The cost of cleaning up the massive Tennessee toxic coal-ash spill is averaging $1 million a day – and after six months they’ve barely scratched the surface of the problem, let alone figured out what the cost in loss of land, housing, and general environmental wellbeing might be. Ludicrously, coal-ash is still designated non-hazardous, though the EPA is expected to re-regulate it as hazardous later this year.
US President Barack Obama is optimistic the Clean Energy and Security bill will be passed by the Senate later this year after being approved by Congress by 219 votes to 212 on Friday, but is wary of sending “protectionist signals” via a provision added to the bill that seeks to penalize imports from countries not also cutting emissions in step with the US. Frankly, so he should be, since most developed nations at least are cutting emissions by more than the Americans propose, and such tariffs could start a tit-for-tat trade war.
Brazil’s President Luiz da Silva has signed into law a controversial bill which grants land-ownership rights to thousands of Amazonian squatters. Critics say it amounts to amnesty for illegal loggers, but the government’s intent is to be able to regulate logging by holding land-owners accountable – something it can’t do if they have no title.
A group of Royal Society scientists have lambasted the British government for not investing heavily enough in new energy sources and technology, saying Britain’s energy systems are no longer fit for the purpose.
Dow Chemical is the latest major company to dip into the algae-for-fuel investigations, planning to set up a pilot plant with start-up company Algenol Biofuels to make ethanol from algae in Florida.
Lateral thinking from US Energy secretary (and Nobel Prize winner) Steven Chu: changing the colour of roofs and highways from dark to light could massively offset global warming effects, because the whiter the colour the more it reflects the sun’s rays. It is estimated that changing just 100 square feet of roof from dark to white would offset the equivalent of one ton of CO2.
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