March 18th, 2010 () Energy Efficiency, Nuclear, Utilities › John D. Wilson › 4 Comments
“Energy efficiency can create 38,000 new jobs for North Carolinians while saving consumers $3.6 billion in energy bills, and meet one quarter of NC’s energy needs,” according to a new report released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). More jobs, lower energy bills … and hundreds of million dollars in stronger [...]
March 3rd, 2010 () High Risk Energy, Nuclear › Sara Barczak › No Comments
Last week, Friends of the Earth launched two television ads challenging $54.5 billion in loan guarantees the Obama Administration proposed to hand out for the construction of the first new nuclear reactors in the U.S. in 30 years. The 30-second television ads, “Family” and “Risk,” will run in both South Carolina and Georgia. In South [...]
February 26th, 2010 () Clean Energy › Sara Barczak › 2 Comments
The so-called “Nuclear Renaissance” touted by proponents hit a brick wall recently when the Vermont State Senate voted 26-4 to prevent the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant from operating past 2012. This bi-partisan blow occurred just a week after President Obama announced $8.3 billion in controversial nuclear loan guarantees for Southern Company’s proposed two new reactors [...]
February 17th, 2010 () Clean Energy › Dr. Stephen A. Smith › 9 Comments
I was on CNN yesterday responding to the nuclear loan guarantee announcement by President Obama. We are seriously disappointed in this action and SACE released a statement warning against the risk loan guarantees will put on taxpayers.
As outlined in a blog entry from last week, we feel the administration is making a serious mistake by [...]
February 12th, 2010 () Clean Energy, Coal › Sara Barczak › 4 Comments
On February 1, 2010 President Obama had his first exclusive interview with the YouTube community after his State of the Union Address. Over 11,000 questions were submitted and only 0.2% were selected. A video question from the Southern Energy Network was chosen that challenged President Obama’s controversial pledge to provide tens of billions of dollars [...]
January 27th, 2010 () Clean Energy, Climate Action, Green Economy › Jennifer Rennicks › 3 Comments
In tonight’s State of the Union speech, President Obama highlighted myriad issues confronting Americans today from an economic crisis to high unemployment to ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East. What these varied issues have in common is that meaningful clean energy policies could provide workable solutions.
January 20th, 2010 () Coal, High Risk Energy › Sam Gomberg › No Comments
Industry lobbyists are working hard to influence the EPA’s decision on whether to classify coal ash as a hazardous substance. According to a recent reports by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, White House officials have held nearly twenty meetings with industry groups since last October to discuss the possible implications of classifying [...]
December 7th, 2009 () Climate Action, Copenhagen '09 › Jennifer Rennicks › No Comments
The world’s eyes are firmly fixed on Copehangen, Denmark today for the opening of the 15th Conference of the Parties on climate change. For the next 14 days, delegates from the United States and 191 other nations will discuss, argue and negotiate towards what we hope will be a universally-accepted, fair, ambitious and binding [...]
November 11th, 2009 () Clean Energy, Climate Action, Copenhagen '09 › Jennifer Rennicks › No Comments
In less than one month, world leaders and representatives from nearly 200 nations will gather with technical experts, business leaders, advocates and concerned citizens in Copenhagen, Denmark for the United Nations’ 15th annual Conference of the Parties where the primary focus will be to seek agreement on a new global climate treaty.
This week, President Obama [...]
October 9th, 2009 () Climate Action › Jennifer Rennicks › No Comments
Update: read the President’s acceptance speech with direct references to climate change action here.
This morning, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced a surprise decision to honor President Barack Obama for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” by awarding him the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
“Only very rarely has a person to the [...]