Environmental Politics

"Cato Institute Is Caught in a Rift Over Its Direction"

"From its perch in a spacious brand-new headquarters blocks from the White House, the Cato Institute has built on its reputation as a venerable libertarian research center unafraid to cross party lines. Now, however, a rift with one of its founding members — the billionaire conservative Charles Koch — is threatening the institute's identity and independence, its leaders say, and is exposing fault lines over Mr. Koch's aggressive and well-financed brand of Republican politics."

Source: NY Times, 03/06/2012

"Venezuela Emerges as New Source of ‘Conflict’ Minerals"

Coltan ore is valuable as a source of niobium and tantalum, metals key to many kinds of electronics. Coltan mining has helped finance war in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now new illegal coltan mining activity has sprung up in the remote Amazon jungles on the border between Venezuela and Columbia. It is controlled largely by armed militias and drug smugglers.

Source: iWatch News, 03/06/2012

"Can The Shale Gas Boom Save Ohio?"

"The help-wanted sign is out in Canton, Ohio, for Chesapeake Energy."

"The company that has led the charge in shale gas drilling is looking for truck drivers with licenses for hazardous materials, a purchasing coordinator for oil field equipment, a pipeline technician, a field safety coordinator, administrative assistants, troubleshooting electricians, a tax analyst and more.

Source: Wash Post, 03/05/2012

House Passes Bill Allowing $690 Million Bridge Over Scenic Minn. River

"The House [Thursday] morning voted to allow a $690 million highway bridge over the federally protected St. Croix River, ending decades of legal and legislative wrangling and setting in motion what would be the largest bridge project in Minnesota history."

Source: Greenwire, 03/02/2012

NOAA, Union Spar Over Tornado-Warning Upgrades in Deadly Storms' Wake

Tornado warnings mean life or death -- as recent storms in the Midwest showed. Minutes count, and better staffing and technology can help the National Weather Service save lives with earlier tornado warnings. But the political drive to cut federal agency budgets are hurting the NWS's ability to improve forcasts, a federal employee union says.

Source: Greenwire, 03/02/2012

Budget Crunch Forces Hundreds of USGS Streamflow Gages To Shut Down

Budget pressures -- at least politically perceived ones -- are threatening basic science about the nation's water resources. In recent years the US Geologican Survey has cut back its programs for measuring streamflow and water quality -- which help protect people from flood disasters and drinking unhealthful water.

Source: Summit Co. Citizens Voice, 03/02/2012

"Obama Seeks to End Subsidies for Oil and Gas Companies"

"NASHUA, N.H. -- With his re-election fate increasingly tied to the price Americans are paying at the gas pump, President Obama asked Congress on Thursday to end $4 billion in subsidies for oil and gas companies and vowed to tackle the country’s long-term energy issues while shunning 'phony election-year promises about lower gas prices.'"

Source: NY Times, 03/02/2012

Obama Campaign Fires Back, Dares Kochs To Reveal Group's Donors

"The war of words between the Obama reelection campaign and billionaire conservative activists Charles and David Koch escalated Wednesday. The president's campaign manager, Jim Messina, sent a letter to Philip Ellender, Koch’s president for government and public affairs, disputing Ellender's claim that an organization partially backed by the brothers represented the interests of thousands of grassroots donors."

Source: E2 Wire, 03/01/2012

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