Wednesday, 26 Apr 2006

Taxholes

House Republicans fight to preserve $5 billion in oil industry tax breaks

In public, prominent Republicans are chastising oil companies over high gas prices, and threatening price-gouging investigations and windfall-profit taxes. Behind closed doors, House Republicans are fighting to protect some $5 billion worth of tax loopholes for those very same oil companies. Luckily for them, the country's Strategic Outrage Reserve has been completely tapped. At issue is a tax bill designed mainly to extend the tax cuts for the rich passed in Bush's first term. The Senate version includes changes in arcane tax accounting rules, among them rules that allow oil companies to grossly underestimate the value of their inventories. House Republicans are furiously fighting the changes, with backing from the White House. In February, Treasury Secretary John Snow sent letters to Congress stating that "the president's senior advisors would recommend that the president veto the legislation if this provision remains." After all, populist-friendly rhetoric is one thing, but we're talking about real money here!

Do You Reely Want to Hurt Me?

Low salmon numbers provoke protests, legislation, and a state of emergency

Next week is supposed to kick off salmon season in Oregon and California, but the Bush administration is expected to severely restrict or completely bar commercial salmon fishing due to a critically low salmon count in the Klamath River. About 100 angry fisherfolk protested in San Francisco on Monday. "If they shut this season down, they shut me down," said one burly fisher and single father. Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D) has declared a state of emergency for coastal fishing communities in his state. Fishers blame the feds, who divert river water for agriculture and run hydropower dams that heat the Klamath to a temperature that fosters fishy parasites. In 2002, almost 80,000 adult salmon died from what now pass as normal river conditions: low water, high temperatures, and disease. Three California reps introduced a bill in the House yesterday that calls for a salmon recovery plan, conservation projects along the Klamath, and $81 million in disaster relief for commercial fishers and related businesses.


Oh, the ins and outs of climate change -- they're as innumerable as the particles in your car exhaust. But fearless advice maven Umbra Fisk continues to parse them, motivated by the abiding hope that we will all begin to better understand the mess we're in. Today, a reader asks why so little attention is paid to water vapor's role in climate change, and Umbra takes one for the steam.

Yucca Fool Some of the People Some of the Time

Feds won't press charges against scientists who falsified Yucca documents

Scientists accused of falsifying quality-assurance documents for the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste site in Nevada will not be charged by federal prosecutors. Emails between U.S. Geological Survey hydrologists from 1998 to 2000 indicate that dates were invented and inconvenient data was deleted as hydrologists conducted a data review before the Energy Department sought a license for the nuke-waste dump. The White House is pushing to speed up construction at Yucca, which is supposed to store 77,000 tons of waste from nuclear power plants. Despite the decision not to file charges, the Energy Department's inspector general admitted that the scientists' lapse has "had the effect of undermining public confidence in the quality of the science associated with the Yucca Mountain Project." Because that confidence was sky-high before, don't you know.

Wonder If New Orleans Wrote Them a Recommendation Letter

Army Corps can continue its Missouri River meddling, Supreme Court says

In bad news for enviros (why are we always saying that?), the Supreme Court has declined to hear challenges in three cases questioning the Army Corps of Engineers' authority on the Missouri River. With authority now decidedly in hand, the Corps can continue to prioritize the downstream shipping industry over upstream recreation and environmental concerns. North and South Dakota and green groups had urged the Corps to store more water in upstream reservoirs, benefiting the fishing industry and endangered aquatic life. "The Corps has favored the larger, downstream states for far too long," said Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath. However, in a teensy bit of good news, the Supremes' decision also means that the Corps can go ahead with a planned early May "spring rise," a release of water to encourage spawning by the endangered pallid sturgeon. Enviros support the release, while upstream states worry about a water shortage and downstream states worry about flooding.

Ford Too Shall TerraPass

Ford teams up with TerraPass to help drivers offset emissions

Like the man said, the times they are a-changin'. Slowly, but a-changin' nonetheless. Ford Motor Co., manufacturer of all things carbon-emitting, is partnering with TerraPass, a carbon-offset company. Tomorrow, Ford is expected to announce a new "Greener Miles" program, whereby customers can visit a website to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide they produce in a year of driving, then invest money -- from $29.95 to $79.95, dependent on vehicle, miles traveled, etc. -- in clean-energy projects to offset their impact. Greener Miles contributors get a sticker to show off their eco-consciousness, and warm fuzzies for supporting a Nebraska wind farm or the conversion of Minnesota cow poop into electricity. Ford gets no money from the deal, but they do get warm fuzzies for helping to save the earth, a nice bit of green PR, and some good car-ma. Har har.