The Monday Ramble

Here's the run down on some great articles I've read over the last week.

The Sierra Club's new executive director Michael Brune spoke with The Hill earlier this week. He said that although the Sierra Club is on board with the Kerry, Lieberman and Graham bill, things could change if the legislation gives away too many corporate incentives.

Brune named a number of provisions that could potentially go to far. Some of the big issues were, off shore drilling permits, reducing the EPA's authority over the Clean Air Act and incentives for nuclear power plants. Of course my favorite quote was, “We think that investments in clean coal are about as real as investments in Easter bunny research.”

If you don't follow The New Republic's blog, "The Vine" you should check it out. This post talks about Beijing's growing waste problem. As their economy grows by 8 percent each year, so does their waste output. Their solution, giant deodorant guns. Of course their other sollution is incinerators which spew mercury and dioxins into the air... the deodorant guns are looking pretty good.

It's unbelievable that the legislature funded a $300,000 inconclusive terminal groin study. What is harder to believe is that the CRC also voted to recommend, no recommendation. This decision is not only a waste of the state's time and resources, but it may very well lead to the demise of our long standing ban on hardened structures. Here you can see our State Director, Molly Diggin's lay down the case for a cautious approach to terminal groins.