News of Note
Time to share some energy and global warming news of note that you may have missed this week.
You probably heard the great news that the Environmental Protection Agency vetoed the permit for the massive Spruce No. 1 mountaintop removal coal mine in West Virginia because the mine would've used "destructive and unsustainable mining practices that jeopardize the health of Appalachian communities and clean water on which they depend." But did you read Ken Ward's article about how the Spruce mine could've had reduced impacts, but the company didn't want to go that way? Ward uncovered a confidential document detailing the mine's plans.
Also in West Virginia, there's the coal-loving Senator Jay Rockefeller. The NY Times has a good piece on the Senator's history with coal.
Meanwhile, the expected attacks on the Environmental Protection Agency's public health and environmental safeguards are just about underway - and President Obama is making some conflicted remarks over just what safeguards the federal government should be offering Americans. Kate Sheppard of Mother Jones takes two interesting looks at this back-pedaling and odd messaging from the White House.
Speaking of public health, these two NYU grad students created a pretty cool t-shirt idea - ones that change color when you're in some pretty bad air pollution.
In California, the LA Times reports on growing green jobs.
And finally, National Geographic asks a tough question - Can the U.S. be 100% powered by renewable energy?
--Heather Moyer