Those pesky scientists again….

From Juan Cole:

MIT has made a breakthrough in energy storage, one of the main obstacles to effective use of solar energy: “Inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants, Nocera and Matthew Kanan, a postdoctoral fellow in Nocera’s lab, have developed an unprecedented process that will allow the sun’s energy to be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity to power your house or your electric car, day or night.”

Solar is the only energy source that can hope to resolve the energy and climate crises, so this is big.

Am I wrong in thinking that this mandate comes across as small potatoes?

I guess anything is better than nothing.

Congress Approves Fuel Economy Mandate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress by a wide margin approved the first increase in automobile fuel economy in 32 years Tuesday, and President Bush plans to quickly sign the legislation, accepting the mandates on the auto industry.

The energy bill, boosting mileage by 40 percent to 35 miles per gallon, passed the House 314-100 and now goes to the White House, following the Senate’s approved last week.

In a statement, the White House said Bush will sign the legislation at the Energy Department on Wednesday.

In a dramatic shift to spur increased demand for nonfossil fuels, the bill also requires a six-fold increase in ethanol use to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022, a boon to farmers. And it requires new energy efficiency standards for an array of appliances, lighting and commercial and government buildings.

Working Assets has joined with musicians Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Ben Harper and Bonnie Raitt on a petition to Congress that will stop a pending bailout of the nuclear power industry.

The artists have created video to help get the word out about the issue which you can watch below. And if you include your mobile number when signing the petition, we’ll send you a text message when a vote is imminent that will tell you how you can call to get a special message from Bonnie Raitt before being connected with your Congressional representative to speak out on this issue.

Please help us remove a clause from a pending Energy Bill that could force taxpayers to underwrite construction of an unknown number of new nuclear power plants. Instead the bill should fund the renewable and efficiency technologies that can solve global warming, guarantee a secure economy, and create millions of jobs.

compiled by Jim Swanson

Here’s a list of interesting an important things coming up this next week. To see more about any of the stories below, click on the supplied links. - JS

IMMIGRATION: Cassandra Butts testifies to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law on H.R. 1645, the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a vibrant Economy Act of 2007.

ENERGY: Joseph Romm testifies at the House Science and Technology Subcommittee hearing on “The Benefits and Challenges of Producing Liquid Fuel from Coal: The Role for Federal Research.”

LABOR MARKET: Christian E. Weller analyzes new employment numbers.

CAMPUS PROGRESS: A report on the lack of diversity in college newsrooms and an examination of American use of depleted uranium in Iraq.

By KRISTYN ECOCHARD
UPI Energy Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) — Most Americans are not satisfied with the Bush administration’s efforts on climate change and are concerned about human-caused change to Earth’s climate, according to a new UPI/Zogby Interactive poll.

More than 52 percent of respondents rated President Bush’s handling of environmental issues as poor and, in varying degrees, nearly 57 percent of people said that the United States is not doing enough to prevent climate change.

Of those polled, more than half responded that they believe there is some connection between human behavior and global climate change. But whether or not human behavior is a factor, when asked to rate their concern about global climate change 60.5 percent said they were moderately to highly concerned. Also in varying degrees, 62 percent agreed the climate issue is a legitimate problem.

The poll of 8,300 people over three days this month has a margin of error of 1 percentage point.

More than half who took part in the poll, 62 percent, thought that the United States should cooperate internationally on global climate change and should work with groups such as the United Nations or the European Union to address the issue. However, on the question of whether the United States should ratify the Kyoto Protocol on Global Warming, more people, 47.7 percent, felt signing the treaty would put the U.S. economy at a disadvantage to China and India.

Under the treaty, the United States and European countries would have to reduce emissions at a faster rate than China and India, and some have argued U.S. efforts will be in vain until developing nations contribute to the fight against emissions.

While about 50 percent of the respondents recognized that solving global climate change will require considerable economic sacrifices, there were still 26.5 percent who said they would not be willing to pay a higher rate for electricity generated from renewable sources like wind and solar.

Though 67.5 percent said they would be willing to pay more for clean, renewable energy, most of those said they would only accept a price increase of between 1 percent and 10 percent.

While lawmakers have been pushing for alternative fuel sources like biofuels or ethanol from corn, when poll respondents were asked if they would accept an increase in the cost of food due to demand for ethanol, 34.6 percent said no. Of those polled, nearly 94 percent drive their cars on a daily basis and would be impacted by the higher cost of fuel.

Who says Republicans aren’t in bed with big oil?

Senate passes energy bill, boosting mileage standards

The Senate legislation calls on automakers to improve gas mileage for consumers, including drivers like Jim Rohrer of Tucker, Georgia.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate passed an energy bill late Thursday that includes an increase in automobile fuel economy, new laws against energy price-gouging and a requirement for huge increases in the production of ethanol.

In an eleventh-hour compromise fashioned after two days of closed-door meetings, an agreement was reached to increase average fuel economy by 40 percent to 35 miles per gallon for cars, SUVs and pickup trucks by 2020.

But the fuel economy issue threatened to topple the legislation up to the last minute. Majority Leader Harry Reid held off the vote until late into the evening so several senators could be called back to Capitol Hill to provide the 60-vote margin needed to overcome a threatened filibuster from pro-auto industry senators.

Shortly before midnight, senators voted 62-32 to cut off debate, and followed by passing the bill 65-27. The measure now awaits action by the House, which is expected to take it up next week. But attempts to combine the two bills and send legislation to President Bush probably won’t be possible until later this year.

It would be the first increase in vehicle fuel efficiency since the current 22.7 mpg for cars was put in place in 1989 and the first time Congress has imposed a new auto efficiency mandate in 32 years.
[...]

The legislation also calls for:

• Price gouging provisions that make it unlawful to charge an “unconscionably excessive” price for oil products including gasoline and give the federal government new authority to investigate oil industry market manipulation.

• New appliance and lighting efficiency standards and a requirement that the federal government accelerate use of more efficient lighting in public buildings.

• Grants, loan guarantees and other assistance to promote research into fuel efficient vehicles, including hybrids, advanced diesel and battery technologies. percent ethanol or biodiesel fuels.

More at CNN.com

Well, damn! I was hoping to hear more about how we’re winning the war in Iraq.

The SOTU will center on America’s energy needs. Bush is recommending we invest in alternative fuels research so as to wean ourselves from our oil dependency sometime in the next 100-125 years (or when the oil fields all dry up)… whichever comes first.

Bush State of Union to stress energy security

Focus expected on ethanol, cleaner coal, hybrid cars and nuclear power

WASHINGTON - A year after warning America of its addiction to oil, President Bush is expected to renew concerns about energy security in his State of the Union address. But will the rhetoric be followed by action? Up to now, the record has been mixed.

Aides hint of a major pronouncement on energy in the speech before Congress and the nation Tuesday night. Yet the president is expected to take a predictable path, urging expanded use of ethanol in gasoline, more research into cleaner burning coal and on gas-electric “hybrid” cars, and greater nuclear energy.

He may tweak his voluntary program on climate change. Aides, however, say the president remains opposed to mandatory cuts in carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping “greenhouse” gases as has been proposed in Congress.

A year ago, Bush declared “America is addicted to oil” and he set a goal of replacing three-fourths of today’s oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. He pledged to press for alternatives to oil and for more efficient use of energy.

Actions and words

Bush has had some success in getting more domestic production.

The Bush administration has opened new federal lands for oil and gas drilling. Last month, Congress approved opening a large new area in the Gulf of Mexico to drilling. This month, Bush lifted a longtime ban on oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

But when it comes to weaning the country away from oil, the president’s critics say his rhetoric has not been matched by action.

“President Bush actually cut funding for the key energy’saving technologies,” says Joseph Romm, a former head of the renewable fuels and efficiency programs at the Energy Department during the Clinton administration.

The department’s requests for renewable fuel and conservation programs have stayed flat at about $1.18 billion annually over the past six years - really a decline if inflation is considered, energy efficiency advocates say.

“Since 2002, the energy efficiency programs at the Energy Department have dropped by a third in real dollars,” says Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Safe Energy, a private advocacy group.

When one program is increased, others have suffered, these critics maintain.

They acknowledge spending increases for research into solar and wind energy, but contend that came at the expense of two other renewable energy programs that were eliminated: research into geothermal energy deep within the earth and efforts to make hydroelectric dams more fish friendly.

Source: MSNBC

A wonderful idea. A wonderful solution to many of America’s problems. It’s logical. It makes sense!
And it just ain’t gonna happen.

Democrats: Buying Mideast oil gives cash to dictators

HELENA, Montana (AP) – Montana’s Democratic governor says President Bush is wrong on Iraq and has failed to recognize the importance of energy independence.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who learned Arabic while building irrigation projects in the Middle East for six years, said political solutions are needed in the region.

“Mr. President, there are animosities between Sunni and Shiite people in the Middle East that have developed over centuries,” Schweitzer said Saturday in the Democrats’ weekly radio address. “Outsiders cannot resolve this conflict unless the Iraqi people want security and freedom at least as much as us.”

The governor urged the Bush administration not to embed American troops with the Iraqi army, beside what he called “untested and potentially corrupt members of the Iraqi military.”

Schweitzer also argued that American energy independence is the only way to ensure the country doesn’t have to continue fighting wars in the Middle East.

Options: Biodiesel, wind power, liquid fuels, ethanol

The governor touted his support for biodiesel and his efforts to increase wind power in Montana and develop new liquid fuels from coal. He also pointed to the efforts of others to develop more ethanol.

“We have enough energy resources and green technology in the United States to enable us to stop relying on foreign dictators to supply us with fuel,” Schweitzer said. “Along with a smart strategy in Iraq, our energy independence can make us stronger and safer.”

Schweitzer said the country uses 6.5 billion barrels of oil a year, while only producing 2.5 billion barrels. The rest comes from “some of the world’s worst dictators.”

Instead, the nation should cut back on 1 billion barrels through conservation, produce another 1 billion barrels of biofuels, and 2 billion barrels from turning coal into liquid fuel.

“We can achieve energy independence in 10 years, create a whole new industry with hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs, and you’ll never have to send children and grandchildren to war in the Middle East again,” Schweitzer said.

“Mr. President, let’s create hundreds of thousands of jobs in America by producing our own clean fuels — bring our men and women home — and stop spending money in Iraq.”

Source: CNN.com