Ethanol has been a point of excitement for the EPA for some time now; unfortunately the private sector has not been able to meet their lofty standards. The federal court of appeals struck down an EPA ruling that required petroleum refineries to increase the number of gallons of cellulosic ethanol blended into gasoline. This court … Continue reading
President Obama has been strongly promoting his plan for an energy security trust fund in recent weeks. It has met quite a bit of opposition and many doubt its viability. In this plan $2 billion of oil and natural gas royalties would go towards advancing electric car batteries, biofuels, fuel cells and renewable energy development. … Continue reading
President Obama has made clear that in his second term he will make a concerted effort to raise national awareness of the problem of pollution and begin to structure federal activity to respond to the growing danger of climate change. Striking a defiant pose, the President used his State of the Union speech to make … Continue reading
On Monday, March 5th the House subcommittee on Energy and Mineral resources conducted a hearing regarding offshore energy potential in the US. Recent debate over the keystone pipeline has occupied much of the president’s attention in terms of energy policy, but there is a very strong push by businessmen and environmentalists alike, pushing for greater … Continue reading
When pitchers and catchers report to spring training sights in Florida and the southwest, it is easy to feel like the sun is just a bit warmer and spring is right around the corner. For millions of small business owners across the United States however, the early months of 2013 have already felt like the … Continue reading
On February 15, 2013 the House Energy and Commerce committee held a hearing to look into the role of states and the protection of the environment under current law. The delegation of power between the state and federal government is one of the most prominent debates in American history. It is a debate that is … Continue reading
There has been some political buzz lately on how a carbon tax would affect the U.S. economy. Some of this is due to the recent introduction of climate legislation by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment, on February 14th. Provisions of this two-part bill, the Climate … Continue reading
On February 17th the largest climate change rally in this nation’s history took place. The rally began at the National Mall where Bill McKibben—founder of 350.org an activist group focused on solving the climate crisis—delivered an energetic and motivating speech. Over 35,000 people braved the cold and turned out for the event. 350.org, The Sierra … Continue reading
Tuesday night, with Speaker Boehner having seemingly mastered the art of the stoic expression, President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union address since winning reelection. This performance had been touted by the administration as the capstone, complimentary finish to a two-part series begun with the President’s Inaugural address. These speeches have draped … Continue reading
President Obama has been pressured from several different directions regarding climate change and environmental action. His pending approval of the Keystone pipeline as well as policy regarding greenhouse gas emissions is making it difficult to placate both sides of the spectrum. Climate change activists are fervently against the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, and … Continue reading
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