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In
early February 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final rules on the Renewable Fuels Standard. EPA stood up to the biofuels industry and accounted for the indirect greenhouse gas emissions that biofuels production causes when calculating the global warming impact of biofuels. However, contrary to previous scientific analysis, EPA found that corn ethanol produced at non-coal powered facilities emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions as compared to gasoline, even when considering indirect land use changes. Friends of the Earth looks forward to digging further into the data in order to determine the basis for this sudden shift to a pro-corn outcome.
A big U.S. congressional delegation is arriving here at the climate summit in Copenhagen next week, and it includes notorious climate science deniers Sen. James Inhofe (R-Big Oil/Oklahoma) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-Big Oil/Texas).
But one of the world's most prominent science deniers -- "Nobel Laureate" "Lord" Christopher Monckton, who provides the "scientific" analysis upon which Barton, Inhofe, and other members of the anti-science crowd depend -- is already here and he's already generating embarrassing headlines for their movement.
Monday marked the first full day of climate negotiations in Copenhagen. In spite of pleasant words at the opening sessions, deadlock continues around the key issues of emissions reductions and money on the table for developing countries.
A coalition of civil society groups from around the world, including Friends of the Earth International, issued a statement on December 7, 2009 strongly criticizing the Danish government for acting in a biased, manipulative and nontransparent manner in its role as President of the Conference of the Parties. Read it here.
Our team in Copenhagen is creating video updates to give you a first-hand peak at what's happening at the climate negotiations.
On Day 1 of the climate conference in Copenhagen, Nick provides the first update from our team over there, giving a brief overview of what's at stake in efforts to yield an international solution to climate change. Check back later for more "newsy" updates on breaking developments from Day 2 of the negotiations.
Chrysler, the recipient of $15.3 billion in taxpayer-funded bailout money -- granted in part because of its promise to invest in electric vehicle technology -- has just announced it is scrapping its plans for producing large volumes of electric cars.
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) ill-conceived plan for a nuclear park at a key site in the DOE complex has hit a wall after a persistent challenge by Friends of the Earth. Although never developed as a departmental policy, the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management began its own secretive initiative and quietly negotiated with contractors to pursue a subsidized “energy park” at the sprawling Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina.
The Humane Society of the United States, in conjunction with Friends of the Earth and other organizations, petitioned EPA to regulate global warming pollution and other air pollution from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), or factory farms.
The Renewable Fuels Standard, as passed in the 2007 Energy Bill, is one more step closer to being finalized. Comments to EPA's draft regulation, released in the Spring 2009, were due September the 25th of 2009. The Environmental Community, including Friends of the Earth, wrote brief comments on this issue and were overall supportive with the general approach the EPA took to protect natural lands from biofuel, accounting for global warming pollution from biofuels, and applying sustainabiltiy standards to the fuels. However, we also made some specific recommendations for how EPA could improve the effectiveness of the rule.
