Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: March 4, 2009

President’s Budget Draws Clean Energy Funds from Climate Measure DOE and HUD Team up to Support Home Weatherization Ford Begins Production of Fuel-Efficient Engines at Cleveland Plant Ford Launches Hybrid Sedans, Plans All-Electric Delivery Van U.S. Utilities Pursue Large-Scale Solar Power Facilities Report Highlights the Importance of Water for Energy Production President’s Budget Draws Clean Energy Funds from Climate Measure President Obama released a rough outline of his proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2010 last week, and the document proposes to support clean energy development with a 10-year investment of $15 billion per year, generated from the sale of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions credits. The funding hinges on the passage of an economy-wide GHG emissions program, under which the Obama administration intends to reduce U.S. GHG emissions to 14% below 2005 levels by 2020 and to 83% below 2005 levels by 2050. Under the proposed cap-and-trade program, all GHG emissions credits would be auctioned off, generating an estimated $78.7 billion in additional revenue in FY 2012, steadily increasing to $83 billion by FY 2019 (and presumably increasing more beyond that, although the budget proposal doesn’t look any further). The president’s proposed budget directs $15 billion per year of those […]

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Editorial: Favorite Environmental Songs

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By Bart King As you may remember from an earlier editorial, I am the curator of a fine art exhibit called “Running on Empty: the fossil fuel addiction,” which is currently on display at the non-profit gallery ATHICA in Athens, Georgia. The gallery has a tradition of hosting associated events for its exhibits including curator-led discussions and musical performances. Since I moonlight as a singer-songwriter, I decided to combine the two types of events into a single performance this Saturday. I’ll be discussing the artwork and performing a mix of original songs and cover tunes that speak to the environmental and social issues addressed in the exhibit. Preparing for the performance has given me a chance to revisit some favorite environmental songs and discover a few I hadn’t heard before. So here’s my new list of favorites: Rainbow Stew by Merle Haggard – This song, with its promise of free “bubble-ubb and rainbow stew,” fantasizes about a future when the gasoline car is gone and sunlight heats our homes. It’s been almost 30 years since the song was recorded live in Anaheim Stadium, and we’re still trying to figure out how to “burn water.” But we just might have a […]

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