Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for March, 2011

In Keystone XL Pipeline Negotiations, Charges of Bad Faith Tactics

Posted in Air Quality, Tarsands, tagged , , , on March 3, 2011 |

In a three part series, Elizabeth McGowan of Solve Climate News writes how some U.S. landowners along the Keystone XL route say they are being ‘pushed around’ and ‘intimidated’ by TransCanada, an accusation the energy giant denies.  To read Ms. McGowan’s story “Is Keystone XL Impervious to Lawsuits?” click on the parts below.

Part I, Holding Out in Oklahoma – Monday, February 28th

Part II, Defining Good Faith – Tuesday, March 1st

Part III, Why Is TransCanada a ‘Common Carrier? – Wednesday, March 2nd

This should be of concern to Texans along the Keystone XL pipeline proposed route as Texas lawmakers this session are considering emergency legislation that would strengthen the position of private companies in eminent domain cases.  If the legislation is passed (SB 18 – click here to read a copy of the legislation), we could see a whole network of new pipelines snaking across areas of northeast and east Texas as natural gas companies expand their fracking projects and the Canadian Keystone XL company pushes the tar sands pipeline from Western and Central Canada, down through the middle of the country on its way to crude refineries in the Houston area.

Check out our earlier blog, Eminent Domain: Coming to Your Town Soon? , to see what is happening in Texas that could impact Texas landowners.

Read Full Post »

Republican’s reluctantly agree to hear testimony on climate science as part of their hearings on blocking the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions

Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, tagged , , , on March 2, 2011 |

Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), chairman of the panel’s Energy and Power subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, agreed to schedule a hearing next Tuesday on two new studies that link climate change to severe weather at the request of Democrats.

Full committee ranking Democrat Henry Waxman (Calif.) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), who chairs the subcommittee, along with eight other Democrats, sent a letter to Whitfield Tuesday requesting a hearing on climate science, as the Republicans on the committee are moving legislation forward that would permanently block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions.

Whitfield reluctantly agreed to hold the hearing Tuesday after Waxman criticized Republicans for not allowing more testimony from scientists at yesterday’s hearing, which boasted a witness list dominated by industry groups, while Republicans on the panel expressed frustration that Whitfield agreed to hold the hearing at the Democrats’ request.

Read Full Post »

Texans for Lots of Radiation bring attention to nuclear-waste kingpin’s donations to Texans for Lawsuit Reform

Posted in Nuclear, Radioactive Waste, tagged , , , , , , on March 2, 2011 |

Texans for Lots of Radiation bring attention to Harold Simmons' donations to Texans for Lawsuit Reform

Texans for Lots of Radiation (TLR too) brought attention to the record donations raised by Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) PAC ($6.9 million in the 2010 election cycle) with help from its No. 1 donor: nuclear-waste kingpin Harold Simmons. To reduce the cost of negligently harming other people, the PAC took 12 cents of every dollar it raised from Simmons. Not coincidentally, this billionaire is imposing unprecedented liabilities on Texans by importing staggering volumes of toxic and radioactive waste into West Texas.

TLR too is an ad hoc coalition of concerned organizations that include Texans for Public Justice, Public Citizen and the Sustainable Energy and Econimic Development (SEED) Coaliton. 

 
Lobby Watch also finds that many of TLR’s biggest new donors are righteously litigious dudes.  Click here to read the Lobby Watch report on this PAC’s contributions and its biggest contributor.  You can also check out the TLR too website for more information. 
Related Articles

Read Full Post »

Formula One: Economic Fantasy and Fiscal Myth

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on March 2, 2011 |

The following post is a guest contribution by Citizen Richard of Audits in the Public Interest.

In late spring of 2010, Austin residents woke to the grand news their city had been selected as the host city for Formula One racing in the United States.  Amidst the hype, and not immediately noticed, was the price tag hanging off the back of their new community award: an invoice in the amount of $250,000,000 to Formula One World Championship, Ltd, for the sanctioning fee.

A 25 followed by seven zeros is one quarter of a billion dollars and this was not all: the City of Austin would be on the hook for another $40,000,000.  The incentive, from the Texas Major Events Trust Fund (METF), would supposedly be paid from increased retail taxes.  The METF is administered by the Comptroller of Public Accounts, Susan Combs.

An extensive review by Audits in the Public Interest reveals a different picture about Formula One. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Civil Disobeyer Faces 10 Years in Prison

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 1, 2011 |

In December of 2008 (interestingly the same month as the TVA Kingston Coal-Ash Disaster) a 27-year-old Tim DeChristopher repeatedly bid up 12,000 acres of land intended for oil and gas exploration to a nice, winning number of $1.79 million. The problem? He didn’t have $1.79 million.

Tim is now on trial in Utah – facing up to 10 years in prison for… raising a bid paddle. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the Hitchcock classic North By Northwest, where Cary Grant disrupts an auction specifically so that he would be arrested – getting placed in police custody to gain protection from the spies that were out to kill him. (more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts