Sierra Club sign up to help with BP oil disaster

The Sierra Club has posted a web link where you can go to volunteer for various activities to help with the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. The web link is http://action.sierraclub.org/Oil_Spill_CleanUp

Sierra Club Celebrates Little Gypsy Victory After A Two-Year Battle

By JENNIFER GROSSO

Just thirty miles west of New Orleans along State Highway 48 is the town of Montz, Louisiana. It is the home of Little Gypsy, a natural gas plant that supplies energy to the residents of Louisiana. In 2007, Entergy Louisiana LLC announced its plans to retrofit the plant to burn coal and petroleum coke (a byproduct of oil refining) instead of natural gas in order to diversify the fuel mix.

Entergy designed the plans for Little Gypsy with the intent of both varying Louisiana’s electricity sources as well as mitigating the continually rising costs of natural gas for consumers. However, as the nation experienced significant economic changes, finance and environmental legislation became two important factors for the repowering project.

In 2007, Entergy had originally estimated the retrofit to cost approximately $1 billion. In October 2007, their proposal was approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC), despite objections made by the Sierra Club. Sierra Club representatives were among the first to predict the financial problems that would inevitably bring the construction plans to a halt. We filed a complaint with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in January 2008 concerning Entergy’s failure to adequately assess future costs and emission regulations. Two months later, we followed up with an additional request to the LPSC to reconsider the permit as
well.

In June 2008, Sierra Club along with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, the Alliance for Affordable Energy and the Gulf Restoration Network filed suit against the LPSC’s approval of Entergy’s plans under the Clean Air Act for exceeding the regulations for toxic emissions including mercury, lead and arsenic.

Researchers from the Histecon Associate group, hired by the Sierra Club and affiliates to assess the Little Gypsy construction plans, say that the cost of coal is increasing at a rate of 16% per year. In early 2009, Entergy reported that new environmental regulations, increased costs of construction and labor, and inadequate financing options, Little Gypsy project would be estimated to cost an upwards of $1.76 billion. However, this estimate only includes environmental regulations that have been put in place within the first few months of the Obama administration. In addition to the existing regulations, extensive greenhouse gas emission regulations are expected to be implemented. Considering that coal plants
are the number one source of human derived greenhouse gas emissions, these regulations could increase the cost of the retrofit by another one-third to one-half.

These substantial fiscal changes convinced Entergy that the benefits of the retrofit to the company and consumers would not be realized for another 13 years or more. Not only are the benefits becoming more distant in the future, but they are also decreasing in relevance. The rising natural gas prices Entergy sought to avoid have since stopped and began to fall with the discovery of the Haynesville shale formation, leaving the company with one less reason to convert Little Gypsy.

After filing several additional petitions opposing the Entergy permits to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and Environmental Protection Agency, the LSPC ordered Entergy to review their construction plans to convert Little Gypsy on March 11th, 2009. Less than one month later, Entergy Louisiana LLC formally asked the LPSC for permission to suspend the project for a minimum of three years, at which point the project will be eligible for review. Sierra Club representatives believe that the delay is long enough to allow the continually increasing costs of coal to put the project on hold indefinitely.

Conserve Energy at Home Made Simple

Hey all maybe we should start a contest for who reduced their energy use at home the most. I have to brag... our bill for June 2008 is 620 KW less than our bill for June 2007.

How do we do it? Keep the air conditioner at 80 and run ceiling fans! I am so used to it that I have turned it to 82 in the evening while watching TV. What's next?

Turn off the HD energy hog TV two days a week? Use my induction burner more and make salads more?

Read this great article from the WSJ!

Leslie

No New Coal Plants! (nonewcoalplants@energyjustice.net)

This should get the utilities' knickers in a twist -- conservation getting noticeable.
My electric bill shows we use 46% less juice now than we did last year (we turned off the hot tub and replaced all bulbs, etc).

Pulling the Plug: Summer of '08 Sparks Creative Conservation With Temperatures -- and electric Bills -- High, Families Face Meltdown; Bourbon Cubes

By STEPHANIE SIMON
July 14, 2008; Page A1

There are days -- just the most stifling and sticky of days -- when Reba Kennedy misses the blissful sensation of walking into a house chilled to 72 degrees.

With energy prices soaring, Ms. Kennedy has made the ultimate sacrifice. She's turned off the central air conditioning.

"A lot of my discretionary income was...going into air," says Ms. Kennedy. She lives in San Antonio, Texas. It's hot. She endures. More >>

Here is the URL to this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121599368430549511.html? mod=most_viewed_day

New Orleans City Council energy smart program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2008
Contact: John Atkeison, Alliance for Affordable Energy at 504-428-6996
Casey Roberts, GRN at 504-525-1528 ext. 212
Leslie March, Delta Chapter at 985-871-6695, 985-249-1160
Marylee Orr, LEAN at 225-205-1438

On Wednesday, June 25th, The Utility Committee of the New Orleans City Council is poised to set a new tone for recovery with the Energy Smart program. “Recommending the Energy Smart program to the full council sends a strong message to the city and beyond that New Orleans is committed to rebuilding sustainably.” says Karen Wimpelberg, Board President and Director of Regulatory Affairs of the Alliance for Affordable Energy. “The Energy Smart Program makes it possible for residents and small business owners to be more energy efficient by just picking up the phone and calling the Energy Smart Program.” “As residents of New Orleans, we are all concerned about our rising utility bills,” says Casey DeMoss Roberts, a new homeowner, who works on Global Warming issues for the Gulf Restoration Network. “With help from this program, you can update your home to be more energy efficient and the upgrades are paid for by your utility savings. The cheapest kilowatt hour is the one not used.”

What will the Energy Smart program do?
* Provides education and informational resources that are needed to make your home more energy efficient and lower your bills.
* Provides a list of certified contractors with the training to do reliable work and quality assurance to ensure the job is done right.
* Serves 2,800 homes and businesses per year.
* Includes a special program for low and fixed income residents which saves these citizens even more.

Who pays for Energy Smart?
* A small 1 mil charge on your electric bill (1 tenth of a cent per kilowatt hour) establishes the informational resources, personal energy efficiency consultations, and quality assurance for the program.
* For the average residential costumer (using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month) the cost will be about $1 per month – which can be saved by changing just one frequently used light bulb to an efficient compact fluorescent bulb.
* Additional private capital financing for the energy efficiency improvements is leveraged through the energy savings.
“We need this Energy Smart program now, particularly as people are still rebuilding,” says Leslie March, Conservation Chair for the Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club. “This program saves the average person money and it creates good jobs. Please pick up the phone now and call your city council person and let them know that we need this program.”

The Say Yes to Clean Energy Coalition’s mission is to promote clean energy sources for Louisiana by advocating for energy efficient solutions and clean alternative energy resources like wind and solar. The Coalition wants our public officials to protect our families and communities by saying No to generating power with dirty coal and nuclear.

Our member organizations are:
Alliance for Affordable Energy- Creating fair, affordable, environmentally responsible and community based energy policies for Louisiana and the nation since 1985.
Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club- Over 3,000 of your neighbors supporting the work of the Sierra Club in Louisiana. We advance the cause of protecting Louisiana’s environment in a variety of ways, in addition, we encourage our members to get outside and enjoy our beautiful planet.
Gulf Restoration Network (GRN)- is a network of environmental, social justice, and citizens’ groups and individuals committed to restoring the Gulf of Mexico region to an ecologically and biologically sustainable condition.

Louisiana Environmental Action Network- LEAN is a statewide umbrella organization which networks with over one hundred member organizations and several thousand individual members. It works to improve the environment by providing support and resources required to accomplish environmental goals.

A Hummer that gets 60 miles per gallon!!?? You must be joking!

No we aren't. This interesting tidbit comes from fastcompany.com and tells the tale of Johnathan Goodwin dubbed the "Motorhead Messiah" because he takes the largest, heaviest vehicles available and retrofits them to increase the gas mileage of these monstrous behemoths to match their physical size. LARGE.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/120/motorhead-messiah.html

Chew on this little fact you filthy Americans.

If you think that all of your do-gooder environmental choices actually do any good, read this little piece from Thomas Friedman of the New York Times. It is slightly disheartening, but no reason to give up the good fight. In fact it is all the more reason to fight even harder.

Read the whole story here >>

The full URL...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/opinion/19friedman.html?_r=1&n=Top/Opinion/ >>
Editorials%20and%20Op-Ed/Op-Ed/Columnists/Thomas%20L%20Friedman&oref=slogin

The World Clock is in a word - fascinating

When we first saw the World Clock Web site, we were taken aback by how fast most of the statistics being presented are changing. Particularly alarming is the number of deaths versus the number of births. No wonder there are over 6 billion of us.

While the actual numbers cannot be precise the rates of change are what is most interesting.
The data is taken from WHO, UN, Internet World Stats, and other official sources.

http://www.peterrussell.dreamhosters.com/Odds/WorldClock.php

Learn the Dirty Truth About Coal

http://texas.sierraclub.org/press/newsreleases/20070621.asp

Take Action against dirty coal plants in Louisiana

There is a permit pending to expand the Big Cajun I generating plant near New Roads, LA. The proposed Part 70 air operating major modification, Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD), and Acid Rain permits, statement of basis and the associated Environmental Assessment Statement (EAS) {also know as environmental impact questions} are available for review at the DEQ, Public Records Center, Room 127, 602 North 5^th Street, Baton Rouge, LA. Viewing hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). The available information can also be accessed electronically on the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) on the DEQ public website at www.deq.louisiana.gov.

An additional copy may be reviewed at the Pointe Coupee Parish Library, 201 Claiborne Street, New Roads, LA.

Inquiries or requests for additional information regarding this permit action should be directed to Dustin Duhon, LDEQ, Air Permits Division, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313, phone (225) 219-3057.

Persons wishing to be included on the LDEQ permit public notice mailing list or for other public participation related questions should contact the Public Participation Group in writing at LDEQ, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313, by email at deqmaillistrequest@la.gov or contact the LDEQ Customer Service Center at (225) 219-LDEQ (219-5337).

Permit public notices including electronic access to the proposed permit and statement of basis can be viewed at the LDEQ permits public notice webpage at www.deq.louisiana.gov/apps/pubNotice/default.asp and general information related to the public participation in permitting activities can be viewed at www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/tabid/2198/Default.aspx.

Alternatively, individuals may elect to receive the permit public notices via email by subscribing to the LDEQ permits public notice List Server at www.doa.louisiana.gov/oes/listservpage/ldeq_pn_listserv.htm

All correspondence should specify AI Number 11917

Permit Number: 2260-00007-V1 – PER20040001 - Part 70 Air

PSD-LA-660(M-1) – PER20040002 - PSD

2260-00007-IVI – PER20040003 - Acid Rain

New "Say Yes to Clean Energy" Web site launched

Say YES to Clean Energy and NO to Coal and Nuclear!

Louisiana has been targeted by the energy industry to build more polluting coal plants and more expensive and dangerous nuclear power plants.

What can you do about it? Surf on over to the newly created Say Yes to Clean Energy Web site.

http://sayyestocleanenergy.org/index.php

The Sierra Club Energy Film Festival

The Sierra Club is bringing the excitement of film festivals to cities across the country. Launched in the fall of 2006, the festival is continuing until the end of 2007. You can find out more information at the National Sierra Club:

http://www.sierraclub.org/scp/filmfest/

Warming ruling squeezes Bush from both sides

Top court rebukes administration on warming.

In a defeat for the Bush administration, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a U.S. government agency has the power under the clean air law to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that spur global warming.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17911853/from/ET/