July 2007 - Sustainability - list.sfgreens.org

Re: [Sustain] CO2 Cap & Trade?
by Eric Brooks 21 Jul '08

21 Jul '08

Well, the idea is that you put a top limit or 'cap' on how much each county/state/corporations can emit. Concurrently with that, you create a market for trading reductions in CO2 emissions such that corporations get 'credits' (which are worth real money) and sometimes (but not always) corporations receive financial penalties or taxes for exceeding limits. The idea is that you make reducing CO2 emissions desirable by making it valuable. Then, you set up a market in which the CO2 credits get turned into electronic trading notes (a lot like stocks). So, one company, say, a carpet maker, figures out ways to greatly reduce it emissions, and its trading exchange issues that company a given amount of credits for free. Then, another company, say, a cement manufacturer, knowing that it is going to exceed its limits, buys the credits created by the carpet company so that, on paper, the cement company has bought enough credits to -not- exceed its limits; and so, it can therefore avoid emissions penalties (if there are any) or the cost of installing pollution controls (if their state requires any). Depending on the current or future cost of pollution control requirements, and taxes and penalties on fuel use or CO2 production, some companies may see the credits as even more valuable and pay more for them than their set value, and this makes the credits rise in value on the trading 'floor'. Now, as we all know, from any quick glance at the stock market, and especially at markets trading currency values, speculators over the last many decades have developed incredibly clever and complex ways of making money from trading even though they aren't creating any value or production whatsoever. Add this to the fact that corporations have high incentives to use tricks to pretend on paper that they are reducing their emissions when they are not, that corporations will continue to get laws passed to reduce pollution controls and penalties and even to change the way CO2 trading systems work, and it is easy to see that such cap and trade systems are doomed to failure. Indeed, the cap and trade system adopted a few years ago in Europe is already failing dismally. See http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=21202 cheers Eric Anne Garrison wrote: I can't even figure out how this cap and trade business is supposed to work. Somebody told me that carbon offsetting meant something fairly simple like paying to plant a tree in exchange for some sort of excess energy use, but I can't even tell how this is supposed to work. If I'm around and anyone can enlighten me at the next meeting, I'd appreciate it. I know it's crap, and don't much feel like sorting it out, but feel like I should.

3 2

Re: [Sustain] Fwd: CBS's Nuclear Revival
by Cal Broomhead 02 Aug '07

02 Aug '07

How about eliminating the Price Anderson Act? No insurance waiver means no nukes. We pushed a proposition in 1976 but it failed, though it sparked a lot of debate. Cal Broomhead and Kathleen Ribeiro broomhead(a)igc.org > [Original Message] > From: Don Eichelberger <done7777(a)sbcglobal.net> > To: Susan Swift <vencejo(a)mindspring.com> > Cc: <sustainability(a)sfgreens.org>; Lynda Hernandez <redwoodsforever(a)verizon.net>; <GPCA-Energy(a)yahoogroups.com>; <TrueGreen_NoNukes(a)yahoogroups.com> > Date: 6/12/2007 6:43:37 PM > Subject: Re: [Sustain] Fwd: CBS's Nuclear Revival > > I hope they were responsive to working together. > Seems we have "allies" almost everywhere we > look. It is a matter of finding ways to keep > each other in each other's loops and, if not > "coordinating efforts", at least making a buzz in unison. > > Overcoming the other side's media blitz will be a > big part of it. I am ccing the state Green Party > media guy, Cres, with a heads up that his help > would be good to have. The main media strategy > at present seems to be writing and responding to > blogs (my first blog is > www.greenuprising.blogspot.com) and writing > letters to editors for newspaper articles that promote nukes > > We need to do something newsworthy. We (SF Green > Sustainability Working Group) are considering > pushing Leno for stronger legislation than a > study, including opposing renewal of nuke > operating licenses in the state on the same grounds we now oppose new licenses. > > I would like to get something happening, > > Don > > At 07:48 AM 4/19/2007, you wrote: > >Great News! We have some allies outside the immediate environmental > >ncommunity. Thanks for sharing this Don. I'll write to CBS and FAIR. > > > >-Susan > > > >-- In TrueGreen_NoNukes(a)yahoogroups.com, Don Eichelberger > ><done7777@...> wrote: > > > > > > I looked at the 60 Minutes segment and said to > > > myself, "Noooooo! Not 60 Minutes, too!" I had > > > intended to respond to them, but got turned to > > > other things, until I got this alert. In case you want to respond.... > > > > > > Glad FAIR is doing this. > > > > > > Don > > > > > > >Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:27:06 -0700 > > > >From: "Richard A. Knee" <rak0408@...> > > > >To: "Knee Richard A." <rak0408@...> > > > >Subject: Fwd: CBS's Nuclear Revival > > > >------- Forwarded message ------- > > > >From: FAIR <fair@...> > > > >To: rak0408@... > > > >Cc: > > > >Subject: CBS's Nuclear Revival > > > >Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 10:34:18 -0700 > > > > > > > >http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3086 > > > > > > > >Action Alert > > > > > > > >CBS's Nuclear Revival > > > >60 Minutes' critic-free boosterism > > > > > > > >4/18/07 > > > > > > > >On April 8, the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes aired a segment about the > > > >"resounding success" of the French nuclear power program, > >suggesting that > > > >"emission-free" nuclear power might offer an easy solution to the > >problem > > > >of climate change. The report protected this dubious assertion from > > > >skeptical scrutiny by failing to quote a single bona fide critic of the > > > >nuclear industry. > > > > > > > >The segment was titled "Vive Les Nukes," which gave a good > >indication of > > > >the slant it took. Describing it as "an efficient means of > >producing large > > > >amounts of carbon-free energy," correspondent Steve Kroft announced > >at the > > > >top of the segment that nuclear power is "a technology whose time > >seemed > > > >to come and go, and may now be coming again." The notion of a nuclear > > > >power renaissance was bolstered by CBS's choice of interview guests�the > > > >program spoke only to nuclear power supporters (in France and > >elsewhere), > > > >thereby allowing their rhetoric to go unchallenged. > > > > > > > >Guests on the segment were French energy official Pierre Gadonniex, > >French > > > >nuclear industry executive Bertrande Durrande, White House deputy > > > >secretary of energy Clay Sell (Bush's "point man on nuclear power"), > > > >French nuclear executive Anne Lauvergeon, MIT nuclear researcher Andrew > > > >Kadak and David Jhirhad of the World Resources Institute, described > >as "an > > > >environmental think tank in Washington." > > > > > > > >Jhirhad was the only potentially balancing source, but he is quoted > >only > > > >to make Kroft's point that "even some environmental groups are taking a > > > >second look at nuclear power." This is an emerging line in much of the > > > >corporate media (e.g., Washington Post, 4/16/06; New York Times, > >2/27/07), > > > >though the actual number of green groups embracing nuclear power is > >quite > > > >small. The World Resources Institute receives contributions from > >several > > > >energy companies and other major polluters, information that would have > > > >been useful for CBS viewers in evaluating Jhirad's claim that the > >nuclear > > > >industry's "safety record has been pretty good." > > > > > > > >The segment's one-sided sourcing was made all the more problematic when > > > >the White House's Sell claimed that "no serious person can look at the > > > >challenge of greenhouse gases and climate change and not come to the > > > >conclusion that nuclear power has to play a significant and growing > >role > > > >in meeting that challenge worldwide." Of course, "serious people" do > > > >question precisely that--and CBS should have interviewed them. > > > > > > > >Excluding such sources meant excluding important information. While > > > >France's nuclear power is portrayed as widely popular, CBS failed to > > > >mention large protests held across the country on March 17 (Agence > >France > > > >Presse, 3/17/07) against construction of a new nuclear plant. Nor, in > > > >touting the massive nuclear reprocessing plant France has built in > > > >Normandy, did the show refer to the radiation it releases into the > >English > > > >Channel (NIRS Nuclear Monitor, 3-4/00) or the cluster of leukemia cases > > > >occurring around the plant (British Medical Journal, 1/11/97). > > > > > > > >Kroft even adopts industry-friendly language in describing the push to > > > >revive U.S. nuclear power, discussing the "financial incentives" and > > > >"streamlined regulatory system" intended to encourage nuclear energy > > > >development. Such "incentives" might better be described as government > > > >subsides, which have long been criticized by nuclear industry > >critics as a > > > >waste of taxpayers' money. Unmentioned in the CBS report were similar > > > >subsidies in France; according to the U.S.-based Institute for > >Energy and > > > >Environmental Research (5/4/06), $1 billion a year in government > >subsidies > > > >go to plutonium production alone. > > > > > > > >Excluding critical voices allowed grossly misleading information to go > > > >unchallenged, as when nuclear executive Lauvergeon claimed, in the > > > >segment's conclusion, that "wind and solar are, you know, temporary > > > >sources of energy. It works when you have wind, it works when you have > > > >sun. No sun, no wind, no energy. You don't want to watch TV only > >when you > > > >have wind." Of course, wind and solar energy are not "temporary" > >sources > > > >of energy; power generated by both can be stored. Airing this sort of > > > >misinformation eliminates any real consideration of viable > >alternatives to > > > >nuclear energy. > > > > > > > >At one point, Kroft says that "the Bush administration is pushing a > > > >nuclear revival." The same could be said for CBS. > > > > > > > > > > > >ACTION: > > > >Contact 60 Minutes to ask why its report on nuclear energy excluded the > > > >views of the industry's numerous critics. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >CONTACT: > > > >CBS 60 Minutes > > > >60m@... > > > >(212) 975-3247 > > > > > > > >****** > > > >Our subscriber list is kept confidential. To unsubscribe from this > >list > > > >at any time, visit our web at: > > > >http://www.demaction.org/fair/unsubscribe.jsp and follow the > > > >instructions. Or send an email to fair@... with > > > >"unsubscribe" in the subject line. > > > > > > > >Feel free to respond to FAIR ( fair@... ). We can't reply to > > > >everything, but we will look at each message. We especially appreciate > > > >documented examples of media bias or censorship. And please send > >copies of > > > >your email correspondence with media outlets, including any > >responses, to > > > >fair@... > > > > > > > >Your donation to FAIR goes a long way. Help us hold mainstream media > > > >accountable. Make a difference -- support FAIR today! > > > >http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=103 > > > > > > > >If you would prefer to receive these messages in HTML format, > >please visit > > > >our website to change your Email Preferences. Go to: > > > >http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/fair/signUp.jsp?key=708. > > > > > > > >SUBSCRIBE TO EXTRA! AND GET FAIR FOUNDER JEFF COHEN'S NEW BOOK FOR > >FREE: > > > >Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media > > > >http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=106 > > > > > > > >FAIR SHIRTS: Get your "Don't Trust the Corporate Media" shirt today at > > > >FAIR's online store: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=110 > > > > > > > >FAIR produces CounterSpin, a weekly radio show heard on over 130 > >stations > > > >in the U.S. and Canada. To find the CounterSpin station nearest > >you, visit > > > >http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=115 > > > > > > > >FAIR > > > >(212) 633-6700 > > > >http://www.fair.org/ > > > >E-mail: fair@... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >/*Your email ID. <diaEmailID='325422084' thread=5870/>--*/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> > > > <HTML> > > > <HEAD> > > > <TITLE>FAIR Email</TITLE> > > > > > > <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> > > > </HEAD> > > > > > > <BODY style="font-family:serif; margin-top:0; > >margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0,margin-right:0; > >padding-right:0,padding-left:0; background-color:#FFFFFF;" > >BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" LEFTMARGIN="0" TOPMARGIN="0" MARGINWIDTH="0" > >MARGINHEIGHT="0"> > > > > > >  > > > > > > <table width="790"> > > > <tr> > > > <td> > > > > > > <TABLE WIDTH="760" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0"> > > > <TR> > > > <TD> > > > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php"> > > > <IMG ALT="FAIR Logo Top" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_01.gif" WIDTH="266" HEIGHT="62" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD COLSPAN="10" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="494" HEIGHT="62"></TD> > > > </TR> > > > <TR> > > > <TD> > > > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php"> > > > <IMG ALT="FAIR Logo Middle" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_03.gif" WIDTH="266" HEIGHT="19" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD> > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D100"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="About Us" NAME="header_04" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_04.gif" WIDTH="57" HEIGHT="19" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD COLSPAN="3"> > > > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 4&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D101"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="What's wrong with the news?" NAME="header_05" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_05.gif" WIDTH="145" HEIGHT="19" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD> > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 5&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D102"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="FAIR events" NAME="header_06" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_06.gif" WIDTH="68" HEIGHT="19" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD COLSPAN="2"> > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 6&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D139"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Support Us" NAME="header_07" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_07.gif" WIDTH="65" HEIGHT="19" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD COLSPAN="2"> > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 7&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D104"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="FAIR in the news" NAME="header_08" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_08.gif" WIDTH="92" HEIGHT="19" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD> > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 8&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D11"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Media Views" NAME="header_09" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_09.gif" WIDTH="67" HEIGHT="19" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > </TR> > > > <TR> > > > <TD> > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 9&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php" > > > > >  > > > <IMG ALT="FAIR Logo bottom" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_10.gif" WIDTH="266" HEIGHT="40" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD COLSPAN="2"> > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 10&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D2"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="What's New" NAME="header_11" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_11.gif" WIDTH="96" HEIGHT="40" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD> > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 11&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D3"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Archive" NAME="header_12" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_12.gif" WIDTH="97" HEIGHT="40" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD COLSPAN="3"> > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 12&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D4"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Extra!" NAME="header_13" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_13.gif" WIDTH="82" HEIGHT="40" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD COLSPAN="2"> > > >  > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 13&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D5"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Counterspin" NAME="header_14" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_14.gif" WIDTH="123" HEIGHT="40" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > <TD COLSPAN="2"> > > >  > > > <a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 14&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D6"> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Activism" NAME="header_15" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_15.gif" WIDTH="96" HEIGHT="40" > >BORDER="0"></A></TD> > > > </TR> > > > <TR> > > > <TD COLSPAN="11"> > > > <IMG ALT="Extra Collage" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/header_17.jpg" WIDTH="760" > >HEIGHT="27"></TD> > > > </TR> > > > <TR> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="266" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="57" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="39" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="97" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="9" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="68" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="5" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="60" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="63" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="29" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > <TD> > > > > > <IMG ALT="Spacer" SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/spacer.gif" > >WIDTH="67" HEIGHT="1"></TD> > > > </TR> > > > </TABLE> > > > </td> > > > </tr> > > > <tr> > > > <td font-family:serif; font-size: 86%;> > > >  > > >  > > > <table cellpadding="5" cellspacing="3" width="769" border="0"> > > > <tr> > > > <td style="font-family:serif; font-size: 86%;" valign="top" > >width="526"> >color=#8f4444> >class=communique_category><a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 15&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D3086">http://www.fair. org/index.php?page=3086</A>  > > > >class=communique_category>Action > >Alert >face=Georgia>CBS's Nuclear > >Revival >size=3>60 Minutes' critic-free > >boosterism >class=date>4/18/07 >class=published-content-body>On April 8, the > >CBS newsmagazine > >60 Minutes <a > > title="" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 16&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fstories%2F2007%2F04%2F06%2F60minutes%2 Fmain2655782.shtml" > >target=_blank>aired a > >segment</A> about the > >"resounding success" of the French nuclear power program, suggesting > >that "emission-free" nuclear power might offer an easy solution to the > >problem of climate change. The report protected this dubious assertion > >from skeptical scrutiny by failing to quote a single bona fide critic > >of the nuclear industry. The segment was titled "Vive Les > >Nukes," which gave a good indication of the slant it took. Describing > >it as "an efficient means of producing large amounts of carbon-free > >energy," correspondent Steve Kroft announced at the top of the segment > >that nuclear power is "a technology whose time seemed to come and go, > >and may now be coming again." The notion of a nuclear power > >renaissance was bolstered by >class=media_outlet>CBS's choice of interview > >guests�the program spoke only to nuclear power supporters (in France > >and elsewhere), thereby allowing their rhetoric to go > >unchallenged. Guests on the segment were French energy official > >Pierre Gadonniex, French nuclear industry executive Bertrande > >Durrande, White House deputy secretary of energy Clay Sell (Bush's > >"point man on nuclear power"), French nuclear executive Anne > >Lauvergeon, MIT nuclear researcher Andrew Kadak and David Jhirhad of > >the World Resources Institute, described as "an environmental think > >tank in Washington." Jhirhad was the only potentially balancing > >source, but he is quoted only to make Kroft's point that "even some > >environmental groups are taking a second look at nuclear power." This > >is an emerging line in much of the corporate media (e.g., >class=media_outlet>Washington Post, <a > > title="" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 17&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F20 06%2F04%2F14%2FAR2006041401209.html" > >target=_blank> >size=3>4/16/06</A>; >class=media_outlet>New York Times, <a > >title="" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 18&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2007%2F02%2F27%2Fscience%2Fearth%2F27t ier.html%3Fei%3D5088%26amp%3Ben%3Dde61beaa4b05ed09%26amp%3Bex%3D1330232400%2 6amp%3Bpartner%3Drssnyt%26amp%3Bemc%3Drss%26amp%3Bpagewanted%3Dprint" > >target=_blank> >size=3>2/27/07</A>), though > >the actual number of green groups embracing nuclear power is quite > >small. The World Resources Institute <a title="" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 19&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri.org%2Fpartners%2Fcontrib_financial.cfm" > >target=_blank>receives > >contributions</A> from > >several energy companies and other major polluters, information that > >would have been useful for >class=media_outlet>CBS viewers in evaluating > >Jhirad's claim that the nuclear industry's "safety record has been > >pretty good." The segment's one-sided sourcing was made all the > >more problematic when the White House's Sell claimed that "no serious > >person can look at the challenge of greenhouse gases and climate > >change and not come to the conclusion that nuclear power has to play a > >significant and growing role in meeting that challenge worldwide." Of > >course, "serious people" do question precisely that--and >class=media_outlet>CBS should have interviewed > >them. Excluding such sources meant excluding important > >information. While France's nuclear power is portrayed as widely > >popular, CBS failed > >to mention large protests held across the country on March 17 ( >class=media_outlet>Agence France Presse, > >3/17/07) against construction of a new nuclear plant. Nor, in touting > >the massive nuclear reprocessing plant France has built in Normandy, > >did the show refer to the radiation it releases into the English > >Channel (NIRS Nuclear > >Monitor, <a title="" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 20&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nirs.org%2Fmononline%2Fcogemamonitor.htm" > >target=_blank> >size=3>3-4/00</A>) or the > >cluster of leukemia cases occurring around the plant ( >class=media_outlet>British Medical Journal, > ><a title="" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 21&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bmj.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Ffull%2F314%2F7074%2F101" > >target=_blank> >size=3>1/11/97</A> >size=3>). Kroft even adopts industry-friendly language in > >describing the push to revive U.S. nuclear power, discussing the > >"financial incentives" and "streamlined regulatory system" intended to > >encourage nuclear energy development. Such "incentives" might better > >be described as government subsides, which have long been criticized > >by nuclear industry critics as a waste of taxpayers' money. > >Unmentioned in the >class=media_outlet>CBS report were similar > >subsidies in France; according to the U.S.-based Institute for Energy > >and Environmental Research (<a title="" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 22&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ieer.org%2Freports%2Fenergy%2Ffrance%2Flowcarbonrepo rt.pdf" > >target=_blank> >size=3>5/4/06</A>), $1 > >billion a year in government subsidies go to plutonium production > >alone. Excluding critical voices allowed grossly misleading > >information to go unchallenged, as when nuclear executive Lauvergeon > >claimed, in the segment's conclusion, that "wind and solar are, you > >know, temporary sources of energy. It works when you have wind, it > >works when you have sun. No sun, no wind, no energy. You don't want to > >watch TV only when you have wind." Of course, wind and solar energy > >are not "temporary" sources of energy; power generated by both can be > >stored. Airing this sort of misinformation eliminates any real > >consideration of viable alternatives to nuclear energy. At one > >point, Kroft says that "the Bush administration is pushing a nuclear > >revival." The same could be said for >class=media_outlet>CBS. >class=sub_headline>ACTION: Contact >class=media_outlet>60 Minutes to ask why its > >report on nuclear energy excluded the views of the industry's numerous > >critics. >class=sub_headline>CONTACT: >class=media_outlet>CBS > > >class=media_outlet>60 Minutes <A > >title="" href="mailto:60m@..."> >color=#015272 size=3>60m@...</A> >face=Georgia> (212) 975-3247 </td> > > > > > > <td style="font-family:serif; font-size: 86%;" valign="top" > >width="205"> > > > > > >  > > > <a > > style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 23&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.democracyinaction.org%2Fdia%2Forganizations%2Ffa ir%2Fshop%2Fcustom.jsp%3Fdonate_page_KEY%3D2024"><IMG > >ALT="Donate" BORDER="0" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/side_donation.jpg"></A> > > >  > > > > > >  > > > <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="5" > >BORDERCOLOR="#464F5C"> > > > <TR><TD WIDTH="190" BGCOLOR="#464F5C"> > > > > > > <a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 24&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D4"><IMG > >ALT="Extra!" BORDER=0 SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/side_extra.gif"></a> > > > > > > </TD> > > > </TR> > > > <TR><TD WIDTH="190" BGCOLOR="#D8DDF0"> > > > <DIV ALIGN="center"> > > > <a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 25&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D4"><IMG > >ALT="Current Cover" BORDER="0" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/extra_covers/010107.jpg" WIDTH="170" > >HEIGHT="222"></a> > > > </DIV> > > > > > > > > > > > > <a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 26&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D106">Click > >here to subscribe!</a> > > > > > > </TD></TR> > > > </TABLE> > > > > > >  > > > > > >  > > > > > > <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="5" > >BORDERCOLOR="#464F5C"> > > > <TR><TD WIDTH="190" BGCOLOR="#464F5C"> > > > > > > <a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 27&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D110"><IMG > >ALT="FAIR store" BORDER="0" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/side_store.png"></a> > > > > > > </TD> > > > </TR> > > > <TR><TD WIDTH="190" BGCOLOR="#D8DDF0"> > > > > > > <a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 28&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D110"><IMG > >ALT="FAIR store" BORDER="0" > >SRC="http://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/fair/images/wayt hingarent.gif"></a> > > > > > > back in print by > > popular demandFAIR's book-length > >debunking of one of talk radio's most notorious figures. .A timeless > >classic. 128 pages. > > > > > > </TD></TR> > > > </TABLE> > > > > > > > > >  > > > > > >  > > >   > > > > > >  > > > <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="5" > >BORDERCOLOR="#464F5C"> > > > <TR><TD WIDTH="190" BGCOLOR="#464F5C"> > > > > > > <a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 30&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D5"><IMG > >ALT="CounterSpin" BORDER="0" > >SRC="http://www.fair.org/images/side_counterspin.gif" WIDTH="170" > >HEIGHT="38"></a> > > > > > > </TD> > > > </TR> > > > <TR><TD WIDTH="190" BGCOLOR="#D8DDF0"> > > > > > > <a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 31&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D3085">Richard > >Prince on Don Imus, Carlo Bonini on Niger forgeries</A> (4/13/07-4/19/07) > > > <a > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 32&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D29%26rss_content%3Dcou nterspin"><img > >alt="Podcast" border="0" > >src="http://www.fair.org/images/podcast.png"></a> > > > > > > </TD></TR> > > > </TABLE> > > > > > >  > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > </td> > > > > > > </tr> > > > </table> > > > > > > </td> > > > </tr> > > > <tr> > > > <td style="font-family:serif; > > font-size: 86%; font-style:italic;"> > > > > > > <blockquote> > > > Feel free to respond to FAIR ( <a > > > href="mailto:fair@...">fair@...</a> ). We can't reply to everything, > > > but we will look at each message. We especially appreciate > >documented examples > > > of media bias or censorship. And please send copies of your > > > correspondence with media outlets, including any responses, to > > > <A style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="mailto:fair@...">fair@...</a>. > > > </blockquote> > > > > > > </td> > > > </tr> > > > <tr> > > > > > > > > > <td style="font-family:serif; > > font-size: 86%;" align="center"> > > > > > > > > > <hr style="border:1; > > width=80%; color: #33516B; height:1px;" > >align="center"> > > > > > > <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 33&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.demaction.org%2Ffair%2Funsubscribe.jsp">Unsubscribe< /a> > >from the FAIR list > > > > > > If you would prefer to receive these messages in text format, > >please visit > > > our > > > website to <a style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; > >color:#015272" > > > > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 34&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.demaction.org%2Fdia%2Forganizations%2Ffair%2Fprofile %2Flogin.jsp">change > > > your email preferences</a>. > > > > > > If you were > > forwarded this message and you want to receive > >future FAIR alerts > > > delivered directly to you, subscribe by clicking <a > >style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 35&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D129">here</a>. > > > > > > <a > > style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 36&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php">Home</a> > >| > > > <a > > style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 37&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D105">Contact > >Us</a> | > > > <a > > style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 38&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D139">Support > >Us</a> | > > > <a > > style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 39&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D144">RSS</a> > >| > > > <a > > style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 40&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D145">Privacy > >Policy</a> | > > > <a > > style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 41&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D130">Copyright > >Policy</a> > > > > > >  > > > <a > > style="text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >rel="license" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 42&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcreativecommons.org%2Flicenses%2Fby-nc-nd%2F2.0%2F"><img > >alt="Creative Commons License" border="0" > >src="http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gif" > >/></a> > > > > > > This work is licensed > > under a <a style="text-decoration:none; > >font-weight:bold; color:#015272" rel="license" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 43&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcreativecommons.org%2Flicenses%2Fby-nc-nd%2F2.0%2F">Crea tive > >Commons License</a>. > > > > > >  > > > > > > <hr style="border:1; > > width=20%; height: 1px; color: #33516B; > >text-align:center;"> > > > Site designed by the <a style="text-decoration:none; > >font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 44&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mayfirst.org">May > >First Technology Collective</a> > > > Email list services by > > <a style="text-decoration:none; > >font-weight:bold; color:#015272" > >href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=325422084&url_num= 45&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.demaction.org">Democracy > >in Action</a> > > > > > > </td> > > > </tr> > > > </table> > > > > > > </BODY> > > > </HTML> > > > > > > <img width=1 height=1 > >src="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/TrackImage?key=325422084"><diaEma ilID='325422084' > >thread=5870 /> > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Sustainability mailing list > Sustainability(a)sfgreens.org > https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainability

3 2

[Sustain] URGENT: Mayor, Peskin, Maxwell, SFPUC Ignoring CCA, Ramming Gas Plant Down SF's Throat This Month!
by Eric Brooks 26 Jul '07

26 Jul '07

All, This is extremely urgent, and the City needs all of you to move into action on it immediately. Please read this entire email so that you are really clear on what's going on. Here's the break down.. Knowing full well that San Francisco has a bid going out soon for a contract to quickly build 360 megawatts of renewable electricity capacity under Community Choice, Mayor Newsom, Board President Aaron Peskin, The City Attorney, SFPUC Staff, and Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, have made sudden moves over the past week to strong arm the Public Utilities Commissioners into approving a deal to install a 145 megawatt polluting natural gas power plant -inside- San Francisco (in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood). What makes this move particularly egregious is that the project had been out for bids for two years, and no contractors had expressed interest in building it. Our City and some Eastern neighborhood activists have spent the last few months building pressure and public comment against the power plant mainly in the form of constituent letters to the President of the SFPUC. Because of the lack of bids, and recent alarming news on the global warming front, this public comment was enough to finally turn the SFPUC Commissioners to be openly opposed to the construction of the plant, (when previously they had grudgingly supported it). The Commissioners told SFPUC staff that they wanted another option found, and scheduled a public hearing to discuss the plant during their July 10 meeting. This was the first hearing in years specifically held to discuss the plant (known popularly by the names Combustion Turbines (CTs) and SF Electric Reliability Project). This was a crucial chance for the public to at last speak directly in opposition to the building of the plant, and Eastern neighborhoods and Green Party activists sent out a widespread message to their lists to turn out public comment on July 10. Shockingly, at the beginning of the July 10 SFPUC meeting, it became clear that something really wrong had happened behind the scenes. SFPUC President Ryan Brooks announced at the beginning of the meeting that the power plant item was removed from the agenda. He gave no reason for the removal, and did not properly inform those gathered that they were permitted to speak on the matter, even though it had been removed. When the assembled public asked Commission staff why the item had been removed, staff deceived them into believing that it had been removed because the project had received no bids and that the SFPUC was likely to drop the project. Thinking that they had been given good news, many of the commentors then apparently left elated. Much later, in that very same meeting, as a surprise side and totally unrelated item to the one he was presenting, Deputy General Manager Tony Irons brought up the power plant project. He reiterated that the initial bid had no responses, BUT stated that various companies had recently come forward with -other- proposals for the contract that did not conform to the original request for bids. He told the Commissioners that he had worked with the City Attorney to make sure it was legal to negotiate one on one (with no competitive bids) with these companies even though their responses did not conform with the original request, and that the Attorney had said 'yes'. (He deceptively hinted that some of these proposals would mean that the plant would not be built in San Francisco). He announced to the Commissioners that he was proceeding in dialog with these contractors, and, believing that options were still on the table to halt the plant, the Commissioners expressed relief that another option might finally be found. Following that meeting, in the space of -two- weeks, Irons apparently sealed a sole source contract proposal with a company called J Power to design, build, own and operate the plant -in- San Francisco. Not only did this maneuvering result in a no-bid contract proposal, but it also set up a deal which allows J Power to own the plant and then transfer ownership of the plant to the City, for free, within 10-12 years. (Note within 10-12 years San Francisco will have built so much renewable and efficiency capacity that the plant will be worthless -except for parts sales to other communities which won't amount to much- UNLESS the City chooses to continue running the plant and gaining revenue from it.) The plant will cost at least $225 million to build, and because the City will not (as in the original proposal) pay for and own the plant, it is clear that J Power will run the plant as much as possible in that first decade of operation in order to make up their costs and make a profit. This last point is important, because the public has been deceptively told for years that the plant would be used as a peaker and -only- be run during power shortages. This clearly will not happen with private ownership. (And it would not have happened with City ownership either, because the City would have had to run the plant constantly to pay back the public revenue bonds spent to build it.) Finally in this scenario, apparently because they realized public opinion is beginning to grow strong enough to stop the plant construction, over the course of that same two weeks, The Mayor, City Attorney, and Supervisors Peskin and Maxwell, all joined together to send a communication to the SFPUC Commissioners asking them to immediately adopt a plan to allow Irons to go forward in negotiations with J Power to build the plant. The item was immediately scheduled for the SFPUC's next meeting (July 24) as an action item. The SFPUC Commissioners complained to staff about being directed to adopt the item, but Staff was extremely persuasive and insistent, and in the end, the Commissioners voted 3-1 to adopt it anyway; with only Adam Werbach finally showing a little courage and voting against the project. One last important note is that Sophie Maxwell also tried to sneak through a Board resolution that same day, directing the SFPUC to proceed with the plant, in the 'Adoption Without Committee Reference' calendar, but Chris Daly caught the maneuver and sent it to Committee. It is absolutely vital that we take immediate action to stop this process for moving forward. cheers Eric

1 0

[Sustain] Sustainability Meeting This Thu, July 26, 7:30pm, SFGP Office (Lennar/Bayview/Powerplants/Biofuel-Resolution)
by Eric Brooks 23 Jul '07

23 Jul '07

Hi all, Because summer is often a low attendance time, please respond if you plan to attend so that we can prepare. The Sustainability Working Group Meeting is this Thursday, July 26, 7:30pm at the SF Green Party Office 1028-A Howard between 6th and 7th near Civic Center BART/Muni. Likely Topics Of Discussion - Joining efforts of East side residents to halt Redevelopment gentrification and Lennar Corporation's abuses/toxic emissions - Update on the campaign to stop the Williams natural gas turbines from being installed in the Bayview - Update on Peak Oil Taskforce - Update on the Community Choice renewable energy project - Update on Liquid Natural Gas Terminal projects in California, Oregon, and elsewhere - Adoption of an anti-biofuels/bioplastics policy and proposed actions to the Board of Supervisors cheers Eric Brooks -- "The past is the Textbook of Tyrants; the Future the Bible of the Free" - Herman Melville

1 0

[Sustain] Article: Nuke "surge" against renewable solution to global warming in California
by Eric Brooks 21 Jul '07

21 Jul '07

http://www.counterpunch.org/wasserman07172007.htmlJuly 17, 2007 /California's New Nukes War/ Nuclear Surge By HARVEY WASSERMAN A major pro-nuke "surge" against the renewable solution to global warming is about to erupt in California. State assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine) has moved for a statewide vote to allow new nuclear power plants to be built in the Golden State. He wants to repeal the 1976 law requiring a solution to the nuke waste problem before new reactors are built. A business cartel says it wants to build a new reactor near downtown near downtown Fresno. (For more information on the California situation, visit http://www.a4nr.org/) So the nation's biggest state may soon be at war over new nukes. In essence, it's King CONG (Coal, Oil, Nukes and Gas) versus Solartopia. The core issue is who will control our energy: corporations, or the public. The irony is that we stand at the brink of the greatest technological revolution in human history. But we're being dragged away from it by Big Money's push for a technology with fifty years of proven ecological disaster and financial failure. Green energy is poised to remake our world. Wind power is the cheapest form of new generation now available. There are sufficient wind resources between the Mississippi and the Rockies to generate, with available technology, 300% of the electricity we use. There's enough in North Dakota, Kansas and Texas alone to do 100%. Solar technologies ranging from green architectural design to desert power towers to photovoltaic cells that go on every rooftop are booming toward a multi-billion-dollar mainstay of our electric supply. Bio-fuels based on sustainable, organic practices can transform our transportation sector. Tidal, wave, geothermal, ocean thermal and a wide range of other green production processes stand at the brink of epic profitability. Meanwhile, increased efficiency and revived mass transit are the cheapest, cleanest ways to salvage the energy we waste. In concert, these <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0975340247/counterpunchmaga>revolutionary green technologies are poised to bring us to Solartopia, a post-pollution planet powered totally by energy harvested in harmony with our Mother Earth. They promise an abundance of efficient supply with the power to boom our economies and save our ability to survive on this planet. But here's the hitch: renewable energy has the "flaw" of tending toward community control. In the long run, a true Solartopian revolution must involve re-shaping our corporate culture into one based on sustainability, accountability and grassroots democracy. Though some astute corporations are cashing in, in the long run green technologies are the door to decentralizationand economic democracy. A green-powered Solartopia will own its energy supply at the grassroots. Wind, solar, bio-fuels-they hold the keys to community control. Against all that, new nukes are the ultimate weapon of mass distraction. There have been numerous rationales put forth for building more reactors. Except to an entrenched corporate power elite, none of them make any sense. Some advocates claim new reactors can fight global warming. In fact, through their own "normal" emissions, in the construction process, in mining, milling and enriching fuel, in decommissioning, in managing radioactive waste, in accounting for inevitable catastrophic accidents and terror attacks, in weapons proliferation, and much much more, atomic reactors are a global warming nightmare. Some also claim nukes will generate cheap electricity. But fifty years of proven failure (the first commercial reactor opened at Shippingport, Pennsylvania in 1957) says exactly the opposite. Overall, the nuke power experiment has been a trillion dollar disaster, with explosions, melt-downs, cost overruns, expensive failures, massive subsidies, undoable insurance, deregulatory bailouts and much more on the debit sheet. Overall, at its ultimate corporate root, the new nuke push is a coup d'etat, a rightist putsch to prevent the community ownership of our Solartopian energy supply. The irony in California could not be more obvious. The only way the industry can build new nukes is for the community to NOT require a solution to the radioactive waste problem. The world was told fifty years ago that such a solution was "just around the corner." It was also told atomic energy would be "too cheap to meter." These two biggest of all 20th Century industrial lies are about to be rationalized and atomized by a corporate King CONG desperate to hold power. But the vision of Solartopia burns bright and real. Humankind now possesses all the technology we need to solve global warming and bring us a world of post-pollution prosperity. The new nuke surge just declared in California is an early test in the larger war for a sustainable future. The question about to be asked in California, and worldwide, is: Do we have the will to win Solartopia for ourselves and our children? *Harvey Wasserman* helped co-ordinate media for the Clamshell Alliance, 1976-8. He was arrested at Diablo Canyon in 1984 and at Seabrook in 1989. He is author of "Solartopia: Our Green-Powered Earth, A.D. 2030, <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0975340247/counterpunchmaga>" He can be reached at: Windhw(a)aol.com <mailto:Windhw@aol.com> -- "The past is the Textbook of Tyrants; the Future the Bible of the Free" - Herman Melville

2 1

Re: [Sustain] CO2 Cap & Trade?
by Tom Harriman 19 Jul '07

19 Jul '07

Hi, Greg Palist wrote about this in his book, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. What he pointed out is that American government under Bush is NOT setting standards or goals for CO2 reductions, and so there's no real force of law for industries to change. The example he gave was a Taxes coal power plant that was trading CO2 credits with a closed down plant in Russian, What I'm hearing from these people is that the Market will save the planet, and so they don't need to be regulated. Just like Enron and the Texas Savings and Loans. I advise we stay alert! Tom Harriman. >From: "Richard A. Knee" <rak0408(a)earthlink.net> >Reply-To: rak0408(a)earthlink.net >To: "Eric Brooks" <brookse32(a)aim.com>, sustainability(a)sfgreens.org >Subject: Re: [Sustain] CO2 Cap & Trade? >Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:36:09 -0700 > >Any time you get legislation that Democrats, Republicans and the likes of >PG&E crow about, that should immediately raise red flags. And one of the >problems with AB 32 is that the bill itself doesn't really accomplish >anything. The real deal will be the implementing regulations, and it's in >the development thereof that vigilance is critical. > >Rick > > >On Sat, 14 Jul 2007 09:18:06 -0700, Eric Brooks <brookse32(a)aim.com> wrote: > > > Well, the idea is that you put a top limit or 'cap' on how much each > > county/state/corporations can emit. Concurrently with that, you create a > > market for trading reductions in CO2 emissions such that corporations > > get 'credits' (which are worth real money) and sometimes (but not > > always) corporations receive financial penalties or taxes for exceeding > > limits. The idea is that you make reducing CO2 emissions desirable by > > making it valuable. > > > > Then, you set up a market in which the CO2 credits get turned into > > electronic trading notes (a lot like stocks). So, one company, say, a > > carpet maker, figures out ways to greatly reduce it emissions, and its > > trading exchange issues that company a given amount of credits for free. > > Then, another company, say, a cement manufacturer, knowing that it is > > going to exceed its limits, buys the credits created by the carpet > > company so that, on paper, the cement company has bought enough credits > > to -not- exceed its limits; and so, it can therefore avoid emissions > > penalties (if there are any) or the cost of installing pollution > > controls (if their state requires any). Depending on the current or > > future cost of pollution control requirements, and taxes and penalties > > on fuel use or CO2 production, some companies may see the credits as > > even more valuable and pay more for them than their set value, and this > > makes the credits rise in value on the trading 'floor'. > > > > Now, as we all know, from any quick glance at the stock market, and > > especially at markets trading currency values, speculators over the last > > many decades have developed incredibly clever and complex ways of making > > money from trading even though they aren't creating any value or > > production whatsoever. Add this to the fact that corporations have high > > incentives to use tricks to pretend on paper that they are reducing > > their emissions when they are not, that corporations will continue to > > get laws passed to reduce pollution controls and penalties and even to > > change the way CO2 trading systems work, and it is easy to see that such > > cap and trade systems are doomed to failure. > > > > Indeed, the cap and trade system adopted a few years ago in Europe is > > already failing dismally. See > > http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=21202 > > > > cheers > > > > Eric > > > > Anne Garrison wrote: > > > > I can't even figure out how this cap and trade business is supposed to > > work. Somebody told me that carbon offsetting > > meant something fairly simple like paying to plant a tree in exchange > > for some sort of excess energy use, but I can't even tell how > > this is supposed to work. If I'm around and anyone can enlighten me at > > the next meeting, I'd appreciate it. I know it's crap, and don't > > much feel like sorting it out, but feel like I should. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Sustainability mailing list > > Sustainability(a)sfgreens.org > > https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainability > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Sustainability mailing list >Sustainability(a)sfgreens.org >https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainability

1 0

[Sustain] The Bohos are back!
by Don Eichelberger 16 Jul '07

16 Jul '07

Once again, for almost the 140th year, the Bohemian Grove, in the small Sonoma County town of Monte Rio is hosting the Mid-Summer Gathering of the world's ruling elite. No one locally has stepped forward to host local activity to bring attention to this (what used to be) secret gathering of world leaders in finance, politics, military, academia and the arts. For the past couple of years, the California Green Party Issues Working Group has worked with local activists to sponsor "convergence" events. We did not take on doing so this year for a variety of reasons, chiefly that I had planned to be in Alaska by now. That plan has been delayed, and I find myself here. Bohemian Grove Action Network, which I helped form along with Mary Moore and others, have gotten calls from people wondering if anything was going on this year. NOTHING "OFFICIAL" HAS BEEN PLANNED- No permits, no meeting, no gathering, no parade- just the Bohos coming once again to our back yard to party and build community. BUT... I would like to see spontaneity and flexibility in how We Who Care respond to the affronts America is suffering at the hands of many of the men who make this annual party so they can Burn Care. The "military-industrial complex" is well represented at the Grove. Dick Cheney was attending as CEO of Halliburton long before he became Vice-President. Don Rumsfeld, Bill Crystal, Wolfowitz and other architects of the Iraq War for oil regularly attend, along with CEO's of military contractors, banks, Wall St. financial institutions and high ranking governmental and military leaders. Indeed, this is likely the group of men President Eisenhower, himself a Bohemian, had in mind when he made his famous speech warning us of what we are witnessing today- .the wholesale take-over of our governmental institutions put in service of unaccountable free market enterprises in pursuit of profit, power, and even empire. SO... Historically, the middle week-end has been the focus of the main protest activity at Bohemian Grove. That is the week-end when the main movers and shakers come in, the ones who cannot come for the whole 2 weeks because they are otherwise busy. That is the week-end of the "High Jinx" play, main "Lakeside Chat", and other Boho festivities. So Saturday, July 21st would be a good time for People Who Care to make their presence felt in Monte Rio along Bohemian Highway and at or as close to the front gate of the Grove as possible, noon to whenever. THIS IS A TEST... No one will be "in charge". No prior agreements will have been made with police or the local community. Not much media will be made aware of any "event". The Event is the encampment of these men, and the First Amendment freedom of assembly that is increasingly under attack. Be there if you can, and spread the word to others. AND REMEMBER The Bohemian Grove Encampment will go through 7/30, so if you can't come this week-end, there is still time to go and see what this is all about. Don Eichelberger, speaking on behalf of no one but Care DISCLAIMER: This notice consists of public information protected as free speech under the U.S. Constitution, and is not intended to foment rebellion or instigate any criminal acts or violence against any persons or property.

1 0

[Sustain] State Fish & Game Shoot & Kill San Francisco Coyote Pair!
by Eric Brooks 16 Jul '07

16 Jul '07

Hey all, It is absolutely -unacceptable- that California Fish and Game shot and killed two of San Francisco's handful of coyotes that are making an astounding and beautiful comeback in our city. I am from the Sierras and can tell you from first hand lifetime experience that coyotes pose absolutely no threat whatsoever to humans that would in any way justify killing them. We -must- get Ross to pass some sort of legislation which ensures that this idiocy -never- happens again! See the sfgate report on the incident below or at: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/16/BAG0DR1BA66.DTL&tsp… Two coyotes shot to death in Golden Gate Park Marisa Lagos and Carl T. Hall, Chronicle Staff Writers Monday, July 16, 2007 (07-16) 11:49 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Two coyotes believed to have attacked a pair of leashed dogs in Golden Gate Park on Saturday were shot and killed Sunday night by officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The state's department of Fish and Game decided to destroy the animals after investigating the situation and determining there was a significant public safety risk, Deb Campbell of Animal Care and Control said today. Kyle Orr, a spokesman for Fish and Game, said the animals -- a male and a female -- were shot around 10:30 p.m. within 100 feet of where the dogs had been attacked. Officials cannot be completely sure they were the same animals, he said, but the pair's proximity to the attack site led them to believe that they were the same coyotes. The attack occurred about 9 a.m. Saturday, when a woman was walking her two large dogs along a path just south of Speedway Meadow near a large pile of mulch. Two coyotes bit one of the dogs, inflicting minor injuries, and lunged at the other, according to city animal control officials. On Sunday, a female dog-walker said two coyotes followed her in the same area, authorities said. Experts had theorized Sunday that the pair may have been acting so aggressive because they had a litter of pups. But today, Orr said no pups had been found and the female coyote was not lactating. Orr said today that animal officials had been receiving calls reporting the aggressive pair for about a week. Campbell said wildlife officials believe the normally skittish coyotes turned aggressive because they became used to humans. They warned people not to feed the animals and to make sure garbage cans are securely fastened. City officials and wildlife researchers estimate that about five to eight coyotes live in San Francisco. These include at least two in Golden Gate Park and one on Bernal Hill. There have also been sightings in McLaren Park, Lake Merced and the Presidio. Chronicle reporter Jim Herron Zamora contributed to this report.

1 0

[Sustain] Quake & Nuclear Leak In Japan
by Eric Brooks 16 Jul '07

16 Jul '07

Hi all, There was just an earthquake and fire at a nuclear plant which resulted in a leak of radioactive material. All of the other mainstream media that I checked for the story, including Reuters (and even the CBC), did -not- report the radioactive leak, most of them even saying that there were no radioactive releases! KPFA Radio however, covered the story accurately. see below or http://www.thestar.com/News/article/236347 Deadly Japan quake raises nuclear concerns Rescue workers search a collapsed house in Kashiwazaki, July 16. Jul 16, 2007 02:12 PM KOJI SASAHARA Associated Press KASHIWAZAKI, Japan — A strong earthquake struck northwestern Japan today, causing a fire and radioactive water leak at the world’s largest nuclear plant. At least seven people were killed and hundreds injured in the 6.8 magnitude quake that collapsed wooden houses, ripped apart roads and buckled seaside bridges. Flames and billows of black smoke poured from the Kashiwazaki nuclear plant — the world’s largest in terms of power output capacity. It took two hours to extinguish the fire in an electrical transformer, said Motoyasu Tamaki, a Tokyo Electric Power Co. official. The plant leaked about 1,200 litres of water, said Katsuya Uchino, another Tokyo Electric official. Uchino said the water contained a tiny amount of radioactive material — a billionth of the guideline under Japanese law — and is believed to have flushed into the Sea of Japan. The quake, which left fissures a metre wide in the ground along the coast, hit shortly after 10 a.m. local time and was centred in the Sea of Japan off Niigata state on Honshu Island. Buildings swayed 260 kilometres away in Tokyo. Sirens wailed in Kashiwazaki, a city of about 90,000, which appeared to be hardest hit. Japan’s Meteorological Agency measured the quake at a 6.8 magnitude and said a 6.6 magnitude quake was among the aftershocks. The U.S. Geological Survey, which monitors quakes around the world, said the initial quake registered 6.7. “I was so scared — the violent shaking went on for 20 seconds,” Ritei Wakatsuki, who was working in a convenience store in Kashiwazaki. “I almost fainted by the fear of shaking.” The fire and subsequent leak triggered fresh concern about the earthquake resistance of Japan’s nuclear power plants, which supply nearly a third of the country’s electricity. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant is the world’s largest nuclear power facility with an output capacity of 8.21 million kilowatts. By comparison, the largest U.S. nuclear power facility, in Palo Verde, Ariz., has an output capacity of 3.88 million kilowatts, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute. Aileen Mioko Smith, of the environmentalist group Green Action, said the fire showed that some facilities at nuclear power plants such as electrical transformers were built to lower quake-resistance levels than other equipment such as reactor cores. “That’s the Achilles heel of nuclear power plants,” said Mioko Smith, who said it took the plant two hours to extinguish the fire. ``Today’s a good example of that... How prepared are they to put out fires when they happen? A string of aftershocks rattled the area, including one with a 6.6 magnitude. The Meteorological Agency warned that the aftershocks could continue for a week. The quake hit on Marine Day, a national holiday in Japan, when most people would have been at home. Four women and three men — all either in their 70s or 80s — were killed, according to the National Police Agency in Tokyo and NHK, which reported more than 800 people were hurt. Nearly 300 homes in Kashiwazaki — a city known mainly for its fishing industry — were destroyed and some 2,000 people evacuated, officials said. A ceiling collapsed in a gym in Kashiwazaki where about 200 people had gathered for a badminton tournament, and one person was hurt, Kyodo reported. The quake also knocked a train car off the rails while it was stopped at a station. No one was injured. Several bullet train services linking Tokyo to northern and northwestern Japan were suspended. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — whose ruling party is trailing in the polls — interrupted a campaign stop in southern Japan for upcoming parliamentary elections, rushed back to Tokyo and announced he would head to the damaged area. He later arrived in a blue uniform to survey the damage. “Many people told me they want to return to their normal lives as quickly as possible,” Abe told reporters in Kashiwazaki. “The government will make every effort to help with recovery.” Japan sits atop four tectonic plates and is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. The last major quake to hit the capital, Tokyo, killed some 142,000 people in 1923, and experts say the capital has a 90 per cent chance of suffering a major quake in the next 50 years. In October 2004, a magnitude-6.8 earthquake hit Niigata, killing 40 people and damaging more than 6,000 homes. It was the deadliest to hit Japan since 1995, when a magnitude-7.2 quake killed 6,433 people in the western city of Kobe.

1 0

[Sustain] Community Choice Energy Victory Party
by Eric Brooks 13 Jul '07

13 Jul '07

Hey all, You're all invited! See below. peace, Eric brad(a)sfbaysc.org wrote: Folks, I'm throwing a party for the Sierra Club volunteers that worked on the Community Choice campaign. Please come!! Also, please invite anybody that you know of that did work on the campaign. Here's the actual invite I sent out: Now that we won, its time to party! Seriously, I was at a Midwest Academy organizing training a couple of weeks ago, and we had a conversation about how important it is to celebrate victories. The Midwest Academy was started by organizers that worked during the Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964, so if those folks think its important to celebrate, who am I to disagree? So thats what were going to do, and I hope you can make it. Well have some tasty local brews to sample, some snacks to eat, and some cool people to hang out with. It will be a great chance to get to know some of your neighbors and fellow Sierra Club folks who have been working on this campaign. Plus, well have a sneak preview of our next campaign. So I hope to see you next Thursday, July 19th at 7pm in the Yosemite Room, on the third floor of the National Sierra Club (85 2nd Street, SF)! ************************* Brad Johnson Conservation Organizer San Francisco Bay Chapter Sierra Club 2530 San Pablo, Ste. I Berkeley, CA 94702 Ph: 510-848-0800x316 Fx: 510-848-3383 Cell: 415-200-8975 brad(a)sfbaysc.org

1 0