On June 5th, 2013 a whitehouse.gov petition was created asking the White House to weigh in on Tesla Motors' ability to sell innovative electric vehicles directly to consumer in all 50 states. It's been 9 months and there hasn't been a response despite the petition receiving over 130,000 signatures. The Obama administration owe's the public a response sharing their perspective on innovative green vehicles that the Dept. of Energy funded the development of and whether they think preventing direct sales of cars is or is not in the best interest of consumers. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/allow-tesla-motors-sell-directly-consumers-all-50-states/bFN7NHQR

The issue of replacement power for the San Juan coal plant is perhaps the most important energy decision that is looming and will have enormous consequences for at least the next 20 years. PNM’s abandonment and replacement power filing - Is not the lowest cost solution; Is not the best environmental outcome; Is not the best jobs outcome; Locks in fossil fuel energy when an avalanche of scientific data demonstrates that we must transition from the burning of fossil fuels to renewables.

The inland waters of the Eastern North Pacific particularly Puget Sound and the Salish Sea are experiencing stress already and the science and governmental action needed to prevent or remediate problems is not being supported. The Navy’s EIS admits that Midrange sonar testing is damaging to threatened and endangered Dolphins and Whales who are dependent on the use of sonar for hunting. The Navy already conducts hundreds of explosive tests and training exercises in the test area with potential for ingestion of pollutants, entanglement, physical damage, and stress on the entire marine environment. These stressors can be cumulative and have widespread affects on the whole ecosystem besides threatened and endangered mammals. The Environmental Impact Statement can be viewed at: www.nwtteis.com

Millions of pounds of arsenic-laced coal ash rushed into the Dan River last month, near Eden(!), North Carolina, because Duke Energy ignored danger warnings and regulators looked the other way. The disaster in the Dan River is the inevitable result of mixing coal ash with cold cash. For years, Duke Energy has spent millions on political donations and lobbying to avoid more expensive pollution controls that protect public health and the environment. Duke Energy took a big risk – and its stockholders should pay the price, not the customers. The price tag to clean up all Duke’s coal ash dumps in North Carolina will likely exceed $1 billion. Duke must be held accountable, and so must the politicians who accept its money and its excuses. Democracy North Carolina’s research shows that Gov. Pat McCrory’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns benefited from $1.1 million in Duke political donations – the most from any corporation. Gov. McCrory is talking tough now, but he’s prospered in a political culture that accepts corporate cash and pollution. Duke has a new Chief Executive Officer – Lynn Good. She could do “good” and put the company on a new path for clean energy and clean government. She needs to know she’s being watched. Sign the petition to CEO Lynn Good to demand that Duke clean up its act!

Climate change is the greatest threat we face and the time we have when we can effectively deal with is short, the U.N. panel gives us about 15 years. The solution favored by economists is a market based solution that gradually raises the price of fossil fuels until green energy replaces it completely. Scientist say we can do this in 20 years with current technology but we need to start yesterday. For more info on solution on solution options try; the Carbon Tax Center, the Brookings Institution or Citizens Climate Lobby.

This petition was by Silvertip Mountain Center, LLC, co-owned by Dr. Laurie Hinck and Jay Schifferdecker to protect the vulnerable AB Wilderness from inholding development. Laurie Hinck: I was born in Silver Gate, Montana (within 15 miles of these Beartooth inholdings). I am co-owner of two businesses, Silvertip Mountain Center and the Log Cabin Café Bed and Breakfast. I have a PhD in environmental history and have a strong background in how development has harmed the rural U.S. West. Jay Schifferdecker: I own two businesses in the area, including a ski shop. I have been skiing and mountaineering in the Beartooths for over twenty years. The AB Wilderness is vulnerable and we need to protect it from encroachment. Our blog: http://theschiffspeaks.blogspot.com/ INHOLDING COMMERCIALIZATION / WOODY CREEK CABIN HARMS THE ABSAROKA BEARTOOTHS: 1. Pressures the Greater Yellowstone’s wildest ecosystem: contaminating a watershed of the Yellowstone River, stressing grizzlies and other wildlife, causing noise and light pollution 2. Privatizes public space, degrades public access 3. Violates the spirit of the Wilderness Act of 1964: “To assure that an increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization, does not occupy and modify all areas within the United States and its possessions, leaving no lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural condition.”

I have been concerned about water usage in California since I read Cadillac Desert over a decade ago. Now with the very serious drought looming it is time for not just Californians, but for all people to take action.

Our environment. Everyone in Fayetteville can see the plastic bags blowing around Fayetteville. We used to make fun of Springdale for having chicken feathers blowing around the streets of their town due to the chicken trucks hauling live chickens through town. Now, when I see those plastic bags blowing into our creek beds, across fields and into streams I think how they are not biodegradable and how they are blowing out of our landfills at an increasing rate. I think we can start a good thing if we BAN THOSE BAGS!!!-- Let's do it!!!!

The level of fossil fuel pollution (chiefly CO2) in the atmosphere is already affecting the planet's climate. The prospects for coming generations do not look good. A universal response is needed if we are to stop this dangerous trend. To get everyone on board in reducing the amounts of fossil fuels they use, the government should get involved by providing economic incentives like this fee/dividend combination. The fee/dividend would penalize the greatest users of fossil fuels and reward those who used little. Everyone would be involved trying to maximize their economic advantage by minimizing the fees they paid. Each individual would try to use less fossil fuels.

The nuclear reactors at Indian Point are located on the Hudson River about 20 miles north of New York City. They sit about one mile from the intersection of two earthquake faults. Indian Point 3 has been identified as the US nuclear reactor most likely to suffer reactor core damage from seismic activity. There are about 2700 metric tons of high level nuclear waste being stored on-site, most of it in vulnerable fuel pools in warehouse-type buildings, not containment structures like the reactors themselves. Indian Point sucks in 2.5 billion gallons of Hudson River water every day and shoots it back into the river about 15-20 degrees hotter than when it went in, creating a thermal plume that kills fish and river life by the millions each year. The spent fuel pools are leaking radioactive water into the ground and into the Hudson River. There are 20 million people who live within 50 miles of Indian Point, including everyone in New York City. In 2003, a study found that the Indian Point Emergency Evacuation Plan, was "inadequate to protect the public from an unacceptable dose of radiation." In 1979, the NRC Director of the Office of State Programs, who was in charge of emergency planning for all US nuclear plants said, "Indian Point is one of the most inappropriate sites in existence" for a nuclear plant. Relicensing the reactors is actually issuing a new 20-year license. Under current population and seismic standards, Indian Point could NEVER be licensed to operate. Therefore, a new license should not be issued. The NRC is the only agency that can re-license nuclear plants and only the United States Congress can prevent it from doing so.

I am fighting right now to keep oil drilling out of the everglades. I will be back in the Berkshires to do the same at he end of the month. We must stop this madness. We need clean water much more than oil/gas. David T

Senate bills 1301 and 1784 would undermine the Northwest Forest Plan, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) across Oregon's National Forests and BLM O & C lands to prop up "too big to fail" mega tree fiber operations owned by some of the wealthiest families in Oregon. Senator Wyden's goal is to more than double current tree fiber extraction levels upon 10 million acres of publicly owned federal lands throughout Oregon. SB 1301 would sunset in 2029 and SB 1784 has no sunset date. Current laws are already failing to recover 3 iconic endangered Northwest forest species - the Coho salmon, marbled murrelet and the Northern spotted owl - from extinction. Senator Wyden's tree fiber extraction bills, 1301 and 1784, could place the nail in the coffins of these 3 ESA listed species and Oregon's last stands of ancient forests. For more details go to http://eco-advocates.org