Even the coal industry itself has conceded that there is no “war on coal”, but lawmakers in the coal-dependent state of Kentucky are still fighting this imaginary battle. In the wake of President Obama’s speech earlier this summer where he discussed the need to reduce our dependence on coal and
Continue readingAuthor: Farron Cousins
DeSmogBlog: BP Attacks Oil Spill Victims, Tries To Hide Criminal Past
In recent corporate public relations attempts, BP has tried to shift the public’s focus from its corporate wrongdoing and outright criminal behavior to criticizing BP’s victims and their legal representatives. According to a privileged, plaintiff’s attorney work document, BP has dumped over $500 million into PR, attacking “judges, special masters,
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Congressional Republicans Take Stab At EPA Before Heading To Recess
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives kicked off the month of August with one of their favorite activities – attacking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.) Last Thursday, in one of their final acts before they take the entire month of August off, the Republican-controlled House passed a piece of
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Industry Influence To Blame For Tavares, Florida Explosion
This post originally appeared on RingofFireRadio.com. On July 29th, an explosion at a gas plant in Tavares, Florida injured eight people, leaving five of them in critical condition. Three months prior to that, a fertilizer plant explosion in Texas killed 14 people and left numerous people injured and homeless. And
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Industry Pressure Shuts Down EPA Fracking Investigations, Watch our Ring of Fire interview
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has spent countless taxpayer dollars and man-hours over the last few years investigating the environmental threats posed by hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in many regions across the United States. And when their draft reports showed that the practice was poisoning water supplies, the gas industry
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Louisiana Sues Oil Companies For Wetlands Damage in Gulf Showdown
After decades of operating with complete disregard for the environment, the dirty energy industry finally has to face the music for destroying the wetlands that form a natural barrier against storm damage in the state of Louisiana. The suit, filed by the board of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East,
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Report Details Coal Industry’s Pollution of Waterways, Political System
According to a new report, the coal industry’s pollution is contaminating our water supplies, our regulatory agencies, and even our political process. The report, a joint project by the Waterkeeper Alliance, Clean Water Action, the Sierra Club, Earthjustice, and the Environmental Integrity Project, shows that when it comes to spewing
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Renewable Energy Sources Gaining Market Share
In a positive sign for United States energy consumption, a new report shows that the market share of renewable energy sources grew at a larger pace than fossil fuels for the year 2012. Additionally, the first half of this year has seen an enormous surge in renewable energy infrastructure and
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: What The Dirty Energy Industry Earns From Millions In Lobbying
When you combine the lobbies of electric utilities (representing the coal industry) and the lobbies of oil and gas interests, there is no industry that puts more money into buying politicians and influence from year to year than the fossil fuel industry. So far this year, the utilities and the
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Sharknado: Do Cheesy Sci-Fi Movies Cheapen Climate Change Discussion?
If you’ve spent any time on Twitter over the last 48 hours, you’re probably aware of the made-for-TV movie Sharknado that aired on the SyFy channel Thursday night. It is exactly what the name suggests – a tornado filled with sharks that wreaks havoc upon Los Angeles. Those of us
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Obama’s War On Coal Doesn’t Exist…Says Coal Lobby?
During the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election, Republican candidate Mitt Romney ran ads and the party adopted as a platform the “war on coal” being waged by President Barack Obama. While the platform failed when it came to securing votes for the Republican Party, it hasn’t stopped the
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: D.C. Court Rules Against Environmental Transparency, Threatening Public Health and Democracy
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that trade deals can be exempted from federal disclosure laws. The case revolved around a classified document related to an FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) that contained information about environmental and public health and
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Legal Headaches Begin For Exxon Over Pegasus Pipeline Rupture
Residents in Mayflower, Arkansas, the site of the recent Pegasus tar sands pipeline rupture, have filed suit against pipeline operator Exxon for health issues and property damage that have arisen since the spill. Those affected by the pipeline’s spill have complained of numerous, though mild, health problems including headaches, nausea,
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Gas Industry Successfully Overturns Colorado Fracking Ban
The townspeople in Fort Collins were greeted with some unfortunate news earlier this week, as their city council decided to overturn a ban on hydraulic fracturing that had been in place for only a few short months. The decision to overturn the ban was based solely on the threat of
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Could NAFTA Force Keystone XL On United States?
As the public anxiously awaits the U.S. State Department’s final decision on the fate of the Keystone XL Pipeline, the discussion has largely ignored the elephant in the room: the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA.) Thanks to NAFTA, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, the State
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Obama, Biden Parroting Bogus Gas Industry Talking Points
For several years, both President Obama and Vice President Biden have been singing the praises of natural gas and hydraulic fracturing, claiming that the upcoming “cheap energy boom” would bring hundreds of thousands of jobs to work-hungry Americans. The claim, which reached the most ears during the President’s 2012 State
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: As Their Oil Floods Arkansas Neighborhoods, Exxon Wins National Safety Award
Isn’t this the definition of irony? The National Safety Council (NSC) honored Exxon Mobil with an award for “comprehensive commitment to safety excellence” at the same time that Exxon’s Pegasus pipeline spewed an estimated 84,000 gallons of tar sands crude through the yards of residents in Mayflower, Arkansas. From The Huffington Post: “It is
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Dirty Energy Lobby Looking To NRA For Guidance
The Wall Street Journal recently opened up their editorial pages for noted climate change denier David Deming, allowing him to publish a “call to action” for the dirty energy industry. In his op-ed, Deming says that the fossil fuel industry could learn a thing or two from the NRA about
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Pot Meet Kettle: Oil Executive Says “Misinformation And Fear” Hurting Fracking Efforts
Ryan Lance, CEO of oil giant ConocoPhillips, issued a dire warning to colleagues at an energy conference earlier this month. According to Lance, “misinformation and fear” could easily derail the current financial boom that is taking place within the shale gas industry. According to The Hill, Lance told those gathered
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Kochtopus Tentacles Reaching For Media Outlets
Rumors are swirling around the Internet that Koch Industries is hoping to acquire a powerful new asset: The Tribune Company. The Tribune Company owns a large swath of newspapers across America, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Times, two papers with an extraordinary reach. According to the Hollywood
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