2008 Lieberman-Warner-Carper pro-nuclear amendment likely starting point for current industry money grabs and regulatory rollbacks

An amendment to the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill of 2008 is a likely starting place for current efforts to further subsidize the nuclear power industry and rollback "meddlesome" safety regulations. The Lieberman-Warner climate bill died a sudden death, when Senate Republicans filibustered it in June 2008. However, the pro-nuclear omnibus amendment would have been the first that Republicans, joined by Indpendent Lieberman and Democrat Carper, would have offered to the bill. A national coalition of environmental groups, including Beyond Nuclear, opposed the pro-nuclear amendment, taking a firm stand against any further taxpayer subsidies for the nuclear power industry.

The clear case against nuclear

Jonathon Porritt, who chaired the Sustainable Develoment Commission in Britain that argued against nuclear expansion, makes a clear case in The Guardian as to why nuclear will derail meaningful efforts to employ conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. After making the case for the renewable route, Porritt concludes that making the nuclear choice instead will:

"undoubtedly slow investment in new renewables. It will reassure politicians that they don't have to do the heavy lifting required to put energy efficiency at the heart of any strategy. It will weaken efforts to move towards localised distributed energy solutions (why else do you think the industry and pro-nuclear civil servants fought so hard against feed-in tariffs for so many years?), and it will "lock us in" to today's hugely inefficient generation and transmission system for the next 40 years or so.

"And the tragedy is it won't make much difference anyway – even if the reactors do eventually get built after inevitable delay. If every OECD country follows this route, instead of pursuing the alternative mapped out above, then emissions of greenhouse gases will keep rising at a dangerously fast level, average temperatures will soar, the Greenland ice cap will melt far faster than anticipated – and all those shiny new reactors will be several metres under water. Oh, for a little bit of realism."

Lester Brown see progress on energy

In an excellent Oulook piece in the September 20, 2009 edition of the Washington Post, Lester Brown, in self-admitted uncharacteristically optimistic mode, lays out the progress already made in carbon emissions reduction and the rising, and positive contribution renewable energy is already making to offset the effects of climate change. The article is a virtual handbook of essential facts for all advocates of renewable energy and, since it is about meaningful contributions to reducing carbon emissions, does not mention nuclear power at all.

Join Energy Action Coalition for Sep 21 "Wake-Up Call"

A message from Energy Action Coalition, the student environmental action network:

"Last week we experienced a real wake-up call in this country.

"We've organized our communities, we've fought to make our campuses models of the clean energy future, and we've rocked the vote. But when it comes to national policy, our work is far from over.

"Over the weekend, Van Jones, green jobs champion and special adviser to the White House resigned after weeks of harassment by Glenn Beck and Fox News. He resigned in the spirit of keeping the focus on the real fight in front of us. Van's resignation is difficult for us all to swallow -- but it's also a wake-up call to our movement. Now's our chance to channel our confusion, frustration & anger, by standing up for the vision of clean energy jobs to which Van has dedicated his life's work.

"That's why, on September 21, we are excited to deliver our leaders a "Wake-Up Call" of their own. Folks everywhere are getting together in public places for "Wake-Up Call" flash-mob events, pressing for bold action on climate & clean energy jobs this year. "

Join the "Wake-Up Call!"
 

UAE unlikely home for zero carbon/zero waste city

The oil-rich United Arab Emirates plans to showcase the world's first zero carbon emissions and zero waste producing city. Masdar City will become a "laboratory" to find the best ways to harnass renewable and sustainable energy. The UAE is also to be the headquarters of the recently created International Renewable Energy Agency.