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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Dear Governor Greenwash
Hansen: Governors aren't getting it |
Guest author |
29 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The following is a guest essay from noted climate scientist James Hansen. ----- My recent experience with governors raises a question about whether this is an effective way to communicate about climate change. (Apologies for the length -- you may skip the three tales and go to the bottom line.) Dear Governor Pawlenty [PDF] Minnesota Gov. Pawlenty presides over a population that appreciates nature. Explorer Will Steger has done a marvelous job of informing the pub ... |
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| Topics: cap-and-dividend, climate, Minnesota, Nevada, politics, state politics, Virginia (all these topics) |
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Solar land use: less than coal
Nevada Solar one is a better and smaller neighbor than a coal mine |
Gar Lipow |
26 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Every now and then, one hears complaints about solar energy: 'But it takes too much land!' 'An entire Idaho!' 'Three Californias!' Nevada Solar One takes up about 400 acres, mostly for mirrors and heat engines. You would have to mine about 5,300 acres to feed a coal-fired powered plant producing the same amount of electricity. Even acre for acre, I'll take Solar One's pleasant campus over a coal mine. Math below the fold. The 400-acre Nevada Solar One produc ... |
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| Topics: coal, energy, Nevada (all these topics) |
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Dry, Dry Again
How three Southwestern cities are changing |
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13 May 2008 |
Grist Feature |
| For more on Southwest cities see our full feature on sustainability initiatives underway in Phoenix. Scan any list of "green U.S. cities" for winners from the Southwest, and you'll find a geographical void. Sure, a liberal-leaning place like Austin or Santa Fe or Boulder might sneak onto the list, but in general, there's a dearth of entries from this sun-drenched region. And that's troubling, as Southwest cities tend ... |
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| Topics: green building, Nevada, New Mexico, placemaking, Smartish Cities, special series, sprawl, Texas, urban planning (all these topics) |
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Dear Mr. Gibbons
A letter from a climate scientist to Nevada's governor |
Guest author |
15 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The following is a open letter to Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons from noted climate scientist James Hansen. ----- Dear Governor Gibbons, I am honored to be the recipient of the Desert Research Institute's annual Nevada Medal this year and to attend the awards ceremonies hosted by you and the First Lady. I hope that I may communicate with you as a fellow parent and grandparent about a matter that will have great effects upon the lives of our loved ones. I refer to ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate science, coal, energy, James Hansen, Nevada, politics, state politics (all these topics) |
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Dead Mead
Lake Mead could run out of water by 2021, says study |
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12 Feb 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 5:45 PM on 12 Feb 2008 There's a 50-50 chance that the Arizona- and Nevada-bordering, human-made Lake Mead will become Dry Ditch Mead by 2021, according to a study to be published in the journal Water Resources Research. Oh, and that's a conservative estimate, say the study authors, as is this one: By 2017, there's an equally good chance that water levels in the reservoir could drop so low that the Hoover Dam would be inca ... |
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| Topics: Arizona, California, climate, climate change impacts, Nevada, news, scientific research, water crisis (all these topics) |
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Hear You Loud and Nuclear
Hillary Clinton brings an environmental issue to the fore in Nevada |
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17 Jan 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 3:14 PM on 17 Jan 2008 Hillary Clinton is taking pains to make sure all Nevadans know her views on -- gasp! -- an environmental issue: She would stop plans to store nuclear waste at the state's Yucca Mountain repository. "This is not just, 'We're in Nevada, so we'll talk about an issue Nevadans care about,'" Clinton assured voters. "This is an American issue." Yucca Mounta ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, elections, energy, Hillary Clinton, Nevada, news, nuclear power, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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Comin' Round the Mountain
Leading Dem candidates talk nuclear power at Nevada debate |
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16 Jan 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 2:18 PM on 16 Jan 2008 The three leading Democratic presidential candidates came together in Nevada last night for yet another debate. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama all wooed Nevada voters by voicing opposition to the Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste repository, with Edwards taking his opposition a step further and coming out against all new nuclear construction. The highest drama came b ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, Dennis Kucinich, elections, energy, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Nevada, news, nuclear power, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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Neva-duh
Cheaper to power Nevada with renewables than coal, says consultancy |
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26 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 2:57 PM on 26 Nov 2007 Nevada will end up with costlier power if it goes ahead with plans to build three new coal plants instead of relying on renewables, says a study from an independent economic consultancy. Higher construction costs and an inevitable tax on emissions will drive up costs of the black rock in the not-so-long run, according to ECONorthwest. The conclusions will surely get the thumbs up from d ... |
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| Topics: coal, energy, Nevada, news, renewable energy, Utah (all these topics) |
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Leaving Las Vegas
What's the ecological footprint of the gambling industry? |
Tom Athanasiou |
26 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I won't explain how it came to pass that -- only two days after a trip to NYC to present Greenhouse Development Rights at a meeting of the UN's Committee for Development Policy -- I went to Las Vegas. I will say that that my wife, an Aussie, wanted to see the place, that we have a 11-year-old boy, and that the Hilton contains an installation honoring the United Federation of Planets. (The flag of which has a notable similarity to the one displayed in the UN's o ... |
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| Topics: climate, ecological footprint, Nevada (all these topics) |
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Oh, Sproat It All
Yucca Mountain may be doubled in size, need more funding |
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05 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:04 PM on 05 Oct 2007 In a move sure to endear Nevada's Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste repository to fiercely opposed Nevadans, the Department of Energy has proposed doubling its size. Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) concisely sums up the reaction of the sane: "Doubling the size of Yucca Mountain will only double the danger. This is not a bad dream; it's a nightmare." In addition, the DOE's Edward F. S ... |
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| Topics: Department of Energy, energy, insanity, Nevada, news, nuclear power, politics, waste (all these topics) |
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Into the Breach
DOE hasn't opened Yucca nuclear-waste dump, must pay millions for breach of contract |
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01 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 2:52 PM on 01 Oct 2007 As if the saga of Nevada's Yucca Mountain wasn't ridiculous enough, a court has ruled that the Department of Energy's failure to open the nuclear-waste repository on time will have a price tag of $116.5 million, payable to Xcel Energy for breach of contract. And just to remind you of the ridiculousness, in the words of Minnesota State Senator Ellen Anderson: &quo ... |
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| Topics: Department of Energy, energy, litigation, Nevada, news, nuclear power, politics, waste (all these topics) |
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Not Our Fault
Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump moves structures to account for fault line |
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25 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:46 PM on 25 Sep 2007 If falsified quality-assurance documents and vehement opposition from locals (among other things) aren't enough to put Nevada's Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump on your list of Bad Places to Dump Nuclear Waste, may we offer you an inconveniently located underground fault line? From the Archives Brown Towns. British prime minister aims to build ev ... |
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| Topics: energy, Nevada, news, nuclear power, waste (all these topics) |
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Yucca Rebuke
A setback for Yucca Mountain nuke dump as judge denies water to project |
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06 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 9:11 AM on 06 Sep 2007 A federal judge poured cold water on the U.S. government's plans to build a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain in Nevada this week -- or, more accurately, he left the feds high and dry. The Department of Energy has been seeking 8 million gallons of state-controlled water to drill test holes at Yucca Mountain; the state of Nevada, which wants to be rid of the dump, has said no ... |
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| Topics: Department of Energy, energy, Nevada, news, nuclear power, politics, water conflicts (all these topics) |
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Was it arson, or just bad neon?
Wildfire breaks out at Burning Man |
Judith Lewis |
28 Aug 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Strange fires are happening everywhere: California, Europe, and Burning Man. Somehow, this morning, the giant effigy at the center of Black Rock City -- the site of the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert -- went up in flames this morning at 3 a.m. This is the "Man" I'm talking about, the one that burns at the end of the event on Saturday. The neon -- and this year, for the first time ever, solar-powered -- creature that you orient yourself with to fi ... |
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| Topics: art, green living, Nevada (all these topics) |
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Desert Flowers
Legendary Burning Man festival gets an eco-conscience |
Judith Lewis |
03 Aug 2007 |
Main Dish |
| Armen Zeitounian leads the way up the staircase of the house he's living in, a two-story colonial nestled in the smoggy hills north of Los Angeles, complete with a view and a pool and a black Ford Explorer in the driveway. In a room on the top floor, a two-by-six-inch plank, painted white, protrudes about five feet through a hole halfway up the wall; in the next room, the other half of the plank emer ... |
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| Topics: art, carbon offsets, climate, climate change impacts, climate change mitigation, green living, Nevada, recycling (all these topics) |
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Coal is the enemy of the human race: Harry Reid edition
Senate Majority Leader vows opposition to Nevada coal plants |
David Roberts |
30 Jul 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has occasionally been viewed with suspicion by enviros, thanks to his friendliness with the mining industry. This should help patch things up: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada sent a letter this week to four companies telling them not to build planned coal-burning power plants in his state. ... 'Because I believe that developing renewable energy in Nevada is far preferable to coal for the sake of our ... |
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| Topics: coal, energy, Harry Reid, Nevada, politics, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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In the green building trenches
Developing ideas on development |
Kif Scheuer |
09 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Hats off to GreenbuildingsNYC, who beat me to the punch on a couple of items that seem important to future green development. First, there's a piece by Professor Charles Kibert that critiques a recent report on the benefits of green schools. It is notable for a couple of reasons. First, his analysis asks some important questions about this particular report's benefit claims. Second, through this analysis he critiques the lack of critical review and high research stan ... |
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| Topics: green building, Nevada, placemaking, politics (all these topics) |
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What's Produced Here Stays Here
Air Force, Nevada go all crazy with the solar energy |
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19 Apr 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| What's Produced Here Stays Here Air Force, Nevada go all crazy with the solar energy The largest solar photovoltaic plant in North America is coming soon to an Air Force base near you -- if you live in Nevada. Nellis Air Force Base will install 140 acres of solar panels, powering 30 percent of its electricity needs and reducing electric bills by some $1 million a year. "It allows the Ai ... |
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| Topics: energy, Nevada, news, solar thermal power, solar voltaic power (all these topics) |
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For Every Action, There's a Reactor
Russian spy death linked to nuclear black market, and other glowings-on |
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27 Nov 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| For Every Action, There's a Reactor Russian spy death linked to nuclear black market, and other glowings-on Oh, nuclear -- will it ever cease to amaze? As authorities probe the radiation-poisoning death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, they've suggested a link to Russia's robust radioactive-materials black market. The market's deals, said an International Atomic Ener ... |
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| Topics: Australia, Harry Reid, Nevada, news, nuclear power, Russia, US EPA, waste (all these topics) |
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Viva Las Vegan
Sustainable and vegetarian cuisine is on show in Sin City |
Cathy Huyghe |
14 Jul 2006 |
Main Dish |
| Quick: Where can you eat vegan doughnuts for breakfast, vegetarian Chinese for lunch, and 13-bean soup for an afternoon snack? Hint: In the same city, you can feast on sustainable fish for dinner, prepared by one of the country's celebrity chefs, and Kind Apple Cobbler for dessert -- the "raw" version. New York? Maybe. Seattle? Probably. Las Vegas? Definitely. Surprised? The local ... |
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| Topics: food and agriculture, Nevada (all these topics) |
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When It Uraniums, It Pours
New nuke-waste plan follows license for new nuclear facility |
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28 Jun 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| When It Uraniums, It Pours New nuke-waste plan follows license for new nuclear facility The U.S. government could store nuclear waste for up to 25 years at interim sites on federal land (including national forests) under a new proposal by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.). Over 50,000 tons of radioactive waste sit at nuclear power plants awaiting transfer to the proposed Yucca Mountain disposal site in Nevada -- which wo ... |
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| Topics: Nevada, New Mexico, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Yucca Fool Some of the People Some of the Time
Feds won't press charges against scientists who falsified Yucca documents |
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26 Apr 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| 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 inve ... |
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| Topics: Department of Energy, Nevada, news, nuclear power, US Geological Survey (all these topics) |
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And You Were Worried!
Expert panel backs Energy Department nuke-waste transport plan |
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10 Feb 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| And You Were Worried! Expert panel backs Energy Department nuke-waste transport plan An expert panel organized by the National Academy of Sciences has concluded that it's likely safe to ship tens of thousands of tons of spent nuclear fuel to Nevada for disposal. After all, what could go wrong? [Spends a moment in terrified contemplation.] The panel reviewed the Department of ... |
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| Topics: Department of Energy, National Academy of Sciences, Nevada, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Nuke Rest for the Wary
Lawmakers slash funding for Yucca Mountain nuke dump |
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09 Nov 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Nuke Rest for the Wary Lawmakers slash funding for Yucca Mountain nuke dump In a season of setbacks for President Bush, Congress delivered yet another this week, cutting funding for the Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste dump well below the amount requested by the White House. House and Senate negotiators working on a funding bill for energy and water projects allotted $450 million for Yucca Mountain i ... |
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| Topics: Nevada, news, politics, solid waste treatment and disposal (all these topics) |
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Green acres, and acres, and acres ...
Massive planned Vegas complex claims to be sustainable |
Todd Hymas Samkara |
20 Sep 2005 |
Gristmill |
| If you're going to build a gigantically humongous casino/hotel/condo/shopping center megaplex in the middle of Las Vegas, you may as well do it green ... or as green as a project of this size could be in the middle of the desert during a drought. Brought to you by MGM Mirage, the 18-million-square-foot, $5 billion project will reportedly seek an unspecified level of LEED certification and, The Globe and Mail reports, will be bigger than Times Square, Soho, and R ... |
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| Topics: green building, Nevada (all these topics) |
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