Marylanders today announced launch of a citizens' organization to stop the proposed experimental French, double-sized nuclear reactor in order to save the dead and dying Chesapeake Bay.

July 9, 2009 — Elk River Municipal Utilities yesterday rejected a proposal to become a partial owner in Big Stone II. Elk River’s rejection was the same day as a decision by Basin Electric Power in South Dakota to pull plans for a new coal-fired power plant.

Elk River's disavowal of coal is part of a trend. A string of 100 coal plants--with Intermountain Power coal plant in Utah as the landmark number 100-- have been defeated or abandoned since the beginning of the coal rush in 2001. Activists calling for a transition away from coal call this a significant milestone in the shift to clean energy. Read More | | | Past Coverage: Elk River City Council Tables Coal Decision, Big Stone II Goes Back to Utilities Commission July 8 | Elk River Municipal Power to Decide: Invest in Big Stone II Coal Burner?

Here is an online listing of the comments from members of the public regarding the Jordan Cove corporation's planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility planned for the north spit of Coos Bay, OR.

In addition to risks from a severe seismic event on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, other risks include loss of eelgrass beds from dredging to allow the LNG tankers passage. Eelgrass is the base of the river's estuary food pyramid and loss of eelgrass beds from excess dredging would result in loss of fisheries.

The Elk River Municipal Utility is considering buying into the Big Stone II coal-fired power plant proposed to be built near Milbank, South Dakota. While other utilities and other states across the Midwest and the nation are abandoning plans for building new coal plants, the Big Stone II proposers continue down this path, which critics call "uneconomic and environmentally irresponsible."

As the controversy about whether or not the State and Federal governments would allow unconventional gas drilling in upstate rural areas heats up, dozens of environmental activists rallied outside of City Hall on Wednesday in an animated protest to urge Councilmember Gennaro - the Council's Environmental Protection Committee Chair - to follow through on his declared opposition to gas drilling statewide. Meanwhile, Congressman Hinchey on the federal level introduced similar gas drilling friendly legislation that would leave the state's food and water supplies vulnerable to devastation.

Related coverage from NYC IMC: Stop All Toxic Gas Drilling in NYS || From Truthdig by Chris Hedges: ‘Clean’ Energy and Poisoned Water

Final Public Hearing on Plan to Open US Coast to Offshore Oil Drilling Held in SF

The Obama administration was in San Francisco on Thursday, April 16th, to hold a day-long public hearing on Bush's offshore oil and gas proposal, which would open most of the outer continental shelf of the US to offshore drilling. The plan would allow new drilling for the first time in decades in Northern California's Point Arena Basin as well as three offshore basins in Southern California. A coalition of environmental groups, including Ocean Defenders Alliance and Surfrider Foundation, organized an all-day rally featuring music and speakers outside the hearing on the UCSF Mission Bay Campus... Read More & Photos

The effort to stop the extraction of all toxic "natural" gas grew in momentum as the U.S. Commerce Department said Monday it opposed a proposed massive floating liquefied natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound.

Environmentalists hailed the decision as a victory over "the corporate Goliaths of our time."

April 9, 2009 — Gathered today on the posh Uptown campus of Tulane University in New Orleans a crowd of two hundred citizens, the vast majority of them older white men dressed in conservative grey and blue suits, most of them representing oil and gas companies, gathered to hear and be heard by the Obama administration's Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. The event was equal parts sales pitch and public hearing on a major new energy plan being proposed for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) by the administration. Read More

NEW/Related:Minnesota Senate Lifts Nuclear Moratorium

Removal of the state moratorium on the building of new nuclear power plants took center stage in evening hearings last week.  On Wednesday, March 25 the Legislative Energy Commission heard four hours of expert testimony on the future of nuclear power.  On the following night, the House Energy Policy and Finance Committee heard three hours of public testimony  on the passage of HF 1091, a bill that would overturn the moratorium.   

On Fossil Fools day, local DC activists launched a Greenwash Guerrilla action to help Chevron be a bit more honest in its advertising...

Great Northern Power Development withdrew its application for a new coal mine near South Heart, North Dakota. The company said it acted in response to a complaint filed at the North Dakota Public Service Commission by Plains Justice on behalf of Dakota Resource Council and local landowners. The complaint challenges the construction of a new coal preparation plant...

Frank and Lucy Hurt of South Heart said, “This is a victory for us and our community. The South Heart mine posed an immediate threat to our livelihood. As we do our calving check tonight, we’ll be breathing a little easier.” Their family has farmed for three generations at the same South Heart area farm. Read More

On March 26, Rising Tide DC invaded the World CTL 2009 Conference at the Mayflower on Connecticut Ave. One after another, speakers rose to shout down a plenary session in a "People's Fillibuster." Read More>> Raw audio from inside | WSQT Broadcast Audio-WHAT are those "clean coal" people smoking? | Video on Youtube

Toxic gas rilling, contamination, food security, and climate change are major issues (see http://www.powervote.org/platform). A 'natural' gas-related crisis of unprecedented proportions is about to be released upon NYS. The time is now for us to end extraction of fossil fuels. We need to protect and support our region's food security. Council members urged to re-introduce a bill urging a ban on gas drilling throughout the state.

I thought Fuel was very well-made, important, and informative--there's a lot to absorb. I don't agree with every point of view expressed in the film, but I realize the movie has to communicate to diverse people. . . . Still, the movie features a lot of provocative ideas like vertical farms (skyscraper-like farms that would exist in the middle of cities and other places where space is scarce), and there is some great historical information. For example, details of Rudolf Diesel's sudden and very suspicious death is discussed as well as the long and insidious history of Standard Oil (which was broken up 100 years ago but is now reunited as Exxon-Mobil). Also, a compelling case is made that Prohibition was really about stopping a car that Ford put out that ran on ethanol. As soon as Ford gave up on this car, Prohibition was lifted.

. . . I was glad to see depictions of monorails in the film (though they're never discussed). I think they could be a solution to some of our problems (at least until our population crisis is dealt with--if it is ever dealt with), as they have been in other countries for a century. . . .

Article: "Fuel" (review) by RP

On March 24th, 1989, the Exxon Valdez spilled millions of gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. This week an estimated 60,000+ gallons of oil spilled from a tanker off of the Queensland coast, spoiling beaches, and sickening wildlife.

The U.S. press is underreporting this incident. There is barely any mention of it save for Yahoo running AP wire. As long as GasVees rule the roads, Oildom's Grip On Power will remain Entrenched.

Declining Auto sales are good news, not bad. Auto workers must be retrained to produce EVs. Factories retooled.