Climate Capsule Week of September 15

The Comprehensive American Energy Security and Taxpayer Protection Act does include several important provisions that would advance clean energy solutions and reduce global warming pollution, including the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), tax incentives for conservation and renewable energy, cuts in subsidies and giveaways for big oil, and building codes that would increase efficiency in our home and offices.

Unfortunately, HR 6899 also affirmatively lifts and does not extend a longstanding moratorium on commercial oil shale leasing putting at risk millions of acres of wildlife

habitat throughout the Rocky Mountain West important to hunters, anglers and other wildlife enthusiasts.

With only three percent of the world’s oil, the United States could drill every national park, wildlife refuge and coastline, and still be importing most of its oil. As long as we are dependent on oil, we are susceptible to global supply and demand factors and the OPEC cartel, which can easily increase or decrease production to affect prices, easily adjusting to any new U.S. oil production.

Any final energy legislation, acted on by Congress this fall, should meet the test of giving consumers real energy choices, reducing global warming pollution and protecting our treasured landscapes for future generations. With the inclusion of commercial oil shale leasing, legislation being considered by the House today fails to meet this test -- National Wildlife Federation urges opposition to it, and the motion to recommit.

Fossil Fuel-Free Army Base
By 2017, many of the 25,000 soldiers and civilian employees who live and work at Fort Lewis in Washington state could live on a sprawling campus transformed into environmentally sustainable communities complete with public transportation and light rail systems, bike paths and parks, and LEED-certified homes and businesses.

In the next 10 years, domestic Army posts will work to increase renewable energy consumption, eliminate fossil fuel use, and expand ‘green’ building standards.

Environmental chief Paul Steucke says the ultimate goal is a community where all energy comes from renewable sources and residents have no need to drive on post. "We think we can do this, but I’m not Pollyanna about it. I realize there’s a lot of challenges in getting there," Steucke told the Federal Times.

Since 2000, Fort Lewis and 12 other Army posts have set 25-year sustainability goals to reduce or eliminate consumption of fossil fuels, build facilities that exceed national standards for energy conservation and environmental design, and preserve open lands and natural habitats. Leaders say building sustainable installations ultimately saves money and natural resources.

"Soldiers must have the land, water, air and energy resources they need to train, a healthy environment in which to live, and the support of local communities and the American people," Tad Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for environment, safety and occupational health, said earlier this year.