What Romney's Energy Policy looks Like on the Ground (Video)

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has emphatically articulated his support for coal. This video by Alastair Good http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/alastair-good/ takes a close up look at what Romney's energy policy actually looks like on the ground. In addition to the GHGs produced by coal there are also numerous local environmental impacts. This video examines how both the landscape and the people have been adversely impacted by the mining of coal. environmental regulations and increase domestic energy production the Telegraph goes to Eastern Kentucky to investigate one of the most controversial energy production processes, mountain-top removal.

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DNC Platform is Less Environmentally Focused than in 2008

The platform being discussed at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is infinitely more environmentally aware than the platform agreed upon at the Republican National convention. However both political parties are less than perfect when it comes to their proposed green initiatives for the next four years.

As reviewed in a Desmog blog post published in Eco-Watch the Republican party platform is essentially a recipe for dependence on fossil fuels.

For their part the Democrats have caved to Republican pressure and they have backpedaled on the environment from their 2008 position. They are no longer calling for an end to fossil fuels, instead they have adopted an all of the above strategy. Although the DNC platform calls for an international deal to curtail GHG pollution, it no longer indicates that the agreement should be binding. The platform also drops the party’s 2008 support for cap-and-trade.

The Obama Administration's environmental policy has eroded over the last four years due to virulent opposition from the GOP and some of their own membership.

While it is easy to criticize, it is irresponsible to consider the DNC's environmental platform in a vacuum. The political realities need to be factored into the equation. If the Democrats adopt the kind of environmental position that many environmentalists are advocating, they are at greater risk of losing the forthcoming election and Republican control of the White House and the Congress would be a disaster.

Although neither platform offers the broad spectrum changes we need to see to effectively curtail climate change, the Democrats are still by far the best option.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Democrats Against Efforts to Manage Climate Change

While we often think of Republicans as being the minions of the fossil fuel industry, there are also a number of Democrats who support dirty energy like coal. Although Republicans comprise the largest share of people who do not support a science based approach to climate change, some Democrats are also guilty of ignoring the facts about global warming and resisting climate and energy legislation.

With the exception of Democrats from the East and West coasts, there are large pockets of Democratic resistance to serious action on climate change. As the second-biggest producer of this fossil fuel, West Virginia Democrats are amongst the worst climate change deniers in the country. The state's Govenor Earl Ray Tomblin and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin are Democrats who championed the cause of coal industry.

In 2010, there were 44 Democrats who voted against climate change legislation and 211 who supported it. In total 7 percent of Democrats in Obama-majority districts opposed the White House on the vote.

Simply put support for climate and energy legislation is related to the degree to which a state relies on coal to generate electricity. Thirty of the 121 Democrats from states that generate at least 40 percent of their power from coal voted against the 2010 bill; just 14 of the 134 Democrats from states that are less reliant on coal joined them in opposition. That means about one-in-four of the coal state Democrats voted no, compared to only a little over one-in-10 of everyone else.

Of the 29 "McCain Democrats" who opposed the bill, 21 represent states that are heavily dependent on coal. Midwestern states rely on coal for electricity. Which is why 12 of the Democrats from the Midwest and the Plains states did not support the bill

Most of the Democrats who did not support the bill came from Southern states. Eighteen of the 44 Democratic "no" votes came from the 11 states of the Old Confederacy; 40 Southern Democrats supported the bill. That means nearly a third of Southern Democrats opposed the bill.

Opposition to energy and climate legislation came from the sole Democratic representatives in North Dakota, South Dakota and Louisiana; both Democratic representatives from West Virginia; and majorities of the Democratic delegations from Arkansas and Indiana.

Even an attempt to pass legislation in the US Senate to end a cap on oil spill damages was put on hold due to lack of support from at least two Democrat senators from the oil-rich states of Louisiana and Alaska. It is shocking to note that even the worst oil spill in US history could not get Democrats to protect people and the marine environment from the oil industry.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Climate Change and the Democratic Party Platform at the DNC

The Democratic platform promotes the development of clean energy jobs, the conservation of public lands, clean air and water. However to appeal to the American public the Democrats are advocating an an “all-of-the-above" energy strategy, which includes oil, "clean" coal and natural gas. While we may rue support for fossil fuels and the conspicuous absence of important ideas like a market-based cap-and-trade system in the Democrat's 2012 platform, we would do well to remember that there will be no clean energy and no green jobs under a Republican president. The Democrats need to appeal to voters to get elected and at the present time issues like cap-and-trade are dead issues.

As reviewed in the Huffington Post, the 2012 Republican platform mentions the term "climate change" once (while downplaying the issue's severity), the 2012 Democratic platform uses the term "climate change" 18 times.

While Republicans do not even openly acknowledge anthropogenic climate change. The Democratic platform argues that climate change is "one of the biggest threats of this generation" and they realize that "The change wrought by a warming planet will lead to new conflicts over refugees and resources; new suffering from drought and famine; catastrophic natural disasters; and the degradation of vital ecosystems across the globe."

The Democrats have pledged to work on an international effort to cut emissions and provide financing for developing nations to protect themselves from the effects of climate change.

Under the circumstances of Republican obstructionism, a woefully misinformed public and resistance from some Democrats, President Obama and the Democratic party has been leading efforts to address climate change.

In 2012 climate change may not be as central to the Democrat's platform as it was in 2008, but they remain the only national party in the US to seriously address the issue. While many are frustrated with the Democrats weaker position on climate, for voters who have even a passing understanding of environmental issues the Democrats are the only game in town.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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How to Achieve Energy Efficiency Goals with Limited Resources (Webinar)

On September 12, 2012 at 11am PDT/2pm EDT see the complimentary webinar "How to Achieve Energy Efficiency Goals with Limited Resources." This one-hour energy management webinar will be presented by Constellation, Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and Environmental Leader.

Today’s challenging economic climate and increased focus on sustainability are driving more American businesses to focus on reducing energy consumption and lowering energy costs. According to the 2012 Deloitte reSources Study, 89% of businesses surveyed have electricity cost and consumption reduction goals in place. However, insufficient capital funding, implementation complexity, and lack of dedicated staff continue to be barriers to achieving these goals. Join Constellation, EEI and Environmental Leader to learn about the options available to businesses and how forward-thinking companies are strategically implementing energy efficiency projects while overcoming key resource barriers.

From state and federal environmental policies to emerging technologies, the electric industry and its customers will experience transformational changes in their relationship with one another and the means in which they manage energy priorities. EEI’s Jacqueline McIlrath’s overview of industry spending and environmental challenges will provide participants with critical information needed to protect their organization and plan for the upcoming changes and trends in energy management.

You’ll also hear from Greg Fox, Constellation’s Director of Business Development for Efficiency Made Easy. Greg will discuss practical solutions for achieving energy efficiency goals that lower energy consumption, reduce total energy cost and help meet sustainability goals. Greg’s topics will include:

• The three primary energy efficiency options. Which is right for you?
  
• In-Electric Rate Funding. How does it work?
  
• Strategic Integrated Energy Management. How does energy efficiency fit?

To register click here.

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Conservative Budget Guts the Environment

Prime Minister Steven Harper's ruling Conservative government is using their majority to all but eliminate Canada's environmental protections. On March 29, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty released a federal budget which guts environmental legislation. It is tragically ironic that this anti-environment budget comes only one week after record-breaking temperatures in the National Capital Region.

Under the new budget Environment Canada will be cut by $88 million. Parks Canada will be cut by $6 million this year and rise to $29 million in 2014/15. Environmental reviews for major oil, gas and mining projects will be shortened and some of these reviews will be handed entirely to the provinces.

Activists are upset about pension reform, job losses, social spending cuts and of course the enviroment. Canadians have protested from the House of Commons gallery chanting, "This is not our budget! Where are we in your budget?" before being detained and later released by Hill Security.

Canadians opposed to the Harper government's austerity measures are rallying around the slogan Not Our Budget, and issued a press release coinciding with the action on Parliament Hill. The two paramount issues for this group is the "gutting of environmental legislation" and cutting "services for First Nations education and health."

Despite the opposition from aboriginal people, the federal budget tries to sell projects like the environmentally destructive Northern Gateway pipeline as being benefitial to First Nations. The truth is that accelerated environmental assessment related to oil and gas and uranium is part of the problem not the solution.

This Conservative government has a deplorable environmental record, in fact it is one of the worst developed countries in the world. In addition to undermining UN climate negotiations, Harper's Conservatives have defended big oil's interests at every turn and they have lobbied the US and EU on behalf of the tar sands.

Steven Guilbeault of Équiterre said the budget, "seems to have been written for, and even by, big oil interests, the Harper government is gutting the environmental protections that Canadians have depended on for decades to safeguard our families and nature from pollution, toxic contamination and other environmental problems."

While President Barack Obama is working to end oil subsidies in the US, Prime Minister Harper is searching out new markets for the tar sands and other Canadian resources. It is no coincidence that Harper is pitching lowered domestic environmental standards to markets that share Canada's lax environmental review policies.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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GOP Fights Removal of Oil Subsidies

Republicans have rejected a bill that would have killed tax breaks for big oil companies. Despite the President's plea to end oil subsidies, on Thursday March 29 the Senate voted 51-47 against a Democratic bill that would remove billions of dollars in oil company tax breaks. President Obama has been a champion of ending big oil's subsidies since taking office. "It's like hitting the American people twice," Obama said. "You're already paying a premium at the pump right now. And on top of that, Congress...has thought it was a good idea to send billions of dollars more in tax dollars to the oil industry."

To justify their resistance to the bill Republicans are using the flawed logic of higher gas prices. In February the average price of gasoline in the US was $3.58 a gallon, an 11.5 percent increase over February 2010.

According to a panel of experts testifying before members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the US has reduced demand and increased supply.

The President has said, "American oil is booming. The oil industry is doing just fine. With record profits and rising production, I'm not worried about the big oil companies."

According to the panel of experts there is not much the US can do domestically to reduce increasing gas prices. High gas prices are largely due to the looming showdown with Iran and geopolitical instability in major oil exporting countries like Sudan, Nigeria and Iraq.

"We are held captive by global markets that we have no control over," said Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va.

Although Republicans are trying to suggest that eradicating oil subsidies would increase the price of gas, Frank Verrastro, senior vice president of the Energy and National Security Program, explains this is simply not the case.

Verrastro said the elimination of tax breaks for oil companies would not change the price at the pump which is due to the global nature of the oil market.

International events beyond American control are driving oil's price volatility. New projects like the Keystone XL pipeline will not have much of an effect on the retail price of gas either so there is little chance of any immediate cost relief.

The only way to gain control over the costs of energy is to reduce dependence on foreign oil and the only way to do this is to develop alternative sources of power.

"With the ability to access these new, unconventional resources, we may very well be on the verge of an American energy renaissance," Verrastro said.

However $20 billion in federal subsidies to the largest oil and gas companies make it more difficult for these alternatives, particularly renewable sources, to grow to a size where they can make a difference in America's energy picture. Subsidies make even less sense when you consider that The five largest oil companies reported a combined $140 billion in profit in 2011.

"They can either vote to spend billions of dollars on oil subsidies that keep us trapped in the past," said President Obama, "or they can vote to end these taxpayer subsidies that aren't needed to boost oil production."

"Members of Congress have a simple choice to make: They can stand with the big oil companies, or they can stand with the American people," Mr Obama said before Thursday's vote in the Senate. It would appear the GOP would rather wallow in the past and stand with big oil.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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