Monday, 03 Apr 2006

Cap in Hand

California bill would mandate serious greenhouse-gas emissions caps

California will jump (farther) into the lead on state-level action to combat global warming if a soon-to-be-introduced bill requiring stiff emissions caps becomes law. The measure would mandate greenhouse-gas pollution cuts to 1990 levels by 2020; that's 25 percent lower than they would otherwise be by that time, according to the bill's sponsors. Shockingly, California industries are expected to strongly oppose the legislation, with the state Chamber of Commerce arguing that action should be taken at the federal level rather than state by state. "There are some powerful interests that are going to be against this," said State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D), who nonetheless predicts the legislature will pass the bill by summer. No word yet from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on whether he supports it, but his administration is expected to release a report today recommending, among other things, that power plants and other industrial facilities be required to report their greenhouse-gas emissions.


Without great ideas, there would be no light bulb, no Jell-O, no iPod. So don't be shy about sharing your inspirations with advice maven Umbra Fisk. Just be prepared for the kind of gentle redirect she gives today's reader, who wonders if burying carbon-absorbing plants could help fight global warming. Hey, points for creativity, anyway.

Coal Decliner

Idaho legislature passes two-year moratorium on coal-fired power plants

In a two-for-one snub of President Bush and Idaho Gov. (and likely future Interior Secretary) Dirk Kempthorne (R), Idaho's Republican-controlled legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill last week that would put a two-year moratorium on new coal-fired power plants in the state. The bill -- which says the plants "may have a significant negative impact upon the health, safety, and welfare" of state residents, natural resources, and agriculture -- now goes to Kempthorne for his signature or veto. The Kempster's now squished between the will of Idahoans, who overwhelmingly support the bill, and his future masters in the Bush administration, who overwhelmingly support the coal industry. Hours before the bill passed, California-based Sempra Energy, which had proposed a controversial coal-fired plant for Idaho's rural Jerome County, withdrew its plans and said it would sell the development rights.


Carsten Henningsen got hooked on investing after his parents gave him two shares of stock in the Mattel toy company for his 10th birthday, and he's never looked back. Now he channels his passion into Portfolio 21, a mutual fund investing in sustainability-based ventures. As InterActivist this week, Henningsen chats about reinventing the corporation, enjoying the french-fried smell of his biodiesel VW, imagining Whoopi Goldberg in the role of a lifetime, and more. Send him a question of your own by noon PDT on Wednesday; we'll publish his answers to selected questions on Friday.

You Want a Lease of Me?

Wyoming governor opposes federal drilling leases in national forest

Wyoming is plenty bullish on a local natural-gas boom -- but Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) has put his foot down at the Wyoming Range, asking the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to halt sales of drilling leases on 19,000 acres of western Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest. Outdoorsy types say it's about states' rights: Wyomingites want the land protected for fishing, skiing, and snowmobiling. "We keep hearing this administration tout the importance of having local control or getting local input into public lands decisions," said the Wyoming Outdoor Council's Molly Absolon. "Wyoming citizens have said resoundingly, 'Do not drill.' We're waiting for the federal government to listen." Unsurprisingly, a petro-spokesflack says the feds haven't been issuing leases fast enough. No word yet on whether the lease sales will be halted.

You Know That Whole Victoria's Secret Green Underwear Thing?

That was all made up

The Daily Grist sent out on Saturday, April 1, was a joke. Ha ha. Happy belated April Fools' Day. (Today's news, though, is all true. We promise.)