Policy

Changing the Climate Conversation to Conservation

Changing the Climate Conversation to Conservation

This post makes the argument that changing the conversation about global warming — a conversation that has become politically charged — into a conversation about energy conservation, which will not cause immediate and sometimes hostile reactions that speaking about climate change does, is a more effective strategy to pursue for those concerned about climate change. […]

When Cities and Wetlands Collide

When Cities and Wetlands Collide

Describes the winning entry in the recent Gowanus Lowline Competition. The winning entry, which is described encapsulates the kind of far sighted bio-mimetic and bio-symbiotic urban design our country needs. Reading this post is like reading a how to book on healing the earth; and in particular healing the brownfield urban wastelands, very often built over per-existing wetlands.

Do Oil Companies Pay Their Fair Share?

Do Oil Companies Pay Their Fair Share?

This post argues that the massive subsidies, mostly in the form of tax breaks, which the oil companies have long been getting are distorting our economy and causing it harm. By giving all these special subsidies and protections for the fossil fuel industry we hurt innovation here at home and our countries long term global competitiveness.

Barack Obama: A Mediocre Energy President

Barack Obama: A Mediocre Energy President

Critique of the Obama presidency’s energy policies. This post makes the painfully accurate point that the Obama administration has essentially given the big Wall Street bankers a free pass and has bailed them out and shielded them from having to bear the consequences of their greed driven risky investments; while at the same time he is attacking the domestic US oil industry.

Energy Policy by Crisis

Energy Policy by Crisis

Talks about a sobering scenario, called Oil Shock Wave played out at the National Summit on Energy Security that simulated a cabinet level crisis meeting following an oil supply disruption that illustrated the profound dependence of our society to imported crude oil and all the vulnerabilities that result from that unhealthy dependence.

Energy Issues Could Help Define the 2012 Republican Primary

Energy Issues Could Help Define the 2012 Republican Primary

Argues that energy and environmental issues, and the candidate stances on them, will play a large role in the 2012 presidential election. While president Obama’s position may be well known, for most Americans the platforms of the Republican candidates are just now coming into focus.

The Solar Soldier Is No Fad

The Solar Soldier Is No Fad

Describes how the US military is pushing ahead with a leading edge adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, and how the boost provided may help open up markets for renewable energy. If the military diverts billions of dollars from finite fuels to solar, wind and biomass technologies, it could become a game-changer in the domestic energy market.

Brown to Green: A New Use For Blighted Industrial Sites

Brown to Green: A New Use For Blighted Industrial Sites

Few places in the U.S. are as well suited to developing renewable energy as the contaminated sites known as “brownfields.” But as communities from Philadelphia to California are discovering, government support is critical to enable solar and wind entrepreneurs to make use of these abandoned lands.

Government Agencies Required to Go 95% Green on All Purchases

Government Agencies Required to Go 95% Green on All Purchases

Two days ago, the Federal Acquisition Regulations Council released an interim rule on green procurement, requiring that the head of each agency ensure that 95 percent of new contract actions are for products and services that are energy efficient, water efficient, bio-based, environmentally preferable or non-ozone depleting, adhering to criteria set out by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department. The agencies also must aim to procure items that contain recycled content and are nontoxic.

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