Senator Obama: Just Say NO to Coal

If you were bothered by that last post (read it HERE) about Obama's support in West Virginia for "clean coal," you can sign a petition urging him to end that support HERE.

Obama Supports Clean Coal in West Virginia

The 2005 Energy Bill was written behind closed doors by Dick Cheney and his oil & coal industry buddies. It did very little, if anything, to generate a net gain for the environment or for renewable energy technology. It did expand funding for coal and ethanol, both of which contribute to global warming and destruction of the environment.

Of the three existing mainstream candidates for President, only Obama supported the 2005 Energy Bill. Many claim that it would have been career suicide for him to oppose the bill because of his representation in the Senate of Illinois, a state with a lot of corn (ethanol) and a lot of coal.

Now that he is running for President, it is possible for Obama to distance himself from his support of corn based fuels and coal. Instead, he is pushing "clean coal" as an environmentally safe alternative energy source. Don't be fooled, clean coal is a misleading marketing ploy and Obama knows it.

Obama's main argument for his candidacy is that he is going to change Washington and to bring a new breed of politics to the White House. He says he will tell people what they need to hear, rather than what they want to hear. Yet, in West Virginia he is airing an ad that advances "clean coal" because it is a state where coal is economically important, and thereby politically popular. How disappointing.

What is clean coal? Essentially, clean coal is altered coal that burns in such a way that it is possible to capture the CO2 released and to hold that CO2 in a special chamber. First, this technology is often marketed as a currently viable solution to global warming. Carbon capturing does not exist now and will not exist for at least two decades. Second, even if the technology existed, we would be capturing CO2 in chambers that would need to be stored indefinitely, just like nuclear waste. We would be passing our energy mistakes onto our grandchildren. Third, extracting coal from the earth requires blowing the tops off of mountains and destroying entire ecosystems in the process.

I believed that Obama was being supportive of Illinois when he voted for the 2005 Energy Bill. Now that he is including "clean coal" as an important part of his presidential platform, I realize that his loyalties to the coal industry run deeper than originally presented. We have spent the last 8 years watching our environment be destroyed by an administration owned by the coal and oil industries. Isn't it heartbreaking to see we can expect the same from Obama?

Here is Obama's campaign advertisement promoting "clean coal" in West Virginia...

Must Read: Wyoming City's Pollution Worse Than Denver's

A story on MSNBC today documents a Wyoming city's struggle to manage pollution and high ozone levels that rival those of big cities.

Check it out HERE

Apple a Failure on Climate Change Plan

An organization called Climate Counts released a report this week that ranked corporations by their commitment to confronting global climate change and mitigating their greenhouse gas contributions.

Of all the industries studied by Climate Counts, the Information Technology and Electronics industry showed the strongest efforts in slowing climate change. The top performing companies in the industry were IBM and Canon. The average score on the rankings list was 56, those two companies earned a 77 and 74, respectively.

Unfortunately, the worst performing company on the rankings list was Apple. Despite recent claims by Apple CEO Steve Jobs and the company's growing attention to their environmental impact, their overall score was a measly 11. According to Climate Counts, the reason for the low score was incomplete reporting by Apple and the failure by Apple to set goals for itself or its partners to reduce contributions to global warming.

If you want to learn more about Climate Counts and the results of their research go HERE.

Google Maps Hates Plastic Bags Too

Plastic bags are mischievous little creatures. They are manufactured using petroleum. They are more expensive to recycle than to create. They clog drainage systems, choke sea life and cause unsightly tangled plastic webs in tree limbs.

Add a new annoyance to the list of problems caused by plastic bags; Google Maps interference.

Googlesightseeing.com has found a Google Maps Street View section of Fairbanks, Alaska where a plastic bag blew up off the street and covered the lens of the camera mounted on top of the Google Maps car that is used to photograph street views for the website.

There apparently is some debate over whether the bag actually landed on the camera's lens accidentally or if it was placed there to sabotage the camera's ability to capture that portion of the city. Regardless, the bag remained on the lens for several blocks.

If you want to check out the little jerk causing havoc with Google Maps, go type in "College Road and Old Steese Highway, Fairbanks, Alaska." Click on the street view and there it is!

If you want to avoid contributing to our nation's plastic bag problems, bring your own cloth bags to the store. Keep a few in the car, at the office and on you. We will end the plastic bag mischief once and for all!

Carbon Neutral Candidates

Earlier I published a post addressing Obama and McCain's failure to make their campaigns carbon neutral. You can read that post HERE or sign the petition urging them to do so HERE.

Some readers might complain that it is expensive and difficult to make a campaign carbon neutral. Its true that it can be tough, but its not impossible, especially with the cash that Obama has been raking in. If Hillary and Edwards can make the pledge, so can McCain and Obama.

In fact, some other candidates are pledging to make their campaigns carbon neutral this election. Take a look at the list I compiled through a Google search. Its surprisingly short. If you know of any additional candidates that didn't make the list, feel free to post their name in the comments section.

New York City Council -

Eric Gioia - Queens

US House of Representatives -

Ohio - Jane Mitakides, 3rd Congressional District
Colorado - Jared Polis, 2nd Congressional District
Colorado, Will Shafroth, 2nd Congressional District
Pennsylvania - Kathy Dahlkemper, 3rd Congressional District

Green DC: Energy Costs Up Across the Region

This post is part of a weekly feature where we will focus on events and issues, related to the environment, happening in our own back yard of Washington, DC. Come back next Wednesday for another post.

I don't drive a car in DC. This is probably best for everybody in the area considering my driving record in Florida was lackluster. Its good for me because I can afford a nicer place and I avoid rising gas prices.

Unfortunately, all of us non-drivers are beginning to feel the squeeze from higher gas prices even though we don't use the pump.

Prices for products and services are shooting up in response to corporate energy costs rising. In the middle of an economic downturn, the increasing cost of gasoline has led several area employers to begin laying off employees or to freeze hiring.

The Washington Post reported a few days ago that "In Montgomery, requests for food stamps increased 17 percent in the first three months of the year; Loudoun County experienced a 27 percent increase during the same period. Applications are up 21 percent in Prince George's County, 12 percent in Prince William County and 6 percent in the District."
Between July and March, Fairfax County food stamp requests increased by 17%. Applications for food stamps and Medicaid in Arlington County are 25% higher than last year's requests.

Now its time for the utility companies to turn that screw just a little tighter. In June, Pepco will increase its rates by 15% for DC customers. This is the second increase by Pepco in just 5 months. They claim it is necessary to cover increasing energy costs.

Dominion Virginia Power is taking steps to increase its rates as well. They have submitted a request for an 18% rate increase, due to affect customers this summer. This would be the largest increase for Dominion since the 1970's. Their explanation for the increase is due to the rising cost of coal and other energy sources.

There are ways for District citizens to keep their utility bill from sky rocketing. Stores like Greater Goods on U Street and Eco-Green Living on Church Street sell a variety of products that will help reduce your energy consumption. The obvious fluorescent light bulbs are available, but there are so many additional cheap options available.

For instance, THIS window film will help keep the outside heat out of your place by insulating your windows to keep A/C costs down. If you have central air conditioning, install one of THESE thermostats so you can set the A/C to turn off when you're at work and to come back on when you get home. If you have a window A/C unit, use a timer like THIS to do the same thing. Plug all of your home electronics into a surge protector with an off switch. Just switch the equipment off when you're not using it so phantom energy won't be wasted by equipment in the "stand-by" mode. Make sure you are taking shorter showers so you can use and heat less water.

Apparently, Metro ridership is up 7% already this year partly due to rising gas prices. Public transportation is always a great option. If you've never mapped out the public transportation route for your home, check HERE to see if there are Metro buses or trains available to you.

The reality is that energy prices are just going to go up. So many factors are working against us that it would be impossible to keep a lid on these increases. Fortunately, we can lower our individual usage, which will decrease demand, which might stabilize prices in the long term. It will also save us some cash.

Its McCain vs. Obama, but Neither is Carbon Neutral

A few months ago, I published a post where I assumed Obama had won the Democratic nomination and I was going to begin focusing on his environmental record versus McCain's. Of course, looking back, I was prematurely ending Hillary's campaign.

With last night's election results in North Carolina and Indiana, it looks increasingly like the Democratic primary has actually reached its end. I'm not going to make the same mistake by counting Hillary out, but I will follow conventional wisdom and begin considering Obama and McCain our general election candidates.

This reality gives me the opportunity to point something out about our Republican and Democratic nominees you may not know, neither is running a carbon neutral campaign.

Not long ago, the Washington Times ran a story (you can read it HERE) addressing the carbon neutrality of the different presidential candidates. Of all the candidates on the trail at that time, McCain and Obama were the only ones neglecting to seriously offset their campaigns' greenhouse gas contributions.

This made me pretty upset.

Both McCain and Obama support carbon trading markets to cap and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by polluters. These markets allow participants to buy and sell a restricted set of carbon credits, with much of the funding from their sale going to development of more environmentally friendly technologies.

Apparently what is good for the goose isn't good for the gander, because neither candidate opted to participate in a similar market where they could offset the pollution from their campaigns and contribute to the development of renewable energy sources and greenhouse gas mitigation.

Hillary Clinton and John Edwards did participate in these programs. In Hillary's case, tens of thousands were spent to maintain her 2007 Earth Day promise to keep her campaign carbon neutral. This, in spite of the fact that her campaign was often flat broke.

Why is it important for Obama and McCain to run carbon neutral campaigns? First, they should participate in a program they support. Second, they should take responsibility for the environmental damage their campaigns cause. Third, they should prove their commitment to innovative environmental solutions now rather than after November.

Environmental solutions in America come when both parties are competing to be the leader on the issue. I blogged about this trend HERE. If both candidates largely ignore the issue of energy conservation and environmental policy reform, progress will come very slowly. By urging Obama and McCain to go carbon neutral, we begin a contest between the candidates to prove their green credentials. We can start a dialog between them now that will continue throughout the rest of the campaign on who has the better campaign and who has the most innovative solutions.

Please take the opportunity to sign THIS petition urging Senator Obama and Senator McCain to make their campaigns carbon neutral. Already, many people have participated in the petition from across America and even other nations. Many people have left messages explaining why this issue is important to them.

Take a second and SIGN THE PETITION. It will be sent to the campaigns and will let them know that their action on this issue will not go unnoticed.

Petition powered by ThePetitionSite.com

Pets Suffer From Chemical Exposure

The Environmental Working Group released the results of a study last week which showed that the family cat or dog absorbs a dangerous level of toxic chemicals from household cleaners. Showing up in the blood or urine of their test subjects were plasticizers, stain-resisting chemicals, flame retardants, lead and mercury.

In some cases, our furry companions can absorb 20 times the amount of toxins we do. Many of these chemicals or elements are known to cause cancer and can affect important organs like the thyroid.

This may come as a shock to animal lovers, but it should serve as a lesson to parents as well. Young children who spend a lot of time on the floor, and who often put their hands in their mouths, are being exposed to these dangers in the same way our pets are.

If you want to read more about the study, click HERE.

If you want to find recipes for natural, home-made cleaning products that don't contain toxins, click HERE, HERE and HERE.

DC E-Recycling Event Too Successful

As I told you in THIS post, the DC government hosted an electronics recycling event last Saturday. Apparently many of the city's citizens had a lot of electronics equipment and hazardous waste to dump because the event caused intense traffic jams and hour long lines.

The government expected about 1,800 people to drop-off junk. Between 3,000 and 4,000 people showed up. In fact, two hours before the event was to begin, 300 cars were already waiting in the parking lot.

Obviously green thinking is beginning to take hold in the District and more than semi-annual electronics recycling events are necessary. In Montgomery County, Maryland, citizens can recycle hazardous waste 7 days a week at the Shady Grove recycling center. Fairfax has a drop-off site that is open Thursday through Sunday.

To help those who were unable to drop-off their waste on Saturday due to the long lines, the District is planning to open the Benning Road trash transfer station in NE next weekend. Also, there are plans to make the Benning Road and Fort Totten trash sites available for drop-off on alternating weekends.

To everyone who showed up to recycle their electronics and toxic materials, I say congratulations. Its definitely a good sign that so many want to do the right thing. If you weren't able to recycle your stuff, try the Benning Road site next weekend. Whatever you do, don't pollute our water even more with lead and toxic chemicals.

More Baby Bottle Fears

A story published in the Washington Post on April 26th confirmed what I had posted in THIS entry a few weeks ago, that bisphenol A (BPA) may be more of a threat to our health than the government will admit.

BPA is a chemical used to manufacture several plastic products ranging from baby bottles to eyeglasses. For years, several studies have shown that the chemical can have a variety of negative health impacts like breast cancer, prostate cancer, reproductive health problems and behavior disorders on laboratory rats.

From 1997 - 2005, 116 studies were conducted to uncover possible health issues associated with BPA. Many of these studies specifically focused on the impact even a small amount of BPA exposure could cause. Of these 116 studies conducted by objective government scientists, 90% showed a negative health effect associated with exposure to BPA.

The question posed in the Washington Post story is this: If 90% of government studies show a link between health disorders and exposure to BPA, why does the FDA approve of BPA's inclusion in consumer products like baby bottles?"

The answer is that the FDA doesn't rely on objective government studies for its regulatory decision-making. Instead, it relies on the industry's studies. The same industry that gains monetarily by continuing to include BPA in its products is providing research results for the FDA.
This odd relationship between a federal regulatory agency, and the industries it is required to regulate, is not unusual. According to David Michaels a former regulator in the Clinton administration, this type of relationship is the same used by the tobacco industry to slow regulation of its products.

"If you fight the science, you're able to postpone regulation and victim compensation, as well. As in this case, eventually the science becomes overwhelming. But if you can get five or 10 years of avoiding pollution control or production of chemicals, you've greatly increased your product."

Of course the industry and the FDA see the situation differently. The industry defends its studies and says they uphold the highest standards when investigating their products. The FDA says its the responsibility of the industry to prove the products are safe and that the agency provides instructions on the way these studies are carried out.

What is interesting, however, is that of all the industry-funded studies released, none show any connection between BPA and negative health effects. In addition, these industries have hired very powerful lobbying/PR/law firms to manage any fallout associated with their unusual relationships with the FDA. The Weinberg Group is a firm that has its own scientists and lawyers and has represented corporations who produce Agent Orange, tobacco and teflon. They are currently representing plastics manufacturers who use BPA and have used strong-arm tactics to influence federal agencies in the past.

This controversial situation hasn't been ignored by Congress. Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) has requested documents from the Weinberg Group that show their intervention with federal government decision-making. After information was unearthed that industry research groups in Virginia were covering up facts that showed BPA could cause cancer or premature puberty, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) launched investigations that ended contracts between the feds and these groups.

If you'd like to read the full Post article, click HERE.

Half of EPA Scientists Experience Political Interference

The Associated Press is reporting on a survey conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists that shows half of EPA scientists have felt political pressure while working for the Agency.

Nearly 400 EPA scientists have seen Agency officials misrepresenting scientific data in public discussions. Over 250 have seen officials manipulating data to serve a specific political purpose.

There has been a lot of news recently about the EPA being pressured by its Administrator and the White House to suppress scientific information and to emphasize the political views of the Administration. I have documented those stories HERE and HERE.

This new survey shows how the politicization of the EPA is beginning to upset Agency scientists.

You can read the full story HERE.

Earth Day: Call for Climate Change

There are so many things you can do today to positively impact our environment. That's what Earth Day is all about.

One of the most important things you can do, however, is tell Congress you are serious about environmental and energy reform.

The politicians in Washington really believe that voters are apathetic about our environment and aren't paying attention to the pattern of Congress favoring big oil & coal over individuals.

Now is your chance to join forces with thousands of other people in letting our elected Members of Congress know that you are serious about immediate changes in our national priorities.

Call (202) 224-3121 today.

When you get through to the office of your representative in the Senate or House of Representatives, tell the receptionist you want to leave a message for the Member.

These offices do keep track of who calls and on what issue. That daily tally of your concerns impacts the voting decisions of your elected representatives.

Tell the receptionist that you want your elected official to know that global warming proposals currently in Congress are unacceptable.

Tell them you want to see...

1. A moratorium on new coal-burning power plants (even those claiming to burn"clean coal")
2. Renewable Energy tax incentives.
   
3. Tax incentives for carbon-neutral buildings and expansion of carbon neutral federal buildings.
4. Tax benefits to help lower and middle class citizens take part in the new green economy.
   

The organization Earth Day Network is hosting this call-in effort. Their site is available HERE.

Green DC: Cool Capital Challenge

This post is part of a weekly feature where we will focus on events and issues, related to the environment, happening in our own back yard of Washington, DC. Come back next Wednesday for another post.

Hope you enjoyed your Earth Day in DC. Its unfortunate that the big Earth Day concert on the National Mall was rained out over the weekend. I guess Mother Nature doesn't appreciate The Roots. There are still a few more events this week in honor of Earth Day. You can check them out HERE and HERE.

Now onto today's "Green DC" installment on the Green Piece Blog.

If you are trying to reduce your carbon footprint, its easy to feel that the changes you are making are just a very small drop in a very large bucket.

Of course anything you do really does make a difference, but if you want to join a local movement where your efforts will have a more recognizable effect, try joining the Cool Capital Challenge.

Cool Capital Challenge is an effort that brings together individuals, corporations, organizations and congregations from around the DC area in order to reduce carbon emissions in our community.

The goal of the Challenge was to get District residents and companies to commit to reducing their carbon emissions by one billion tons. That number represents one-third of the emissions that must be cut by 2012 to meet the Kyoto Treaty commitment made by Mayors Williams and Fenty.

The Challenge successfully met its goal, but new commitments are always welcomed.

When you visit the site (Click HERE) you will have the opportunity to make your own carbon reduction commitment by choosing from a series of actions you promise to take in order to reduce your carbon footprint. The site will estimate the amount of your carbon reduction based on the actions you promise to make and will contribute that number to the total amount of reductions promised by other DC citizens and companies.

In the words of the Cool Capital Challenge, "The Challenge is like a fundraising campaign, only instead of pledging money, we are pledging the region's greenhouse gas emission reduction."

I have signed up for the challenge and committed to reduce my footprint, I hope you take a second to do the same.

Celebrating Earth Day at Home

Earth Day is tomorrow. Around your community there are probably many great events that you can attend to learn more about green living, pick up litter, plant trees, or drop off recyclables.

Of course I encourage you to participate in the events happening around town. However, since Earth Day is on a Tuesday this year, I'm sure many won't be able to make it to one. That doesn't mean you can't celebrate right at home.

We all celebrate holidays with our families at home. Earth Day shouldn't be any different. Use this special day as an excuse to finally make all those changes around the house you've been planning.

Where should you begin? I like to think of greening up one's home room by room.

1) Bathroom:

• Install a low-flow shower head, like the one found HERE, to reduce water usage.
  
• Insist that family members take 5 minute showers.
• Install an aerated faucet for the bathroom sink like the one found HERE
  
• Use organic cotton towels like THESE.
  
• Install fluorescent light bulbs.
• Use recycled toilet paper. Read more about recycled toilet paper HERE.
  
• Place a water-filled gallon milk carton in the toilet tank to reduced water demand.
• Use non-toxic home made cleaning supplies to wash the tub, toilet and sink. Find recipes HERE

2) Kitchen:

• Only use re-usable dish, silver and glass ware. Look for biodegradable or recycled napkins.
• For cleaning, try turning old t-shirts and sheets into rags. If not, use recycled paper towels.
• Again, you can use home made non-toxic cleaning supplies for the kitchen (look HERE) or in your dishwasher (look HERE)
  
• Clean your oven the easy way without using smelly sprays (look HERE)
  
• Only run the dishwasher when it is full and never use the "heat dry" function, drip dry instead.
• Vacuum the refrigerator coils to improve your fridge's energy efficiency.
• Purchase organic food at the farmers' market.
• Replace your garbage can with a recycling can. Leave a small biodegradable garbage bag hanging on a cabinet handle for garbage. This makes it harder to toss things away without taking into consideration that it might be recyclable.
  
• Install a faucet aerator and wash dishes in a sink full of water rather than by running the faucet.
  
• Use a dry erase marker to label a water glass for each family member each day to use. This will avoid wasting glasses throughout the day and will reduce the number of dishes being washed.
  
• Install florescent light bulbs.
  

3) Family Room:

• Avoid phantom energy usage by plugging the television, DVD player, CD player, stereo, video game system, etc. into a surge protector with a power switch. Turn it off when you don't need it and save big money on your utility bill.
  
• Install fluorescent light bulbs.
• Recycle old newspapers and magazines.
• Go HERE to find inventive ways to dispose of books.
  
• Cancel junk mail (go HERE) and catalog subscriptions (go HERE)
• Use natural, non-toxic homemade furniture polish (go HERE)
• Recycle old electronics and computer equipment so the toxic chemicals inside them don't get into our drinking water. Go HERE to find a dump site near you.
• Insulate your windows and save on heating/air conditioning by installing clear THIS clear tape.
  

4) Laundry Room:

• Wash your laundry using cold water.
  
• Only run the washer with a full load.
• Use laundry detergent free of phosphates that end up in lakes & rivers and choke the fish.
• Hang up laundry when you have the opportunity. It will make your clothes last longer and will save a lot of electricity.
  

5) In the Yard:

• Re-use coffee grounds on the soil around acid-dependent plants as a natural fertilizer.
• Avoid unnatural pesticides, fertilizers and insecticides. Often, natural remedies like lime juice and citronella can be just as effective.
• Water your lawn in the morning before it gets hot.
• If you step on the your grass and it stands back up, it doesn't need watering.
• Ensure your sprinklers are watering grass and not sidewalk.
• Get your car washed at a commercial car wash that recycles the water or wash your car on the lawn.
  
• Install covers on your pool and spa to stop evaporation.
• Use a broom to clean the sidewalk and driveway, in lieu of the hose.
• Cut your grass higher to create longer blades that will shade the roots to allow for better water conservation.
• Try xeriscaping your yard by going HERE.
  

Must Read: New York Times Piece on Building Green

From the New York Times:

To illustrate the confounding nature of green building, Lindsay Suter, a Connecticut architect, likes to start with a question: Between a stone and plastic foam insulation, which one is green?

“You’ll go, ‘Of course, Lindsay, the stone is a natural product,’ ” said Mr. Suter, who was trained at the Yale School of Architecture, where he now teaches part time.

Read the full article HERE

New WE Campaign Video

I told you about the new WE Campaign in THIS post.

By now you've probably seen some of their creative advertisements featuring political arch rivals agreeing that global warming is a non-partisan issue needing immediate attention.

I recently saw the Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson ad and really liked it.

Below is the newest advertisement starring current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and former Speaker New Gingrich.

To see the rest of the advertisements go HERE.

Water Usage Calculator

Google "Carbon Calculator" and you'll discover a ton of great websites that allow you to calculate your carbon footprint. Calculating your water usage, however, is a little more difficult.

Zerofootprint has created a great "One Minute Calculator" that calculates your home water usage by answering a few quick questions.

The calculator can be found HERE.

I answered the questions and came out with 95,827 liters/person/year of water usage. I think its unusually low compared to the average American because I don't have a car to wash or a yard to water. According to the site, Canadians score an average of 125,000 liters/person/year, while Europeans score 73,000.

I played around with the questions and found that by reducing my showers down to 5 minutes a piece and by installing a "low flow" device into my toilet, I can save 44,165 liters/person/year. Thats lower than the Europeans, magnifique!

It doesn't take a genius to know that water is becoming an increasingly limited resource. If you want to conserve the amount of water you're using, go to THIS post where I outline some easy tips to do just that.