Politics | Blue Living Ideas

Envisioning Chicago’s Waterway System for the 21st Century

Posted on Jul 29, 2010 by Scott James.

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There is finally a concerted effort in the Great Lakes region to deal with the problem of Asian carp and other invasive threats to the ecosystem. After a series of unsuccessful lawsuits by Michigan and others to get the state of Illinois to close the Chicago River lock system and the subsequent confirmation of large Asian carp on the Great Lakes side of an underwater electronic barrier, state and city governments are joining to start an initiative to update the Chicago waterway system and protect the Great Lakes. All I can say is, it’s about time.
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Atlantic States Move to Develop Their 330 GW Off-Shore Wind Potential

Posted on Jun 18, 2010 by Susan Kraemer.

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Interior Secretary Salazar has joined with the governors of ten states to develop the staggering potential for offshore wind on the US Outer Continental Shelf, through a new Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium.

Last year, thorough polling of residents in five Atlantic states revealed a tremendous groundswell of support for clean offshore wind energy development in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. They have now been joined by five more neighboring states: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and North Carolina, to make ten states in the group.
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Offshore Drilling Moratorium Only Verbal, Permits Continue

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Derek Markham.

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We’re now witnessing one of the worst marine environmental disasters ever, and yet the political posturing coming from Washington D.C. continues to be based on lip service and empty promises. The Secretary of the Department of Interior, Ken Salazar, announced a moratorium on the issuance of final permits for “any new offshore drilling activity” on May 6, 2010, but it turns out that this moratorium is only verbal, with no real teeth to it.
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How Much Should BP Pay for the Gulf Oil Spill?

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Jennifer Lance.

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Money will not fix the problems facing the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the massive oil spill, but clean up is certainly expensive. As the magnitude of the oil spill is still being discovered and British Petroleum (BP) is being accused of falsifying blowout preventer safety tests, Congress is examining the amount of damages the oil giant should be penalized. Unfortunately, the current liability cap leaves taxpayers largely responsible for clean up that could be 100 times the amount BP will pay under the current law.

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Catastrophic Well Blowout in Gulf Drains Constituency for Off-Shore Drilling

Posted on May 09, 2010 by Susan Kraemer.

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Support for off-shore drilling has always been high among Republican voters, one of the constituencies that Republican Senators go to congress to represent. The other constituency is the fossil energy industry itself, that puts considerable financial clout behind electing Republicans to represent the interests of the oil and gas industry.

However, the catastrophic sea floor oil well blowout in the Gulf could also blow out a schism between these two constituencies for Senate Republicans, separating Republican Joe six-pack from Big Oil, and weakening the case for including dirty energy in the clean energy bill.

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