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       #Post#: 536--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pollution 
       By: AGelbert Date: December 12, 2013, 2:58 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
  HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfQ-z1FS9e0&feature=player_embedded
       Wetlands going up in smoke. It's Criminal and stupid
  HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/gen152.gif
       to make biomass
       pellets from hardwood forests when duckweed
  HTML http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/renewables/ethanol/msg218/#msg218<br
       />,hemp,  switchgrass, willow brush and a host of other fast
       growing species of plants can supply this biomass renewably.
       >:(
       #Post#: 548--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pollution 
       By: AGelbert Date: December 13, 2013, 11:47 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       The Shale-Oil Boom's Dirty Secret
       The US produces 7.8 million barrels of oil a day. Of this, the
       EIA estimates that 29 percent comes from shale oil formations.
       Production from these wells declines 60-70 percent in the first
       year alone. To maintain current production, the US needs to
       drill 6,000 new wells per year at a cost of $35 billion a year.
       On the other hand, solar is on pace to produce over 5,300 MW of
       solar this year --enough to power 885,600 average American
       households. The average price of solar has also dropped 60%
       since 2011, and the average cost of a completed PV system is
       $3.05/W. Most solar electric systems last 30 years and pay for
       themselves in 4-5 years.
       What if we spent $35 billion on solar instead of shale oil
       wells? The US could produce nearly 11,500 MW of new clean energy
       every year. We could power over 11.2 million new homes by 2020,
       and produce 28 percent of all California energy by 2020.
       [img width=640
       height=1450]
  HTML https://s3.amazonaws.com/mosaic-landing/Shale-Oil-Boom.jpg[/img]
       Infographic created by Aven Satre-Meloy
       Learn More:(at link below)
       Mosaic President Billy Parish on the fastest way to 100% clean
       energy.
       Get the scoop on impact investing.
       Why you should care about crowdfunding.
       How to find good investments.
  HTML http://joinmosaic.com/blog/shale-oil-booms-dirty-secret
       
       #Post#: 622--------------------------------------------------
       Honor The Earth: Triple Crown of Pipeline Rides
       By: AGelbert Date: December 26, 2013, 2:25 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
  HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v6_1DLth9U&feature=player_embedded
       #Post#: 633--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pollution 
       By: AGelbert Date: December 28, 2013, 2:24 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       US EPA Nails Fracker With Record Fine
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       />
  HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/cowboypistol.gif
       [img width=640
       height=380]
  HTML http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Chesapeake_energy_operations.jpg[/img]
       [img width=100
       height=50]
  HTML https://events.recruitmilitary.com/uploads/event/sponsor_logo/516/Chesapeake_Energy_Logo.jpg[/img]Chesapeake<br
       />Energy's "PLAY"-ground toxify the USA areas
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       The woes just keep piling up for Chesapeake Energy. The company
       is front and center in the nation’s natural gas fracking boom
       and it just got hit with one of the largest ever civil penalties
       for violating Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The penalty
       was levied against its subsidiary, Chesapeake Appalachia LLC.
       Wait, what? We thought the fracking industry was notoriously
       exempt from the Clean Water Act, thanks to a loophole engineered
       back in 2005 by former Vice President (and former Halliburton
       oil company executive) Dick Cheney.
       So, how’d they do that?
       EPA nails Chesapeake Energy for clean water violations
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       [img width=30
       height=40]
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       />
       Fracking And The Clean Water Act
       Fracking is an unconventional gas and oil drilling method that
       involves pumping vast quantities of a chemical brine deep
       underground, to shake deposits loose from shale formations.
       Though natural gas is billed as a clean alternative to coal and
       oil, fracking has been linked to a raft of local pollution
       issues, and emissions of methane (a powerful greenhouse gas)
       from drilling sites may be wiping out any advantage that natural
       gas has as a fuel.
       The Clean Water loophole makes it almost impossible to gather
       direct evidence that traces fracking to a growing list of water
       contamination episodes, though the link between fracking waste
       disposal and earthquakes is becoming beyond dispute.
       Under the Obama Administration, the EPA has been doggedly
       pursuing other avenues to bring fracking companies to account
       for environmental damage, and one of them is the Clean Water
       Act’s Section 404.
       In announcing the action against Chesapeake last week, EPA
       described the alleged violations like this:
       The federal government and the West Virginia Department of
       Environmental Protection (WVDEP) allege that the company
       impounded streams and discharged sand, dirt, rocks and other
       fill material into streams and wetlands without a federal permit
       in order to construct well pads, impoundments, road crossings
       and other facilities related to natural gas extraction.
       See what they just did? Section 404 does not apply directly to
       fracking brine, which is exempt from federal disclosure
       regulations under the Clean Water Act. It covers general
       construction activity common across a wide range of industries.
       [img width=50
       height=50]
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       />width=40
       height=40]
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       />
       Evidently Chesapeake Energy saw the writing on the wall. Some of
       the violations were discovered by its own internal audit and the
       company has been working with EPA since 2010 to comply with
       remediation orders.
       The settlement includes an estimated payment of $6.5 million to
       restore 27 sites in West Virginia, 16 of which involved fracking
       operations. It also includes a civil penalty of $3.2 million,
       which EPA describes as “one of the largest ever levied by the
       federal government for violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA),
       under the Section 404 program.”
       Fracking In The Headlines Again
       For those of you keeping score at home, the EPA announcement
       follows a string of bad press for the fracking industry and
       Chesapeake.
       Just this past August, Bloomberg News reported that oil and gas
       land deals have fallen off the cliff, indicating that the
       natural gas boom is turning into one whopper of a bust (it could
       turn around if the Obama Administration opens up the export
       market, but that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms).
       As for Chesapeake Energy, this year the company settled with a
       group of homeowners in Greenbrier, Arkansas for damages from
       earthquakes, which were linked to fracking waste disposal by the
       US Geological Survey.
       New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has been pursuing
       the Ponzi-like financial angle of the fracking boom, and in June
       2012 he won a “landmark agreement” with Chesapeake Appalachia to
       renegotiate more than 4,400 leases in New York State.
       Also last year, Bloomberg reported that Chesapeake Energy paid a
       tax rate of less than one percent on profits of $5.5 billion,
       legendary investor T. Boone Pickens dumped his Chesapeake stock,
       and an in-depth report in Rolling Stone compared Chesapeake’s
       land “flipping” practices to the ongoing mortgage crisis.
       This is just a random sample so feel free to add your Chesapeake
       story to the comment thread.
       Author
       Tina Casey specializes in military and corporate sustainability,
       advanced technology, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and
       wastewater issues. Tina’s articles are reposted frequently on
       Reuters, Scientific American, and many other sites. You can also
       follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.
  HTML http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/27/epa-hits-chesapeake-energy-with-record-fracking-fine/#beaP55dZhQFrbGTk.99
       Agelbert NOTE: I am CERTAIN that ALEC is busy writing "Clean
       Water Act IMPROVEMENT" legislation
  HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-311013201314.png
       to exempt frackers from Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
       (CWA).
       The profit over planet bastards are quite predictable.  >:( :P
       #Post#: 636--------------------------------------------------
       Woke up
       By: AGelbert Date: December 28, 2013, 11:16 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
  HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru_i_Q3voTk&feature=player_embedded
       #Post#: 679--------------------------------------------------
       Texas Supreme Court Favors Landowner Over TransCanada in Keyston
       e XL!
       By: AGelbert Date: January 9, 2014, 3:04 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [move]Texas Supreme Court Favors Landowner Over TransCanada in
       Keystone XL Eminent Domain Case[/move]
       [img width=200
       height=130]
  HTML http://static.uglyhedgehog.com/upload/2012/8/14/1344970546338-awesome_mc_ht_smiley.gif[/img]
       Tar Sands Blockade | January 9, 2014 9:33 am
       The Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of landowner Julia Trigg
       Crawford, ordering
       TransCanada to submit information by Feb. 6 as the justices
       weigh arguments to hear the case regarding eminent domain abuse.
       [img width=740
       height=440]
  HTML http://files.cdn.ecowatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/barn.jpg[/img]
       The controversial clause of eminent domain benefits oil and gas
       companies trying to seize private land to extract or transport
       fossil fuels. Photo credit: Tar Sands Blockade
       Texas’s highest court delivered a clear victory for pipeline
       opponents and landowners fighting TransCanada’s overreach on
       property rights. At the heart of Crawford’s case is the ability
       of TransCanada, a foreign corporation, to use eminent domain
       under the state’s “common carrier” clause since their pipeline
       transports 90 percent Canadian tar sands and 10 percent North
       Dakota oil. There is no on ramp for Texas oil therefore
       violating the definition of a common carrier under Texas law.
       Crawford said she looks forward to her family’s day in court,
       “As a landowner, property rights are key to my livelihood and
       family legacy. A foreign corporation pumping foreign oil simply
       does not qualify as a common carrier under Texas law.
       TransCanada does not get to write their own rules. I look
       forward to the Supreme Court hearing our case and our plea to
       protect the fundamental rights of property owners.”
       The ruling on Wednesday from the Texas Supreme Court means that
       Crawford will be able to take the next step in the appeals
       process against TransCanada. The southern segment of the
       Keystone XL pipeline, also known as Gulf Coast Segment,
       stretches from Cushing, OK, to Beaumont, TX, and carries tar
       sands or dilbit which is a combination of tar sands and
       [font=arial black]chemicals that react very differently when
       spills occur than traditional Texas oil.
       “We’re thrilled, because the Supreme Court has finally ruled in
       favor of us—the little guys—and against a foreign oil
       giant,”[/font]  ;D  Julia Trigg Crawford continued. “Basically,
       TransCanada said that it wanted a waiver from responding to our
       petition, and the Supreme Court said, ‘[font=arial black]No, you
       must respond’[/font].”   [img width=30
       height=40]
  HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-141113185047.png[/img]<br
       />
       Crawford says her case has broad implications, because if she
       wins, TransCanada and other foreign oil companies will no longer
       be able to use eminent domain to seize land for their private
       profit without direct proof their pipeline is carrying Texan
       oil.
       Visit EcoWatch’s KEYSTONE XL and TAR SANDS pages for more
       related news on this topic.
  HTML http://ecowatch.com/2014/01/09/landowner-over-transcanada-keystone-xl-eminent-domain-case/
  HTML http://ecowatch.com/2014/01/09/landowner-over-transcanada-keystone-xl-eminent-domain-case/
       #Post#: 680--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pollution 
       By: AGelbert Date: January 9, 2014, 5:15 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       8 Sickening Facts About Flame Retardants
       December 11, 2013
       
       By Dr. Mercola
       Your couch cushions, your child’s car seat, your carpeting, and
       your mattress all have a toxic secret in common.  >:(
       They probably contain flame-retardant chemicals that have been
       linked to serious health risks like cancer, birth defects,
       neurodevelopmental delays in children, and more.
       How these chemicals have grown to become so ubiquitous is a
       story of great deception, power and greed, with the chemical
       industry and Big Tobacco at the helm. As reported in an
       investigative series “Playing With Fire” by the Chicago
       Tribune:[sup]1[/sup]
       “The average American baby is born with 10 fingers, 10 toes and
       the highest recorded levels of flame retardants among infants in
       the world. The toxic chemicals are present in nearly every home,
       packed into couches, chairs and many other products.  :P
       Two powerful industries — Big Tobacco and chemical manufacturers
       — waged deceptive campaigns that led to the proliferation of
       these chemicals, which don’t even work as promised.”  ???
       Eight Facts About Flame Retardants That Might Shock You
       HBO recently aired a documentary, Toxic Hot Seat, which is based
       on the Chicago Tribune’s comprehensive investigation. You can
       watch the trailer above. The film highlights some of the most
       disturbing facts about flame-retardant chemicals, which were
       summed up by Rodale News.[sup]2[/sup] As you read through them,
       you’ll see how the use of flame-retardant chemicals is easily
       among the major toxic cover-ups in the US.  >:(
  HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hWwfcsJXHM&feature=player_embedded
       1. Studies Have Proven Their Harm
       It’s estimated that 90 percent of Americans have some level of
       flame-retardant chemicals in their bodies, and the chemicals are
       also known to accumulate in breast milk.
       This alone is highly disturbing because many studies have linked
       them to human health risks including infertility, birth defects,
       lower IQ scores, behavioral problems in children, and liver,
       kidney, testicular, and breast cancers.
       2. Flame Retardants Produce More Toxic Smoke
       If an object doused in flame retardants catches fire (yes, they
       can still catch fire), it gives off higher levels of carbon
       monoxide, soot, and smoke than untreated objects. Ironically,
       these three things are more likely to kill a person in a fire
       than burns, which means flame-retardant chemicals may actually
       make fires more deadly.
       Flame-retardant chemicals belong to the same class of chemicals
       as DDT and PCBs (organohalogens), and like the former, they,
       too, build up in the environment. These chemicals also react
       with other toxins as they burn to produce cancer-causing dioxins
       and furans.
       3. Banned from Children’s Pajamas but Still Widely Used in
       Furniture and Baby Products
       A flame-retardant chemical known as chlorinated tris (TDCPP) was
       removed from children's pajamas in the 1970s amid concerns that
       it may cause cancer, but now it’s a ubiquitous addition to couch
       cushions across the United States.
       It can easily migrate from the foam and into your household
       dust, which children often pick up on their hands and transfer
       into their mouths. Tris is actually the most commonly used flame
       retardant in the US today, used in nap mats, car seats,
       strollers, nursing pillows, furniture, and more.
       4. Female Fire Fighters in California Have Six Times More Breast
       Cancer
       Female firefighters aged 40 to 50 are six times more likely to
       develop breast cancer than the national average, likely due to
       California’s early use of flame-retardant chemicals.
       Firefighters of both genders also have higher rates of cancer,
       in part because of the high levels of dioxins and furans they’re
       exposed to when flame-retardant chemicals burn.
       According to one firefighter in the HBO documentary:3 “It's Love
       Canal, and it's on fire… These fires that we're going to now are
       an absolute toxic soup.”
       5. Flame-Retardant Chemicals Provide No Benefit for People
       The chemical industry claims that fire-retardant furniture
       increases escape time in a fire by 15-fold. In reality, this
       claim came from a study using powerful, NASA-style flame
       retardants, which did give an extra 15 seconds of escape time.
       This is not the same type of chemical used in most furniture,
       and government and independent studies show that the most widely
       used flame-retardant chemicals provide no benefit for people
       while increasing the amounts of toxic chemicals in smoke.
       Drops in fire-related deaths in recent decades are not related
       to the use of flame-retardant chemicals, but instead are due to
       newer construction codes, sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and
       self-extinguishing cigarettes.
       6. Big Tobacco Was Instrumental in the Spread of Flame-Retardant
       Chemicals
  HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-311013201314.pnghttp://www.pic4ever.com/images/acigar.gif
       Flame-retardant chemicals were developed in the 1970s, when 40
       percent of Americans smoked and cigarettes were a major cause of
       fires. The tobacco industry, under increasing pressure to make
       fire-safe cigarettes, resisted the push for self-extinguishing
       cigarettes and instead created a fake front group called the
       National Association of State Fire Marshals. The group pushed
       for federal standards for fire-retardant furniture…  ;)
       7. California’s Misguided Fire Safety Law Led to Countrywide Use
       of These Toxic Chemicals  >:(
       In 1975, California Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117) was passed.
       It requires furniture sold in California to withstand a
       12-second exposure to a small flame without igniting. Because of
       California's economic importance, the requirement has
       essentially become a national standard, with manufacturers
       dousing their furniture with the chemicals whether they're going
       to be sold in California or elsewhere in the States. As reported
       by Rodale News:
       “Sadly, though the original author of TB117 had specifically
       included language requiring that any chemical used to make
       furniture fire resistant be safe for human health, politicians
       removed that language before the law went into effect.”
       8. The Chemical Industry Has Spent Millions to Keep TB117 in
       Place
  HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-311013200859.png
       Numerous bills in California have been introduced that would
       update TB117 to state that toxic chemicals were no longer
       required for furniture, but the deep-pocketed chemical industry
       has defeated them each time.
       The industry even went so far as to hire Dr. David Heimback, a
       burn expert and star witness for the manufacturers of flame
       retardants, told the tragic story of a 7-week-old baby who was
       burned in a fire and died as a result, three weeks later, after
       suffering immensely.
  HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/tissue.gifThe
       fire was said to
       have been started by a candle that ignited a pillow that lacked
       flame retardant chemicals, where the baby lay.
  HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/shame.gifhttp://www.u.arizona.edu/~patricia/cute-collection/smileys/lying-smiley.gif<br
       /> [img width=50
       height=50]
  HTML http://www.imgion.com/images/01/Angry-animated-smiley.jpg[/img]<br
       />
       The story was heard by California lawmakers, who were deciding
       on a bill that could have reduced the use of flame retardant
       chemicals in furniture. The problem, as we detailed in a
       previous article, was that the entire story was a clever hoax, a
       complete fabrication, from beginning to end!   :o ???   [img
       width=120
       height=100]
  HTML http://www.whydidyouwearthat.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tumblr_l7j9nik8Wf1qaxxwjo1_5001.jpeg[/img]http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-devil12.gif
       
       Do You Have a Choice About the Flame Retardants Used in Your
       Furniture and Mattress?
       Given the outdated regulations in place about the use of
       flame-retardant chemicals in consumer products, it’s quite
       difficult to avoid these toxic chemicals because of their
       abundant use in household goods and even in the foam insulation
       used in your walls. Research published in Environmental Science
       & Technology revealed that 85 percent of couch foam samples
       tested contained chemical flame retardants.4 The samples came
       from more than 100 couches purchased from 1985 to 2010.
       As of July 1, 2007, all US mattresses are required to be highly
       flame retardant, to the extent that they won't catch on fire if
       exposed to a blowtorch.  ::)  This means that the manufacturers
       are dousing them with highly toxic flame-retardant chemicals,
       which do NOT have to be disclosed in any way.  :P This is
       probably the most important piece of furniture you want to get
       right, as you are spending about one-third of your life on it.
       However, you can have a licensed health care provider write you
       a prescription for a chemical-free mattress, which can then be
       ordered without flame retardants from certain retailers. You can
       also find certain natural mattresses on the market that don’t
       contain them. For instance, our wool mattress does not have
       flame-retardant chemicals added because wool is a natural flame
       retardant.
       Good News! Safer Furniture May Be Coming in 2014
       Given the blatant dangers posed by flame retardants, in late
       November 2013 California’s governor ordered that TB117 be
       rewritten to ensure fire safety without the use of these
       chemicals. Starting in January 2014, furniture manufacturers
       will begin producing furniture that’s not required to use
       flame-retardant chemicals, and full compliance is expected by
       January 2015.
       Unfortunately, the updated law only states that the chemicals
       are no longer required; it doesn’t ban them outright. This means
       that some companies may continue to use them, and if you’re in
       the market for new furniture, you’ll need to ask for that made
       without flame-retardant chemicals.
       Tips for Reducing Your Exposure to Flame-Retardant Chemicals
       Even with California’s revised law, these chemicals are still
       widely used. Plus, unless you’ve revamped your home using only
       natural, chemical-free materials, they’re likely lurking in your
       home right now. Until these chemicals are removed from use
       entirely, tips you can use to reduce your exposure around your
       home include:[sup]5[/sup]
       •Be especially careful with polyurethane foam products
       manufactured prior to 2005, such as upholstered furniture,
       mattresses, and pillows, as these are most likely to contain
       flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or
       PBDEs. If you have any of these in your home, inspect them
       carefully and replace ripped covers and/or any foam that appears
       to be breaking down. Also, avoid reupholstering furniture by
       yourself, as the reupholstering process increases your risk of
       exposure.
       •Older carpet padding is another major source of PBDEs, so take
       precautions when removing old carpet. You'll want to isolate
       your work area from the rest of your house to avoid spreading it
       around, and use a HEPA filter vacuum to clean up.
       •You probably also have older sources of the PBDEs known as Deca
       in your home as well, and these are so toxic they are banned in
       several states. Deca PBDEs can be found in electronics like TVs,
       cell phones, kitchen appliances, fans, toner cartridges, and
       more. It's a good idea to wash your hands after handling such
       items, especially before eating, and at the very least be sure
       you don't let infants mouth any of these items (like your TV
       remote control or cell phone).
       •As you replace PBDE-containing items around your home, select
       those that contain naturally less flammable materials, such as
       leather, wool, and cotton.
       •Look for organic and "green" building materials, carpeting,
       baby items, mattresses, and upholstery, which will be free from
       these toxic chemicals and help reduce your overall exposure.
       Furniture products filled with cotton, wool, or polyester tend
       to be safer than chemical-treated foam; some products also state
       that they are "flame-retardant free."
       •PBDEs are often found in household dust, so clean up with a
       HEPA-filter vacuum and/or a wet mop often.
  HTML http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/11/8-flame-retardant-facts.aspx
       #Post#: 682--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pollution 
       By: AGelbert Date: January 10, 2014, 5:54 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Feather in his cap-and-trade: Brown pledges polluter fees to
       poor communities
  HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/47b20s0.gif
       By Brentin Mock
       While free-market environmentalists push cap-and-trade systems
       as a panacea for climate change worries, many in the
       environmental justice community have yet to buy into it. Their
       reasons for this vary, but one major concern is that there’s
       little guarantee that overburdened communities won’t still catch
       the brunt of industrial pollution. What stops billionaire
       companies like ExxonMobil from continuing to pollute poor
       communities if, rather than rein in their emissions under the
       established cap, they can simply purchase more permits to
       pollute?
       When California started its cap-and-trade system in late 2011,
       lawmakers addressed these concerns by requiring 25 percent of
       all revenue from permit auctions to go toward programs that help
       disadvantaged communities. Also, 10 percent of the revenue would
       have to be spent directly in those communities. But last year,
       when the auction dividends started rolling in, Gov. Jerry Brown
       reneged on that deal, putting $500 million from the permit
       auction profits into the state’s rainy day fund.
       This obviously didn’t endear many environmental justice
       activists to the cap-and-trade dream.
       The governor is on the path to redemption, though. When he
       unveiled his budget Thursday, it included plans to not only pay
       back $100 million of what he “borrowed” from cap-and-trade fees,
       but also a pledge to make some much needed investments in
       low-income communities across the state.
       “It is encouraging that the governor agrees with the 83 percent
       of Californians polled who say that these revenues should be
       directed to communities hardest hit by last century’s carbon
       pollution generated by fossil fuel
       companies,”
  HTML http://www.desismileys.com/smileys/desismileys_0293.gif<br
       />Miya Yosh itani, executive director of the Asian Pacific
       Environmental Network, said in a press statement.
       “Based on what’s been reported, the governor is making critical
       investments in existing programs that will help disadvantaged
       communities cope with the worst impacts of the climate crisis,
       while at the same time creating jobs and saving low-income
       consumers money,” said Vien Truong, Environmental Equity program
       director of the Greenlining Institute in Berkeley. “This will
       bring real benefits to communities hit first and worst by
       pollution and climate change as well as the recession.”
       Of the $850 million available from new polluter fees, said
       Truong, roughly $600 million will be spent on improving public
       transit, energy efficiency programs, renewable energy, and urban
       forestry projects that can provide jobs for youth of color.
       But, as is always the case with budget negotiations, the devil
       is in the details. Consider the $200 million from the fees is
       supposed to go to low-carbon transportation initiatives. Some of
       that will go to greening the trucks that serve commercial ports
       in places like Long Beach and Oakland. As thousands of trucks
       run in and out of these ports, and idle in traffic as they pass
       through cities, they spray asthma-causing soot.
       California has a fund for greening commercial trucks, but it’s
       been empty for a while now. The Greenlining Institute is asking
       for $30 million out of the new budget for the purchase of hybrid
       and zero-emission trucks and buses throughout the state.
       But some of that low-carbon money is also committed for rebates
       for purchasers of electric vehicles — a perk much less likely to
       benefit residents of low-income communities. Legislators will
       have to work out how much of the $200 million will go to each of
       these line items. That process — and the rest of the state’s
       budget wrangling — won’t be finished until June, at the
       earliest.
       Still, if Brown’s proposed funding for low-income communities
       survives the legislative process, this could be a game-changer,
       proving that it is possible to design cap-and-trade programs to
       take into account communities that bear the brunt of  industrial
       pollution. Time will tell.
       I’m curious to hear from environmental justice advocates who
       aren’t sold on cap-and-trade — especially those in living with
       the system in the Northeast — if you think that Brown’s proposal
       could adequately address your concerns. After all, as goes
       California, so goes the country. While cap-and-trade has been a
       non-starter in Congress so far, I’m sure we haven’t seen the
       last of it.
  HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/128fs318181.gif<br
       />
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       Brentin Mock is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist who writes
       regularly for Grist about environmental justice issues and the
       connections between environmental policy, race, and politics.
       Follow him on Twitter at @brentinmock.
  HTML http://grist.org/cities/feather-in-his-cap-and-trade-brown-pledges-polluter-fees-for-poor-communities/
       #Post#: 683--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pollution 
       By: AGelbert Date: January 10, 2014, 8:48 pm
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       />
       3 Billion liters of embalming fluid in the USA (never mind the
       metals and concrete) is stupid and unsustainable. :emthdown:
       I like the Minnesota Mayo clinic approach. ;D
       #Post#: 693--------------------------------------------------
       Romanians Resisting Pollution 
       By: AGelbert Date: January 13, 2014, 2:58 pm
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       />
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