TOP STORIES

Obama Calls for New Era of Energy Exploration

 At an old Maytag factory in Iowa that's been converted into a wind turbine parts manufacturer, President Obama called for a "new era of energy exploration in America."  Speaking at Trinity Structural Towers, a 90-person firm that opened up after Maytag shut its doors in 2007, Obama highlighted the two potential energy paths ahead: "The choice we face is between prosperity and decline. We can remain the world's leading importer of oil, or we can become the world's leading exporter of clean energy."  [AP-Google]

House Panel Begins Debate on Climate Bill

The House Energy and Commerce Committee commenced hearings on the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill yesterday.  "As lawmakers deliberated on the benefits and costs of placing a national cap on carbon-based emissions, electric utility executives, environmental advocates and clean-technology entrepreneurs alike made their case in front of the panel as well as behind the scenes." [Washington Post]

Related:

"As Biz leaders call for a climate bill, Republicans claim it would kill the economy" [Grist]

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"People's Garden" Takes Shape on National Mall

Saying that the USDA will be a "center of sustainability," the department has started converting a 6-acre section of the National Mall into an organic garden.  "USDA plans to turn grass, ornamental trees and flowers into an expansive "People's Garden" to demonstrate conservation and growing techniques. There will be a 1,300-square-foot vegetable plot, pollinator gardens, mini-wetlands, green roofs and demonstrations of planting techniques that can reduce stormwater runoff." [Greenwire-New York Times]

Dust Storms Escalate in West

This year, the Colorado Rockies, have been hit by 11 "serious" dust storms, a record for the six years they've been officially tracked.  "An increasing amount of airborne dust is blanketing the region, affecting how fast the snowpack melts, when local plants bloom and what quality of air residents are breathing." The storms are being called "a harbinger of a broader phenomenon...as global warming translates into less precipitation and a population boom intensifies the activities that are disturbing the dust in the first place. [Washington Post]

FROM THE BLOGS

Focusing the Heartland on a Clean Energy Future [It's Getting Hot In Here]