Environment

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Hurricane Gustav Comes in Slow and to the Left
Posted by dday, Hullabaloo on September 1, 2008 at 9:39 AM.

As I hoped, Hurricane Gustav changed course slightly, moving to the West and away from New Orleans, and the storm downgraded to a Category 2 storm upon landfall. The eye of the storm is 40 miles west of the city, toward Houma. Now, the Industrial Canal is being overtopped, and some runaway barges and tugboats are flying around in the area, and there are at least six hours to go here. But the absolute worst option has not materialized... yet. And I'm hopeful that the storm is far away enough that we won't see catastrophic flooding.

But you never know. The Port of New Orleans is underwater. If this was a Category 4 storm we'd be in a tremendous amount of trouble. The Army Corps of Engineers simply never built anything to stop water from Lake Pontchartrain to stream in through the Industrial Canal. If there's real breaching, the Lower Ninth is going to fill up. Again. (UPDATE: CNN reports "spurts of water" are coming into the Lower Ninth Ward already. This isn't that big a storm and the levees are already starting to fail.)

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Nagin Says Gustav Worse than Katrina; N.O. Ordered Evacuated; RNC Events Cancelled
Posted by AlterNet Staff, AlterNet on August 31, 2008 at 1:13 PM.

Stay on top of Hurricane Gustav

-- You can volunteer to help, discuss what's going on and get updates here: http://gustav08.ning.com/
-- Here's Gustav's info wiki for the latest news: http://gustavwiki.com/

You can also get breaking news via twitter:
-- Official NHC alerts: http://twitter.com/GustavAlerts

Nagin: Gustav Worse Than Katrina

The New York Times reports:

Tens of thousands of residents streamed out of New Orleans on Sunday after heeding orders from officials to evacuate the city — the first mandatory evacuation since Hurricane Katrina flooded the city three years ago — as Hurricane Gustav grew into what the city’s mayor called “a big, ugly storm” and moved toward the Louisiana coast.

The aftermath of Hurricane Gustav in Consolación del Sur, Cuba, on Sunday. The storm lashed the western tip of Cuba on Saturday before heading toward the Gulf Coast of the United States.

Mayor C. Ray Nagin said Hurricane Gustav was larger and more dangerous than Hurricane Katrina, and he pleaded with residents to get out or face flooding and life-threatening winds.

“We should start to see tornado threats starting tonight and in the morning,” he said at a news briefing Sunday morning. “This is still a big, ugly storm. It’s still strong and I strongly encourage everyone to leave.”

RNC Cancels Convention Events

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New Orleans: Nobody Asked, Why Not Sooner?
Posted by Harry Shearer, Huffington Post on August 31, 2008 at 12:10 PM.

Of course, the primary hope is that this question remains, if not rhetorical, at least not forensic. The hope is that Hurricane Gustav doesn't prove the fragile repairs of the deeply defective levee and floodwall system in New Orleans have been repairs in name only, that the storm goes west, or east, that it peters out, or, most miraculously, that the repairs by the Army Corps of Engineers actually strengthened the system to a point where it can protect the city.

But one question does need to be raised now, before we know next week's outcome. After Katrina, the Corps wasted nine months in lying and refuting the findings of expert teams of engineers -- the Corps insisted the levees were over-topped, while the teams reported disturbing evidence of construction and design flaws. Finally, after denigrating the experts for months, calling them liars in the local press, the Corps issued its own report in June 2006, calling the system it had designed and constructed "a system in name only."

Most crucially, the Corps announced that the system would be repaired, up to the advertised level of the pre-K system, the so-called 100-year storm, by 2011.

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McCain and Palin Rush to Gulf Coast to Do ... Something
Posted by Georgia10, Daily Kos on August 31, 2008 at 11:45 AM.

It wasn't enough that the president Republican nominee jumped headfirst into the Russia/Georgia crisis, going so far as to dispatch his Secretary of State Senators Lieberman and Graham to Georgia on his behalf.  

No, now, as Hurricane Gustav roars towards the U.S.,  the Republican president nominee and his newly minted Vice-President running mate are rushing down to Gulf Coast to...well, do something:

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are traveling to Mississippi on Sunday to check on people getting prepared for Hurricane Gustav. [...]

Aides say McCain and his wife Cindy will join Palin in traveling to Jackson, Miss., Sunday at the invitation of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour because of concerns about people threatened by the storm [...]<

The McCains and Palin will receive a briefing at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency — a permanent operations center monitoring hurricane response

Given that, well, the real President isn't heading down there, and since I suspect the Governor of Alaska and the Senator from Arizona probably don't have a lot by way of hurricane disaster relief to offer, one would think that this trip were nothing more than a photo opportunity aimed at demonstrating that the former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska can at least exude the aura of a federally elected official, while proving that McCain can understand how scared someone can be about losing their one and only home...if he tries really, really hard.

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The Best Convention Speech You Missed
Posted by Josh Dorner, Sierra Club on August 28, 2008 at 11:57 AM.

While most of the excitement last night was focused on Senator Clinton's speech, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer gave an electrifying (and highly animated) speech outlining a strong, clear vision for a new energy future.

Given his strong performance, it came as no surprise that Schweitzer was mobbed by bloggers and camera crews this morning as he strode through the Big Tent.

Here's some excerpts from his speech:

On the crises we face:

Right now, the United States imports about 70 percent of its oil from overseas. At the same time, billions of dollars that we spend on all that foreign oil seems to end up in the bank accounts of those around the world who are openly hostile to American values and our way of life. This costly reliance on fossil fuels threatens America and the world in other ways, too. CO2 emissions are increasing global temperatures, sea levels are rising and storms are getting worse.

On an "all of the above" approach:

It's not a question of either wind or clean coal, solar or hydrogen, oil or geothermal. We need them all to create a strong American energy system, a system built on American innovation.

On drilling:

We simply can't drill our way to energy independence, even if you drilled in all of John McCain's backyards, including the ones he can't even remember. That single-answer proposition is a dry well, and here's why. America consumes 25 percent of the world's oil, but has less than 3 percent of the reserves. You don't need a $2 calculator to figure that one out. There just isn't enough oil in America, on land or offshore, to meet America's full energy needs.

On the solution:

Invest $150 billion over the next 10 years in clean, renewable energy technology. This will create up to 5 million new, green jobs and fuel long-term growth and prosperity.

Full text of the speech is here.

The Battle to Save Coal River Mountain
Posted by JW Randolph, Appalachian Voices on August 27, 2008 at 12:22 PM.

Appalachian coal is a dead end road. With coal production declining across the Appalachian region and prices nearly tripling since 2007, economists and energy analysts are increasingly saying that Appalachian coal is the wrong investment for America.

In Appalachia alone, we've seen over 1 million acres of America's oldest mountains destroyed forever, 1200 miles of headwater streams buried, and some of the highest poverty in the nation due to mountaintop removal mining. But, though we have lost much, the people of Appalachia are fighting back through organizing and advocacy from Charleston to Frankfort to Washington DC.

Coal River Mountain, located in Raleigh County, West Virginia is one of America's Most Endangered Mountains. The communities surrounding the mountain have a rich and mixed history with America's most polluting fossil fuel. As the name implies, many of the towns in the Coal River Valley grew up with the expansion of coal-mining. But, 150 years after coal-mining began in Appalachia, much of the central and southern Appalachians stand devastated by mining, and impoverished by coal companies hell-bent on keeping coal "cheap" at the expense of our land and people. The communities of the Coal River Valley are no different. The people of the Coal River Valley -- having seen and experienced firsthand the devastation that the mining and processing of coal causes -- have seen enough to know that they need to take a new direction in choosing their future economic path.

When you're talking about Appalachia and coal, the word "battle" is not used lightly. From Matewan, to Harlan County, to Blair Mountain, violence and bloodshed are a very real part of our history. Now the inherently American legacy of the miners of Blair Mountain, courageous coalfield labor organizers, and the grassroots movement that led to surface mining laws in the 70s has reached a head. The Appalachian people have drawn our line in the sand. We stand here together to tell companies that would practice mountaintop removal to stop NOW. We have popular support for clean energy, a better economic alternative, and literally everything at stake, and the Appalachian people will win this battle of wind vs. fire.

Check out The Battle for Coal River Mountain to see maps of the area, more analysis, and job projections.

Shock Jock Encourages Listeners to Waste Energy to Wipe Out DNC's Green Efforts
Posted by Matt, Think Progress on August 25, 2008 at 5:17 PM.

In April, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) promised that the Democratic National Convention this week will be the “greenest, most sustainable” convention in history. The Democrats greening efforts include the use of biodegradable balloons and signage, an army of volunteers for recycling, and a calculation of the convention’s carbon footprint.

Responding to the Democrats’ efforts, conservative global warming denier Glenn Beck is mockingly calling on his listeners to participate in a “carbon ONset program” aimed at counteracting progressive efforts to offset the environmental impact of the convention. On his website, Beck is encouraging Americans to “use more energy for mother nature“:

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Poll Watch: Zogby Gives McCain 5-Point Lead; Sky Not Yet Fallen
Posted by Joshua Holland, AlterNet on August 20, 2008 at 1:42 PM.

Zogby has McCain taking the lead in its nation-wide head-to-head — a 5 point lead, outside the margin-of-error — and I’m looking forward to much hand-wringing among Dems.

Here’s highlights from Zogby’s release:

As Russian tanks rolled into the Republic of Georgia and the presidential candidates met over the weekend in the first joint issues forum of the fall campaign, the latest polling includes drama almost as compelling - Republican John McCain has taken a five-point lead over Democrat Barack Obama in the race for President, the latest Reuters/Zogby telephone survey shows.

McCain leads Obama by a 46% to 41% margin.

And McCain not only enjoys a five-point edge in a two-way race against Obama, but also in a four-way contest including liberal independent candidate Ralph Nader and Libertarian Bob Barr, the poll reveals. In the four-way contest, McCain wins 44% support, Obama 39%, Barr 3% and Nader 2%.

This latest Reuters/Zogby poll is a dramatic reversal from the identical survey taken last month – in the July 9-13 Reuters/Zogby survey, Obama led McCain, 47% to 40%. In the four-way race last month, Obama held a 10-point lead over McCain.

Got that — almost as dramatic as Russian tanks rolling in!

But wait. Zogby’s poll is an outlier — LA Times/Bloomberg, Gallup and Rasmussen all have the race within two points, and all have Obama up. The only other recent poll with a five-point spread has Obama up. Real Clear Politics' rolling average has Obama up by 1.3.

During the primaries, Zogby was also rated the least reliable firm by other polling professionals in both Iowa and New Hampshire, and the firm’s gotten quite a bit of criticism during this cycle.

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Global Warming Deniers Cancel Meeting Due to Tropical Storm Fay
Posted by Amanda, Think Progress on August 19, 2008 at 5:33 AM.

This week, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) planned to have town hall meetings in Ft. Myers and West Palm Beach, FL. As the Wonk Room's Brad Johnson notes, "AFP is a front group for the right-wing pollution company Koch Industries, with an agenda of attacking 'global warming alarmism' and promoting increased offshore drilling." In an ironic twist, AFP has canceled its meetings because of Tropical Storm Fay. From a message on the group's website:

Ft. Myers and West Palm Beach Town Hall Meetings Rescheduled

The August 19th Ft. Myers town hall and August 21st West Palm Beach town hall will be rescheduled as a result of Tropical Storm Fay. We apologize for any inconvenience.

More on how global warming intensifies tropical storms here.

San Francisco Helps Houston Get its Recycling Out of the Garbage
Posted by Stephen Elliott, Huffington Post on August 18, 2008 at 9:24 AM.

At the end of July I read an article in the New York Times stating that Houston was the worst recycling city in the country, with a recycling rate of just 2.6% of its total waste. (San Francisco, where I live, is the best recycling city in the country, recycling 69% of our total waste. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking pride in that.) It was a particularly well written and interesting piece about culture, sprawl, and the difficulty of getting people to change old habits. And there was one thing that really stood out, though it was only mentioned very briefly: Houston doesn't have enough recycling bins.

"That's ridiculous," I was told. But it turned out to be true. In areas of Houston with recycling programs there is up to a ten year wait for an 18 gallon bin. There are 25,000 people in Houston on the list. These are people who already believe recycling is a good idea, living in an area with a recycling program, but they're not recycling because the city hasn't given them a bin. Apparently there was an idea floating around about taking bins from people that aren't really using them and giving them to people who are waiting. But it's not even worth the administrative expense of reclaiming underused bins. The bins only cost $6.25.

So we decided to donate recycling bins to Houston.

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Van Jones Knows How to Build a Green Economy
Posted by Brave New Films, Talking Points Memo on August 13, 2008 at 3:15 PM.

Your Daily Politics Video Blog: The closing keynote speaker of the Netroots Nation convention in Austin last month was environmental and social justice activist Van Jones. Following his Sunday morning speech TPMtv caught up with Mr. Jones and asked him about the perception of the environmental movement in the black community and how to alter that perception for the better in creating a full-blown eco-populism movement.

Bush Destroying the Environment on His Way Out
Posted by Cenk Uygur, Brave New Films on August 13, 2008 at 8:54 AM.

Watch more at www.theyoungturks.com.

And watch Cenk's new show: Meet the Bloggers.

Republican Lawmaker Wants Environmentalists to Know Jesus Has Already Saved the Planet
Posted by Steve Benen, The Carpetbagger Report on August 12, 2008 at 5:01 PM.

For a few months, I've been corresponding with a friend and regular reader, "Zeitgeist," who insists that Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is, without a doubt, the single craziest member of the House of Representatives. I usually respond by pointing to Rep. Michele Bachmann, the infamous Minnesota Republican.

Given recent events, King is really going to have to pick up his game -- because Bachmann keeps getting further and further out there.

House Republicans say Speaker Nancy Pelosi is playing politics at the expense of the American economy -- and taxpayers are suffering as a result.

House Republicans say they will continue their floor revolt over gas prices during the congressional recess until Nancy Pelosi allows an up-or-down vote on offshore oil drilling. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota) says she plans to return to Washington to join in the protest.

"[Pelosi] is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she's just trying to save the planet. We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet -- we didn't need Nancy Pelosi to do that," says Bachmann.

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Bush Plans to Make The Endangered Species Act Extinct
Posted by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress on August 12, 2008 at 4:27 AM.

Yesterday, the AP reported on new draft rules being proposed by the Bush administration to gut the Endangered Species Act. These would be the biggest change to the groundbreaking legislation since 1988, and would not require the approval of Congress.

Currently, federal agencies are required to consult with an independent agency -- the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service -- to determine whether a project would harm an endangered species. The AP reports that under the new rules, agencies would simply be able to "decide for themselves":

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Pollution in Beijing: An Olympic-Sized Problem
Posted by Andy Kondrat, Take Part on August 8, 2008 at 5:58 AM.

You may have noticed quite a bit of information flowing from this website concerning the city of Beijing and the problem of pollution leading up to the Olympic Games, but by no means is this problem limited to China's capital city. As the city itself has been working to clear the air around the area the games will be held, high-polluting factories haven't simply shut down around Beijing -- they've been moved to outlying regions.

The Washington Post reports that when China was given the Summer Games back in 2001, the government immediately went to work reducing pollution around Beijing. But the main goal, it seems, has not been to reduce pollution around the country. One such example from the article:

As recently as five years ago, [one] region about 125 miles east of Beijing was a resort, and its sea overflowed with pike, flounder and carp. Now there are few fish, and it's a rare day when Zhang, 53, can see the sun through the smoke. She can tell the direction of the winds from the color of the soot blowing by her home. The gray iron deposits come from the southern steel mills, while the white powder comes from chemical factories, and black dust from coal and coking plants.

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