Archive for March, 2008

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Montana: NorthWestern rate deal questioned

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin
 

HELENA – The state’s utility consumer advocate and NorthWestern Energy have agreed on a $15 million-a-year rate increase for the company’s electric and natural gas rates – but not everyone believes it’s a good deal.

Starting Monday, the proposed rate hike will be heard before the Public Service Commission, which must decide whether to approve it.

The chief legal advocate for utility consumers, the Montana Consumer Counsel, will argue for approval of the 2 percent increase, saying it benefits both the consumer and the company.

Read the story here:

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/03/31/news/mtregional/news07.txt 

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Posted in Other Climate/Energy News | No Comments »

Schweitzer, governors refine clean coal policies

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin

HELENA – Gov. Brian Schweitzer says a meeting he had over the weekend with a dozen Democratic governors allowed them to refine their objectives for clean coal technology.

The Democratic Governors Association meeting in Big Sky was aimed at advancing policy initiatives. Schweitzer is vice chairman of the group.

Schweitzer said he wants the DGA to push Congress to deal with greenhouse gas emissions by establishing a fee on emissions which would be used to advance greener technologies like carbon sequestration.

He says the governors are in a position to push the fee, which Schweitzer prefers to plans for a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax.

Rad the story here:

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/03/31/bnews/br41.txt 

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Imperial oil sands plans dealt blow

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin

Kearl project faces delay as Fisheries and Oceans pulls water authorization

CALGARY — — The federal government has revoked a key water permit for Imperial Oil Ltd.’s [IMO-T] proposed $8-billion Kearl oil sands mine, delaying work on a major new oil sands development as environmental scrutiny of the massive projects around Fort McMurray intensifies.

Read the story here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080331.wrimperial31/BNStory/energy/home

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Posted in Alberta Oil/Oil Sands | No Comments »

Alberta EUB chairman resigns, returns to law

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin

EDMONTON – The man who took over the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board six months ago after a spying scandal has resigned.

William Tilleman resigned as chairman today, saying he plans to return to his private law practice now that the EUB has been split into the new Energy Resources Conservation Board and the Alberta Utilities Commission.

Read the story here:

 http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=a2f81368-06f6-4394-a70e-5b03e6df36e5&k=14829

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Alberta firms pay to pollute

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin

An analysis by the Herald reveals most of the large emitters haven’t met the government’s mandated 12 per cent reduction in their emissions intensity (per unit of production).

Instead, they’ll be forced to write cheques totalling tens of millions of dollars to meet their reductions — either by purchasing carbon offset credits or investing in the government’s technology fund, which is designed to make future energy production greener.

For consumers, one thing is clear: the millions of dollars in additional environmental costs will trickle down to Albertans at the gasoline pumps and on power bills.

Read the story here:

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=b1f93177-7e00-4ec4-b69f-17306457fb3d&k=36778 

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Coal-produced electricity, long cheaper, rising in cost

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin

Electric bills are poised to soar for customers of utilities building coal-fired power plants.

The plants, long-trusted purveyors of low-cost power, no longer seem like such good bets because of soaring construction costs and the surging cost of coal. Moreover, many think Congress will impose penalties on emissions that contribute to global warming.

To be sure, some in the electric industry still view coal-fired plants as the best low-cost option to provide year-round power. But the growing costs, driven by burgeoning global demand, have prompted warnings of “seismic shifts” in the way the industry views the plants.

Read the story here:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/economics/story/31027.html 

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Hotter and Drier: The West’s Changed Climate

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin

Human activities are already changing the climate of the American West. This report by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), drawn from 50 scientific studies, 125 other government and scientific sources, and our own new analyses, documents that the West is being affected more by a changed climate than any other part of the United States outside of Alaska. When compared to the 20th century average, the West has experienced an increase in average temperature during the last five years that is 70 percent greater than the world as a whole. Responding quickly at all levels of government by embracing the solutions that are available is critical to minimizing further disruption of this region’s climate and economy.

Read the study here:

http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/west/contents.asp 

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Posted in Warming Effects | 1 Comment »

Climate change now a UN human rights issue

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin

GENEVA (AFP) — Climate change is now officially a human rights issue, as the UN Human Rights Council on Friday passed a resolution on the subject, recognising that the world’s poor are particularly vulnerable.

The council also gave the green light for a study into the impact of climate change on human rights, describing climate change as a “global problem .. that requires a global solution”.

The resolution, submitted by the Maldives and passed without a vote, also noted that the poor tend to have limited resources to cope with the impact of global warming.

Read the story here:

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gqg3m1Zm4lqTW8xT9pGTkTUaPZBw 

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Applying Gandhi’s Ideas to Climate Change

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin

The guiding notion is that climate change today calls for the same kind of collective will, shared destiny, moral purpose, personal responsibility and strategic acumen as the other great movements, and that Gandhi’s ideas and achievements are entirely germane to what needs to happen now.

Read the story here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/nyregion/30towns.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

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Flaws in Canadian climate plan will increase emissions

Monday, March 31st, 2008
posted by admin

Harper standards are ’smoke and mirrors’

Ottawa (31 March 2008) – Major flaws in the federal government’s climate change plan will allow greenhouse gas emissions to grow and lets the polluting oil sands industry off the hook, according to analysis from the Climate Action Network – Canada.

Earlier this month, Environment Canada updated its framework on how it plans to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions created by large industries. The federal government claims new measures in the regulatory framework show it is getting tough on industrial pollution and making the large emission cuts needed to get global warming under control.

Read the story here:

http://www.nupge.ca/news_2008/n31ma08a.htm 

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