Clean Energy Can Fuel Economic Revival, Green Groups Tell Obama

President-elect Barack Obama can revive the U.S. economy - and aggressively combat climate change - by investing in clean energy technologies and strengthening environmental protections, the leaders of major U.S. environmental groups advise.

The recommendation is a central part of a lengthy wish list of policies sent to Obama's transition team Tuesday by a broad coalition of 29 of the nation's leading environmental and conservation organizations, who also urged the president-elect to swiftly reverse "eight years of environmental neglect" under the Bush administration.

"Our economy is suffering and so is our environment," Larry Schweiger, head of the National Wildlife Federation told reporters on a conference call. "The solutions to both go hand in hand."

The groups contend that difficult economic times provide opportunities, rather than obstacles, to tackling the daunting issues of climate change, clean energy and environmental protection.

Oak Ridge National Lab engineer Jeff Christian directs the design and construction of highly energy-efficient houses for low-income families. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

"Generating green collar jobs, making our offices and homes more efficient, rebuilding our water infrastructure, reducing our dependence on oil, reviving our ailing landscapes - these are solutions that can lead directly to economic prosperity, greater social equity and even enhanced national security," the coalition said in the 391-page report.

The solution to the nation's economic problems "is a new green economy," said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters. "Delay is not just bad for the planet, it is bad for the economy."

That message echoes some of Obama's own rhetoric on energy and climate change - last week he pledged support for a federal carbon cap-and-trade system, that would mandate cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and a further 80 percent by 2050.

Obama also outlined support for a $15 billion annual investment to support renewable energy and build a clean energy future, predicting the efforts would produce some five million new green jobs.

Those goals are in line with what environmentalists have long supported - a key reason the environmental groups are confident their agenda will now have a powerful advocate in the White House.

Workers install the first Mariah Windspire vertical axis wind turbine in the Midwest at the The College School, an elementary school in St. Louis, Missouri. October 2008. (Photo by Matthew Diller)

Obama has made it clear that his priorities "jive nicely" with the major concerns of the environmental community, said Maggie Alt, executive director of Environment America.

The environmental groups' planning document contains broad goals as well as specific recommendations for the White House and federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Interior Department, as well as the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy

"It covers a wide range of issues that merit prompt presidential attention, but it underscores the urgent need to build a green energy economy to tackle global warming," the groups wrote. "Most importantly, the document reflects a fundamental consensus that serious action is needed right now in order to usher in a healthier, cleaner, more prosperous and more sustainable era for America."

Along with the climate and energy recommendations, the groups call for a slew of policies to safeguard the Arctic, as well as steps to increase protection for wetlands, national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands.

The report recommends increased funding for conservation programs, stricter oversight of energy production from public lands and tighter air pollution standards.

The groups want Obama to reinstate a federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling along with a Clinton administration rule protecting roadless areas in national forests. They also want Obama to restore protections for endangered species weakened by the Bush administration.

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District solar-powered hydrogen vehicle fueling station opened April 1, 2008. As solar panels make electricity, it powers the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen to make fuel for hydrogen-powered vehicles. (Photo by Keith Wipke courtesy NREL)

"There is lot of work to do to reverse the damage of the last eight years," Alt said.

In addition, the Obama administration should act quickly to reverse any last minute Bush rules that weaken environmental protections, Karpinski added.

"On day one they should place a moratorium on finalizing midnight regulations and reviewing those that have not yet taken effect," he said.

The environmentalists contend the widely anticipated economic stimulus package provides a critical opportunity for Obama to quickly signal his intention to follow through on his promises to solve the "entwined economic, climate and environmental crises."

Obama should lead the effort with bold measures to promote energy efficiency and spark increased development and use of renewable energy through modernization of the nation's electrical grid, the groups said.

"There's economic opportunity if we do this right," said Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The current electricity transmission grid is "a patchwork of antiquated technology" that loses 20-25 percent of electricity generated by coal-fired power plants, he explained.

Upgrading the grid can create jobs and unleash the potential of renewable energy, said Schweiger.

"This can get the system moving in terms of new energy … and allows us to invest in solar in the Southwest, wind in the Midwest and elsewhere and move that energy to places where it is needed," he told reporters. "Currently we do not have an infrastructure for that."

The following groups collaborated to produce the recommendations - American Rivers, Center For International Environmental Law, Clean Water Action, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Environment America, Environmental Defense Fund, Friends Of The Earth, Greenpeace, Izaak Walton League, League Of Conservation Voters, National Audubon Society, National Parks Conservation Association, National Tribal Environmental Council, National Wildlife Federation, Native American Rights Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceana, Ocean Conservancy, Pew Environment Group, Physicians For Social Responsibility, Population Connection, Population Action International, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy, Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, The Trust For Public Land, Union Of Concerned Scientists, and World Wildlife Fund.

Start building new atomic stations now, urges British Energy chief | Environment | The Guardian

The country should press ahead with building a new generation of atomic power stations to suck in investment and create jobs, British Energy said yesterday.

The company, which runs most of Britain's fleet of reactors and which reported a 50% slump in profits yesterday, has held talks with local communities around four possible sites.

Bill Coley, the chief executive, said it was important to halt the discussions at some stage and start the serious planning and building phase. "I think it's really important that the country gets on with this. We have a very old generating fleet and the UK needs new capacity.

"We can't meet our climate-change obligations without nuclear. It's just got to be done," he said.

British Energy expects to be at the forefront of a new-build programme with EDF of France, which has tabled a takeover offer for the British firm that has been agreed by its board. Coley said he was waiting for the green light from his shareholders and the European competition authorities.

The British Energy chief defended the £12.4bn deal, which came under renewed attack from some in the City, with the brokerage Evolution Securities saying that it significantly undervalued the power company. "We continue to consider the action by the British government in forcing the bid through as wrongheaded - but as we say, the offer is a done deal," said Lakis Athanasiou, an analyst at Evolution.

The United Nations environment programme called recently for a green new deal that would kickstart a faltering global economy by switching public money from carbon-intensive generation to clean-energy projects.

Coley said nuclear new-build would offer similar benefits. "It would bring a tremendous amount of investment into the country, create hundreds of jobs and would be great business for the domestic supply chain in this country," he said.

British Energy, which operates 15 reactors at eight nuclear power stations, posted a 49.7% fall in first-half earnings yesterday, but said it hoped for a better second half.

The group's pre-tax earnings before interest, depreciation and amortisation in the six months to September 28 fell to £257m from £511m a year ago, owing to power station shutdowns and lower electricity output. It said it had put aside £2m to meet possible liabilities from using the failed investment bank Lehman Brothers as a counter party.

The company has seven reactors out of action due to unexpected or routine repairs but Coley said five would return before the end of December.

The group said there was potential to improve its output and performance in the remainder of the year. "We're looking forward to a good second half," he said.

hungry Senegal to go solar in energy overhaul

Senegal hopes to rein in surging electricity prices, reduce frequent blackouts and power most of its street lighting through an energy policy using solar panels, the government said on Friday.

Located on Africa's west coast at one end of the arid Sahel belt south of the Sahara, Senegal has huge solar potential but has so far lacked the expertise and investments to harness it.

President Abdoulaye Wade, 82, instructed his energy minister to extend the national electricity grid over the entire country and build a factory making low-energy light bulbs, a government statement summing up Thursday's cabinet meeting said.

U.S. space agency NASA scientists have identified a location in nearby Niger as the sunniest piece of land on earth, and renewable energy campaigners say the region has huge solar generating potential.

"He (Wade) has also decided to put in place an energy-saving and management policy to lower prices for electricity consumers and reduce the negative effects of costs on our nation's economic development," the government statement said.

Like many African countries, Senegal has suffered long-term underinvestment and neglect of its power network.

This has hampered economic development despite it being one of the region's most stable democracies since independence from France in 1960.

Last month, crowds of youths smashed up offices of the state power utility Senelec in the capital Dakar to protest against frequent power cuts due to load-shedding.

Wade said last year he was investigating installling a nuclear power station to help make up the generation shortfall, which would make Senegal only the second sub-Saharan African nuclear producer after South Africa.

Two years ago, Wade, an economist by training, launched "The Wade Formula" as a proposal for Africa's oil-exporting countries to share a proportion of their windfall profits from high world oil prices with their poor neighbours. So far none has done so.

Senegal generates a small amount of power from local natural gas, but depends mostly on oil-fired stations run on imported fuel, which has caused large electricity price increases in the past two years as world oil prices have reached record highs

Europe markets mixed after Asian losses

CNN) -- European markets edged towards positive territory in afternoon trading after spending most of the morning weighed down by losses on Asian markets and recession fears.

Asian markets suffered losses on recession fears.

Major indexes across the continent shook off early declines with London's FTSE leading the modest rally, up 0.46 percent at 4,266 points. Paris' Cac was also narrowly ahead, up 0.28 percent at 3,346 but Frankfurt's DAX slipped back into the red, down 0.3 percent at 4,747.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei index finished down 1.3 percent, while the KOSPI in Seoul was off less than half a percent.

Australia's All Ordinaries index slipped a full percent. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng shed about six-tenths of a percent.

On Wall Street, recession fears trumped a new government and mortgage industry plan to help troubled homeowners.

The Bush administration's mortgage modification plan focuses on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- which own or back a combined $5 trillion in mortgages. However, the plan does not provide any direct financial help from the U.S. government.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 176 points, or 2 percent, after being down as much as 310 points earlier and recovering to within a few points of the break-even line. The Standard & Poor's 500 index and the Nasdaq composite both shed 2.2 percent. Click here for a summary of the global markets »

GM and Ford Motor continued to slide on worries that the companies won't be able to stay afloat without government intervention.

General Motors plunged to a 65-year low after it said it will idle an additional 1,900 jobs on top of those already announced. On Friday, GM posted a steep loss and said it is running out of cash. Ford Motor shares slumped too.

Both companies, along with Chrysler are seeking help from the U.S. government. On Tuesday, President-elect Obama told President Bush that the automakers need more federal help, according to his aides.

"Between the automakers and the financials, bad news continues to dominate," said Ryan Detrick, senior technical strategist at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Late Monday, Starbucks reported weaker earnings and higher revenue, both of which missed estimates. Shares declined modestly Tuesday.

Despite all the bad economic news, U.S. futures, which offer an indication of how markets may open when trading begins in New York on Wednesday, were higher.