- EC - lists.cheatlakeclear.org

Coal to challenge oil's dominance by 2017, says IEA | EurActiv
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 21 Mar '13

21 Mar '13

http://www.euractiv.com/energy/coal-challenge-oils-dominance-20-news-516748…

1 0

CO2 graphics
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 17 Mar '13

17 Mar '13

http://grist.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/information-is-beautiful-co2-graph…

1 0

EPA Green House Gases Mobile Website
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 14 Mar '13

14 Mar '13

http://ghgdata.epa.gov/ghgp/home-screen.htm

1 0

fyi, new book on energy efficiency (review in E-Magazine)
by Paul Wilson 12 Mar '13

12 Mar '13

MARCH/APRIL 2013 ISSUE Magazine <http://www.emagazine.com/magazine/> : Books<http://www.emagazine.com/article/category/books> - Print - Email <http://www.emagazine.com/includes/email-a-friend/9831> - ShareThis ------------------------------ The Efficiency NightmareA Review of *The Efficiency Trap: Finding a Better Way to Achieve a Sustainable Energy Future* by Steve Hallett March 1, 2013 | Brita Belli<http://www.emagazine.com/author/guest/brita-belli/> | green book <http://www.emagazine.com/topic/green+book> - - - In *The Efficiency Trap: Finding a Better Way to Achieve a Sustainable Energy Future* (Prometheus Books), author*Steve Hallett *challenges the almighty quest for efficiency, asking “What if the virtuous Prius driver consumes more energy than the jerk in the Hummer?” Hallett, an associate professor at Purdue University, calls efficiency “the worst nightmare of the environmental movement.” He starts at the beginning of civilization, tying each efficient step forward in human history to its environmental consequence. Advanced weapons brought the downfall of megafauna; efficient wood harvesting meant forest depletion. >From fossil fuels—on which two-thirds of the world’s energy depends—to fast transportation, to exploding monoculture crops, more efficient production, Hallett argues, comes with devastating environmental consequences. But could the Hummer really be greener than the Prius? Not in terms of emissions, but the total life cycle of each vehicle tells a different story. Drawing on data from CNW Marketing Research, he notes that manufacturing costs for the Prius are high because it uses more advanced materials that are shipped from various parts of the world. What’s more, it relies on a nickel-halide battery, and nickel mining and smelting carries a heavy pollution cost. Battery disposal is also an environmental problem. Hallett doesn’t conclude that the Hummer is a greener vehicle, but that neither vehicle is a real win for the environment. *The Efficiency Trap* successfully shifts the conversation away from efficiency as an end-all-be-all to advocate for more livable cities, hydroelectricity over solar and wind, sustainable farming in place of consolidated mega-farms and a return to mom and pop stores. Hallett concludes that the only solution to unlocking the efficiency trap is to embrace sustainability on all fronts—to mimic the natural world, in other words, and adapt already. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

2 1

FW: Obama to Speak at Big-Ticket Democratic Summit
by Beth Little 11 Mar '13

11 Mar '13

So if we had $50,000, we might get Obama's ear. I'm getting more and more disgusted with our "democracy." From: Newsmax.com [mailto:newsmax@reply.newsmax.com] Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 6:07 PM To: blittle(a)citynet.net Subject: Obama to Speak at Big-Ticket Democratic Summit Image removed by sender. Image removed by sender. Newsmax.com Breaking from Newsmax.com Obama to Speak at Organizing for Action Summit President Barack Obama will speak Wednesday night to donors and Democratic activists who are building support for a nonprofit group formed to promote his agenda. Two people involved in the planning confirmed the president's speech to the founders' summit of Organizing for Action, which was first reported by Politico Monday morning. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the event planned at a Washington hotel has not yet been officially announced. The two-day meeting will include addresses by OFA chairman Jim Messina, a former White House aide who served as campaign manager for Obama's re-election; David Plouffe, a former White House senior adviser and Obama's 2008 campaign manager; and Jon Carson, a former White House official and the group's executive director. Organizing for Action is being run by former Obama advisers who have transformed his re-election campaign into a grassroots machine to support his initiatives. The group is raising millions from donors and generating support among activists for issues such as gun control and an immigration overhaul. A contribution form for the conference said tickets cost $50,000 per person. <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6CRaZjBVaE-sK4qpFdHGGuvE3LfxfvAK&http://www.newsm ax.com/Politics/Obama-Outside-Group/2013/03/11/id/494131?s=al&promo_code=12B FD-1> Read More Here Editor's Notes: ObamaCare: <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6CR.1lZx9F2g65tyFq1GfuKJxLfxfvAK&https://www.news maxstore.com/nm_mag/obamacare2.cfm?s=al&promo_code=12BFD-1> How You Can Benefit -Best-Selling Book, ONLY $4.95! <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6CRa1lZVa2ngK5Kp7SHDGFKExLftJv1K&http://w3.newsma x.com/newsletters/air/awakening_video.cfm?s=al&promo_code=12BFD-1> Professor Loses $1.5 Million in Market - But Bounces Back! (Here's How) <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6Cv.1lBX922gZ5NphSvDGuvJ3LexJIAK&http://www.medix select.tv/bactipro/?src=L1826&s=al&promo_code=12BFD-1> The Benefits of Probiotics: Fact or Fiction? <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6CvaZjBaaESaB4qyFSADGFvJtlftJIAK&http://www.newsm ax.com/social?utm_source=FB&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sm_pg> Image removed by sender. Facebook <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6CRaZlZxaEnaB5Nd7KvEG2vEDrftfv1K&http://www.newsm ax.com/social?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sm_pg> Image removed by sender. Twitter <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6Cv.1jBX9FSgZ5qo7KHEG2vEtlexfv1K&http://www.newsm ax.com/social?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sm_pg> Image removed by sender. YouTube <http://news.newsmax.com/default.aspx?KBCva1jBa92ngBCNo7qvDGuHU3rftfIAK> Image removed by sender. Forward to a Friend This email is never sent unsolicited. You have received this Newsmax email because you subscribed to it or someone forwarded it to you. To opt out, see the links below. _____ TO ADVERTISE _____ For information on advertising, please contact Newsmax Advertising Sales <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6Cv.ZjZagESsZ5to7KvGnuKRxrftfvAK&http://w3.newsma x.com/emailform.cfm?recipient=Ad%20Copy> via email. _____ TO SUBSCRIBE _____ If this email has been forwarded to you and you would like to sign up, please click here <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6CR.ZjBVgESXZ5to7KHGGEKUxlftJI1K&http://w3.newsma x.com/emails/nm_signup.cfm> . Remove <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6CvaZlBX7EngK5qdFSvDeuvJDlftfI1K&http://w3.newsma x.com/emails/profile/unsubscribe/index.cfm?email_address=blittle(a)citynet.net &esp_job_id=1507508> your email address from our list or modify <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6Cva1jBaaF-gZ5td7SvEeuvEtlftfIAK&http://w3.newsma x.com/emails/profile/index.cfm?email_address=blittle(a)citynet.net&esp_job_id= 1507508> your profile. We respect your right to privacy. View <http://news.newsmax.com/?K6CR.1jZxgF-g64Ko7KvGnEKRxlexfI1K&http://www.newsm ax.com/privacy/> our policy. This email was sent by: Newsmax.com 1501 Northpoint Parkway, Suite 104 West Palm Beach, FL 33407 USA 1507508 12BFD-1 Image removed by sender. _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.2904 / Virus Database: 2641/6164 - Release Date: 03/11/13

3 2

FW: Beyond Mountaintop Removal & Fracking: United for the Future of West Virginia
by Yarnell, Karen 11 Mar '13

11 Mar '13

This is the day after E Day at the Capitol. ________________________________ From: Mathew Louis-Rosenberg [snollygaster(a)gmail.com] Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 12:13 PM To: ndy"Vivian Stockman"; dianne bady; Dustin White; Maria Gunnoe; Andrew Munn; Bill Price; Chuck Wyrostok; DONNA BRANHAM; Cathy Kunkel; Stacy Gloss; deniseap(a)earthlink.net; Yarnell, Karen; Angie Rosser; Laura Steepleton; debbie jarrell; Vernon Haltom; Kim; Rob Goodwin; Robin Blakeman; Joe Solomon; Junior Walk; cindy rank Subject: Beyond Mountaintop Removal & Fracking: United for the Future of West Virginia Hey folks, Some of us have been talking about responding to the terrible legislative session with a good old fashioned protest. This week is Mountain Justice Spring Break in WV and the Sierra Club's "Mining Week" in their "100 Days of Action" campaign. So we've been spreading the word about meeting up at the Capitol this Friday at 11 am. Below is some text for an Action Alert. If your organizations would be willing to send this out today or tomorrow that would be really helpful, especially to Charleston area residents and folks directly impacted by fracking or strip mining. Thanks so much! Mat Join us this Friday in Charleston for a rally to demand a bright future for West Virginia - not one that caters to the destruction of our mountains and fracking of our waters. Our state is in a critical moment. We have a choice. We can double down on destructive and declining coal industry and another boom and bust energy industry or we can chart a new path to a diverse, healthy, sustainable economy. Instead of embracing calls to create a Citizens Advisory Council on Economic Diversification<http://rampscampaign.org/wv-residents-supporters-attempt-to-deliver-letter-…>, a WV Future Fund<http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2011/12/13/report-w-va-severance-taxe…> or job-creating energy efficiency policies<http://www.eewv.org/why-energy-efficiency-is-critical-for-wv>, our corrupt politicians have been championing corporate interests. From the attempt to rollback selenium standards, the new threats to sue the EPA , and the continued refusal to address the damage hydrofracking is doing across our state, the government of West Virginia has shown us where they stand. They stand side by side with the big money interests and the destructive industries of gas and coal. It's time for us to stand together -- the movements rising to save our communities from the onslaughts on mountain blasting for coal and fracking for gas. We're outraged, and sick and tired of being sick from nasty chemicals in our water and tired of asking for the peoples' voices to matter. It's our time to show the WV government where our interests are: in the health and well-being for all of our communities. It is beyond time we demand that our state government work for the benefit of all West Virginians. Join us this Friday, March 15th at 11 am in the CAPITOL COURTYARD where we will take our demands straight inside to these corrupt politicians. No more fracking, no more strip mining! We want a new economy for our state. One that doesn't trade clean air, clean water, and the health of our people for a handful of jobs that won't last. One that doesn't devastate our communities with boom and bust economic cycles and can provide safe, healthy jobs for generations to come. It has never been more clear that our government is failing us. Join us this Friday outside the statehouse to show your resolve for a future worth fighting for.

1 0

FW: [New post] Corporate Whiners Whine, Herholdt Cowers
by Frank Young 11 Mar '13

11 Mar '13

"This is not bringing in the other energy sources," Herholdt said. "We're not <co >incentivizing renewables with this portfolio." And "We're the only state that has an alternative portfolio standard that would be met with 100 percent coal," Herholdt said. http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/03/11/corporate-whiners-whine-herholdt-cowe rs/ _____ From: The Power Line [mailto:comment-reply@wordpress.com] Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 9:22 AM To: fyoung(a)mountain.net Subject: [New post] Corporate Whiners Whine, Herholdt Cowers Bill posted: "Last week, at the coal industry whine fest, WV Division of Energy director Jeff Herholdt seems to have spent his time cringing among the corporate alpha males, ever faithful to their every whim. In Ken Ward's Gazette story, Herholdt finally comes clean" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on The Power Line <http://s.wordpress.com/i/emails/blavatar-default.png> <http://calhounpowerline.com/author/ourlinksblog/> <http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/03/11/corporate-whiners-whine-herholdt-cow ers/> Corporate Whiners Whine, Herholdt Cowers by <http://calhounpowerline.com/author/ourlinksblog/> Bill Last week, at the coal industry whine fest, WV Division of Energy director Jeff Herholdt seems to have spent his time cringing among the corporate alpha males, ever faithful to their every whim. In Ken Ward's Gazette story, Herholdt finally comes clean about the purpose of the WV Alternative and Renewable Portfolio Standard: Herholdt assured coal industry officials that the state's "alternative energy portfolio" requirement would have very little impact on coal production or use. "This is not bringing in the other energy sources," Herholdt said. "We're not <co >incentivizing renewables with this portfolio." Herholdt said that many other states are saying they won't want coal-fired power, and having an "alternative portfolio" standard on the books is as much as public relations effort by the state as anything else. and "We're the only state that has an alternative portfolio standard that would be met with 100 percent coal," Herholdt said. Gosh. Ya think? Finally, a WV government official drops the "all of the above" BS that Manchin has blathered since he introduced his ARPS bill in the 2009 legislative session. <http://forreliablepower.com/1/post/2011/12/manchinwv-legislature-fraud-now- here-for-all-to-see.html> And I have been saying exactly what Herholdt revealed for years now. In <http://www.statejournal.com/story/16212389/power-to-come-from-existing-plan ts-despite-a-call-for-greater-use-of-renewables> a 2011 story over at Grounded, Pam Kasey came to the same conclusion: If anyone thought having a renewable energy portfolio standard in West Virginia would mean more wind or hydroelectric or solar generation facilities in the state, they were wrong. As the last of six utility plans for compliance with the 2009 Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard are under review for approval by the Public Service Commission, the results are basically in. The major utilities will meet the state's requirements through 2025 with no new generation. So when a politician tries to tell you that the ARPS is "WV's cap and trade" (as did many Republicans in the 2012 election) or that the ARPS will lead to a renewable renaissance in WV (as did many Democrats) just remember Mr. Herholdt bragging about how WV can meet all of its ARPS targets "with 100 percent coal." <http://calhounpowerline.com/author/ourlinksblog/> Bill | March 11, 2013 at 8:22 am | Tags: <http://calhounpowerline.com/?tag=wv-legislature> WV Legislature, <http://calhounpowerline.com/?tag=wv-psc> WV PSC | Categories: <http://calhounpowerline.com/?cat=1> Uncategorized | URL: <http://wp.me/piwFb-1La> http://wp.me/piwFb-1La <http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/03/11/corporate-whiners-whine-herholdt-cow ers/#respond> Comment <http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/03/11/corporate-whiners-whine-herholdt-cow ers/#comments> See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at <https://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=973223b16743effc39ef5047389b30e8&email =fyoung%40mountain.net> Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: <http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/03/11/corporate-whiners-whine-herholdt-cow ers/> http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/03/11/corporate-whiners-whine-herholdt-cowe rs/ <http://wordpress.com> Thanks for flying with WordPress.com <http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=calhounpowerline.wordpress.com&blog=4 415465&post=6768&subd=calhounpowerline&ref=&email=1&email_o=wpcom>

1 0

Fwd: WVNS story: "Wave" of Bills at Legislature Would Weaken State Water Quality
by Paul Wilson 11 Mar '13

11 Mar '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Public News Service <wvns(a)newsservice.org> Date: Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 5:17 AM Subject: WVNS story: "Wave" of Bills at Legislature Would Weaken State Water Quality To: PaulWilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> "Wave" of Bills at Legislature Would Weaken State Water Quality Dan Heyman, Public News Service-WV http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/31281-1 Join the discussion: facebook.com/PublicNewsService<http://www.facebook.com/PublicNewsService> Twitter: @pns_news <http://twitter.com/#!/pns_news> @pns_WV<http://twitter.com/#!/pns_WV> Google+: plus.to/publicnewsservice <http://plus.google.com/106260479325451709866> (03/11/13) CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Water quality advocates and environmentalists are concerned about a wave of proposals the legislature is considering that would weaken state clean water protections. Don Garvin, legislative coordinator, West Virginia Environmental Council, pointed to bills to allow more selenium, aluminum and beryllium in West Virginia's water, and said there are separate proposals to loosen the rules on treating run-off, especially from abandoned surface mines and mountaintop removal sites. Allies of the mining industry won a lot of seats in the last election, Garvin noted. "The legislature this session is a different legislature," he said. "There's a lot more pressure being put on, by the coal industry in particular, because they have the votes." State selenium limits helped force Patriot Coal to give up mountaintop removal last fall, Garvin said, so it is no coincidence some lawmakers now want to loosen those regulations. The state Department of Environmental Protection is also asking to change aluminum and beryllium limits without going through the normal rulemaking process. Garvin said it's a fake emergency. "The only emergency in the DEP's proposed emergency rule appears to be that our water is too clean," he charged. According to Garvin, none of the bills even try to deal with a basic truth about the future of the industry: The easy-to-reach coal has been mined out. He said coal mining has entered a long, slow decline in central Appalachia, but few are willing to face that reality. "The reality is that the cheap coal is gone," he said, "and it's long past time to be talking about a post-coal economy." The industry has argued it needs to be able to pollute more in order to stay profitable and maintain employment levels. Garvin noted that even if the state's water rules are loosened, they will still have to meet federal health and environmental standards. Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/31281-1<http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/31281-1> --- To be removed from this list please send an e-mail to remove(a)publicnewsservice.org <remove(a)publicnewsservice.org?subject=remove>and put the word "remove" in the subject line. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

Help needed (was: [WVaPATH] IRP and EERS bills in WV legislature
by James Kotcon 07 Mar '13

07 Mar '13

These energy efficiency bills are high priorities for the WV Chapter, and we need to get our members calling their delegates, especially on House Judiciary and Gov. Org. This is direct lobbying, so would anyone want to take a try at preparing a Convio alert on this? See details form Bill Howley below, that could be most of the alert! Jim Kotcon >>> Bill Howley <billhowley(a)hughes.net> 3/7/2013 7:57 AM >>> Well, my last email focused only on the new Integrated Resource Planning bill, HB 2803, but I'm going to add another bill in this email. Energy Efficient West Virginia (EEWV) is the main organization pushing these two bills. EEWV is using a two pronged attack with these two bills at this point. It would be great if we could pass both the IRP bill and the EERS (more on that in a minute) bill, but if we got either one through this year, it would be a significant victory and a real benefit to our state's energy situation. So, the Energy Efficiency Resource Standard bill, HB 2210, was introduced by Delegates Mike Manypenny, Barbara Fleischauer and Nancy Guthrie. The bill would establish specific targets that WV power companies would have to meet for reducing overall electricity demand in the coming years. The EERS bill would have to potential to have a bigger impact on reducing demand than the IRP bill would, because the EERS bill sets specific targets. We had thought that the IRP bill had more chance of passing this year, but it now looks as though we might get a workable agreement, if only with AEP, on very good compromise wording on the EERS bill. That's why I am including the EERS bill in this action request. The EERS bill, HB 2210, is now in the House Judiciary Committee. Del. Tim Miley, the committee chair, strongly supports the bill and is actively working to move it forward. His email address is tim.miley(a)wvhouse.gov, and his office phone number is (304) 340-3252. Please contact him and ask him to put HB2210 on his committee's agenda for a vote. As I noted in my last email, HB 2803, the IRP bill is in House Government Organization. Del. Jim Morgan is chair of Gov Org. Please contact Del. Morgan and tell him you want him to put HB 2803 on his committee's agenda for a vote. His email address is delegatejim(a)aol.com, and his phone number is (304) 340-3192. EEWV has done a great job putting simple and clear information about both bills on their Web site. Each bill has its own page with links to the current bill text, videos from a legislative hearing last year in which the speakers do a great job of explaining both IRP and EERS, as well as concise fact sheets with facts that you might want to use in your contacts with legislators. Here's the link to the page on HB 2803, the IRP bill. Here's the link to the page on HB 2210, the EERS bill. EEWV has already generated quite a bit of email to legislators, so let's send a second wave of PATH fighters. I have a phone conference this morning with Cathy and Stacy and the other EEWV people, and I hope to be able to get you the contact lists for all the Gov Org and Judiciary members within a day or so. But start today by contacting Del. Miley about HB 2210 and Del. Morgan about HB 2803 -- Bill Howley Research -- PO Box 3 -- Chloe, WV 25235 -- 304-655-8255 __._,_.___Reply to sender Reply to group Start a New Topic Recent Activity: Visit Your Group Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use • Send us Feedback . __,_._,___

1 0

Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Fwd: Natural Gas Bombshell: Switching From Coal to Gas Increases Warming for Decades, Has Minimal Benefit Even in 2100
by Paul Wilson 04 Mar '13

04 Mar '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ivy Main <ivymain(a)cox.net> Date: Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 12:34 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Fwd: Natural Gas Bombshell: Switching From Coal to Gas Increases Warming for Decades, Has Minimal Benefit Even in 2100 To: #Coal <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org>, coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org More evidence that we must keep up the pressure for efficiency, wind and solar and not settle for utilities switching from coal to gas. **** http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/09/09/315845/natural-gas-switching-fr… **** **** **** *Natural Gas Bombshell: Switching From Coal to Gas Increases Warming for Decades, Has Minimal Benefit Even in 2100<http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/09/09/315845/natural-gas-switching-fr…> ***** **** By Joe Romm <http://thinkprogress.org/author/joe/> on Sep 9, 2011 at 5:01 pm **** **** *A BRIDGE FUEL TO NOWHERE***** **** A stunning new study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) concludes:**** **** In summary, our results show that the substitution of gas for coal as an energy source results in increased rather than decreased global warming for many decades….**** **** [image: http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/coal-v-methane.jpg]<http://www2.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/news/2011/coal-v-methane.jpg> **** **** Coal, natural gas, and climate: Shifting from coal to natural gas would have limited impacts on climate, new research indicates. If methane leaks from natural gas operations could be kept to 2.5% or less, the increase in global temperatures would be reduced by about 0.1 degree Celsius by 2100. Note this is a figure of temperature change relative to baseline warming of roughly 3°C (5.4°F) in 2100. Click to Enlarge.**** **** The fact that natural gas is a bridge fuel to nowhere was first shown by the International Energy Agency in its big June report on gas — see I<http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/07/238578/iea-golden-age-of-natural-g…>EA’s “Golden Age of Gas Scenario” Leads to More Than 6°F Warming and Out-of-Control Climate Change<http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/07/238578/iea-golden-age-of-natural-g…>. That study — which had both coal and oil consumption peaking in 2020 — made abundantly clear that if we want to avoid catastrophic warming, we need to start getting off of all fossil fuels.**** **** But what NCAR’s new study adds is more detailed modeling of all contributors to climate change from fossil fuel combustion — positive and negative. The study is here<http://www.springerlink.com/content/b430681263425q64/> [they just eliminated the subscription requirement], the news release is here.<http://www2.ucar.edu/news/5292/switching-coal-natural-gas-would-do-little-g…> It’s by senior research associate Tom Wigley, one of the country’s leading experts on climate modeling.**** **** “Relying more on natural gas would reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, but it would do little to help solve the climate problem,” says Wigley, who is also an adjunct professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia. “It would be many decades before it would slow down global warming at all, and even then it would just be making a difference around the edges.”**** **** Wigley’s analysis is the first to include all of the relevant climate factors:**** **** We consider a scenario where a fraction of coal usage is replaced by natural gas (i.e., methane, CH4) over a given time period, and where a percentage of the gas production is assumed to leak into the atmosphere. The additional CH4 from leakage adds to the radiative forcing of the climate system, offsetting the reduction in CO2 forcing that accompanies the transition from coal to gas. We also consider the effects of methane leakage from coal mining; changes in radiative forcing due to changes in the emissions of sulfur dioxide and carbonaceous aerosols; and differences in the efficiency of electricity production between coal- and gas-fired power generation. On balance, these factors more than offset the reduction in warming due to reduced CO2 emissions.**** **** In the main scenario in the paper, natural gas use soars and coal use drops from 2010 to 2050 before rising again slowly. In the “Supplementary Material,” Wigley runs a sensitivity analysis where natural gas actually replaces coal entirely by 2050. The results are virtually identical — there’s extra warming through 2050 and by 2100 the total reduction in warming is slightly under 0.1°C.**** **** Wigley’s warming in 2100 is “only” 3°C (though it just keeps warming and hits 4°C a few decades later). Other models show 2100 warming closer to 4°C or 5°C (see M<http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2009/05/20/204131/mit-doubles-global-warming-…>.I.T. doubles its 2095 warming projection to 10°F — with 866 ppm and Arctic warming of 20°F<http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2009/05/20/204131/mit-doubles-global-warming-…>). Either way, the switch to gas accomplishes little or nothing.**** **** A key finding of the NCAR study is:**** **** In summary, our results show that the substitution of gas for coal as an energy source results in increased rather than decreased global warming for many decades — out to the mid 22nd century for the 10% leakage case. This is in accord with Hayhoe et al. (2002) and with the less well established claims of Howarth et al. (2011) who base their analysis on Global Warming Potentials rather than direct modeling of the climate….**** **** The most important result, however, in accord with the above authors, is that, unless leakage rates for new methane can be kept below 2%, substituting gas for coal is not an effective means for reducing the magnitude of future climate change.**** **** What is the leakage rate for methane? Well, as I’ve written, we don’t know exactly because the gas companies won’t release all of their data. We do know that total life-cycle leakage and fugitive emissions from extraction, production, transport, and consumption is higher for shale gas than conventional gas.**** **** The controversial — but peer-reviewed — paper by Cornell’s Robert Howarth, which I wrote about here<http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/04/12/207875/shal-gas-bridge-fuel/>, seeks to quantify the impact of the leakage from the best available data. It concluded:**** **** Natural gas is composed largely of methane, and 3.6% to 7.9% of the methane from shale-gas production escapes to the atmosphere in venting and leaks over the life-time of a well. These methane emissions are at least 30% more than and perhaps more than twice as great as those from conventional gas. The higher emissions from shale gas occur at the time wells are hydraulically fractured — as methane escapes from flow-back return fluids — and during drill out following the fracturing. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential that is far greater than that of carbon dioxide, particularly over the time horizon of the first few decades following emission.**** **** I wrote about the “response” by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the DOE’s premier fossil fuel lab, here<http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/05/25/208173/is-natural-gas-cleaner-than…>. NETL throws dozens of numbers at the reader — and averages in shale gas with conventional gas — to obfuscate the issue. But even NETL concedes that fugitive emissions comprise 1.7% of all natural gas extracted — and point source losses (vented or flared) comprised 2.4% of gas extracted. Shale gas, in their analysis, appears to have 30% higher global warming potential for extraction and delivery, so clearly total losses are higher — much higher than 2%.**** **** I would note that legitimate claims are being made now that the lifetimes of many new shale gas wells have been overstated considerably — see “Analysis: U.S. Shale Gas Industry Reserves Are Over Stated at Least 100 Percent<http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/08/05/289389/stunning-analysis-u-s-shale…>.” If so, this would again suggest that total life-cycle emissions relative to total production may be higher than people have suspected for unconventional gas.**** **** ClimateWire <http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2011/09/09/>(subs. req’d) quotes Howarth, who is a professor of ecology and environmental biology, that the switch from coal to gas has been “overhyped”:**** **** It’s time to move on truly green energy technologies — solar, wind — and to place a much greater emphasis on energy efficiency.**** **** Can’t argue with that.**** **** Reid Detchon, executive director of the Energy Future Coalition is quoted saying:**** **** Certainly the carbon benefit was a major consideration in wanting to consider a switch from coal to gas. The Wigley analysis makes it clear that simply switching from coal to gas is not going to get the job done.”*** * **** Detchon calls for developing carbon capture mechanisms for natural gas, which should be a priority for the industry, but don’t hold your breath.**** **** BOTTOM LINE: If you want to have a serious chance at averting catastrophic global warming, then we need to start phasing out all fossil fuels as soon as possible. Natural gas isn’t a bridge fuel from a climate perspective. Carbon-free power is the bridge fuel until we can figure out how to go carbon negative on a large scale in the second half of the century.**** **** Since this is an NCAR study, let me end by pointing out that last year NCAR published a complete literature review of “Drought under global warming” (see here<http://climateprogress.org/2010/10/20/ncar-daidrought-under-global-warming-…>). That study makes clear that Dust-Bowlification may be the impact of human-caused climate change that hits the most people by mid-century, as the figure below suggests (click to enlarge, “a reading of -4 or below is considered extreme drought”):**** [image: drought map 3 2060-2069]<http://www2.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/news/2010/2060-2069wOceanLabels.jpg> **** **** The PDSI [Palmer Drought Severity Index] in the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl apparently spiked very briefly to -6, but otherwise rarely exceeded -3 for the decade (see here<http://www.atmos.umd.edu/%7Ealfredo/bguan_final.pdf> ).**** **** The large-scale pattern shown in Figure 11<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wcc.81/full#fig11> [of which the figure above is part] appears to be a robust response to increased GHGs. This is very alarming because if the drying is anything resembling Figure 11<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wcc.81/full#fig11>, a very large population will be severely affected in the coming decades over the whole United States, southern Europe, Southeast Asia, Brazil, Chile, Australia, and most of Africa.**** **** The National Center for Atmospheric Research notes “By the end of the century, many populated areas, including parts of the United States, could face readings in the range of -8 to -10, and much of the Mediterranean could fall to -15 to -20. Such readings would be almost unprecedented.”**** **** Texas is currently at a PDSI of -7.75, close to its record of -7.8 in September 1956 – see Hell and High Water Stoke Texas Blaze: “No One on the Face of This Earth has Ever Fought Fires in These Extreme Conditions”<http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/09/06/312811/hell-and-high-water-fires-e…> **** For the record, the NCAR study merely models the IPCC’s “moderate” A1B scenario — atmospheric concentrations of CO2 around 520 ppm in 2050 and 700 in 2100, which looks close to what Wigley modeled. If this is the Golden Age of Gas, then it must be describing the color of the dust.**** **** ** ** ** ** **** __._,_.___**** **** Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional Change settings via the Web<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zerowastesa/join;_ylc=X3oDMTJnbTZrbTczBF9TAzk…> (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest<zerowastesa-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest> | Switch to Fully Featured<zerowastesa-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20Format:%20Fully%20Featured> Visit Your Group <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zerowastesa;_ylc=X3oDMTJlbXZlaWd1BF9TAzk3NDc2…> | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>| Unsubscribe <zerowastesa-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>*** * **** __,_._,___**** -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ZWTeamLdrs" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to zwteamldrs+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. **** -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

Fwd: Webinar Reminder: Discover U.S. Manufacturing Opportunities in the Solar Energy Industry
by Paul Wilson 25 Feb '13

25 Feb '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Linda Nielsen <LindaN(a)bgafoundation.org> Date: Mon, Feb 25, 2013 at 11:18 AM Subject: Webinar Reminder: Discover U.S. Manufacturing Opportunities in the Solar Energy Industry To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com ** [image: Webinar Series: Manufacturing Opportunities in Clean Energy Markets]<http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mHVh46dQu7u9P7wJwj4qKaUSDIL…> *February 27th Solar Supply Chain Manufacturing Opportunities* The global solar industry is expected to see double-digit installation growth in 2013, and it is expected to surpass wind in the United States. This webinar will explore current market trends and potential opportunities in the solar supply chain. You’ll have an opportunity to hear from experts in clean energy and solar. The presenters have toured OEMs and interviewed solar industry suppliers, and they will provide highlights applicable to U.S. manufacturing. Presentations will be made by: - Doug Hall, U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative’s Photovoltaic Manufacturing Initiative - Alexander Winn, The Solar Foundation - Dale Reckman of CEMC/GLWN - Jim Haider of CEMC/Montana Manufacturing Center This webinar has been designed specifically for MEP Centers and manufacturing companies and provides potential diversification and growth opportunities for manufacturing companies. Date: Wednesday, February 27 Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET Cost: February Webinar is Free Webinar Link <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=IB%2B0DgyvLIlFcUKe5WbGuKUSD…>Password: CEMC Call in Number: 1-866-469-3239 Meeting Number: 730 783 016 Note: Maximum attendance is 200. If maximum is reached, the webinar will be re-run. This webinars is made possible by: [image: DOE] *For more information about upcoming webinars or other CEMC services, please contact Linda Nielsen at **lindan(a)thecemc.com or visit our website at **www.thecemc.com<http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4rWxx5JNda6dw8kdNM9si6USDIL…> .* **** [image: Copyright BlueGreen Alliance Foundation] UNSUBSCRIBE<http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=y4AXK%2BmHp4hu0DPrZcwL%2BqU…> | DONATE<http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=r6eorA2qAFyXhD1jsv5%2BnSmK0…> [image: empowered by Salsa] <http://www.salsalabs.com/?email> ** -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Fw: Daily Graphic - Powerful statement against oil subsidies
by James Kotcon 23 Feb '13

23 Feb '13

FYI. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: CRAIG L. <alanskoalas(a)yahoo.com> Date: Sat, Feb 23, 2013 at 12:50 PM Subject: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Fw: Daily Graphic - Powerful statement against oil subsidies To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)lists.sierraclub.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/

1 0

Another sign of the apocalypse: Coal is making a comeback in the U.S. | Grist
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 21 Feb '13

21 Feb '13

http://grist.org/news/another-sign-of-the-apocalypse-coal-is-making-a-comeb…

1 0

Brand new! 2012 LCV Scorecard
by James Kotcon 20 Feb '13

20 Feb '13

See the WV delegation at: http://scorecard.lcv.org/ JBK

2 1

FW: Music for the Monument - Join us and get free artwork!
by Yarnell, Karen 20 Feb '13

20 Feb '13

Friends of wild places, As a board member of the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition, I'd like to invite you to a special event in celebration of the Birthplace of Rivers National Monument<http://www.birthplaceofrivers.org/> initiative and West Virginia's rich musical heritage. The citizen campaign to preserve the Birthplace of Rivers area of the Monongahela National Forest aims to establish the only National Monument in the Mountain State, and would protect an area of recreational, ecological and cultural significance, while bringing sustainable economic benefits to mountain communities. Please join us at the Irish Pub in downtown Lewisburg on Friday, February 22nd at 8 p.m. to celebrate this historic initiative and enjoy a sampling of some of the Greenbrier Valley's best traditional Appalachian music. Hear the sounds of Patrick O'Flaherty until 9p.m., followed by The Hell for Certain String Band, Allegheny Hellbenders and more! The event is sponsored by the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition and the Greenbrier River Watershed Association. Come out to learn about the great work these organizations do to protect our area's public lands and water resources. There is no charge for the event, but donations in support of our efforts are much-appreciated. Simply pay what you can and enjoy a fun evening of music and advocacy. Video: Greenbrier County fiddler Dennis Ott explains why preservation of the Birthplace of Rivers' landscape is connected to preservation of our musical roots<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vARFrzZ4Q-k> Special offer: For a limited time, supporters contributing $50 or more will receive a free 13"x19" hand-printed poster (image attached), compliments of WVWC Executive Director Mike Costello and Printedappalachia.com<http://www.printedappalachia.com/>. These original prints come straight from a hand-carved linoleum block, and retail for $30. Get yours today by contributing to WVWC's National Monument efforts! Can't attend the event in Lewisburg, but still wish to contribute (and receive your complimentary, hand-printed poster)? No problem. WVWC gladly accepts contributions via PayPal! Visit the link to make your tax-deductible donation, and receive your gift in the mail.<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=AE2ADY…> Thank you for your continued support of our efforts to save the Mountain State's wild places! I hope to see you at the Irish Pub next week!

1 0

Fwd: Webinar Announcement: Discover U.S. Manufacturing Opportunities in the Solar Energy Industry
by Paul Wilson 20 Feb '13

20 Feb '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Linda Nielsen <LindaN(a)bgafoundation.org> Date: Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 10:42 AM Subject: Webinar Announcement: Discover U.S. Manufacturing Opportunities in the Solar Energy Industry To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com ** [image: Webinar Series: Manufacturing Opportunities in Clean Energy Markets]<http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=yBjGPp6ZtzvT5lLZRM3wtLkmoB9…> *February 27th Solar Supply Chain Manufacturing Opportunities* The global solar industry is expected to see double-digit installation growth in 2013, and it is expected to surpass wind in the United States. This webinar will explore current market trends and potential opportunities in the solar supply chain. You’ll have an opportunity to hear from experts in clean energy and solar. The presenters have toured OEMs and interviewed solar industry suppliers, and they will provide highlights applicable to U.S. manufacturing. Presentations will be made by: - Doug Hall, U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative’s Photovoltaic Manufacturing Initiative - Alexander Winn, The Solar Foundation - Dale Reckman of CEMC/GLWN - Jim Haider of CEMC/Montana Manufacturing Center This webinar has been designed specifically for MEP Centers and manufacturing companies and provides potential diversification and growth opportunities for manufacturing companies. Date: Wednesday, February 27 Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET Cost: February Webinar is Free Webinar Link <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=gDyS4ytpDuGYVSHdyxepbbkmoB9…>Password: CEMC Call in Number: 1-866-469-3239 Meeting Number: 730 783 016 Note: Maximum attendance is 200. If maximum is reached, the webinar will be re-run. This webinars is made possible by: [image: DOE] [image: SEIA] **** [image: Copyright BlueGreen Alliance Foundation] UNSUBSCRIBE<http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=OV3T0rIA7C2B0vzbfaW0MbkmoB9…> | DONATE<http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=G8a5HRz%2Ft2Rpc47KhvJ6%2Fbk…> [image: empowered by Salsa] <http://www.salsalabs.com/?email> ** -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

More bad news, Court ruling on Mingo County Coal to liquid plant
by James Kotcon 20 Feb '13

20 Feb '13

The attached ruling on the air permit for the TransGas Coal-to-liquids plant sides with the Air Quality Board. It rules on procedural issues only, and concludes that the permit, as modified to meet the objections of the AQB, is valid. Jim Kotcon

1 0

Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Fwd: Calculating the Nation's Annual Energy Efficiency Investments
by James Kotcon 19 Feb '13

19 Feb '13

Here is a link to a new study from ACEEE linking energy efficiency and costs. Anyone interested in talking knowledgeably on this issue should read this one. Please share widely. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ned Ford <Ned.Ford(a)fuse.net> Date: Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 12:21 PM Subject: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Fwd: Calculating the Nation's Annual Energy Efficiency Investments To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)lists.sierraclub.org This combines utility efficiency programs, which I think are the most powerful tool available to us, with the Federal Appliance Standards, which save more energy in the long run, but only get expanded when utility programs and other developments have done their work first. I hope it will be of interest to some of you. - Ned NEWS RELEASE Media Contact: Patrick Kiker 202.507.4043 ( tel:202.507.4043 ) pkiker(a)aceee.org Calculating the Nation's Annual Energy Efficiency Investments Today ACEEE released a new report, Calculating the Nation's Annual Energy Efficiency Investments ( http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001HDC1HJAbWod18HK3WB10s_SWcWXhAHnEihOhtLOJOWwf… ), that looks at spending in 2010 (the latest year for which data is available) in the U.S. on energy efficiency goods and services such as energy efficiency program expenditures, sales of ENERGY STAR products, investments in building efficiency improvements, repairs and new construction, trends in manufacturing energy use and investments, and sales of efficient vehicles. We found that the incremental cost of advancement in energy efficiency (e.g., upgrading from an average refrigerator to an ENERGY STAR model) was $72-$101 billion in 2010, and has delivered about three times the level of new energy services as conventional energy supply ($170 billion). To read the fact sheet summarizing the report visit: http://aceee.org/fact-sheet/energy-efficiency-investment ( http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001HDC1HJAbWoderpPVPgBFnoLsfDTW9hxNgjcOo88j2glS… ) To read the report visit: http://aceee.org/research-report/e133 ( http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001HDC1HJAbWod18HK3WB10s_SWcWXhAHnEihOhtLOJOWwf… ) To continue reading the blog post visit: http://aceee.org/blog/2013/02/americans-invest-big-energy-efficienc ( http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001HDC1HJAbWoe48vUNJ8jcdczFWu8nIqgRYo03fDV2v5BK… ) About the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: ACEEE acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. For information about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, visit aceee.org ( http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001HDC1HJAbWocCjwtVKujihXrazOBqzN4qOIPZoGQdv5a9… ). ### Forward email ( http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=4rt7cun6&m=1011065179711&ea=n… ) ( http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001QKZ15G27mHOwq-0UltPLdH29B… ) This email was sent to ned.ford(a)fuse.net by aceeenews(a)aceee.org | Update Profile/Email Address ( http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&mse=001QKZ15G27mHOwq-0UltPLdH29B… ) | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe ( http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001QKZ15G27mHOwq-0UltPLdH29B… )™ | Privacy Policy ( http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp ). ACEEE | 529 14th Street., N.W. | Suite 600 | Washington | DC | 20045 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp

1 0

Fwd: So much love
by Jim Sconyers 17 Feb '13

17 Feb '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bill McKibben - 350.org <organizers(a)350.org> Date: Sun, Feb 17, 2013 at 8:25 PM Subject: So much love To: Jim Sconyers <jimscon(a)gmail.com> Friends, Today was the day. Finally, powerfully, decisively -- the movement to stop climate change has come together. *This was the biggest climate change rally in US history.* By our count, 50,000 people gathered by the Washington Monument and then marched past the White House, demanding that President Obama block the Keystone XL pipeline and move forward toward climate action. <http://act.350.org/go/2748?t=1&akid=2744.570617.GUe0l-> (Click here to share this on Facebook<http://act.350.org/go/2748?t=2&akid=2744.570617.GUe0l-> ) There were many high points: Van Jones declaring that Keystone is the only presidential decision anyone will care about in 20 years; billionaire investor Tom Steyer laying out why it's a bad investment; Chief Jackie Thomas explaining the toll that the tar sands are taking on her neighbors, and promising that they would never allow a tar sands pipeline west to the Pacific. *But the real highlight was you.* Movements aren’t about leaders (though without Michael Brune of the Sierra Club, or Rev. Lennox Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus, this day would not have come off). Movements are about people — about all of us who put aside the things we have to do because we understand that the future is at stake. To see so many people make this a priority on a day when it would have been much easier (and warmer) to stay inside says a lot. We are making plans to put the momentum of this historic day to use, and you'll hear about them very soon -- but for now, I just want to say thank you to everyone who came to DC, everyone who gathered in the solidarity rallies around the country, and everyone who sent their good wishes and prayers. *You are the movement, and the movement is our best chance at making a difference on climate change.* With so much love, Bill McKibben, for 350.org ------------------------------ 350.org is building a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Connect with us on Facebook <http://facebook.com/350.org> and Twitter<http://twitter.com/350>, and sign up for email alerts <http://350.org/signup?akid=2744.570617.GUe0l->. You can help power our work by getting involved locally, sharing your story<http://local.350.org/stories/?akid=2744.570617.GUe0l->, and donating here. <http://350.org/donate?akid=2744.570617.GUe0l-> ** *To stop receiving emails from 350.org, click here.<http://act.350.org/cms/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=3&akid=2744.570617.GUe0l-> * * * -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

1 0

Profound
by Beth Little 17 Feb '13

17 Feb '13

Be sure to page down and play the video. http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2013/02/you-cant-frack-your-way-out-of-g lobal.html

1 0

Fwd: Digest for wva-sun@googlegroups.com - 9 Messages in 2 Topics
by James Kotcon 16 Feb '13

16 Feb '13

SB 185 is the Governor's "Alternative-Fuel Motor Vehicle tax credit" bill. It eliminates the existing tax credits for biofuels, electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, and even "coal-derived liquid fuels". Tax credits for "Alternative-fuel" vehicles would be limited to natural gas and liquified petroleum gas. This is an aggressive attack on renewables in the transportation sector and would help to lock in fossil fuels. The same bill in the House is House Bill 2506. It has been assigned to the Roads and Transportation Committee, Margaret Staggers is Chair. Jim Kotcon >>> wva-sun(a)googlegroups.com> 2/16/2013 12:17 PM >> ( mailto:wva-sun@googlegroups.com ) SB 185 ( http://groups.google.com/group/wva-sun/t/48ab5358b7ac8f07 ) John Christensen <john(a)mtvsolar.com> Feb 16 09:50AM -0500 Read it and weep, here is the governor's bill to "fix" the alternatively fueled infrastructure and vehicle Tax Credit. Not exactly what we were hoping instead we got a shot over the bow so to speak. John http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb185%20int… -- *John Christensen* *Government Affairs and Advocacy Mountain View Solar 410-499-4873 cell 304-258-4733 office* *www.mtvsolar.com When the sun shines my meter runs in a positive direction! How about yours? *

1 0

Fw: "Power Hour" in Morgantown re: energy efficiency in WV
by Sally Wilts 14 Feb '13

14 Feb '13

excellent opportunity to distribute postcards ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Walton Shepherd <wshepher(a)mix.wvu.edu> To: sallywilts(a)yahoo.com Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 9:58 PM Subject: Re: "Power Hour" in Morgantown re: energy efficiency in WV Sorry! Here's the attachment... On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 9:56 PM, Walton Shepherd <wshepher(a)mix.wvu.edu> wrote: Hello Sally, > >I was given your name by Cathy Kunkle at EEWV, because in two weeks we're holding a "Power Hour" to educate informed citizens on the poor coal-related decisions our power company has made, why that has led to higher power bills and more pollution, and most importantly what we can do about it. In particular is the attempt by MonPower to buy a 40-year old coal plant and stick us with the bill. > >Would you be able to help spread the word? Details are below and attached, and I will also have a Facebook page soon. This meeting will cover some pretty great "big picture" stuff that I know will be of interest to you and to your members. > >Please call or email me when you have a moment if you would like to discuss next steps, or what I could do to help you in any way. > > >Thank you for your work, and I hope to meet you! > > >W. Chris Shepherd >304.206.7907 > > > >Morgantown Power Hour: >Wednesday, February 27, 6 PM at the Morgantown Library >373 Spruce Street, Room A > >Why is my power bill going up, up, UP? > >Because MonPower wants you to pay UP for buying an old coal plant that will cost us $1.7 BILLION DOLLARS, while it refuses to invest in energy efficiency that would make your bill go DOWN. > >So what are we to do about this $1.7 billion in higher power bills? > > >SAY NO TO PRICEY OLD POWER PLANTS, >AND YES TO EFFICIENCY. > > > > >Learn how you can advocate for common-sense solutions like energy efficiency that will save you money and avoid more rate hikes by avoiding the unnecessary cost of buying yet another old coal power plant. > > >MonPower, your electric monopoly, is planning to purchase an expensive 40-year old coal plant, while refusing to invest instead in energy efficiency programs to meet our power needs, even though energy efficiency is a far cheaper way to meet energy needs when compared to buying an antiquated coal plant for $1.7 BILLION DOLLARS. > > >It’s just common sense that we should increase our energy efficiency first, instead of letting MonPower stick the tab of an old, multi-billion dollar coal plant onto our power bills. > > There are two bills in the legislature this session that would result in the better and less expensive investment in energy efficiency - learn how you can help support these pieces of legislation, which will make your bill go DOWN, not UP like your power company is hoping for.

1 0

Fwd: Why Bill McKibben is risking arrest again
by Jim Sconyers 13 Feb '13

13 Feb '13

I guess this tells us what the plan was for Mike Brune and Allison Chin to get arrested at the White House. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: May Boeve - 350.org <organizers(a)350.org> Date: Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 9:58 AM Subject: Why Bill McKibben is risking arrest again To: Jim Sconyers <jimscon(a)gmail.com> Dear friends, Right now, 50 or so of our friends and allies are on their way to risk arrest at the White House to encourage President Obama say no to the Keystone XL pipeline. If he is serious about his words last night in the State of the Union, stopping the pipeline is the first and simplest way for him to show it. Among the group at the White House today are people whose homes and communities are affected by the pipeline; who have suffered the impacts of extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy; who lead companies in the clean energy economy; who lead advocacy organizations, and who lead communities of faith. Each of them tell part of the story of climate change: its causes, impacts, and solutions -- as well as the movement to stop it. Together, they are delivering a message to President Obama. *I am inspired by these stories, and our web team has set up a page where you can read some of them, and share them with your social networks to show your solidarity. Click here to get to know some of the folks at the White House today: 350.org/February13<http://act.350.org/go/2732?t=1&akid=2723.570617.H9klVX> * This Sunday on February 17, the force of this movement will come together in bigger numbers than ever before. That action, combined with the serious message on display in Washington today, are our best tools to push the President to make his words real. *Right about now, Bill is risking arrest alongside our friends, but he wanted me to pass on this message:* "I'm very glad to see leaders and celebrities standing up to Keystone, but I don't forget for a moment that it was 1,253 ordinary Americans going to jail who built this momentum in the first place. And it's the tens of thousands who descend on DC this weekend who will push this to the next stage. We really shouldn't have to be put in handcuffs to stop Keystone XL -- our nation's leading climate scientists have told us it's dangerous folly, and all the recent Nobel Peace laureates have urged us to set a different kind of example for the world, so the choice should be obvious. But given the amount of money on the other side, we've had to spend our bodies, and we'll probably have to spend them again." I hope you can share their stories from today -- each person participating represents a key part of this fight. I also hope you can come to be heard yourself this Sunday when we gather for our big action on the National Mall. Take a moment to appreciate the commitment these folks are making today, and share their messages with your friends -- *this is such an important time for us and our movement: 350.org/February13<http://act.350.org/go/2732?t=2&akid=2723.570617.H9klVX> * Onwards, May ------------------------------ 350.org is building a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Connect with us on Facebook <http://facebook.com/350.org> and Twitter<http://twitter.com/350>, and sign up for email alerts <http://350.org/signup?akid=2723.570617.H9klVX>. You can help power our work by getting involved locally, sharing your story<http://local.350.org/stories/?akid=2723.570617.H9klVX>, and donating here. <http://350.org/donate?akid=2723.570617.H9klVX> ** *To stop receiving emails from 350.org, click here.<http://act.350.org/cms/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=3&akid=2723.570617.H9klVX> * * * -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

1 0

Fwd: From The Colorado Movement to the Sierra Club Executive Board
by Paul Wilson 12 Feb '13

12 Feb '13

anybody else get this? fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: East BoCo United <eastbocounited(a)gmail.com> Date: Mon, Feb 11, 2013 at 11:00 AM Subject: From The Colorado Movement to the Sierra Club Executive Board To: To The Sierra Club On Banning Hydraulic Fracturing To Whom It May Concern: We would like to take this opportunity to address a recent petition calling for the Sierra Club to take a leading position on banning the process of hydraulic fracturing. The petition and supporting documentation around it spoke very closely to our daily experience of this tragic topic. We believe that the effort and its request reflect the quality and passion of your membership, as well as the growing national awareness of the profoundly destructive impacts of hydraulic fracturing, Our group, East Boulder County United, is comprised mainly of residents of Lafayette, Louisville and Gunbarrel Colorado, all which sit on the Wattenberg Shale. We live our lives, raise our families and educate our children and value our environment and community highly, and it has been only recently and entirely against our will that we have been forced to enter the fight against fracking. We were not aware that our community, with its hospitals, homes, and elementary schools sits 8000’ above a layer of shale that spells potentially massive corporate profits. Like so many populations around the world we have seen the growing political tensions and corruption that are required by industries seeking enrichment at the cost of our environment and public health. We live daily with this reality and struggle to find our way forward despite a government that has capitulated entirely to the gas and oil companies. We lead lives of growing desperation and fear as one well after another is plugged into our aquifers, our community space, and our common air. We think about the immediate toxicological effects to our children, neighbors, and loved ones. We wonder if the air will give us cancer. We wonder if the nose bleeds of our children signal neurotoxicity. Beyond all of this, we fret over the looming threat of global warming and the massive destabilizing impacts that the fossil fuel industry produces for our species for inherently short-term personal enrichment. Our group is a small community’s attempt to fight against an industry and government that does not care about our future. We have had our successes and are growing. But we can never hope to possess the power, national visibility and resources of groups like your own. We are a desperate, secondary attempt to fill the void that the larger environmental groups have created by not confronting the realities of hydraulic fracturing directly. It does not need to be like this. The Sierra Club and other national organizations can take the lead on fighting the environmental and political devastation that the fossil fuel industry continues to force upon us. To this end we would in the strongest sense request that you lead a national ban on the process of hydraulic fracturing. It is the only responsible position to take, and would go so far to address the growing destruction this industry is creating. Please contact us at your nearest convenience, and thank you for your time. We await your response. Sincerely, East Boulder County United EastBoCoUnited(a)gmail.com Eastbocounited.org -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

3 2

FW: [wvec-board] Ryerson from DAILY UPDATE 9 February 2013. News of interest to Mon river watershed denizens.
by Beth Little 11 Feb '13

11 Feb '13

This from below: Rutter notes an executive order has established a moratorium on drilling in state parks, I was unaware of this. Does anyone have more info? From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of cindy rank Sent: Monday, February 11, 2013 9:04 AM To: WVEC Subject: [wvec-board] Ryerson from DAILY UPDATE 9 February 2013. News of interest to Mon river watershed denizens. As we discussed at our Spring Review a couple years ago (2010 ?), Ryerson Lake and Park in nearby southwesterm PA was harmed by CONSOL deep mining that weakened the structure of the dam...... Litigation, fines, and discussion about how and who to 'fix', repair, replace, mitigate the destruction continue.... The latest involves mediated negotiations about it all...... See article below for a bit more detail.... Cindy R. 304-924-5802 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Donald C. Strimbeck <dcsoinks(a)comcast.net> Date: Sat, Feb 9, 2013 at 4:14 AM Subject: by Bob Niedbala <http://www.observer-reporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/personalia?ID=bniedbala> Staff Writer niedbala(a)observer-reporter.com Greene Co. Mediator releases interim report on Ryerson negotiations Friday, February 8,2013 . <http://orweb.sx2.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=OR&Date=2013020 8&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=130209339&Ref=AR?q=100> The Duke Lake dam at Ryerson Station State Park A mediator attempting to settle litigation between the state and Consol Energy regarding damage to the dam at Ryerson Station State Park released a report Friday that includes recommendations he said he believes can serve as a basis for resolving the dispute. The mediator, Thomas A. Rutter, released the interim mediation report with the approval of all parties to the case. Expanding cracks in the concrete dam at Ryerson forced the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in 2005 to drain the lake and remove part of the dam. DCNR filed a claim against Consol suggesting the damage was caused by Consol's Bailey Mine, which was mining near the park. The state Department of Environmental Protection later determined the damage was caused by mining and ordered Consol to restore the dam. Denying its mining activities was to blame, Consol appealed DEP's decision to the state Environmental Hearing Board, where the case is scheduled for trial in May. Rutter's recommendations build on a proposal he presented at a public meeting on restoration of the dam last month. He proposes a settlement under which Consol would pay to rebuild the dam in return for it being allowed to drill for natural gas beneath the park, but only from properties adjacent to the park. Consol would be given the opportunity to lease gas resources beneath the park. Once its drilling activities are completed on the eight parcels of land it now owns adjacent to the park, the company would deed those parcels to the state, which will increase the size of the park by about one third, Rutter said. Consol would also agree never to conduct gas drilling on the park lands and would establish a monitoring program to address concerns related to future mining in the area of the park. Rutter notes an executive order has established a moratorium on drilling in state parks, but he urged parties to consider the proposal for reasons stated in the report. "This matter has dragged on too long. If the parties miss this opportunity, I fear that this case will proceed and the community will continue to suffer while this lengthy and costly litigation proceeds," Rutter wrote. The report was released at the request of DCNR secretary Richard J. Allen. "The report in my view provides a reasonable framework to reach a resolution of the litigation and to restore the dam," Allen wrote in a letter to Rutter, which also was released. Allen said he believes from newspaper articles and other information he's received that the community would support such a resolution, but to insure the public is fully informed he suggested the report be released. Consol spokeswoman Lynn Seay said in an email that the company has supported the process outlined by the mediator. "We're hopeful that this mediation sets a new course that takes it out of the attorney's hands and into a construct where all parties can align around the common goal of restoring Ryerson dam and the recreational aspects to the park as soon as possible," she said. A spokesman for the Center for Coalfield Justice, which intervened in the case, could not be reached Friday for comment. In his report, Rutter said he believes from discussion with the parties that any settlement involving Consol paying a substantial sum to resolve the claim would have to address, in exchange, Consol's development issues. The company owns coal rights beneath part of the park that could be mined in the future, he said. In addition, its subsidiary, CNX Gas, has acquired the assets of MOB Corp. that include four gas wells in the park. CNX gas has not drilled any wells in the park but is interested in doing so in conjunction with its shale gas development on the parcels it owns adjacent to the park, he said, DCNR has estimated the cost to rebuild the dam at $21.7 million not including design and pre-construction services. Consol has estimated repairs and renovations at between $10.6 and $17.6 million Rutter said that oral and written testimony he received from about 200 individuals and groups, include more than 40 who testified at the hearing Jan. 26, indicate people want the dam restored as soon as possible and would accept a "reasonable resolution" to ensure that result. He said he heard little opposition to the settlement proposal he presented at the hearing, which involved having Consol compensate the state for the dam while allowing it to drill for gas beneath the park. Each of the parties is ready to prove its case before the hearing board, he said. Both sides "have marshaled impressive, well credentialed experts who support their positions." Parties estimate it could take three to five years to resolve the case through administrative and appellate court proceedings. But even if the state wins, the public will lose by the time that has passed until the lake is restored, Rutter wrote. If the state should lose, he added, it might find it hasn't the money to replace the dam itself. Negotiation teams have made progress but the matter has come to a "critical point" at which those involved in the mediation must obtain authority to negotiate a settlement under terms specified in the report. "I may be optimistic, but if you can agree to these terms I believe the rest of the case can be settled in short order." Rutter said. Further public comment in writing is still be accepted regarding the report. Comments can be sent to: . Stewart L. Cohen, DCNR special counsel, Two Commerce Square, 2001 Market Street, Suite 2900, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103; facsimile: 215-567-6019; . Stan Geary, senior counsel, Consol Energy, 1000 Consol Energy Drive, Canonsburg, Pa. 15317; facsimile: 724-485-4837; . Michael Heilman, assistant regional counsel, DEP, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222; facsimile; 412-442-4267 . Odam Salim, Center for Coalfield Justice, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, P.O. Box 7226, Pittsburgh Pa. 15213-0221; facsimile 412-648-1992 Copyright 2012 Observer Publishing Company.All rights reserved. __._,_.___ <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdGJ2djUwBF9TAzk3 MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIxNTg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRtc2dJZAMzMjE3BHNlYwNm dHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTM2MDU5MTQzMw--?act=reply&messageNum=3217> Reply via web post <mailto:clrank2@gmail.com?subject=Re%3A%20Ryerson%20from%20DAILY%20UPDATE%20 9%20February%202013%2E%20News%20of%20interest%20to%20Mon%20river%20watershed %20denizens%2E> Reply to sender <mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20Ryerson%20from%20DAILY%20 UPDATE%209%20February%202013%2E%20News%20of%20interest%20to%20Mon%20river%20 watershed%20denizens%2E> Reply to group <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmaG0xaTdrBF9TAzk3 MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIxNTg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBj BHN0aW1lAzEzNjA1OTE0MzM-> Start a New Topic <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/message/3217;_ylc=X3oDMTM1MXFvNWw2 BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIxNTg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRtc2dJZAMzMjE3 BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM2MDU5MTQzMwR0cGNJZAMzMjE3> Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: . <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJnMWM3OWhkBF9TA zk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIxNTg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2b WJycwRzdGltZQMxMzYwNTkxNDMz?o=6> New Members 1 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board;_ylc=X3oDMTJmbDR1cWwzBF9TAzk3MzU5N zE0BGdycElkAzIxNTg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0a W1lAzEzNjA1OTE0MzM-> Visit Your Group <http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlbWwxb2hwBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIxN Tg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTM2MDU5MTQzN A--> Yahoo! Groups Switch to: <mailto:wvec-board-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20F ormat:%20Traditional> Text-Only, <mailto:wvec-board-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest > Daily Digest . <mailto:wvec-board-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> Unsubscribe . <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Use . <mailto:ygroupsnotifications@yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback%20on%20the%20r edesigned%20individual%20mail%20v1> Send us Feedback . <http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=21584041/grpspId=1705365392/msgI d=3217/stime=1360591433/nc1=5741392/nc2=4025291/nc3=3848614> __,_._,___ _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.2897 / Virus Database: 2639/6094 - Release Date: 02/10/13

1 0

Washington Post -- use of coal by europe rising
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 08 Feb '13

08 Feb '13

http://m.washingtonpost.com/

1 0

FW: Where does your gas money really go?
by Beth Little 05 Feb '13

05 Feb '13

From: Union of Concerned Scientists [mailto:action@ucsusa.org] Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 5:41 PM To: blittle(a)citynet.net Subject: Where does your gas money really go? <http://action.ucsusa.org/images/content/pagebuilder/12457.jpg> <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=gR8l9n1oqJAe8psn-2jRAA> Forward this email <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=08bzufgBRHExASitJ4tusQ> Sign up <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=sxtLMsw-kc6lp10TGyQ-7A> Donate Union of Concerned Scientists <http://action.ucsusa.org/images/content/pagebuilder/12460.jpg> <http://action.ucsusa.org/images/content/pagebuilder/12419.gif> <http://action.ucsusa.org/images/content/pagebuilder/12419.gif> It's Time to Talk REAL Oil Savings Americans spend a lot of money on gas. But that money doesn't benefit your gas station or you, even if you own oil company stock. Most of the money goes to one place: oil company coffers. <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=BAXOJ8uHC4Ukus-uYWIFwA> Where your gas money goes Help us tell the real story of where your gas money goes. <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=v2Sa7vDKezMBvOJ9FY5-Kw> <http://action.ucsusa.org/images/content/pagebuilder/12434.gif> Where Does Your Gas Money Really Go? Dear Elizabeth, Several major oil companies recently released their 2012 earnings, and their profits soared to new heights. It is not breaking news that oil companies reap huge benefits from our oil use. In fact, as a new Union of Concerned Scientists report shows, the vast majority of what you spend at the pump ends up in oil company coffers. Oil companies are using a portion of their profits to improve their public image, arguing that these record-breaking earnings benefit the millions of Americans who own stock in oil companies-so go ahead-fill up your gas tank and help out your fellow citizen's retirement portfolio. But this rhetoric begs the question: Does your oil use benefit you? In Where your Gas Money Goes <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=Lq0WHD5DOaIpz7o9S6eDeA> , UCS calculated how much money an average consumer spends on gas, where that money really goes, and what a consumer can expect in return on their oil stocks. Our analysis shows that the 'average' ExxonMobil shareholder gets far less than a penny back from their annual gas expenditures. Even ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, who owns 1.7 million shares of company stock, would get only 34 cents back from a full year of purchasing gas only from his own company stations. The good news is that we can all benefit by investing in oil saving solutions. In fact, whether you are an average driver or an oil company CEO, reducing your own oil use is always a smart fiscal strategy. Here are some encouraging numbers: . $9,000 - the amount you would save on fuel costs by investing $3,500 in purchasing the Ford Fusion SE Hybrid instead of the conventional model; . 11 million - the number of barrels of oil we could save every day by 2035 by investing in efficiency and innovative solutions instead of standing still; . 9% over 9 years - the amount that Exxon has reduced energy use at its refineries by investing in efficiency. Together we can cut projected oil use in half over the next 20 years, but we need a strong and informed chorus of voices to stop oil companies from blocking progress. While we don't have the same marketing budgets as the oil companies, we do have dedicated supporters like you who think it's time to spend less at the pump and invest in solutions that will protect consumers, the climate, and our environment from the growing costs of our oil use. Will you help us start a REAL conversation on oil spending and oil solutions? Check out our new Where Your Gas Money Goes <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=8B8ci73wElBZb_gVheGWdw> report and share it with your friends and family on Twitter and Facebook. <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=85LuKFArZnSK6CAdPyf5YQ> And if you're not on Twitter or Facebook, you can help spread the word here. <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=3BOdhF6z5LGDmDfdAgMlGA> Thanks for working toward a "Half the Oil" future. Sincerely, Rachel Cohen <http://action.ucsusa.org/images/content/pagebuilder/Rachel_Cohen.jpg> Rachel Cohen National Field Organizer Clean Vehicles Program Union of Concerned Scientists The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future. UCS is a 501(c)(3) organization. All gifts are tax deductible. You can be confident your donations to UCS are spent wisely. <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=xtwkP6sRQKycEP_tooMW1g> <http://action.ucsusa.org/images/content/pagebuilder/12435.jpg> Union of Concerned Scientists 2 Brattle Square | Cambridge, MA 02138-3780 Telephone: 800-666-8276 | Fax: 617-864-9405 ucsaction(a)ucsusa.org www.ucsusa.org To stop receiving emails from UCS about clean vehicles, click here to update your interests <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=j4YjomPl6jJ5EcJXQHOV8g> . About UCS <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=lOPDgTITGxMKCTQLtxl9iw> | Take Action <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=GcJ1msKtP1d4QA3-bwiabg> | Donate <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=xobKOlCWrgbREfVpMT03GA> | Contact Us <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=N0vZ9Eco9X4bYdAbwSzMNQ> | Privacy Policy <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=Sbgtg6z_61Ch5NTjrqI2BQ> | Unsubscribe <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/CO?i=Nc71S2b4Bl0BP6FELy9Ji4qG4iruV3kO&cid=178 5> | Update Your Profile <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=zU57OWjx5TALPTf1skbl1A> C Union of Concerned Scientists. All rights reserved. <http://action.ucsusa.org/images/content/pagebuilder/12419.gif> <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/PixelServer?j=ABoQqjWkFZ8C1WmeZF9E7w> <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=hyWjUuVfqW9VEJJYEUrttA> powered by CONVIO nonprofit software <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=So4LK-DMkBnWkVwXYBvRTg> _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.2897 / Virus Database: 2639/6081 - Release Date: 02/04/13

1 0

For electric power generation, the end of fossil fuel is in sight
by James Kotcon 05 Feb '13

05 Feb '13

my new blogpost: U. Delaware study shows an all-renewable grid by 2030 is possible ( http://groups.google.com/group/va-sun/t/6623d3dabe2dd68b ) Ivy Main <ivymain(a)cox.net> Feb 04 03:58PM -0500 This new study answers the questions we always get about what to do when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine. It is available at www.ceoe.udel.edu/windpower Below is my blogpost about the study, which you can find at my blog, www.powerforthepeopleva.com, or at http://m.dailykos.com/story/2013/02/04/1184546/-For-electric-power-generati… Ivy Main Vice Chair, Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club home: 703-448-7618 cell: 703-967-2876 ivymain(a)cox.net Read the Virginia Energy Blog: PowerforthePeopleVA.com For electric power generation, the end of fossil fuel is in sight by Ivy Main Feb 04, 2013 9:53am PST The rap on renewable energy is that it’s too variable to meet society’s demand for a constant supply of electricity. The answer to the problem turns out to be: More renewables. Climate change is acting like an ever-tightening vise on our energy options. Each year that passes without dramatic decreases in our use of carbon-emitting fuels means the cuts we have to make simply get more drastic. By 2030, say experts, we must entirely replace coal with efficiency and renewable energy, or fry. Even the most intrepid environmentalists wonder if it can be done without huge price hikes and wholesale changes in how we live and use energy--changes that society may not accept. A new study out of the University of Delaware shows it is possible to power the grid 99.9% of the time with only solar and wind energy, at a cost comparable to what we are paying today. This counters the conventional wisdom that we will always need large amounts of fossil fuel as a backup when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. It also means the goal of getting largely beyond fossil fuels by 2030 is not just achievable, but practical. The study focused on a regional transmission grid known as PJM, which encompasses parts or all of fourteen states, mostly in the Mid-Atlantic. Researchers ran 28 billion computer simulations to find the most cost-effective combinations of wind and solar that could power the entire grid, at the least possible cost and with minimal amounts of energy storage. The winning combination relied on natural gas turbines for backup on only five days out of the four years modeled. The study authors looked for the least cost taking account of carbon and other external costs of fossil fuels, which are not being accounted for today, but they also assumed no technology improvements over time, making their cost estimates conservative overall. All the least-cost combinations used much more storage than we have today, but needed it for only 9 to 72 hours to get through the entire four years modeled. The secret to dealing with the inherent variability of wind and solar, it turns out, is to build even more wind and solar. One wind turbine is unreliable, but tens of thousands spread across a dozen states greatly reduces the variability problem, and tens of thousands of wind turbines balanced with millions of solar panels is better still. To get to 99.9% renewables, you keep adding wind turbines and solar panels until you are producing three times the electricity that you actually need to meet demand. To power the grid with renewables just 90% of the time, you would have to produce “only” 1.8 times the electricity needed. (And yes, we have the windy sites and the sunny places to support all those projects.) While it may sound strange to build more generation than you need, that is already the way grid operators ensure reliability. To take one example, if you were in Virginia when the “Big One” struck in 2011, you will recall that the earthquake caused the North Anna nuclear plant to shut down for four months. Nuclear energy provides a third of the electricity in Dominion Virginia Power’s service territory, and yet the lights stayed on. That’s because the grid wizards at PJM simply called on other power sources that had been idle or that had spare capacity. The other component of reliability is the ability to match demand for power, which rises and falls with the time of day, weather, and other factors. So-called “baseload” plants like nuclear, coal, and some natural gas turbines don’t offer that flexibility and must be supplemented with other sources or stored energy. PJM currently uses more than 1,300 different generating sources, as well as about 4% storage in the form of pumped hydro. The right combination of other sources can replace baseload plants entirely. Pairing wind and solar improves their ability to meet demand reliably. Onshore wind tends to blow most strongly at night, while solar energy provides power during the peak demand times of the day. Offshore wind power is also expected to match demand well. Combining them all reduces the need for back-up power. But until now policy makers have assumed that solar and wind won’t be able to power the grid reliably, even when combined and spread out over PJM’s more than 200,000 square miles, and with the addition of wind farms off the coast. Critics have insisted that renewable energy requires lots of back-up generating capacity, especially from some natural gas turbines that can ramp up and down quickly. New gas turbines have even been designed specifically to integrate with renewables in anticipation of increasing amounts of wind and solar coming onto the grid. This makes the work of the U. Delaware researchers a game-changer by showing that wind and solar can be backed up primarily by more wind and solar. And so we can begin planning for a future entirely without fossil fuels, knowing that when we get there, the lights will still be on. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group va-sun. You can post via email ( mailto:va-sun@googlegroups.com ). To unsubscribe from this group, send ( mailto:va-sun+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com ) an empty message. For more options, visit ( http://groups.google.com/group/va-sun/topics ) this group. -- VA SUN is an open community of people who share a common interest in going solar or promoting solar energy in Virginia. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to join this group. As a group we do not represent any particular installer or company, but instead seek to share neutral, informed, and accurate information and to promote a vibrant, transparent, open and fair market for solar. This group is open to anyone who shares this vision. The group is not open to advertising for a specific product or company. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VA SUN" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to va-sun+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to va-sun(a)googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

1 0

Re: [EC] Fwd: Mississippi power plant poll
by fmoose39＠hotmail.com 04 Feb '13

04 Feb '13

We should have a poll. I would go as far as saying we need billboards like FOC have. It should state the cost and how much we may have to pay. I would say we need to have several in the larger cities. Sent from my HTC One™ X, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone ----- Reply message ----- From: "James Kotcon" <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> To: <Duane330(a)aol.com>, <almostnixie(a)cs.com>, <daniel.chiotos(a)gmail.com>, "Jim Sconyers" <jimscon(a)gmail.com>, <ec(a)osenergy.org>, "Bill Price" <Bill_Price(a)sierraclub.org>, <wjreilly99(a)yahoo.com> Subject: [EC] Fwd: Mississippi power plant poll Date: Fri, Feb 1, 2013 7:24 PM The line below caught my attention: "75 percent of respondents say cost overruns should be paid by utility shareholders." This is exactly the issue with the First Energy and AEP transfers. Stockholders want to preserve their profits by dumping uncompetitive power plants on ratepayers. Would it make sense to commission a similar poll in WV? JBK ---------- Forwarded message ----------From: Caitlin Pixley <caitlin.pixley(a)sierraclub.org>Date: Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 3:52 PMSubject: Fwd: TestTo: CONS-FRED(a)lists.sierraclub.org--------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MS: Poll shows customer opposition to rate hikes via Kemper coal plant (Sierra Club) The Sierra Club was supposed to release last Thursday the results of a poll meant to gauge Mississippi Power Co. ratepayers’ attitudes toward the Kemper County coal plant. The environmental group delayed the results because of a hearing in which the Mississippi Public Service Commission reached a rate case settlement with the utility. The delay ended Wednesday morning. The poll, conducted by Fondren Strategies, surveyed by landline and mobile telephone 400 respondents that a press release says were certified to be Mississippi Power customers. The results say 65 percent of those polled said the possibility of their electricity rates going up approximately 33 percent once the plant is finished erodes their support of the project. About 75 percent of respondents say cost overruns should be paid by utility shareholders. Mississippi Power has already filed to recover $172 million in financing costs associated with the project. The filing came one day after last week’s settlement, which lowered the maximum cost recoverable via PSC ratemaking proceedings from $2.88 billion to $2.4 billion. If the PSC grants the $172 million recovery request, Mississippi Power says rates will go up an average of 21 percent, starting in April and lasting through 2013, for customers who use an average of 1,000 kWh per month. The project’s overall rate impact, the company said on an analyst call Friday, will hover around 25 percent. The Sierra Club has opposed the plant since its inception in 2009, calling it an expensive and unnecessary environmental hazard. The club has called for the plant to be converted to a natural gas-fired facility, which it says is cleaner than the lignite coal the plant will eventually use. The project is on time for a May 2014 completion, Mississippi Power said recently. Sierra Club’s own press release can be found here. Fondren Strategies interviewed 400 voters in MS from Jan. 14 – 17; MoE is +/- 4.9% points at the 95% CI -- Caitlin PixleyConservation AssociateSierra Club Atlantic Chapter353 Hamilton StreetAlbany, NY 12210(518)426-9144caitlin.pixley(a)sierraclub.org Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SierraClubAtlanticChapter- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

4 4

Coal ash findings could have big impact on power companies | RenewablesBiz
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 04 Feb '13

04 Feb '13

http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/13/02/coal-ash-findings-could-have-big… If the Plant Scherer lawsuits filed Thursday in DeKalb County State Court are successful, they could have broad implications for power companies. -- Sent via http://www.addtoany.com

2 1

This uranium enrichment plant produces a larger carbon footprint than .........
by Frank Young 02 Feb '13

02 Feb '13

<http://www.facebook.com/n/?groups%2F199849692677%2Fpermalink%2F101516811641 72678%2F&mid=7775ee2G3ecf0b71G401277aG96&bcode=1.1359831477.AblQPLpU6mX7n6Sp &n_m=fyoung%40mountain.net> Michael Leonardi posted in Green Party of Ohio <http://www.facebook.com/n/?profile.php&id=790837421&mid=7775ee2G3ecf0b71G40 1277aG96&bcode=1.1359831477.AblQPLpU6mX7n6Sp&n_m=fyoung%40mountain.net> This uranium enrichment plant produces a... <http://www.facebook.com/n/?profile.php&id=790837421&mid=7775ee2G3ecf0b71G40 1277aG96&bcode=1.1359831477.AblQPLpU6mX7n6Sp&n_m=fyoung%40mountain.net> Michael Leonardi 1:57pm Feb 2 This uranium enrichment plant produces a larger carbon footprint than the output from the largest Nuclear Plant in North America. Yet some people out there still think that nuclear power is CARBON FREE! Wake Up Y'all! The gaseous diffusion plant covers 750 acres (300 ha) of a 3,425 acres (1,386 ha) site. The four process buildings cover 74 acres (30 ha), and consume a peak electrical demand of 3,040 megawatts. How's that for a carbon footprint??? <http://www.facebook.com/l/9AQH9wBezAQENqOOQY4aCK2LNRXAbTL6swyHdNbZ_1hrpLQ/e n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paducah_Gaseous_Diffusion_Plant> <http://www.facebook.com/l/QAQFztZL2AQGAypyF9VOvAB-svNZhSOns-SW4bkPou_4w_Q/e n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paducah_Gaseous_Diffusion_Plant> Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia <http://www.facebook.com/l/QAQFztZL2AQGAypyF9VOvAB-svNZhSOns-SW4bkPou_4w_Q/e n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paducah_Gaseous_Diffusion_Plant> en.wikipedia.org The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant is a facility located in McCracken County, Kentucky, near Paducah... <https://www.facebook.com/email_open_log_pic.php?mid=7775ee2G3ecf0b71G401277 aG96> <http://www.facebook.com/n/?groups%2F199849692677%2Fpermalink%2F101516811641 72678%2F&mid=7775ee2G3ecf0b71G401277aG96&bcode=1.1359831477.AblQPLpU6mX7n6Sp &n_m=fyoung%40mountain.net> View Post on Facebook . <http://www.facebook.com/n/?settings&tab=notifications&section=group_notific ation&mid=7775ee2G3ecf0b71G401277aG96&bcode=1.1359831477.AblQPLpU6mX7n6Sp&n_ m=fyoung%40mountain.net> Edit Email Settings . Reply to this email to add a comment.

1 0

Fwd: Mississippi power plant poll
by James Kotcon 01 Feb '13

01 Feb '13

The line below caught my attention: "75 percent of respondents say cost overruns should be paid by utility shareholders." This is exactly the issue with the First Energy and AEP transfers. Stockholders want to preserve their profits by dumping uncompetitive power plants on ratepayers. Would it make sense to commission a similar poll in WV? JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Caitlin Pixley <caitlin.pixley(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 3:52 PM Subject: Fwd: Test To: CONS-FRED(a)lists.sierraclub.org --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MS: Poll shows customer opposition to rate hikes via Kemper coal plant (Sierra Club) ( http://msbusiness.com/magnoliamarketplace/2013/01/30/sierra-club-poll-subst… ) The Sierra Club was supposed to release last Thursday the results of a poll meant to gauge Mississippi Power Co. ratepayers’ attitudes toward the Kemper County coal plant. The environmental group delayed the results because of a hearing in which the Mississippi Public Service Commission reached a rate case settlement with the utility. The delay ended Wednesday morning. The poll, conducted by Fondren Strategies, surveyed by landline and mobile telephone 400 respondents that a press release says were certified to be Mississippi Power customers. The results say 65 percent of those polled said the possibility of their electricity rates going up approximately 33 percent once the plant is finished erodes their support of the project. About 75 percent of respondents say cost overruns should be paid by utility shareholders. Mississippi Power has already filed to recover $172 million in financing costs associated with the project. The filing came one day after last week’s settlement, which lowered the maximum cost recoverable via PSC ratemaking proceedings from $2.88 billion to $2.4 billion. If the PSC grants the $172 million recovery request, Mississippi Power says rates will go up an average of 21 percent, starting in April and lasting through 2013, for customers who use an average of 1,000 kWh per month. The project’s overall rate impact, the company said on an analyst call Friday, will hover around 25 percent. The Sierra Club has opposed the plant since its inception in 2009, calling it an expensive and unnecessary environmental hazard. The club has called for the plant to be converted to a natural gas-fired facility, which it says is cleaner than the lignite coal the plant will eventually use. The project is on time for a May 2014 completion, Mississippi Power said recently. Sierra Club’s own press release can be found here ( http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2013/01/new-poll-shows-ms-powe… ). Fondren Strategies interviewed 400 voters in MS from Jan. 14 – 17; MoE is +/- 4.9% points at the 95% CI -- Caitlin Pixley Conservation Associate Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter 353 Hamilton Street Albany, NY 12210 (518)426-9144 ( tel:%28518%29426-9144 ) caitlin.pixley(a)sierraclub.org Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SierraClubAtlanticChapter - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

1 0

Farewell, Don Gasper
by Frank Young 01 Feb '13

01 Feb '13

Don Gasper's personal warmth and his spirit of boundless pressure, applied endlessly, toward the goal of sane environmental stewardship policies will always be with us. Frank _____ From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of dsgjr(a)aol.com Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 8:56 AM To: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com Subject: [wvec-board] Farewell, Don Gasper My good friend and fishing buddy, Donald C. Gasper, died late last night, February 1st, at his home. He will be cremated and his ashes spread over at least one West Virginia stream that he loved so much. He told his family that he did not want a funeral or memorial service of any kind. But there may be a small private gathering of just family members. Rest in peace, my friend. Don Garvin __._,_.___ <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxYmJmbm9uBF9TAzk3 MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIxNTg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRtc2dJZAMzMTYxBHNlYwNm dHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTM1OTcyNjkzNQ--?act=reply&messageNum=3161> Reply via web post <mailto:DSGJr@aol.com?subject=Re%3A%20Farewell%2C%20Don%20Gasper> Reply to sender <mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20Farewell%2C%20Don%20Gaspe r> Reply to group <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmNmNmbmRlBF9TAzk3 MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIxNTg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBj BHN0aW1lAzEzNTk3MjY5MzU-> Start a New Topic <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/message/3161;_ylc=X3oDMTM1bmo4anRh BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIxNTg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRtc2dJZAMzMTYx BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM1OTcyNjkzNQR0cGNJZAMzMTYx> Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board;_ylc=X3oDMTJmOWg5bmZjBF9TAzk3MzU5N zE0BGdycElkAzIxNTg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0a W1lAzEzNTk3MjY5MzU-> Visit Your Group <http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlOXByZWhhBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIxN Tg0MDQxBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTM1OTcyNjkzN Q--> Yahoo! Groups Switch to: <mailto:wvec-board-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20F ormat:%20Traditional> Text-Only, <mailto:wvec-board-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest > Daily Digest . <mailto:wvec-board-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> Unsubscribe . <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Use . <mailto:ygroupsnotifications@yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback%20on%20the%20r edesigned%20individual%20mail%20v1> Send us Feedback . <http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=21584041/grpspId=1705365392/msgI d=3161/stime=1359726935/nc1=5898816/nc2=3848621/nc3=4025373> __,_._,___

1 0

Thursday - Thomas E. Lovejoy discusses Climate Change at WVU
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 30 Jan '13

30 Jan '13

Thomas E. Lovejoy will be lecturing at 11 a.m., Thursday, January 31, 2013 at the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom, WVU Law Center about Climate Change. There will be a live webcast at http://lawmediasite.wvu.edu/Mediasite/Catalog/catalogs/default . http://law.wvu.edu/lovejoy Along with Michael Brune, Thomas is one of the Climate Cabinet leaders for the Sierra Club's Climate Recovery Partnership: http://www.sierraclub.org/crp/leadership/cabinet.aspx Here is the press release: http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2013/01/22/renowned-biologist-to-discuss-climate-… -Jonathan

1 0

Fracking rules in NC, and DEPs lawyers. (was: DAILY UPDATE 29 January 2013. News of interest to Mon river watershed denizens.
by James Kotcon 29 Jan '13

29 Jan '13

Two stories out today. Note the tracers in NC. I am not sure we will be ready for legislation this year, but this should remain a priority. JBK ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mall, Amy" <amall(a)nrdc.org> To: "cog" <cog(a)lists.earthworksaction.org> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 9:34 AM Subject: [COG] North Carolina: Fracking board set to propose nation's toughest rules Fracking board set to propose nation's toughest rules By John Murawski - jmurawski(a)newsobserver.com<mailto:jmurawski@newsobserver.com ( mailto:jmurawski@newsobserver.com%3Cmailto:jmurawski@newsobserver.com )> Published in: Business North Carolina’s fracking board is considering what its members say would be among the nation’s strictest rules governing shale gas exploration as the panel delves into the arcana of updating the state’s 1940s-era energy regulations. The N.C. Mining & Energy Commission completed two days of meetings Friday and expects to continue discussions in March about requirements for chemical disclosures, water testing and wastewater disposal by exploration and drilling companies. Those have been some of the most contentious issues related to fracking in other states, where the practice has been blamed for drinking water contamination, chemical spills and other problems. Commissioner George Howard said the board could vote as early as March 8 on the first of the proposed rules, but other members said they’re not that optimistic they will be ready. “We’re trying to come up with the toughest reasonable laws,” Howard said. “We’re cherry-picking the best laws out there.” The commission, formed last summer by the state legislature, is still getting its sea legs on the issue. During Friday’s public meeting, several members spent more than a half-hour in a meandering discussion about the uneven quality of media coverage of their work and about whether they should hire a press secretary. Several voiced frustration about uninformed, emotional comments from the public at previous workshops. No members of the public made comments Friday. Fracking is an industry term for hydraulic fracturing of shale rock with high pressure water and chemicals to release natural gas trapped inside the prehistoric formations. The technology remains controversial and won’t be legal in this state until the commission writes about 100 regulations to govern the practice, and the state legislature signs off on the regulatory program. The commission has a deadline of October 2014 to complete its task. It will develop rules on well casings and property owners’ rights, among a host of legal and environmental issues. A similar process in New York state took about three years. That state currently has a moratorium on fracking. The board has begun discussing what its members say would be the most stringent standard in the nation for well water testing before drilling and fracking could get under way. It is proposing that a drilling company, at its own expense, test every water source within 5,000 feet of a natural gas wellhead. Other states generally require testing within 1,000 or 2,000 feet, said Hannah Wiseman, a law professor at Florida State University who tracks fracking laws and rules. North Carolina’s testing standard, if approved, would require drillers to test about a dozen wells, based on well density averages in northwestern Lee County, which is believed to be the epicenter of the state’s shale gas reserves. A thorough laboratory water content analysis could cost more than $2,000 per well, said Melinda Chapman, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Raleigh office. The agency tested 56 local private wells last year and had to use eight different labs to analyze the water samples. Commissioner Amy Pickle said the 5,000-foot testing distance is just one of several factors. Another important issue the commission will have to decide is what constituents it will require testing for. Commissioner Howard said the board also will discuss injecting tracers into fracked gas wells to help determine whether the wells are leaking chemicals and methane gas. He said the commission is guided by the state law passed last summer that holds drillers responsible for any water contamination within 5,000 feet of a wellhead unless they can prove otherwise. “The beauty of a presumptive liability law is that it protects companies from paying for bad water they didn’t cause,” Duke University environmental scientist Robert Jackson said. “It protects homeowners in case their water quality changes.” Duke University also has tested about 55 private wells in Lee County to establish baseline quality measures. Duke’s testing analyzes the presence of such metals as boron and arsenic, salts and methane gas, such chemicals as benzene and toluene, as well as radioactive elements. These are elements that are either injected into wells during fracking, or elements agitated underground during the process and liable to flush out of the well over time. Energy law firm picks up DEP’s senior counsel Posted: Jan 28, 2013 10:07 AM EST Updated: Jan 28, 2013 10:16 AM EST By Taylor Kuykendall, Reporter The senior counsel for the Department of Environmental Protection has been hired by business law firm Lewis Glasser Casey & Rollins PLLC. According to a news release from the law firm, Joseph Jenkins, as senior counsel at the DEP, has successfully defended a challenge to state notice, comment and appeal procedures for oil and gas well permits and was actively involved in defending challenges to surface mining and pollution discharge permits issued by the agency. "As one of the premier energy law firms in the Appalachian Basin, we wanted to enhance Lewis Glasser's full-service capabilities with Joe's unique environmental law and regulatory knowledge," said Nick Casey, managing member. "Joe's background in regulatory matters, litigation and legislative rule-making will serve our clients well." Jenkins also served as counsel to the West Virginia Senate Committees on Energy, Industry and Mining and Transportation and Infrastructure during the 2011 Legislative Session. The law firm said it is expanding its energy practice, particularly in the natural gas sector. "Joseph has joined the firm as an associate, and his practice focuses mainly on energy and natural resources law, environmental law, legislation, rule-making and litigation with an emphasis in oil and natural gas, mining and quarrying, including SMCRA, Clean Water Act and state and federal environmental permitting, compliance and enforcement," the news release stated. The firm also "maintains an active government relations practice" through LGCR Government Solutions LLC. The firm has offices in Charleston, Morgantown and Ohio.

2 1

Re: [EC] Fwd: Gen Transfer Case --- Power Plant Visits
by James Kotcon 28 Jan '13

28 Jan '13

Anyone interested? This is a great opportunity for a new volunteer to learn about these plants, just wander along and listen to PSC Staff and FE people ask and answer questions. No time is listed, but I suspect it would be mid-day-ish, and you would want to contact Gary Jack (below) to confirm time and directions. Jim Kotcon >>> Mark Kresowik <mark.kresowik(a)sierraclub.org> 1/25/2013 4:25 PM >>> I think it'd be a good idea to have someone there.On Jan 25, 2013 4:23 PM, "Zachary Fabish" <zachary.fabish(a)sierraclub.org> wrote: See below. Anybody interested in visiting the plants? -Zack ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <gjack(a)firstenergycorp.com> Date: Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 4:16 PM Subject: Gen Transfer Case --- Power Plant Visits To: jauville(a)psc.state.wv.us, william.depaulo(a)gmail.com, jroberts(a)cad.state.wv.us, sriggs(a)spilmanlaw.com, pmaroney(a)mwwplaw.com, scott.j.rubin(a)gmail.com, zachary.fabish(a)sierraclub.org, mbecher(a)appalmad.org, dhanna(a)hannalawpllc.com, dwilliamson(a)spilmanlaw.com Cc: ccallas(a)jacksonkelly.com, gblanke(a)firstenergycorp.com All: PSC Staff engineers have requested we arrange power plant visits for them at Pleasants and Harrison. We have arranged to have power plant tours for Pleasants on Wednesday, January 30th and for Harrison on Monday February 4. Anyone else is welcome to attend. If you plan to attend, please let me know. Thanks. Gary A. Jack Senior Corporate Counsel FirstEnergy 5001 NASA Blvd. Fairmont, WV 26554 Phone: 304-534-7409 ( tel:304-534-7409 ) Internal: 333-7409 ----------------------------------------- The information contained in this message is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately, and delete the original message. -- Zachary M. Fabish Staff Attorney 50 F Street, NW - 8th Floor Washington, DC 20001 (202) 675-7917 (202) 547-6009 (fax) zachary.fabish(a)sierraclub.org CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL COMMUNICATION/WORK PRODUCT This e-mail may contain privileged and confidential attorney-client communications and/or confidential attorney work product. If you receive this e-mail inadvertently, please notify me and delete all versions on your system. Thank you.

4 4

Chapter Energy Committee Update
by James Kotcon 25 Jan '13

25 Jan '13

To the Energy Committee Please pardon any duplicate messages. We currently have this address for you as part of our Energy committee list, but it is a new year and time to update our Committee roster. If you are interested in continuing to be active on the Chapter Energy Committee, please respond affirmatively. We also would like contact info and a phone number for more urgent actions. If you can not commit to an active role tight now, please let us know that too. The Chapter is launching a major campaign on energy efficiency, and we will be calling on active members to write letters, make phone calls, and meet with public officials to encourage more energy efficiency in west Virginia. Right now, we have a target of opportunity with state utilities who have filed petitions with the WV Public Service Commission to acquire some used coal-fired power plants from Ohio affiliates (total cost ~$2.5 billion). We will be urging people to ask that the PSC require the utilities invest in energy efficiency instead of more coal-fired power plants. So West Virginia is facing a choice in the next couple months between continued intensification of our reliance on coal versus shifting toward a clean, energy efficient future. An Energy Committee conference call will be held next Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 PM and we would like to get all active members of the committee to join in to help plan and execute this campaign. Jim Kotcon Chapter Conservation Chair 304-293-8822 (office) 304-594-3322 (home)

2 1

from Center for Media and Democracy: Fracking Industry Goes After Promised Land Film
by Paul Wilson 24 Jan '13

24 Jan '13

Fracking Industry Goes After Promised Land Film [image: Image of Promised Land poster]Before Gus Van Sant's latest film Promised Land even premiered, the energy industry was up in arms, gearing up to counter the film's apparent anti-fracking stance with a barrage of "community" responses (read: thinly veiled corporate PR). James Schamus, chief executive of Focus Features the distributor of the film, expressed shock about the attacks on Promised Land: "We've been surprised at the emergence of what looks like a concerted campaign targeting the film even before anyone's seen it." With blogs, astroturf websites, Facebook pages, internet ads, and theater ad buys in advance of the movie, the industry is working hard to spin the conversation in a more fracking-friendly direction. Read more<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=nUCyXR%2FfF%2BEo45Pb…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

2 1

from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Analysis of fracking wastewater yields some surprises
by Paul Wilson 23 Jan '13

23 Jan '13

Analysis of fracking wastewater yields some surprises<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/U96…> Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:21 AM PST Hydraulically fractured natural gas wells are producing less wastewater per unit of gas recovered than conventional wells would. But the scale of fracking operations in the Marcellus shale region is so vast that the wastewater it produces threatens to overwhelm the region's wastewater disposal capacity, according to new analysis. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

Fwd: Take Action: Tell Dept. of Energy to take a time out on LNG exports!
by James Kotcon 22 Jan '13

22 Jan '13

In addition to the LNG export sign-on letter, i urge each of you to comment individually. Click below. Jim Kotcon >>> Deb Nardone <deb.nardone(a)sierraclub.org> 1/17/2013 3:15 PM >>> Team WV, An extremely important deadline is approaching. With the Dept. of Energy (DOE) considering exporting up to 40% of current US gas production through 19 different LNG export terminals, your voice couldn't be more important than now. Exporting even a fraction of that gas will have significant negative impact on our communities, the environment, and our climate. Yet, DOE has failed to seriously analyze these impacts. With the most recent economic study being completed, DOE is now accepting comment on this seriously flawed report, which fails to consider the lasting impacts exports will cause. Please consider taking action, then help spread the word! We have until January 24th to flood the Dept. of Energy with comments. Thank you for all you do! Deb TAKE ACTION LINK Dear Friend, Tell DOE Secretary Chu to go back to the drawing board and look at how exporting fracked gas could hurt our communities. Would you hire a consulting firm with strong fossil fuel industry ties to study whether or not exporting fracked gas is a good idea? The Department of Energy (DOE) did just that, and you probably won't be surprised by the industry-friendly results. This report has more holes than a block of swiss cheese, focusing on how the natural gas industry and the wealthiest people in our country will profit. The costs to our communities -- air and water pollution, environmental destruction, lost jobs, climate disruption and even increased energy costs -- are completely ignored or dismissed as unimportant to big business. Will you help get 10,000 letters by Friday to DOE Secretary Steven Chu telling him he needs to look at the full effects on our communities before any decision can be made? Send your letter today. Tell Secretary Chu not to make any decisions about the future of exporting fracked gas without looking at the whole picture. If Secretary Chu plans to consider exporting natural gas, then we deserve a study with the real numbers, the real costs, and all of the real facts. Allowing the natural gas industry to frack even more and export this fossil fuel without considering the harm to our communities is unacceptable. Tell Secretary Chu you want the real story about how more fracking and exporting natural gas will impact you and your community. Thanks for all you do to protect the environment, Deb Nardone Director, Beyond Natural Gas Campaign Sierra Club P.S. Please share this email with friends and family, and help get 10,000 letters to Sec. Chu by Friday! -- Deborah J. Nardone, Director Beyond Natural Gas Campaign Sierra Club O: 814-308-9767 C: 814-932-6668 -- Deborah J. Nardone, Director Beyond Natural Gas Campaign Sierra Club O: 814-308-9767 C: 814-932-6668

1 0

Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Fwd: Webinar Invite: Going Local: Efficiency for Local Governments & Muni Utilities
by Paul Wilson 22 Jan '13

22 Jan '13

it would be nice to have more of a lead time on these announcements, fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jennifer Miller <jen.miller(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Mon, Jan 7, 2013 at 1:54 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Fwd: Webinar Invite: Going Local: Efficiency for Local Governments & Muni Utilities To: coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org Going Local: Efficiency for Local Governments & Muni Utilities Join us for > a Webinar on January 23 @ 3PM EST OR 7PM EST > > Updating streetlights, greening government buildings, and improving waste > water treatment facilities are surefire ways for local governments to > reduce energy waste, cut pollution from dirty energy, and to protect > taxpayers from high energy bills, making more room in the budget for city > services like schools and parks. Experts at the American Council for an > Energy Efficient Economy will highlight a number efficiency opportunities > for local governments and tools that activists can use to help push city > and county governments to prioritize efficiency. > > There are a number of Municipal Utilities making strides in energy > efficiency across the country. Our guests will also highlight some best > practices for Municipal Utilities as well as tools activists can use to > promote efficiency by Munis. > > *For the 3PM EST webinar, please register by clicking this link:* > https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/972661567 > * > * > *For the 7PM EST webinar, please register by clicking this link: * > https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/770729543 > After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing > information about joining the Webinar. > > *System Requirements* > PC-based attendees > Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 ServerMac®-based attendees > Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer > Mobile attendees > Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet > > -- > > Jen Miller > > (614)563-9543 > > Senior Campaign Representative for Energy Efficiency > > Sierra Club National Beyond Coal Campaign > <https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/770729543> > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Jen Miller > > (614)563-9543 > > Senior Campaign Representative for Energy Efficiency > > Sierra Club National Beyond Coal Campaign > > > > pst....My work is now national in scope, but I'm still based in Columbus, > Ohio (the Eastern Time Zone)! > > > -- *Conservation Chair, Southern Nevada Group of the Sierra Club* *Energy Chair, Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club* * * *Once you choose hope, anything's possible. -- Christopher Reeve* -- Jen Miller (614)563-9543 Senior Campaign Representative for Energy Efficiency Sierra Club National Beyond Coal Campaign pst....My work is now national in scope, but I'm still based in Columbus, Ohio (the Eastern Time Zone)! -- Jen Miller (614)563-9543 Senior Campaign Representative for Energy Efficiency Sierra Club National Beyond Coal Campaign pst....My work is now national in scope, but I'm still based in Columbus, Ohio (the Eastern Time Zone)! -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

Fwd: comment re sierra club attorney request
by James Kotcon 18 Jan '13

18 Jan '13

Anyone want to reply? JBK >>> Betty Wiley <betty.w304(a)gmail.com> 1/18/2013 10:11 AM >>> Jim, see the message below from Craig Segall, attorney working for Sierra Club apparently. He seems in a hurry for information and then says he checks email infrequently and to call him for a quick reply. I would interpret that as a poor way to get responses. Betty Wiley On Thu, Jan 17, 2013 at 12:19 PM, Craig Segall - Sierra <craig.segall(a)sierraclub.org> wrote: Hi all, We're working on comments on DOE's LNG export study. I'd like to raise the costs experienced by gas field communities in partial response. If folks can point me towards the latest, greatest studies on community impacts and on the treatment costs for gas wastes, I'd very much appreciate it. Thanks! Craig -- I check email infrequently. Please call me if you need a quick reply. Craig Segall Staff Attorney Sierra Club Environmental Law Program 50 F St NW, Eighth Floor Washington, DC 20001 (202)-548-4597 ( tel:(202)-548-4597 ) (202)-547-6009 ( tel:(202)-547-6009 ) (fax) Craig.Segall(a)sierraclub.org

1 0

McKinley on Carbon taxes.
by James Kotcon 18 Jan '13

18 Jan '13

See article below on McKinley's carbon tax resolution. The reporter, David Beard, has asked to do a follow-up interview for a series on shale gas and fracking. Anyone want to chime in? JBK P.S. The only error Beard made was describing the spending on SuperStorm Sandy as "millions". The correct figure is "billions". McKinley reintroduces resolution on a national carbon tax sec=news;pos=top;sz=160x600;tile=2;ord=88732447;abr=!ie;abr=!aol"sec=news;pos=top;sz=160x600;tile=2;ord=88732447;abr=!ie;abr=!aol" width="160" height="600" border="0"&gt &lt/a&gt Copyright (C) 2013, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va. Jan 17, 2013 -- Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., has reintroduced his November resolution proposing to express Congress' opposition to a national carbon tax on fossil fuels. "A carbon tax would increase the cost of everything from driving a car to heating and cooling a home," he said in a Wednesday release. "It would be especially burdensome on middle class Americans and prevent our economy from recovering. Raising taxes on everyone from manufacturers to homeowners is not the way to improve our economy and Congress should reject this idea." McKinley introduced the resolution -- House Concurrent Resolution 8 -- on Tuesday. There is no active pro-carbon tax bill in Congress. The Library of Congress shows the most recent was the Save Our Climate Act of 2011, sponsored by Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif. It proposed an annual excise tax on carbon-based fuels -- including coal, natural gas ( http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/NG_/M ) and petroleum -- until carbon dioxide emissions for a calendar year would not exceed 20 percent of the level of emissions for calendar year 1990. This bill died in the Ways and Means Committee. A carbon tax advocacy group, the Carbon Tax Center, sees the tax as a kind of economic sanction to force social and technological change. It says such a tax will reduce the use of fossil fuels and their attendant emissions of carbon dioxide. By driving the costs up, the tax will force energy suppliers to seek other forms of fuel. And it will force consumers to use lower-carbon products -- including home energy and vehicle fuels -- to save money. Sources speaking on background told The Dominion Post the White House has no plans to propose a carbon tax. White House Regional Communications Director Keith Maley said in an email exchange, "The President has made clear that he believes that climate change is real, that it is impacted by human activity and that we must continue to take steps to confront this threat. In the President's first term the administration has taken historic action including proposing the first national standard for harmful carbon pollution from new power plants, as well as establishing unprecedented standards for cars and trucks that will slash emissions of carbon pollution while, at the same time, saving consumers billions of dollars at the pump. The President has made clear that his administration will continue to build on this progress and climate change will be a priority in his second term." HCR8 is identical to McKinley's November resolution and is before the House Committee on Ways and Means. McKinley is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Energy Chairman Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Chairman Emeritus Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, are co-sponsors. McKinley's West Virginia colleagues, Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall and Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, are also cosponsors. McKinley said again, "Given our current economic climate, this is the worst time to implement another tax on coal, oil ( http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/CL_/M ) and gas -- industries that fuel our economy. Affordable and abundant electricity ( http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/JM/M ) from coal and natural gas ( http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/NG_/M ) is essential to our way of living and a carbon tax would increase the cost of electricity ( http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/JM/M ) and put a financial burden on American families." McKinley's resolution notes several problems with such a tax, among them: A carbon tax will have a dramatic, immediate impact on transportation costs, with the greatest impact being felt by low-income Americans and their families who already spend the largest share of their income on energy and are least able to afford a carbon tax. A carbon tax is designed to result in substantial, immediate increases in the price of electricity, making electricity ( http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/JM/M ) less affordable for millions of Americans. A carbon tax would be punitive and harmful to the American people by artificially raising electricity ( http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/JM/M ) costs. A carbon tax will drive the unemployment rate even higher. A carbon tax is likely to have an uneven effect, hitting different regions of the country and segments of the economy much more severely than others. A carbon tax will have no impact on China, India, and other major sources of carbon emissions throughout the world, except to put United States exporters at a competitive disadvantage by increasing domestic manufacturing production costs. McKinley's is the first anti-carbon tax resolution of the new Congress, the 113th. There were two others, along with McKinley's in the 112th. Rep. Mike Pompeo, RKan., introduced HCR 144 in December. It had five bullet points, compared to McKinley's 10. Capito also co-sponsored this one. Pompeo is a co-sponsor of HCR8. On the Senate side, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., introduced a twin to HCR 144 in December. According to reports, a carbon tax has virtually no chance of moving forward in the House. The conservative group Americans for Prosperity reported last July that the entire House GOP leadership team has signed its "No Climate Tax" pledge. Sierra Club West Virginia Chapter Energy Committee Chairman Jim Kotcon said of the resolution, "We certainly understand his concern about the economic impact of a carbon tax on West Virginia. But Congressman McKinley has to recognize that West Virginia is already paying for climate change." He cited the millions spent on Superstorm Sandy recovery and more millions on other extreme weather events across the state. Real costs ensue from dependence on fossil fuels, Kotcon said, and Republicans should be finding new ways to address climate change. "And it is important we start immediately. If not a carbon tax, what will we do?" Kotcon said no single method can address climate change. We need to send the right market signal regarding carbon dioxide emissions, but in a way that provides economic justice for West Virginians. Energy efficiency is important, he said. "A more efficient economy has got to be good for business." And promoting clean sources -- solar, wind and biomass fuels -- will help begin the transition from rapidly depleting fossil fuels.___ (c)2013 The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.) Visit The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.) at www.dominionpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

1 0

Fwd: WVNS story: New Analysis: Evidence of Climate Change Stronger Than Ever
by Paul Wilson 18 Jan '13

18 Jan '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Public News Service <wvns(a)newsservice.org> Date: Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 3:35 AM Subject: WVNS story: New Analysis: Evidence of Climate Change Stronger Than Ever To: PaulWilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> New Analysis: Evidence of Climate Change Stronger Than Ever Dan Heyman, Public News Service-WV http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/30358-1 Join the discussion: facebook.com/PublicNewsService<http://www.facebook.com/PublicNewsService> Twitter: @pns_news <http://twitter.com/#!/pns_news> @pns_WV<http://twitter.com/#!/pns_WV> Google+: plus.to/publicnewsservice <http://plus.google.com/106260479325451709866> (01/18/13) CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Climate experts say the evidence is stronger than ever that climate change is happening, and that it comes with devastating consequences for West Virginia and the rest of the nation. A new draft of the National Climate Assessment, released this week, says the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, are becoming more apparent. Carol Browner, former White House director of Climate and Energy, says those impacts will increase as global emissions continue to rise. "This new assessment really confirms what the scientists have been telling us and what our eyes are telling us. It's getting hotter. We're seeing more violent, more frequent storms. We're seeing impacts on the economy and we're seeing impacts on public health." The report <http://ncadac.globalchange.gov> comes as 2012 made the record books as the hottest year in U.S. history. It presents a grim outlook for future extreme weather events. Browner says we need to do more to reduce greenhouse gases. The assessment is issued every four years, and the current draft is available for public comment until April 12th. The Obama administration has implemented several regulations to curtail emissions of carbon dioxide. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first-ever carbon pollution standard for new power plants. That provoked harsh criticism from the coal industry and it's political allies, but Browner says there is much more work to be done. "The administration has already taken some important steps, but we've got to really continue, as a country, to take this issue seriously. That's what this report is telling us." Many of West Virginia’s most important business and political leaders maintain climate change is unproven and some even charge that it's a hoax. Jim Sconyers, chair of the West Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club, says people need to get their heads out of the sand, especially given the dramatic damage West Virginia has suffered during recent climate events. "Climate change is real. People like to keep saying there's this side of the story and then there's the other side of the story. Well, there's no 'other side' of the story. I was just out walking in the forest today. Where I was walking the devastation is just on a scale that I have never seen before." Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/30358-1<http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/30358-1> --- To be removed from this list please send an e-mail to remove(a)publicnewsservice.org <remove(a)publicnewsservice.org?subject=remove>and put the word "remove" in the subject line. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

e-mail messages lost
by Frank Young 16 Jan '13

16 Jan '13

Friends, I have had a serious crash of my e-mail handling system. Apparently I have lost all "Inbox" messages from about February 1, 2012 up to about January 14, 2013- almost a year of e-mail messages. Messages that I had set aside into designated "folders" appear to all be intact. But stuff in my Inbox received during that time period- some maybe 5000 messages- are gone. So if some of you are waiting for me to respond to messages you sent within that time period- especially for about the past 3 weeks- I have likely lost your messages. So if it is still important you might want to re-send your message(s) to me. These past two days I have changed to a new e-mail handling system- Microsoft Outlook. So far it seems to be working well. (Yeah, Gary Z. - it's OK to say "I told you to do that a couple years ago", because you did. I just didn't listen then! :-( Frank Young fyoung(a)mountain.net aka: frankly(a)mtparty.org

1 0

How Long will We let Coal Plants Mercury-Poison Us?
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 14 Jan '13

14 Jan '13

How Long will We let Coal Plants Mercury-Poison Us?<http://www.juancole.com/2013/01/plants-mercury-poison.html> Posted on 01/13/2013 by Juan Mercury is a nerve poison, steady exposure to which causes all kinds of neurological and mental problems, as well as heart problems. I keep hearing public service announcements that you should not eat fish more than twice a week. Think about that. In a natural, normal world, didn’t people on the coast eat fish every day? Why avoid fish? It is because fish big enough for us to eat with profit are high on the food chain, and so concentrate toxins like mercury. But why is there so much mercury in the environment, that it is getting concentrated in our salmon? Coal-fired power plants are responsible<http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02c.html>for * half * of all human-caused mercury emissions annually in the US. The plants released 134,365 pounds of mercury in 2006 alone! Only 8% of plants have mercury-scrubbing capabilities in place. Concerned Scientists note that “Just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury deposited on a 25-acre lake can make the fish unsafe to eat.” A people with any self-respect would insist that all these coal-fired power plants be closed within 5 years: [image: coalmercury]<http://www.juancole.com/2013/01/plants-mercury-poison.html/coalmercury> Not only is burning coal the fastest route to catastrophic climate change, it emits mercury into our lakes and streams<http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/02/institute-index-coal-powers-mercury-…>, which then gets into our fish– as Sue Sturgis points out, citing Environment America<http://www.environmentamerica.org/reports/ame/dirty-energys-assault-our-hea…> Here are some statistics she has culled: There is * 10 times* more mercury concentration in fish now than in the 1930s * 15 % of US women of child-bearing age* have enough mercury in their bloodstream to put their offspring at risk from health effects. In 1999: percentage of women of childbearing age with inorganic mercury in their blood: 2 In 2006: that percentage * was 30 * I tear my hair out when I hear that people aren’t getting vaccinations for their children because they are afraid of autism. But emitting 134,000 pounds a year of mercury in our environment? That’s not a problem. The Union of Concerned Scientists<http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02c.html>adds: “Coal plants are the nation’s top source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the primary cause of global warming. In 2011, utility coal plants in the United States emitted a total of 1.7 billion tons of CO21. A typical coal plant generates 3.5 million tons of CO2 per year2.” Close them down! Close them down now! If your electric utility depends on coal, contact your city council and urge it to put in wind turbines and solar and generate its own electricity, getting off the dirty, poisonous grid! Boulder, Co. is now playing hardball<http://www.energybiz.com/article/12/12/xcel-boulder-square-over-franchise-r…>that way, Sacramento created large numbers of jobs with its green energy<http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2011/07/13/sacramento-region-nea…>commitments. We don’t want your dirty coal! -- William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel 304-342-5588 Fax 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

1 0

Mercury from Coal Plants, Goldmining, a Global Health Crisis: UN Environmental Program
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 14 Jan '13

14 Jan '13

Mercury from Coal Plants, Goldmining, a Global Health Crisis: UN Environmental Program<http://www.juancole.com/2013/01/emissions-goldmining-environmental.html> Posted on 01/14/2013 by Juan A new study has found that 84% of all fish<http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57563739/study-finds-unsafe-mercury-l…>have unhealthy levels of mercury! Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, the film company, has had his health permanently damaged simply from eating a lot of fish. The message to take away is not never to eat fish. It is that there is too much mercury in our environment. Half of all mercury emissions in the United States come from coal-fired power plants, and a quarter of mercury released into the environment globally is from coal. Some 1200 * new * coal plants are now planned around the world, and this must not be allowed. By the way, about 10% of mercury in our environment comes from burning natural gas and petroleum and refining petroleum. So not only are hydrocarbons causing calamitous global warming, but they are responsible for over a third of our present mercury poisoning globally, and for well over half of that in the United States. The United Nations Environmental Program has just issued its [pdf] 2013 assessment of the mercury threat<http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Portals/9/Mercury/GMA%20Report/Glob…> . It finds that human-caused “emissions and releases have doubled the amount of mercury in the top 100 meters [yards] of the world’s oceans in the last 100 years. Concentrations in deeper waters have increased by only 10-25%, because of the slow transfer of mercury from surface waters into the deep oceans. In some species of Arctic marine animals, mercury content has increased by 12 times on average since the pre-industrial period. This increase implies that, on average, over 90% of the mercury in these marine animals today comes from anthropogenic [human] sources.” And, the United Nations has been meeting in Geneva on a possible new global treaty limiting mercury emissions. There are some 600 coal plants in the United States, and they should all be shut down on grounds of mercury pollution<http://www.juancole.com/2013/01/plants-mercury-poison.html>alone, but they also are the major contributor to global warming. They can now all quickly be replaced by solar and wind installations, with some natural gas if absolutely necessary. People who complain about the ‘extra cost’ of solar and wind seem not to mind, like, neurotoxins all around them, or billions of dollars of climate change damage. Besides, wind and solar are just about at grid parity with coal in many markets,and will be able to undersell it, even ignoring the externalities in the true cost of coal, in this decade. Aljazeera English <http://youtu.be/JCQokbi8Kiw> reports: Mining, distributing and burning coal should be illegal. -- William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel 304-342-5588 Fax 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

1 0

West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller to retire after term ends
by James Kotcon 14 Jan '13

14 Jan '13

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/west-virginia-sen-jay-rockefeller-retire… West Virginia Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller will not seek a sixth term in the Senate, he told Politico in an interview ( http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/jay-rockefeller-to-retire-86054.html?… ). He will serve through 2014 after more than 25 years in the chamber, "I’m going to serve out my term,” the 75-year-old Rockefeller said. “It was a very hard decision for me. Once it’s made, like any hard decision, it eases up. But it was a very tough decision for me.”Rockefeller joined the Senate in 1985 after two terms as governor of West Virginia. He will make a formal announcement on Friday morning. The senator's retirement could lead to a fierce race in 2014. Democrats have had a lock on the seat since the Dwight Eisenhower administration, and an election without an incumbent could give Republicans a major opportunity in a deeply red state.

7 7

TransAlta (Canada) gives up on carbon capture
by Jim Sconyers 11 Jan '13

11 Jan '13

A lesson here for WV? ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: DAVID E ORTMAN <deortman(a)msn.com> Date: Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 1:00 AM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] RE: TransAlta (Canada) gives up on carbon capture To: phred(a)sunlightdata.com, pjgrunt(a)gmail.com, coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org, cons-spst-globalwarm-forum(a)lists.sierraclub.org, cons-ficc-international(a)lists.sierraclub.org, Verena Owen < verena_owen(a)prodigy.net>, Robin Everett <robin.everett(a)sierraclub.org> FR: David E. Ortman, Seattle, WA TransAlta also owns the largest coal fired plant in Washington State. Former Governor Gregoire (who may be on a short list for EPA Administrator) cut a deal allowing TransAlta to run one of its coal-fired until until 2020 and the second until 2025 (12 years from now!!!). http://www.elp.com/news/2012/12/30/transalta-boss-says-economics-could-make… Electric Light and Power (Canada) December 30, 2012 TransAlta boss says economics could make carbon capture unfeasible for years; Power boss says carbon capture a no go for now Sponsored by CALGARY - With half of its electricity plants fuelled by coal, the head of TransAlta Corp. is a believer in how valuable carbon capture and storage could be for the company. But a decision in April to scrap Project Pioneer, a $1.4-billion project to capture carbon dioxide emissions from an Alberta coal plant and store them underground, has TransAlta (TSX:TA) president and CEO Dawn Farrell less optimistic about the technology's feasibility in the future. TransAlta was one of the companies backing the project. Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB) and Capital Power Corp. (TSX:CPX) were the others. The idea was to sell some of carbon dioxide to nearby energy producers, who would inject the gas into their fields as a means to get more oil out of the ground. The federal and Alberta governments have been banking on carbon capture and storage to reduce the carbon footprint of the power generation and the oil and gas industries. Project Pioneer, which would have been connected to the Keephills 3 coal plant west of Edmonton, received $779 million in backing from Ottawa and Edmonton. Although an initial study found the technology worked and the capital costs were in line with expectations, Farrell said things changed as planning moved forward and other methods of oil extraction improved. "What had changed was this horizontal drilling, which has changed the cost structure of finding gas and now oil," Farrell said, in an interview with The Canadian Press. "As a result of that the cost of taking oil out of the ground ... with CO2 is now being overtaken by the cost of horizontal drilling. "Effectively what happened is the ability of the oilfields to use CO2 moved out five or 10 years and we had federal funding we needed to put in place right away." Farrell said new federal legislation on carbon emissions means TransAlta's Sundance plant will reach the end of its first lifespan in 2019. Other plants will follow in the ensuing decade. Once a plant reaches the end of its life, the company can continue to operate it with a carbon-capture retrofit or shut it down. "So 2019 is the first big decision for TransAlta," Farrell said. "If they're coming to the end of their life at the end of this decade, in 2019, I don't think they have a very good chance for retrofit unless my team can discover some other way of dealing with it." Alberta has a 1,000-year supply of low-sulphur coal, but Farrell said it still gives off double the emissions of natural gas. The cost of coal at this point continues to make it an attractive alternative, but Farrell notes the high costs of carbon-capture and the lack of a market to sell the captured carbon could put coal "out of the money" as plants reach the end of their lives under federal rules. TransAlta has power plants in Canada, the United States and Australia. Farrell said the utility is looking at further expansion in the United States in 2013 and is hoping to make some acquisitions, possibly in California, related to wind energy. -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

2 1

Fwd: WVNS story: Solar Cheap Enough To Compete Without Subsidies In Some States
by Paul Wilson 10 Jan '13

10 Jan '13

The Economist piece on Solar Energy costs made it on to WV Public News Service. fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Public News Service <wvns(a)newsservice.org> Date: Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 3:48 AM Subject: WVNS story: Solar Cheap Enough To Compete Without Subsidies In Some States To: PaulWilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> Solar Cheap Enough To Compete Without Subsidies In Some States Dan Heyman, Public News Service-WV http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/30252-1 Join the discussion: facebook.com/PublicNewsService<http://www.facebook.com/PublicNewsService> Twitter: @pns_news <http://twitter.com/#!/pns_news> @pns_WV<http://twitter.com/#!/pns_WV> Google+: plus.to/publicnewsservice <http://plus.google.com/106260479325451709866> (01/10/13) CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A sharp, long-term fall in the price of solar cells has led The Economist magazine and others to declare that in sunny areas with high electricity prices, solar power is now cheap enough to compete without government subsidies. Rory McIlmoil, program manager for the energy program at environmental consulting firm Downstream Strategies, says that applies to places such as California - but not West Virginia or the East Coast. "In those areas, solar is competing with other sources of energy that have higher electricity prices than we experience here, which makes it a lot more likely that solar can compete." The price of building a solar power plant is nearing where it would be competitive with a new coal plant of a similar size, he says. Both cost more than a natural-gas plant, but he says solar has the advantage of free fuel. "Natural gas peaker plants have other costs associated with their operation that solar power does not: High fuel and - depending on the size - high maintenance costs for your traditional power plants versus solar power plants." The solar industry still depends on significant federal subsidies, although overall, McIlmiol says, the much larger fossil-fuels industries actually receives more in tax breaks. Solar also is limited by the inconsistent nature of the sunshine, although he says power storage and flexible use of the grid are easing some of those issues. Thanks to cheap solar cells, he says, 2010 saw what was then a record level of solar power installed. "And just one year later, twice that was installed. Roughly 80 percent of the solar power that currently exists in the United States was installed just over the last three years." One central criticism of renewable-energy sources such as solar power is that they are too expensive. McIlmoil says that's rapidly changing, as solar's explosive growth shows. More from The Economist is online at economist.com<http://www.economist.com/news/21566414-alternative-energy-will-no-longer-be…>. At current growth rates, the magazine says, wind will surpass nuclear in 10 years. Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/30252-1<http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/30252-1> --- To be removed from this list please send an e-mail to remove(a)publicnewsservice.org <remove(a)publicnewsservice.org?subject=remove>and put the word "remove" in the subject line. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

EC