What Romney's Energy Policy looks Like on the Ground (Video)

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has emphatically articulated his support for coal. This video by Alastair Good http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/alastair-good/ takes a close up look at what Romney's energy policy actually looks like on the ground. In addition to the GHGs produced by coal there are also numerous local environmental impacts. This video examines how both the landscape and the people have been adversely impacted by the mining of coal. environmental regulations and increase domestic energy production the Telegraph goes to Eastern Kentucky to investigate one of the most controversial energy production processes, mountain-top removal.

DNC Platform is Less Environmentally Focused than in 2008

The platform being discussed at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is infinitely more environmentally aware than the platform agreed upon at the Republican National convention. However both political parties are less than perfect when it comes to their proposed green initiatives for the next four years.

As reviewed in a Desmog blog post published in Eco-Watch the Republican party platform is essentially a recipe for dependence on fossil fuels.

For their part the Democrats have caved to Republican pressure and they have backpedaled on the environment from their 2008 position. They are no longer calling for an end to fossil fuels, instead they have adopted an all of the above strategy. Although the DNC platform calls for an international deal to curtail GHG pollution, it no longer indicates that the agreement should be binding. The platform also drops the party’s 2008 support for cap-and-trade.

Democrats Against Efforts to Manage Climate Change

While we often think of Republicans as being the minions of the fossil fuel industry, there are also a number of Democrats who support dirty energy like coal. Although Republicans comprise the largest share of people who do not support a science based approach to climate change, some Democrats are also guilty of ignoring the facts about global warming and resisting climate and energy legislation.

With the exception of Democrats from the East and West coasts, there are large pockets of Democratic resistance to serious action on climate change. As the second-biggest producer of this fossil fuel, West Virginia Democrats are amongst the worst climate change deniers in the country. The state's Govenor Earl Ray Tomblin and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin are Democrats who championed the cause of coal industry.

Climate Change and the Democratic Party Platform at the DNC

The Democratic platform promotes the development of clean energy jobs, the conservation of public lands, clean air and water. However to appeal to the American public the Democrats are advocating an an “all-of-the-above" energy strategy, which includes oil, "clean" coal and natural gas. While we may rue support for fossil fuels and the conspicuous absence of important ideas like a market-based cap-and-trade system in the Democrat's 2012 platform, we would do well to remember that there will be no clean energy and no green jobs under a Republican president. The Democrats need to appeal to voters to get elected and at the present time issues like cap-and-trade are dead issues.

How to Achieve Energy Efficiency Goals with Limited Resources (Webinar)

On September 12, 2012 at 11am PDT/2pm EDT see the complimentary webinar "How to Achieve Energy Efficiency Goals with Limited Resources." This one-hour energy management webinar will be presented by Constellation, Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and Environmental Leader.

Today’s challenging economic climate and increased focus on sustainability are driving more American businesses to focus on reducing energy consumption and lowering energy costs. According to the 2012 Deloitte reSources Study, 89% of businesses surveyed have electricity cost and consumption reduction goals in place. However, insufficient capital funding, implementation complexity, and lack of dedicated staff continue to be barriers to achieving these goals. Join Constellation, EEI and Environmental Leader to learn about the options available to businesses and how forward-thinking companies are strategically implementing energy efficiency projects while overcoming key resource barriers.

Conservative Budget Guts the Environment

Prime Minister Steven Harper's ruling Conservative government is using their majority to all but eliminate Canada's environmental protections. On March 29, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty released a federal budget which guts environmental legislation. It is tragically ironic that this anti-environment budget comes only one week after record-breaking temperatures in the National Capital Region.

GOP Fights Removal of Oil Subsidies

Republicans have rejected a bill that would have killed tax breaks for big oil companies. Despite the President's plea to end oil subsidies, on Thursday March 29 the Senate voted 51-47 against a Democratic bill that would remove billions of dollars in oil company tax breaks. President Obama has been a champion of ending big oil's subsidies since taking office. "It's like hitting the American people twice," Obama said. "You're already paying a premium at the pump right now. And on top of that, Congress...has thought it was a good idea to send billions of dollars more in tax dollars to the oil industry."