NewsRack: 'Coal' news in 'Energy-Independent' topic for user flenvcenter

Rick Perry Takes Too Much Credit For Carbon Dioxide Reductions	5.3.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
The following post first appeared on FactCheck.org . Rick Perry said carbon dioxide emissions in Texas were down because of “incentive-based regulation” during his time as governor. But the evidence shows a decline in manufacturing jobs and federal energy policies — not the state’s — are more likely to be the cause of the reduction. Perry pointed to policies that upgraded old diesel engines. But the nitrogen oxide figures he cited actually exclude vehicles, and transportation sector CO2 rose over the time frame in question. The CO2 reduction was largely due to a decline in the manufacturing sector. He also said that Texas transitioned toward natural gas in its power supply, but the percentage of natural gas actually declined. Wind power, meanwhile, grew dramatically, thanks in large part to federal policy. During his appearance at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (at the 16:24 mark), Perry, the former governor of Texas, said the state’s population grew by 5.6 million people since he ...
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Small Quaker Group Takes Aim at Big Bank and Wins	4.3.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) is not the kind of group you'd expect to break the resolve of the seventh largest U.S. bank, but that's what happened today when, after five years of our pressure, PNC released a policy phasing out their financing of companies engaged in mountaintop removal coal mining. This news is especially significant because it is such a classic David and Goliath story: EQAT with an annual budget of $100K vs. PNC with profits over $4.2 billion last year . Until now, PNC had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in companies that extract coal by blowing up mountains and dumping the debris in streams. By persistently and creatively challenging PNC's claims of being a "green bank," our scrappy grassroots group pressured them to effectively cease their investments in a controversial practice that contributes to both climate change and high rates of cancer in Appalachia . Founded five years ago by a small band of Philadelphia Quakers, EQAT (pronounced "equate") wanted to combat climate ...
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China's Coal Use and Estimated CO2 Emissions Fell in 2014	27.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
[Backyard in Datong with coal/Peter Van den Bossche] Good news! China's coal consumption fell by 2.9 percent in 2014, the first drop in 14 years, according to official Chinese energy statistics released yesterday. Glen Peters of the Global Carbon Project calculates that China's CO2 emissions have also fallen, by 0.7 percent, for the first time this century. So contrary to grumbling in the U.S. Congress about the strength , or even existence , of China's climate commitments, it's clear that China's efforts to cut its coal consumption and carbon emissions are not only real, but are already producing results. [ Glenn Peters/Responding to Climate Change ] Here are three reasons why China is acting on climate change and air pollution: National War on Pollution: Much of the drop in China's coal consumption can be attributed to efforts to tackle the country's staggering air pollution. China's air pollution control action plan , adopted in September 2013, focuses heavily on cutting coal consumption in its three ...
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It's official! Chinese coal production and consumption are falling	26.2.2015	TreeHugger
New figures released by the government show that China's coal addiction may be slackening off.
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The Inside Story Of How Citizens United Has Changed Washington Lawmaking	26.2.2015	Politics on HuffingtonPost.com
Lobbyists and trade groups have pumped huge sums into the coffers of super PACs and nonprofits connected to Speaker John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ever since the Citizens United decision. (Photo: Drew Angerer via Getty Images) When Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy cast the deciding vote to gut a century of campaign finance law, he assured the public that the unlimited corporate spending he was ushering in would “not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.” Because those authorized to give and spend unlimited amounts were legally required to remain independent of the politicians themselves, Kennedy reasoned, there was no cause for concern. Just five years later, in a development that may be surprising only to Justice Kennedy, the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision is reshaping how, how much and to whom money flows in Washington. How the flood of money released by Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has changed ...
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The Sun Sets on British Coal	24.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
Long ago, the expression "carrying coal to Newcastle" meant to do something utterly pointless, because the city of Newcastle-on-Tyne had a monopoly on British coal exports. But soon, though, carrying coal to anywhere in the United Kingdom will be pointless. On February 14, the leaders of all three of the U.K.'s major political parties announced a joint commitment to phase out the use of coal and fight climate disruption. Specifically, here's what they agreed to do: Seek a legally binding, global climate deal that limits temperature rises to below 2 degrees C (i.e. 3.6 degrees F) Forge a domestic agreement on carbon budgets Accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy End unabated coal for power generation ("Unabated coal" is any coal that causes carbon pollution. At this point, that amounts to all coal.) Here in the U.S., the news got relatively little coverage. That's somewhat surprising -- it's not every day that opposing politicians anywhere (in the middle of an election campaign, yet) set aside ...
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Toxic Waste in the U.S.: Coal Ash	23.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
Coal ash, which contains many of the world's worst carcinogens, is what's left over when coal is burnt for electricity. An estimated 113 million tons of coal ash are produced annually in the US, and stored in almost every state — some of it literally in people's backyards.
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King Coal Catches Black Lung	21.2.2015	Truthout - All Articles
What do the executives who run money-losing companies make? Millions of dollars if they're coal overlords. Take Gregory Boyce. He's pocketed more than $60 million over the past nine years while steering Peabody Energy into a ditch. Shares in Peabody, the world's biggest private-sector coal company, have sunk 84 percent since 2010. Its debt has slipped to three rungs below investment grade. The St. Louis-based company lost $525 million in 2013 and hemorrhaged $787 million in 2014 . Richly rewarding failure is absurd. Yet it's business as usual for King Coal as companies large and small hurtle toward bankruptcy . Yes, coal remains a big business that generates about 40 percent of U.S. electricity. But experts say prices will fall further as domestic and foreign demand sag. Meanwhile, it costs more and more to mine coal in most regions at a time when other energy choices are getting cheaper. Here's another less-reported problem: The United States has already burned most of the coal that could be mined at a ...
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King Coal Catches Black Lung	21.2.2015	Truthout.com
What do the executives who run money-losing companies make? Millions of dollars if they're coal overlords. Take Gregory Boyce. He's pocketed more than $60 million over the past nine years while steering Peabody Energy into a ditch. Shares in Peabody, the world's biggest private-sector coal company, have sunk 84 percent since 2010. Its debt has slipped to three rungs below investment grade. The St. Louis-based company lost $525 million in 2013 and hemorrhaged $787 million in 2014 . Richly rewarding failure is absurd. Yet it's business as usual for King Coal as companies large and small hurtle toward bankruptcy . Yes, coal remains a big business that generates about 40 percent of U.S. electricity. But experts say prices will fall further as domestic and foreign demand sag. Meanwhile, it costs more and more to mine coal in most regions at a time when other energy choices are getting cheaper. Here's another less-reported problem: The United States has already burned most of the coal that could be mined at a ...
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From Megawatts to Gigawatts - India's Swach Shakti Moment	21.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaimed India's "megawatts to gigawatts" challenge at the Renewable Energy Investment Summit (RE-Invest) here this week, building on his existing commitment to 160 gigawatts of solar and wind by 2022. Energy Minister Piyush Goyal doubled down, saying that he expected that the already ambitious goal might well be substantially increased for the third time in nine months, and told the audience that "the government stands committed to making renewable energy India's gift to the world." Goyal then went on to promise that India would create a consortium of the "300 days of sunshine nations" to further bring down the cost of solar power. And long time renewables advocate, Rail Minister and former Coal and Power minister Suresh Prabhu declared that the Prime Minister's "Swach India" (Clean India) campaign needed to be matched with Swach Shakti (Clean Power.) The conference was India's first big renewables trade convention, and it made lots of news. The Climate Group released a ...
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Feds Charge Duke Energy With Violations Of Clean Water Act For Coal Ash Pollution	21.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal prosecutors filed multiple criminal charges against Duke Energy on Friday over years of illegal pollution leaking from coal ash dumps at five North Carolina power plants. The three U.S. Attorney's Offices covering the state charged Duke with nine misdemeanor counts involving violations of the Clean Water Act. The prosecutors say the nation's largest electricity company engaged in unlawful dumping at coal-fired power plants in Eden, Moncure, Asheville, Goldsboro and Mt. Holly. Duke said Friday in statements and court filings that it has already negotiated a plea agreement under which it will admit guilt and pay $102 million in fines, restitution and community service. The company said the costs of the settlement will be borne by its shareholders, not passed on to its electricity customers. The investigation into Duke began last February after a pipe collapsed under a coal ash dump at the Eden plant, coating 70 miles of the Dan River in gray sludge. However, prosecutors allege ...
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A Resettlement Injustice in the Making	21.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
There is an old expression that says you cannot make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. This basic logic sums up the international development approach of the World Bank: in order to make a project come to fruition, there will be consequences. Build a dam and you will flood large areas of land. Build a power plant and you will undoubtedly be adding to air pollution. The examples go on and on. One such consequence , however, has the most direct and long-lasting impact on local populations. Resettlement, both involuntary and voluntary, involves human beings with rights -- NOT eggs. The World Bank seems eager to provide financial support, in a form of Partial Risk Guarantee (PRG), to the Kosovar government for construction of a new coal-based power plant . To date, much of the criticism surrounding the plant has focused on the use of carbon-heavy and environmentally destructive coal as a power source and the tremendous amount of energy/electricity Kosovo loses through its outdated, antiquated power ...
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Feds Charge Duke Energy With Felony Violations Of Clean Water Act For Coal Ash Pollution	21.2.2015	Politics on HuffingtonPost.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against Duke Energy for illegal pollution from coal ash dumps at five North Carolina power plants. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Raleigh charged Duke on Friday with felony violations of the Clean Water Act. The prosecutors say the nation's largest electricity company engaged in illegal dumping for years at coal-fired power plants in Eden, Moncure, Asheville, Goldsboro and Mt. Holly. Duke said Friday that it expects to pay $102 million in fines and restitution in the case. The investigation into Duke began last year after a pipe collapsed under a coal ash dump at the Eden plant, coating 70 miles of the Dan River in gray sludge. But in court filings, prosecutors allege there had been ongoing illegal dumping at the plants since 2010.
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Colorado Fossil Fuel Divestment Group Brings Movement To Major Energy-Producing State	20.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
DENVER (AP) — A campaign to get universities to stop investing in greenhouse gas-producing fuels has come deep into energy country as activists ask the University of Colorado to divest from coal and petroleum companies. A group called Fossil Free CU planned to make the request to the university's governing Board of Regents on Friday. The board wasn't expected to make any immediate decisions. Colorado is the nation's No. 7 energy state, and its coal, oil and gas industries produce billions of dollars in revenue and employ thousands. Getting the University of Colorado to exclude them from its $2.7 billion investment pool would be a significant symbolic victory. Fossil Free CU is part of a broader campaign pressing universities, governments, churches and others to divest. The goal isn't to hurt the industry's profits but to apply social pressure to stop climate change driven by burning fossil fuels, said Karthik Ganapathy of 350.org, the parent group of the national Fossil Free campaign. "It's about calling ...
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Duke Energy Close To Reaching Coal Ash Spill Settlement With U.S. Government	18.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
* Says could reach settlement in "next several days" * Reports adjusted profit $0.86/share vs estimate of $0.88 * Says will repatriate $2.7 bln in foreign earnings * Reports loss of $301 mln from international business (Adds U.S. attorney's response, details on capex, updates shares) By Shubhankar Chakravorty and Swetha Gopinath Feb 18 (Reuters) - Duke Energy Corp said it could reach a settlement with the U.S. government in the "next several days" over a federal grand jury probe into a coal ash spill in North Carolina's Dan River last February. Duke has set aside $100 million in the fourth quarter in anticipation of the settlement, the company said in an earnings statement. A pipe break at a retired Duke coal plant triggered the third-worst coal ash spill in U.S. history, prompting North Carolina's Senate to ask Duke to close 33 coal ash ponds in the state within 15 years. U.S. Attorney Thomas Walker declined to comment. The company forecast a full-year profit below the average analyst ...
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UK Takes Historic Step to Fight Climate Disruption and Phase Out Coal	18.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
While the U.S. was celebrating the President's Day weekend, and shortly after the Republican-led Senate rejected legislation upholding climate science, the leaders of the three main parties in the United Kingdom signed an agreement to work together across party lines to tackle the climate crisis head-on. Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron joined forces with Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg as well as Labor Party leader Ed Miliband to: Seek a legally binding, global climate deal that limits temperature rises to below 2°C. Forge an agreement on carbon budgets according to the Climate Change Act. Accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy and to end unabated coal for power generation. This announcement comes after sustained advocacy by groups working to protect the health of UK citizens from both the danger of climate disruption and pollution from coal-fired power. According to the Health and Environment Alliance pollution from coal ...
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Industry Backlash Against Fossil Fuel Divestment Forces the Question: Which Side Are You On?	18.2.2015	Commondreams.org Views

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TODAY: Sierra Club and BERC Host Discussion On Proposed Kosovo C Coal-Fired Power Plant	17.2.2015	Commondreams.org Newswire

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EPA Can Make the Clean Power Plan Even Better	15.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
The summer deadline is approaching for finalizing the Environmental Protection Agency's first-ever limits on dangerous carbon pollution from the nation's power plants, and opponents are ratcheting up their complaints. Some 1500 mostly coal- and gas-fired power plants spew out more than two billion tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide each year -- 40 percent of the nation's total. The vast majority of the millions of public comments submitted last fall express strong support for the Clean Power Plan, which as proposed last June starts in 2020 and ramps emissions down gradually over the next decade. But big coal polluters and their political allies have big megaphones. Many hope to kill the proposal outright. But for others the back-up agenda is to get the standards weakened and delayed past 2020. Their comments and speeches read like Armageddon is coming if power plants have to start limiting their carbon pollution in 2020 -- five years from now. Republican members of the Senate environment committee ...
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British Leaders Pledge Climate Push And Curb On Coal Plants	14.2.2015	Green on HuffingtonPost.com
By Susanna Twidale LONDON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The leaders of Britain's three main parties have pledged to end power generation from coal plants that don't use emissions-capturing technology, and to push for a global climate deal, according to a document published on Saturday. The agreement did not give any timeframe for phasing out the plants. But campaigners welcomed the cross-party announcement and said Britain was the first major economy to make such an explicit promise. Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and the leader of the opposition Ed Miliband said that acting on climate change "is an opportunity for the UK to grow a stronger economy, which is more efficient and more resilient to the risks ahead." The pledge comes ahead of a national election in Britain in May and a day after almost 200 nations agreed a draft text for a global climate deal expected in Paris at the end of the year. The British politicians will push for an internationally binding ...
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