Someone celebrating a company getting a waiver to pollute the air for six years actually described the outcome as they could "breathe a sigh of relief". Alanis, that is the definition of ironic.
Dynegy gets waiver for Illinois coal plants
"The panel voted 3-1 to approve the order, and would not comment afterward. Board Chairwoman Deanna Glosser cast the only dissenting vote, saying she did not believe the company demonstrated an economic hardship. Her opinion would be posted on the board's website by Monday, an aide said.
Dynegy spokeswoman Katy Sullivan said the acquisition from St. Louis-based Ameren provided the best future for the plants, their employees and the communities in which they're located, and should be completed next month."
Let the finger-pointing begin. Now that we have identified the players that generate the most carbon pollution, it is only a matter of time before these companies point to others as the reason…the consumer who demands the product, or the government who allows it to happen (except of course, when the government is the owner).
Who is responsible for climate change?
"We’ve worked together to explore what lessons for climate accountability might be drawn from understanding how the science of health risks from smoking informed the history of tobacco control. UCS provided funding to ensure that his Climatic Change paper is open-access, available to all readers without charge. And we’re working together with a team of top-notch climate modelers to measure how much of the rise on global average temperature and specific climate change impacts can be attributed to the emissions traced to the major industrial carbon producers Heede identifies."
Once people do understand who causes most of the damage, when they decide to make their voice heard, they will now have to "pay to play". We talk all the time about "free speech", but our present dynamic no longer recognizes it. It appears that the literalist interpretation of the constitution notes that our Bill of Rights guarantees "freedom of speech", but that the speech need not be truly "free".
House to vote on bill that would impose $5,000 fee for protesting drilling projects
"The bill, introduced by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), is broad legislation designed to make it much easier for oil and gas companies to obtain permission to drill on public lands. If signed into law, the legislation would automatically approve onshore drilling permits if the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) failed to act on them in 60 days.
If an individual does not like a proposed drilling project and wanted to oppose it, he or she would have to pay a $5,000 fee to file an official protest."
Only in baseball and energy use is a production rate of 30-40% considered a success.
Estimated energy use in 2012
"Rejected energy: 58.1 Quads out of 95.1 Quads total energy (61%)"
Overall, it comes down to humility. If we acknowledge that the current method has major flaws that we can address, then we open up to those who have solved some of the issues successfully, then we can create a society flush with quality-of-life-creating energy without causing harm to ourselves.
Lowering the Cost of Solar PV: Soft Costs with Hard Challenges (Part 1)
Lowering the Cost of Solar PV: Soft Costs with Hard Challenges (Part 2)
"The solar industry will remain a small story in America’s electrical system unless it can tame the soft cost beast. Progress to date has been uninspiring, due to limited focus and a dependency on government- and nonprofit-funded activities. Cross-competitor and cross-stakeholder (particularly utilities and solar developers) antagonistic dynamics have undoubtedly contributed to the lack of progress. The industry needs to grab the bull by the horns and take soft costs much more seriously. Stepping up soft cost engagement requires both increased pre-competitive actions supported by the industry, and additional cross-stakeholder solutions that provide value more broadly across the playing field."
Happy Friday!
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