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This is worth the read. Reprinted:
ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: April 23, 2009
For more than a decade the Global Climate Coalition, a group representing industries with profits tied to fossil fuels, led an aggressive lobbying and public relations campaign against the idea that emissions of heat-trapping gases could lead to global warming.
For the rest of the article:
NY Times
NY Times: Industry Ignored Its Scientists on Climate
It's a very long weekend in the Florida Legislature
This weekend the Florida House and the Senate are reportedly working over time to balance the budget and put forth a large amount of work that they held off until the bitter end. From drilling for oil off the coast, to an elusive energy bill, the House is walking a crooked path. The Senate is just one step ahead with their energy bill, but has yet to form an opinion on off-shore drilling.
In addition to that, both the House and the Senate are considering a bill that would make it much harder for the poor, the young, and the elderly to vote by making the identification requirements harder than they are now.
The fact that most of the legislation was introduced so late in the session is the most troubling to me. There was no time to prepare, investigate, or raise an objection. It's like tearing a tree down on a Friday night without a permit and then begging for forgiveness Monday morning. Is this what we want out of our Representatives? Do they really represent us? Or are they behaving like they know what's best for us?
My weekend is filled with preparing to go back to Tallahassee to see what can be done during the last scheduled week of the session. With me goes a group of elected delegates who are offering their support for renewable energy and the environment. Mayors and city officials who feel differently than the House and the Senate.
We need to take a hard look at who we chose to represent us and make sure that we are truly being represented.
Happy weekend everybody!
Florida's renewable energy future slipping away
With only 9 working days left in this legislative session, the Florida House of Representatives is not doing enough to protect the future of Florida. Time is running out. Something needs to be done now. Please read this article and take note on what is happening:
Florida’s renewable energy future slipping away
Posted using ShareThis
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Reprinted:
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
The Associated Press
Saturday, April 18, 2009; 6:49 AM
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says he will make a decision in the coming weeks on whether to overturn a controversial Bush administration regulation that limits the reach of the Endangered Species Act.
The outgoing administration finalized a rule in December that allows federal agencies to issue permits for mining, logging and other activities without consulting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service about endangered wildlife and plants.
To read more, follow this link: Washington Post
(Full Disclosure: The gifter is a personal friend of mine. Go Joe!)
Kleenex is still cutting down ancient forrests.
It's long over due that corporate responsibility becomes a priority to it's customers. Having a soft tissue should not equate cutting down our forests. Deforestation is a major cause of climate change. Kimberly Clark, the makers of Kleenex, knows this. We know this. Now we know that Kleenex is ignoring this. We need to stand up and demand that Kimberly Clark stop trading our future for their product.
Senator King expains the Clean Energy Bill to Carson Cooper on Florida Mattters
Carson Cooper interviews Senator King about the Renewable Portfolio Standard(RPS) that Senator king has renamed "Clean Energy Portfolio". Listen as he explains why it includes nuclear energy and puts a cap on solar.
The program then continues on to talk about Feed-in Tariffs for solar energy. Listen here:
Florida Matters - Radio Broadcast:Renewable Energy podcast
**Florida Matters advertised Governor Crist for this program. But no mention was made of Governor Crist during the program.
Listen up Floridians - the sea levels will rise if we don't do something now.
If you are thinking that rise sea levels won't effect you, take a look at this map for the southern half of the great state of Florida.
Click on this link to see what will happen to your favorite beaches:
Rising Seas
Even Warren Buffet is smart enough to invest in Renewable Energy...
Why aren't we?
We are no longer leading in this world. We are missing an opportunity to take the lead, and yet all we can focus on is playing catch up. Give a minute to listen to a key point from our President. This is where he is headed and this is why we should follow him!
Green Cities Conference
If you are in need to connect with a really good GREEN conference, then planning on going to the Green Cities Conference in Orlando, May 19-21,2009.
Reprinted from thier site:
"Green Cities: The Best Investment to Grow Business, Save Money and Enhance Community!
Florida stands on the cusp of a tremendous emergence in clean technology, water conservation, green building, innovative business growth and wise land use planning. New legislation and executive orders from Governor Crist mandating CO2 reductions are driving Florida's need for green education and preparing the way for green jobs.
This is the year to focus on best practices to save money, conserve resources and balance the economy. Join Florida's Business, Government and Community leaders at the conference event focused on sustainable practices and design.
The Green Cities™ conference will demystify 'sustainability' and provide you with tools, steps and resources from top experts and educators. You will walk away with green strategies that will transform the way you think, live, manage business and govern in Florida.
When: May 19-21, 2009
Where: The Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL
What: An innovative sustainability conference for business, government and community
To find out who will be appearing at the conference, go to:
Green Cities Conference
Posted using ShareThis
Florida's renewable energy future - a no-brainer!
This past Tuesday, I spent my day walking the halls of the Florida State Capitol. During one of my appointments with a Representative, I was heard to exclaim, "developing a renewable energy program is a no-brainer." His response was, "the one thing I've learned here is there is no such thing as a no-brainer, just no brains." As I look back upon this past week. I know what he means.
This legislative session, both the Florida House and Senate are working on their own version of a program called the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). This is a program that will require the utility companies to get 20% of their energy from renewable energy sources, like solar, wind, and biomass by the year 2020. These were conservative goals set up by Governor Crist to help reduce the amount of CO2 that we release into the air at an ungodly rate each day. It will also help us become energy independent and fight Global Warming.
Also in consideration is the Feed-in Tariff program (FIT), or as some people like to call it - the Feed-in Dividend program (FID). It is a program that is currently in place in Gainesville, Florida. It requires utility companies to purchase renewable energy from customers who have set up solar panels on their homes, businesses, warehouses, and farms at a rate higher than what the utility company charges it's customers. The customers of the utility company help off set the cost of the program by paying a nominal fee each month (right now Gainesville charges the monthly rate of 72 cents). This program not only supports the RPS, but also promotes more people to get involved in renewable energy by off-setting the cost of the equipment. The program is controlled by a contract that is in place for an average of 20 years. It is supported by lending institutions and renewable energy manufacturers that are eager to do business in Florida.
The reason that the FIT program is being used in Gainesville, and not the rest of the state, is because Gainesville has a municipal utility company that is run by the city. The people of Gainesville voted to have the FIT program put in place after they say how successful it was in other parts of the world, like Germany and Spain. Both Germany and Spain have not only significantly reduced their amount of CO2 (which helps combat Global Warming), but they have also promoted the growth of a renewable energy industry that has done wonders for their economy and their energy independence.
The reason that the FIT program needs legislation is because a very large part of Florida get it's energy from utility companies that are investor-owned utilities, such as Florida Power and Light (FPL) and Progress Energy. These utility companies are set up to make money for their investors and their customers have no say in how they do that. Legislation is the only way the people can have a say in how they get their energy.
If you are concerned that the utility companies will suffer and then pass on the cost to their customers, you can check out a recent post in the Sun Sentinel that shows how profitable working for a utility can be.
And that brings me back to the beginning. If it's good for the state and the people who live here, then who is fighting against these programs. Well, it shouldn't take you long to figure out it's the utility companies themselves. A great deal of money is being spent on lobbyists who represent the utilities in their fight to keep these mandates from happening. Not because they are against renewable energy, FPL is building the largest solar field in the US right in the center of our state, but because they want to remain in control of our energy. What most people don't realize is that very much like the stock market, the buying and selling of energy is where the profit is, not in the production. Keeping the legislature out of the mix will be only in the best interest of the investors.
So when does the best interest of the people become more important than the best interest of the utility companies? Right now. We have only three weeks left in this current session. The Senate has already modified the RPS to include nuclear and clean coal. The House hasn't introduced anything as of yet. There is a strong possibility that nothing will happen and then we will have to wait another year and start all over again. In the end, the utility companies will win, even by default. And the longer it takes Floridians to join the 28 other states that have an RPS in place, the greater the loss will be for the people of this state.
So now it's time to do your part. Let you voices be heard. Don't bother with emails, they only get lost in a tally. Pick up the phone or write a letter; let your representatives know what is important to you. Don't let this session pass without a vote on RPS and FIT. Demand that Floridians should have a say in where they get their energy. Let your voices be heard now.
Florida House
Florida Senate
Balancing Renewable Energy Projects & Public Lands Stewardship
It's a fine balance between progress and preservation. If we destroy what we are trying to protect, then what was the point? You can read about the same issues happening in England, where they are planning on building a 10 mile long, �19bn, 8.5GW hydroelectric tidal barrage across an enormous river estuary? It would produce 5% of the UK's total energy requirements, and it is reported that it would be the biggest renewable project in the world, if it were to be built. But the problem is with the birds and the fish that will be impacted. Now the fight goes on to decide the balance. Is the greater good the underlining argument when we put at risk other vital elements of our eco-system?
http://www.thenilonreport.com/2009/01/environmentalist-dichotomy-severn.html
About Green Living
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Generating energy when you fly a kite!
Wind is the second largest renewable resource, next to solar. See how flying a kite can generate enough energy to power 5 homes. Saul Griffith explains the possibilities.
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