Last Ride: "Sweetgrass" Documentary Captures a Vanishing American West I've just discovered a mesmerizing film that feels almost like stepping back in time! "Sweetgrass," which aired on PBS's POV series, presents a stunning and poetic elegy to a way of life that's rapidly disappearing from the American landscape. Moreover, this remarkable documentary immerses us in... Continue Reading →
The U. S. Supreme Court in American Electric Power v. Connecticut reaffirmend the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) congressionally mandated role to handle global warming pollution from power plants and other major pollution sources. The Court’s opinion holds that a 2007 Supreme Court decision “made plain that emissions of carbon dioxide qualify as air pollution subject to regulation under” the Clean Air Act, and that the Act ” ‘speaks directly’ to emissions of carbon dioxide from the defendants’ plants.” Power plant smokestacks are the single largest source of carbon pollution in our nation, responsible for nearly 40 percent of all U.S. emissions. “The most important thing about this decision is that it buttresses the foundation for EPA to do its job,” said Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp. “The Supreme Court strongly underscored EPA’s responsibility under the law to address climate pollution that threatens the health and well-being of our nation.”
Though Westchester has seen several days of rain, inevitably the sun will shine again – and with that in mind, County Executive Robert P. Astorino today (Wednesday) signed legislation designed to spur the sale of solar energy systems.
“The act signed today extends a sales-tax exemption to homeowners who install solar energy systems, which should stimulate the purchase of this equipment and help reduce reliance on non-renewable sources of energy,” said Astorino.
The provision is a local option allowed under New York State law. It was first adopted by Westchester County in 2005 and was due to expire this fall.
“So if you’ll pardon the expression, the good news about this new legislation is that it does not ‘sunset,’ ” quipped Astorino.
BY TXCHNOLOGIST The mission: defeat the enemy while preserving Uncle Sam’s pocketbook. Saving the Earth is a worthy, but secondary, objective. The Department of Defense last week rolled out its plan to consume less, and find new ways to source, energy. The need has become particularly pressing as operations in Afghanistan and Iraq last year led U.S. forces to consume 5 billion gallons of fuel. The military’s insatiable thirst for energy puts troops in danger as they transport fuel through hostile territory — the Marines estimate one service member is killed for every 24 convoys. It also exposes the Pentagon budget to price shocks in volatile energy markets. The “Operational Energy Strategy,” called for a three-pronged pincer movement: reduce energy demand and improve efficiency; expand energy options beyond petroleum, including biofuels and renewable energy; make energy security a priority for future plans. Here are nine ways that the military is trying to cut down its energy use.
Canada's Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Peter Kent, today announced the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s successful acquisition of 29 hectares of land near the Village of Pugwash, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. This project was secured in part with funding from Environment Canada’s Natural Areas Conservation Program. “This acquisition marks another achievement under our government’s Natural Areas Conservation Program. With this investment, we are taking real action to protect and conserve our ecosystems and sensitive species for present and future generations,” said Minister Kent. “Your actions today will help to protect the abundance and variety of life that will constitute an integral part of our natural heritage tomorrow.” This property is comprised of 22 hectares of mixed forest along with seven hectares of coastal habitat, including a salt marsh, tidal flats and one kilometre of shoreline, on the Pugwash River.
