoking passport. Paul Watson, a Canadian environmentalist and star of a reality television show, says Canada has effectively barred him from returning to the country since his passport was seized three years ago by German authorities. Reuters. 16 June 2015.
Cheniere to expand LNG capacity at Gregory plant
GREGORY - GREGORY — Cheniere Energy Inc. plans to expand by 66 percent the capacity of its yet-to-be-built $11 billion liquefied natural gas terminal near Gregory. The project by Cheniere was…
A liquefied natural gas consortium led by Royal Dutch Shell PLC is expected to receive B.C. environmental approval within days as the group positions itself to be one of the first LNG exporters in the…
Shell-BG $70 billion deal crosses key milestone w…
Australia, Kazakhstan and Egypt. BG has some of the world’s most ambitious projects in liquefied natural gas (LNG), where demand is growing as consumers turn away from more polluting fuels such as…
Warrington Green Party warns residents: ‘Fracking poses a risk to drinking water.’ Warrington Green Party is warning residents of the ‘risks’ fracking could have on drinking water if an end is not brought to the process. Warrington Guardian, United Kingdom. 16 June 2015.
Job losses in UK’s North Sea raise skills and safety concerns. Cost-cutting in Britain’s North Sea oil and gas sector could lead to more acute skills shortages in future, industry experts have warned, with some expressing concerns that safety could be compromised. Reuters. 16 June 2015.
… Saudi Arabia has blocked attempts to negotiate an even tougher global warming target to prevent dangerous climate change — as well as proposals for more research on this — during the latest…
Thousands of people from snowboarders and surfers to bee keepers and nuns are set to converge on Parliament to urge their MPs to back strong action on climate change. The mass lobby is today calling…
Paris climate summit must be start of frequent carbon reviews, says IEA. The crunch climate change conference to take place in Paris later this year must be the beginning of a new process of five-yearly meetings, rather than a one-off, the world’s energy watchdog has warned. The Guardian. 16 June 2015.
Climate report ‘introduces sobriety’ to Paris talks. Recent pledges by individual nations to cut greenhouse gases would buy the world only a little time - roughly 8 months - before it continues on its current course of global warming, the International Energy Agency said Monday in a new report. Science. 16 June 2015.
Every country is now pledging to tackle CO2 emissions. It’s still not enough. if the world wants to stay below 2°C of global warming these pledges are only a first step. Countries will have to do a whole lot more than they’re currently promising. And the IEA has a few ideas for what “do a whole lot more” might entail. Vox. 16 June 2015.
China ‘deserves more credit’ for renewable energy effort. Maria van der Hoeven says most people think that China is frantically building coal-fired power stations. The reality, she says, is that China is spending as much as the U.S. and Europe put together on clean power. BBC. 16 June 2015.
China, EU in pledge to get Paris climate deal. China, the world’s biggest polluter, will sign a joint pledge with the European Union this month to seek a UN agreement to tackle climate change as one of “the greatest threats facing humanity,” according to a draft statement. Reuters. 16 June 2015.
By 2019, millionaire households will control about half (46 percent) of the world’s private wealth, according to…
Q&A: Dr. Ben Santer’s climate crusade comes to Minnesota. By all accounts, Dr. Ben Santer is a brilliant atmospheric scientist who wound up on the sharp end of attacks by climate change deniers who ruthlessly — and unsuccessfully — pillaged his research and career. Midwest Energy News, United States. 16 June 2015.
Pope Francis climate change encyclical ‘leak’ condemned as ‘act of sabotage.’ Vatican insists 192-page document is not final draft of highly anticipated letter on global warming, calling its publication by Espresso magazine a “heinous act”. The Telegraph, United Kingdom. 16 June 2015.
Pope Francis calls for climate action in draft of encyclical. In the leaked 192-page document, posted by an Italian magazine, the pope offers a broad vision of an endangered planet and partly blames human activity for global warming. New York Times. 16 June 2015.
Pope Francis blasts global warming deniers in leaked draft of encyclical. A draft of a major environmental document by Pope Francis says “the bulk of global warming” is caused by human activity and calls on people to take steps to mitigate the damage by reducing consumption and reliance on fossil fuels. Washington Post. 16 June 2015.
God’s work: Meet the woman turning evangelicals into environmentalists. A politically progressive Episcopalian who believes that preventing the wholesale meltdown of the planet lies at the core of Christianity, Anna Jane Joyner is helping revamp how global warming realities are communicated to conservative Christians. Rolling Stone. 16 June 2015.
What do manatees have to do with Obama’s climate agenda? Jim Inhofe and Rob Bishop are joining forces in an attempt to sink President Obama’s climate agenda, using the unlikeliest of weapons: manatees. National Journal. 16 June 2015.
Senate GOP bill combats Obama environmental agenda
… aimed at reining in Obama administration actions on endangered species, ozone standards, “fracking” on federal lands, and new clean water rules. Senate Democrats, meanwhile, praised a $47…
House GOP threatens to subpoena State Department for Keystone docs. The move comes amid a larger battle over transparency between
Republicans and the State Department, including over key moves made during Hillary Clinton’s tenure. National Journal. 16 June 2015.
Congressional Republicans split over climate, social science spending. Republicans control both houses of Congress, but they don’t speak with one voice when it comes to funding research at the National Science Foundation, NASA, and other agencies. Science. 16 June 2015.
You may not believe this, but Donald Trump may have started his run as president with highly…
Heilemann: Donald Trump Must Be in the Debates
Jun 16 -Bloomberg Politics’ Mark Halperin and John Heilemann break down billionaire Donald Trump’s announcement speech for his 2016 presidential run at Trump Tower in New York.
Boy, it sure is crazy that Donald Trump is running for president! Especially since that dude is always saying such crazy things all the time – Mother Jones rounded up 13 stellar examples of the…
The Democratic National Committee had a clever response to Donald Trump’s announcement that he is…
Can John Kasich get past Jeb Bush?
The Dispatch public affairs team talks politics and tackles state and federal government issues in the Buckeye Forum podcast. Your Right to Know Here’s a look at what is happening in Ohio government…
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who announced his presidential campaign Monday afternoon, has been touted as one…
In his first official day on the presidential campaign trail on Tuesday, Republican Jeb Bush, a Catholic, had sharp words on Pope Francis’ decision to leap into the climate change debate, saying the…
Jeb crosses swords with Vatican as Pope Francis prepares to link global warming with energy use and western lifestyles: ‘I don’t get economic policy from my bishops or my cardinals or my pope’ Bush…
Pew survey: 71 percent of Catholics believe in gl…
… Catholic Republicans agree (24 percent). These numbers closely resemble those who believe global warming is a very serious problem: 46 percent of the general public agrees with that notion,…
On climate change, ideological and partisan polar…
Later this week, Pope Francis will reportedly make a moral case for combating climate change, arguing that it is mostly a problem created by humans and that we must make fundamental lifestyle and…
Wisconsin board allows staff to work on global wa…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin board that banned its employees from working on global warming issues has backtracked and will now simply prohibit them from advocating on climate change policy. The…
Rep. Babin introduces bill to restrict United Nat…
Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Brian Babin has introduced legislation (H.R. 2757) to prohibit any taxpayer funds from being voluntarily donated to the United Nations (U.N.) or U.N. related…
… Republicans voted against the rule setting up floor debate for the trade package known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership last week and now three will have to pay a price. Reps. Cynthia Lummis (WY),…
WASHINGTON - The New York Times reports: “Congressional Republican leaders and White House officials on Monday explored ways to resurrect trade legislation that stalled last week when House Democrats…
US lawmakers extend deadline for TPP-related trad…
In the latest twist to the TPP saga in Washington DC, the House of Representatives has voted to extend the window for the crucial trade bill. Legislators voted 236-189 to extend through to July 30…
With a major trade deal’s future in doubt, a Democratic former Treasury Secretary warns that the current standoff…
Trade rebuff fuels doubts on Obama bid to counter…
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at a ceremony celebrating graduating seniors of the White House Leadership and Mentorship Program at the White House in Washington June 15, 2015.
President Obama made a rare visit to Capitol Hill on Friday in a last-ditch effort to rescue his free trade agenda. He gave a short speech and took no questions, urging the House Democratic caucus to…
Sea Change: Citizens Beat Wall Street And Multina…
Something unusual happened Friday. Regular Americans were able to beat Wall Street and the giant corporations in Congress, winning a battle over “fast tracking” so-called “trade” agreements. This sort…
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka speaks against the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact in a May 18 speech in Portland, Ore. If the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal isn’t revived in the next few…
There’s a growing recognition within the legal community that the ISDS provisions of treaties like NAFTA, TPP, many..
A parade of senior Clinton advisers appeared on the Sunday talk shows this morning and to a person delivered…
Hillary Was for Trade Before She Was Against It
Hillary Clinton has taken a very nuanced position on the trade debate. But none would call it outright support of the president. Which, even if you don’t understand exactly where she is today, is not…
The Clintons did not have great wealth when they established the foundation in 2001. That was the year that Bill Clinton moved out of the White House; at the time, according to Hillary, they were “dead broke.” What better way to pile up some dough than set up a foundation, and ask their friends and political allies to support it – and them?
Two new polls show presidential candidate Hillary Clinton might not have the cakewalk to the…
How Math Is Making Our Highways Crumble
Welcome to the world of zero. We’ve grown used to lots of zeros these days: zero inflation (in Europe and Japan) and near-zero interest rates (at least if you’re a U.S. bank, though it’s less than zero if you’re in Europe). And now, get used to zero public investment. Yes, the U.S. government invests in nothing - in our roads, bridges or buildings.
Every year, 5,000 to 9,000 tons of coal mined from the rugged hills of Tamaqua in northeast Pennsylvania is loaded onto railcars and shipped to Rotterdam. From there, the coal is moved by barge, railcar or truck to a storage facility in a remote part of Germany.
Killing the Colorado: End of the miracle machines. The Navajo Generating Station is more a caution than a marvel, showing how much energy it takes to move water through an artificial river system, and the unforeseen damage produced by doing so. ProPublica, Matter. 16 June 2015.
A thirsty Colorado is battling over who owns raindrops. The debate over collecting rain in barrels, which is illegal in the state, is a microcosm of fights across the region over who should get to keep using water and who should have to cut back. New York Times. 16 June 2015.
Feds: Pennsylvania ‘substantially off track’ in Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts. Pennsylvania is “substantially off track” in meeting its goals to reduce agriculture-based nitrogen and dirt polluting the Chesapeake Bay, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. Lancaster Intelligencer Journal, Pennsylvania. 16 June 2015.
Humanity is rapidly depleting a third of the world’s largest groundwater aquifers, with the top three most stressed groundwater basins in the political hotspots of the Middle East, the border region between India and Pakistan, and the Murzuk-Djado Basin in northern Africa. Making matters worse, researchers say in a pair of new studies, we don’t know how much water is left in these massive aquifers — which water resources scientists often refer to as Earth’s water savings accounts.
Study: A third of global groundwater basins are o…
IRVINE, Calif. (AP) - Satellite data show people are overdrawing water from some of the world’s largest groundwater basins. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine say it’s unclear how…
Attention, Viagra users of Columbus: Don’t drink the water. In a large swath of the city and its suburbs, pregnant women and babies younger than 6
months of age have been advised to avoid the tap. In a warning well-designed to titillate headline writers, another group landed on the don’t-drink-the-water list: Viagra users. Mother Jones. 16 June 2015.
Virginia, coal country for centuries, now embraces carbon regulations. The state has been moving away from coal-fired electricity for the past decade, and the effects of climate change already has its attention. InsideClimate News. 16 June 2015.
COLUMBIA - Solar panels and other forms of Renewable Energy are increasing in popularity nationwide. In Missouri, a cash-rebate program offers an incentive for people to install solar panels on their…
U.S. researchers are reporting breakthroughs in artificial photosynthesis that could result in a new source of…
Sandoval announces electric car chargers between …
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Gov. Brian Sandoval is announcing a plan to install electric car charging stations at regular intervals on the lonely stretch of road between Las Vegas and Reno. Sandoval and…
Electric Highway to link Northern and Southern Ne…
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Businesses or government entities along U.S. Route 95 between Las Vegas and Reno have the opportunity to participate in electrifying Nevada’s highways. NV…
When it comes to fast-charging options for electric-car drivers, Tesla’s Supercharger stations are already among the quickest. At the recent Tesla Motors shareholder meeting…
… spores from soil bacteria. Video screenshot by Danny Gallagher/CNET When you hear the terms “Renewable Energy” or “alternative energy,” images of wind farms. biofuels or Ed Begley Jr. on a…
Report details path to clean energy for West Virginia. West Virginia could improve energy efficiency, expand renewable generation of electricity and increase its reliance on natural gas as part of an “all-of-the-above” plan to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to curb greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, according to a new analysis released on Monday. Charleston Gazette, West Virginia. 16 June 2015.
Battles over fixed charges proliferate across Midwest in wake of Wisconsin cases. Beer, cheese and Harleys. These are a few of the things for which Wisconsin is best-known among visitors. For dozens of Midwest utility regulators who gathered here last week, the state is also increasingly recognized as ground zero for a fractious debate over rooftop solar and fixed charges on utility bills. EnergyWire. 16 June 2015
World’s ‘thinnest’ light bulb, made from graphene, debuts. The quest for the better light bulb has taken yet another leap. This time, nanotechnology derives light from atom-thin strips of one of the world’s strongest materials: graphene. National Geographic News. 16 June 2015.
Power line developer agrees to pay $284 million to help environment. A project that would bring Canadian hydropower to New England by
submerging a cable under Lake Champlain has cleared a major hurdle by settling environmental concerns with a powerful advocacy group. Boston Globe, Massachusetts. 16 June 2015.
How do you bring electricity to 620 million people? Sub-Saharan Africa needs a more reliable energy supply. The way it chooses to meet that need will affect the entire planet. Ensia. 16 June 2015.
This plane runs on sun and is about to smash some records. Solar Impulse 2 runs entirely off solar power, stored in four large batteries that allow it to fly through the night. Its solar-paneled wings stretch wider than a Boeing 747’s but the ultra-light plane carries just one traveler: the pilot. Bloomberg Business. 16 June 2015.
Germany, home of the ‘energy revolution,’ is flubbing energy efficiency. Few economists are as well-informed about energy efficiency policies as Peter Hennicke of Germany. It is distressing, then, to hear him speak of “dangerous errors” made by German politicians who, he said, still mostly view energy savings as a suspect, second-tier issue unworthy of a robust budget or bold market intervention. ClimateWire. 16 June 2015.
Groups related to the biomass industry band together to challenge press coverage. Frustrated by what they see as skewed news coverage of biomass, a coalition of forest industry groups is attacking media outlets, charging that reporters are giving free rein to environmentalists’ critiques of wood-fired power generation. ClimateWire. 16 June 2015.
How many Earths do we need? It has been suggested that if everyone on the planet consumed as much as the average U.S. citizen, four Earths would be needed to sustain them. But where does this claim originate, and how is it calculated? BBC. 16 June 2015.
… reports that some of the glacial lakes are threatened due to the impacts of climate change and global warming. According to a report published by Gorkhapatra daily, a state-run newspaper, 21…
Texas communities embrace ‘toilet-to-tap’ water: Will California follow suit? As the historic drought that has gripped the state of California for four years drags on, Golden State officials are grasping for innovative solutions and eyeing Texas’s foray into toilet-to-tap water with keen interest. Christian Science Monitor. 16 June 2015.
Why did large dinosaurs avoid the tropics? Paleontologists reconstructed the climate and ecology of Triassic New Mexico to explain a strange absence of dinosaurs near the equator. Christian Science Monitor. 16 June 2015.
4.3C temperature jump from climate change by 2100. The International Energy Agency on Monday warned that temperatures could jump by as much as 4.3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century and urged countries to improve their pledges on reducing emissions. Discovery Channel. 16 June 2015.
Red crabs blanket Orange County beaches. Experts said the crabs - which are about 1 to 3 inches long, too small to make for good eating - haven’t been seen in the area for decades. It’s the warm water that has brought them here; they normally live in Baja California. Orange County Register, California. 16 June 2015.
Texas at grave risk of even more flooding due to rare ‘brown ocean’ effect. A tropical weather system may pull off something few such storms do: intensify after moving inland. Mashable. 16 June 2015.
Closing Day Watch: Arapahoe Basin Closes Out Season After 237 Days of Skiing
Since opening on October 17, 2014, Arapahoe Basin has been turning the lifts for 237 days this season. In total, A-Basin received 338 inches of
Edition, NPR. 16 June 2015.
Alaska wildfire destroys dozens of homes, menaces highway. A fast-spreading Alaska wildfire has destroyed up to 45 homes and forced authorities to restrict traffic on a major highway connecting two of the state’s largest cities, state officials said on Monday. Reuters. 16 June 2015.
Dog taken by rogue wave a ‘victim of climate change.‘ A Jack Russell terrier swept under big waves near St Clair was a victim of rising tides and climate change, her owner says. New Zealand Herald. 16 June 2015.
Crops and Climate: Plants Will Suffer as Earth Warms (Op-Ed)
Marlene Cimons writes for Climate Nexus, a nonprofit that aims to tell the climate story in innovative ways that raise awareness of, dispel misinformation about and showcase solutions to climate change and…
The latest global temperature data are breaking records. Just today, NASA released its global temperature data for the month of May 2015. It was a scorching 0.71°C (1.3°F) above the long-term average. It is also the hottest first five months of any year ever recorded. The Guardian. 16 June 2015.
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