We have been deluged by responses to Barry Wynsma's thoughtful essay on Forest Service leadership - or the lack thereof. Provided here is some feedback on the essay.
W.V. "Mac" McConnell writes from Florida. He is a U.S. Forest Service retiree whose Power Point presentations have appeared on our website many times. His latest efforts are nearby: an updated version of his earlier "Timber Resource Management" Power Point and a fascinating photograph, "One Landscape: Four Views," that shows what is happening on adjacent public and private forests at Deep Creek, near Townsend, Montana.
Editor's comment concerning Mike Petersen's (Executive Director - Lands Council) Response To Dr. Tom Bonnicksen's Essay, "Death Of A Forest: Why We Should Care"
New errors in IPCC climate change report telegraph.co.uk The United Nations panel on climate change is facing fresh criticism today as The Sunday Telegraph reveals new factual errors and poor sources of evidence in its influential report to government leaders. Read More...
Wind energy job growth isn't blowing anyone away Los Angeles Times Even though a record 10,000 megawatts of new generating capacity came on line, few jobs were created overall and wind power manufacturing employment, in particular, fell -- a setback for President Obama's pledge to create millions of green jobs. Read More...
Forget wind. Pickens turns focus to gas. New York Times The man who made much of his fortune on oil, then in recent years turned to wind power, is now underplaying wind as a possible solution, while continuing to promote natural gas. Read More...
In clean energy, U.S. needs more steel in ground CNET More than scientific breakthroughs, the U.S. needs to deploy existing green technologies faster to keep pace with China and other nations, people in the renewable energy industry said this week. Read More...
Electric cars not so eco-friendly: Green groups The Hindu A latest report has claimed that an increase in electric cars is likely to lead to more electricity production from coal, gas and nuclear plants, without necessarily reducing oil demand for conventional cars Read More...
CLIMATE NEWS
Senate EPW panel returns to global warming debate with public health hearing E&E News Daily On Thursday, EPW Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) will return to the global warming debate with a hearing into the public health warnings from many scientists that climate change is likely to increase malnutrition, encourage the spread of disease-carrying insects and worsen floods, droughts and storms. Read More...
NOAA reorganizes with eye toward assessing warming effects Greenwire The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched a new climate service, a reorganization effort aimed at improving long-range assessments of climate change, sea-level rise and severe weather. Read More...
Senators seek sulfur dioxide pollution cuts Reuters A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced legislation aimed at slashing emissions of sulfur dioxide, mercury and nitrogen oxide from smokestacks including coal-fired power plants. Read More...
Idaho, four other western states named in EPA lawsuit Idaho Statesman The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to meet numerous deadlines for limiting dangerous pollution from tiny airborne particles like soot and dust in Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, Montana and Nevada. Read More...
Nickel, copper mine renews debate over Mich.'s Upper Peninsula Land Letter Less than a month after its final authorization by state regulators, a sulfide mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula faces a promised legal challenge from environmental groups and a proposed ballot initiative that could make its operation illegal. Read More...
Pikas won't be listed for protection, feds say Seattle Times Pikas, the iconic squeakers of the high country, will not be listed for protection as a threatened or endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided after a yearlong population-status review. Read More...
Nuclear giant Areva buys solar company Ausra Reuters The world's largest nuclear plant builder, Areva SA, is entering the solar power industry, with the company announcing its acquisition of U.S.-based solar thermal player Ausra. Read More...
Feds plan more protection for jaguar, bird Arizona Republic The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided earlier this month that both the jaguar and flycatcher could warrant more protection across wider areas of the West. Read More...
Energy chief defends Yucca Mountain determination Las Vegas Review-Journal Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Thursday defended the decision to terminate the Yucca Mountain program, telling senators at a budget hearing the Nevada repository plan is being set aside in a search for "better solutions." Read More...
Obama memorandum creates CCS task force Oil & Gas Journal U.S. President Barack H. Obama issued a presidential memorandum creating an inter-agency task force to develop a comprehensive carbon capture and storage strategy. Read More...
Earth, wind and wire: Going beyond solar panels Los Angeles Times New technologies -- and hefty government subsidies -- are now allowing homeowners to tap the wind, the Earth and other renewable sources in their own backyards. Read More...
Scientists engineer oil producing bacteria Merinews Scientists at the Department of Energy Joint Bioenergy Institute have engineered a bacteria strain of the e.coli which will chew up plants and excrete bio diesel. Read More...
NEWS FROM THE STATES
Alaska: Corps' NPR-A decision leaves some steamed Anchorage Daily News Some Alaska politicians said Friday they are outraged by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' decision to deny Conoco Phillips a permit that would have given it access to drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Read More...
Hawaii's big push to go green is natural Los Angeles Times The resource-rich state depends almost entirely on imported oil to fuel its vehicles and stoke its power plants. It aims to obtain 70% of its total energy needs from clean sources within 20 years. Read More...
Idaho Power plans more generation from wind Idaho State Journal Idaho Power's new plan for meeting anticipated customer energy needs for the next two decades shows the utility's energy portfolio will grow increasingly diverse with a heightened emphasis on renewable sources. Read More...
Montana: Governor finds agreement on power lines Billings Gazette Gov. Dave Freudenthal said the Obama administration agrees with him in principle that federal lands should no longer be prioritized over private lands during the routing of electrical transmission lines. Read More...
Wyoming: New wind energy rules drafted LocalNews8.com The Wyoming State Lands and Investments Board has drafted new rules regarding wind energy development on state lands and is seeking public comments. Read More...
OPINION / EDITORIAL
Editorial: Obama's message Oil & Gas Journal President Barack Obama to the U.S. oil and gas industry: Get out of town. That's the message in the president's budget proposal for fiscal 2011. Read More...
Rep. Lamborn: Energy key to economic recovery Roll Call Rep. Lamborn (R-CO) on the important role low-cost energy plays in creating jobs, growing the economy and freeing the nation from our overdependence on foreign sources of energy. Read More...
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"We must always consider the environment and people together, as though they are one, because the
human need to use natural resources is fundamental to our continued presence on earth."
