THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 22

Polling – Climate change and clean energy should be priorities for both Congress and the President, according to a vast majority of Americans in a new poll. In the survey, 70 percent of Americans say climate change should be a priority, while 87 percent say leaders should take action to develop clean energy. (Los Angeles Times)

Round Two – In January, the second act of the sequester will take effect. The sequester cuts will again be across-the-board (leading to things like cutting funding for fighting wildfires in what is expected to be a bad wildfire season) unless Congress acts to stop it. (The Hill)

Cleaning up schools – New York City schools will be getting cleaner soon thanks to an agreement that is speeding up the timetable for removing faulty light fixtures from the facilities. The fixtures are leaking a PCBs, a chemical that the EPA’s regional administrator says, “should not be in any school.” (New York Times)

Getting going – Newly confirmed Department of Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz says he’ll help advance a bipartisan energy bill in Congress. (The Hill)

On the cusp – Solar power is getting easier to store and cheaper. Are we on the cusp of a solar energy boom in the United States? (This Week)

Up for a vote – A tax incentive to promote wind energy in Nebraska is heading to a final vote in the state’s legislature.(Yahoo)

Head in the sand – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says he doesn’t believe state agencies need to prepare for climate change in the wake of flooding after Hurricane Sandy. (WNYC)

Better wind forecasting – Xcel Energy is partnering with the National Center for Atmospheric Research to improve wind-forecasting abilities for renewable energy facilities. (Midwest Energy News) 

Greening GOP – The Atlantic takes a look at what it calls the "(slow, tentative) greening of the GOP.” (The Atlantic)

It's electric – There are now 100,000 electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the road in the U.S. In 2012, electric vehicle sales tripled from 2011. (Green Car Reports)

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

The Hill: Industry accuses EPA of skirting rules for public review of draft fuel regs

E&E News: Business groups driving local economies through clean energy development

Detroit Free Press: GM to invest $45M in Lansing logistics center, create 200 jobs

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THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 21

Tragic – At least 51 people — including at least 20 children — were killed by amassive tornado in Oklahoma yesterday. The tornado was estimated to be almost two miles wide at some points. (CNN)

It is back – Carbon dioxide again passed the 400 parts per million milestone over the weekend. (Los Angeles Times)

Pushing efficiency – A number of business groups are working to build momentum in the Senate to pass a bipartisan energy efficiency bill. (The Hill)

Trend – Ford projects that smaller, more fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines will make up 66 percent of the engines in new vehicles by 2020.(Detroit News)

Interview – Grist has an interview with billionaire clean energy investor and supporter Tom Steyer. (Grist)

That’s a lot of savings – An energy audit of infrastructure in Decatur, Illinois found that a $16.8 million investment could yield $24 million in savings over the next 17 years. (Decatur Herald-Review)

Ground rules – North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed a bill that lays out the process for applicants to notify neighbors, as well as nearby local governments and military installations, of their plans to install wind turbines.(Triangle Business Journal)

Going electric – A solar charging station in a suburb of Chicago is an example of the kind of infrastructure needed for the fast-growing electric vehicle market. (Chicago Tribune)

Clean energy savings – An Ohio State University report says that consumers have saved $170 million from the state’s clean energy law. Despite this, efforts to repeal the law continue. (Columbus Dispatch)

Solar stocks – Check out this story on the stock growth of SolarCity — a solar energy company that installs and manages solar panels on homes and businesses, renting the systems out for a monthly fee. (Wall Street Journal)

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

New York Times: Romania Changes Course on Renewable Energy

Washington Post: What’s the best way to pass a climate bill? Fix the economy first.

Slate: Washington Is Outdoing California and Texas in Renewable Energy

New York Times: U.S. and Europe Prepare to Settle Chinese Solar Panel Cases

UPI: Pollution risks worse for developing world women

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THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 20

On the rise – The average price of gasoline in the U.S. spiked 11 cents over the last two weeks. (TIME)

Growing louder – The New York Times editorial board says climate warnings are growing louder it's up to President Obama to take executive action to address it because of the dysfunction in Congress. (New York Times)

No filibuster? – EPA Administrator nominee Gina McCarthy may not be filibustered on the floor. (E&E News)

The road to green – A TIME magazine writer points out the benefits of — even failed — investments in moving America forward to a cleaner, more sustainable economy. (TIME)

Closing in – The price of generating solar energy in some markets are the world is coming closer to the price of wind.(Reuters)

Deadlier heat waves – Researcher say climate change will increase weather-related deaths in metro areas in the coming decades. (The Guardian)

Turned to dust – Wells are running dry on farms along the High Plains Aquifer. (New York Times)

Better forecasts – With hurricane season set to start in only two weeks, researchers are working to improve forecastingafter last year’s Hurricane Sandy. (Washington Post)

Bright future for MN solar – The efforts to implement a solar energy standard in Minnesota have paid off, and the policy will pay off long into the future. (Grist)

EPA employee speaks out – An EPA employee is speaking out about how the sequester cuts are impacting her family and her job. (E&E News)

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

The Hill: Bill calls on feds to address health impacts of climate change

Chicago Tribune (IL): Businesses find it pays to power down

Lincoln Journal Star (NE): LES seeks to triple wind energy use

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI): Midwest should have ample electricity for hottest summer days

Rochester Post Bulletin (MN): Our View: Awareness of chemical 'footprint' is a good start

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THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 15

Competing – Around the world, clean energy is moving into a new realm of competitiveness with other forms of energy. (New York Times)

States moving forward on clean energy – Minnesota is among the states advancing clean energy policies — in this case a solar energy mandate — to spur job growth and reduce pollution. (Clean Energy Authority)

Opting for renewables – The Bloomington, Illinois city council has authorized the city to move to 100 percent renewable energy. (Bloomington Pantagraph)

Reconciling policy with reality – The Guardian continues its look at climate change in Alaska, this time focused on how politics have impacted action on climate. (The Guardian)

Insurers understand climate risks – The insurance industry is expecting climate change to worsen natural disasters, but instead of focusing on carbon reduction, the industry largely focuses on zoning rules and disaster mitigation. (New York Times)

What did they know? – Authorities are still trying to figure out how much the first responders knew about the dangers they faced when they arrived at the West, Texas fertilizer facility that exploded last month. (NBC 4)

The fight against climate science – In Wisconsin, special interests are spending a lot of money to get state law makers to doubt the solid science behind climate change. (Madison State Journal)

Cap-and-trade – Governor Jerry Brown is proposing taking funds from the state’s proceeds on cap-and-trade auctions — designated to help fight climate change by investing in clean energy and energy efficiency — to balance the state’s budget. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Water infrastructure – A bill to advance water infrastructure efforts related to flood and storm risk is advancing, but is getting several amendments tacked on. (The Hill)

Chilling effect – A federal appeals court ruling against the EPA’s wastewater treatment policies on the basis of an exchange with a U.S. senator could have a chilling effect on the candidness of the exchanges between the legislative and executive branches in the future. (BNA)

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

Politico: Sequestration gets real for workers

The Hill: Acting DOE chief: US not backing down on Indian solar practices

Los Angeles Times: Nuking the filibuster

WNYC: New Jersey Transit Ignored Climate Change Warnings

Christian Science Monitor: Why natural gas exports would benefit clean energy

Duluth News Tribune (MN): Will Steger to attend Duluth clean-energy forum

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THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 14

Penny foolish & pound foolish – The cuts in the sequester mean the U.S. government will have significantly less money to pay firefighters during this — expected to be historic — wildfire season.(Washington Post)

776,000 – That’s the number of people who were forced out of their homes during and after Hurricane Sandy last year. Climate change and extreme weather also caused people to be displaced following the massive floods in northeast India and typhoons in China during 2012. (The Hill)

Going with or without 'em – Senator Barbara Boxer still has hopes that the Republican members of her Environment and Public Works Committee will stop their boycott of EPA Administrator nominee Gina McCarthy, but she is prepared to move forward without them on Thursday if they don't. (E&E News)

Stalled – A bill that would help solar energy grow in Texas stalled after utilities came out against it.(Dallas Morning News)

Giving up the keys – Young people are leading a trend of Americans driving less and relying more on public transportation, biking and walking . (New York Times)

Bipartisan work in the Senate (really!) – Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Senate can’t agree on much, but it appears that a bipartisan clean energy proposal is moving forward that will let clean energy to take advantage of existing tax policy currently only available to other forms of energy.(Inside Climate News)

Danger zone – That’s where the United Nations climate chief says the world is heading as we are seeing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hit unprecedented levels. (London Telegraph)

Going mainstream – Solar energy is becoming more and more prevalent in the U.S., thanks to price drops, better financing tools, and smart policies driving investments, like the solar energy standards being implented — or considered — in some states. (E&E News)

First climate refugees in U.S. – Up in Alaska, residents of Newtok are watching as the sea rises around them at a dangerous rate, and it’s only a matter of time before they have to move. They are one of more than 180 native communities experience flooding and loss of land as the Arctic ice melts. (The Guardian)

Heat wave – In California, some are saying climate change is causing abnormally hot weather. (Los Angeles Times) 

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

Salon: Is climate change fueling an epidemic?

Wall Street Journal: David Cameron: A British-American Tax and Trade Agenda

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THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 13

Blue-Green leaders – United Auto Workers President Bob King and National Wildlife Federation President Larry Schweiger have a joint opinion piece that says we should duplicate the labor-environmental collaboration that lead to vehicle fuel efficiency standards that will nearly double fuel efficiency in light-duty vehicles by 2025 — cutting emissions and creating good jobs. (Toledo Blade)

Appointments – We may see movement this week on the appointment of Dr. Ernest Moniz to head the Department of Energy, but Republican stall tactics are still holding up the appointment of Gina McCarthy to head the EPA. (The Hill)

Stuck in red tape – It’s been three years since the “chemicals of concern” list— a list of chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk to human health and/or the environment — was proposed, but it’s been stuck in the red tape of the Office of Management and Budget. (Public Integrity)

Threatened by climate – A number of common plants and animals around the world are in danger of losing about 50 percent of their range by 2080 if climate change continues unabated. (Los Angeles Times)

Tracking carbon footprints – Around the world, cities are working to determine the size of their carbon footprints by using monitors in high places around them. (Associated Press)

Refugees – As carbon dioxide rises to record levels in human history,agriculture failure may lead to hundreds of millions of climate refugees. (The Guardian)

Antiquated measuring sticks – It may be time to hang up the way we’ve been measuring droughts here in the U.S. (E&E News)

Solar in MN – The Minnesota State Senate passed a one percent solar energy mandate last week and now a conference committee will have to iron out the differences between the Senate bill and its House counterpart (which has a four percent solar standard). (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Storage solutions – Innovations in battery technology may allow for more efficient storage of excess wind and solar energy, revolutionizing the technology. (USA Today)

Companies look to build up solar – A number of solar energy companies are working together to form a lobbying group to counter efforts by some utilities that are seeking to squash the burgeoning industry. (Bloomberg)

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

E&E News: Utility wins rate increase as costs of climate policies rise

Toledo Blade (OH): ProMedica Wildwood Orthopeadic and Spine Hospital gets energy savings

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THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 10

A GOP civil war on climate? – A growing number of Republicans are embracing reason — in the form of science and extreme weather — over ideology on climate change, and that could cause a huge split in the GOP. (National Journal)

GOP hold up EPA nominee – Senate Democratic lawmakers are angry after the Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee boycotted the hearing on Gina McCarthy to head the EPA. (Politico)

Can’t make it up – Even after the horrific tragedy in West, Texas, state lawmakers and Governor Rick Perry still show disdain for increased protections in the workplaces. (New York Times)

Doubling down – GE thinks that wind turbine installations will double next year after last year’s lull. (Bloomberg)

Manufacturing hubs – The White House will coordinate three competitions in different parts of the U.S. to win $200 million to develop manufacturing innovation hubs. (Entrepreneur)

Stronger labor market – The lowest jobless claims number in five years hints that the U.S. labor market is growing stronger. (Reuters)

Wind industry focuses on long-term growth – Discussions at the American Wind Energy Association Windpower Conference focused on how to grow the industry in the long term. (E&E News)

Tighter chemical controls – The United Nations has announced more than 120 countries have reached a deal to put tighter controls on several chemicals and on hazardous waste. (AP)

Biden in Rolling Stone – Check out the interview with Vice President Joe Biden that features several questions on climate change. (Rolling Stone)

Past shows the future – Will the Arctic be ice free in our future? A look to the past may answer that question. (TIME Ecocentric)

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

Platts: US House Republicans say wind tax credits could hurt grid reliability

The Hill: Obama officials roll out climate and health data tool

Denver Post (CO): Colorado renewable energy bill gets call for veto from GOP lawmakers

Shelby News Gazette (IL): Senate panel backs Lake Michigan wind study

WWLP (MA): WMass businesses pitch clean energy bills

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THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 9

Taking my ball and going home – The Senate GOP stayed classy today by boycotting a committee vote on the nomination of Gina McCarthy to head the EPA. Without two Republicans, the committee was unable to have the vote, under Senate rules. (Politico)

Time to vote – That’s what Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon told reporters about the stalled confirmation of President Obama’s nominee to head the Department of Energy, Dr. Ernest Moniz. (The Hill)

800,000 years – Scientists say that carbon dioxide levels are at their highest point in at least 800,000 years. (Washington Post)

U.S. proposal gains traction – A plan to let counties draft their own plans for how they will reduce their emissions in order to  meet international climate change goals has gained traction. (The Guardian)

Efficiency bill clears hurdle – An energy efficiency bill in the Senate breezed past its first challenge in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee yesterday. The BlueGreen Alliance’s Lee Anderson attended the hearing and has a recap of it on the BGA blog. (The Hill)

Water – The Senate agreed to several amendments to its pending water infrastructure bill yesterday morning. (The Hill)

Quite the windfall – A $1.9 billion dollar investment in wind energy in Iowa by MidAmerica Energy — a power utility serving 714,000 customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota — will add over 1,000 megawatts of wind energy generation to their portfolio. (Des Moines Register)

Prince of Wales – Prince Charles gave a speech at St. James Palace criticizing climate skeptics and businesses that fail to care for the environment, and comparing the Earth to a patient in the hospital, saying, "The risk of delay is so enormous that we can't wait until we are absolutely sure the patient is dying." (Guardian)

Clean energy under attack – A letter to the editor points out the folly of weakening or eliminating the clean energy laws in Ohio that have brought renewable energy and more tthousands of jobs and 400 clean energy companies to the state. (Columbus Dispatch)

Clean energy down under – Australia has established a Clean Energy Finance Corporation with $10 billion to invest to spur investment in clean energy. (Earth Techling)

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

Science Insider: NIH Details Impact of 2013 Sequester Cuts

Nature: The cleaner state

Los Angeles Times: Don't dilute CEQA, improve it

New York Times: Foes Suggest a Tradeoff if Pipeline Is Approved

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THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 8

Lessons from Sandy – President Obama is meeting with electric utility CEOs and trade organizations to discuss lessons learned and actions taken since Super Storm Sandy left thousands without power and heat for weeks last year . (The Hill)

Hearing on West, Texas explosion – The wheels are being set in motion for a Senate oversight committee hearing on the West, Texas fertilizer facility that exploded last month, killing a dozen people. (The Hill)

Putting Europe on top of clean energy race – The environment ministers of Germany and France say their goal is to make Europe a clean energy “pioneer” by joining together to develop clean energy technology. (Businessweek)

A fine with teeth in pipeline explosion - The California Public Utilities Commission has leveed a $2.25 billion fine to PG&E for its culpability in a 2010 pipeline explosion in San Bruno that killed eight people. The San Jose Mercury News says the utility deserves the fine for failiing to test and repair pipelines. (San Jose Mercury News)

Green ports – Los Angeles is becoming a leader in greening its port by pushing for clean energy alternatives and reducing pollution . (Los Angeles Times)

Clean energy growing in Mass – A new virtual business incubator has been launched in Massachusetts by the state’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership. (Worcester Telegram)

$4.6 billion – That’s how much clean energy investment was made in Latin America last year, a 127 percent increase over 2011. (Earth Techling)

Phase one – The first phase of the U.S. Army’s $7 billion geothermal renewable energy program is underway. Five companies have been selected to build and maintain geothermal energy projects for the Defense Department. (Federal Times)

Canada loses appeal – The World Trade Organization ruled against Canada on its appeal of incentives the country is offering to domestic renewable energy companies. (PV Magazine)

GOP chair gets four Pinocchios on climate science claim – Recently, the chair of the House Subcommittee on the Environment questioned the scientific consensus on climate change, but the Washington Post fact checker gives him four of four Pinocchios for his assertion. (Washington Post)

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

Wall Street Journal: Apparel Retailers Confront Tough Options

Business Insider: Investors Are Now Profiting From The Fear Of Climate Change

Color Lines: How the Sierra Club Learned to Love Immigration

Politico: The politics of natural gas exports

The Hill: Gas industry accuses EPA of procedural rush

The Hill: Senior Republican presses Interior for ‘certainty’ on Arctic drilling

Asbury Park Press (NJ): Carbon fee is necessary to promote clean energy

Dallas Morning News (TX): Editorial: Lax disaster plan failed West

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THE TOP 10 FOR MAY 7

Wildfires and climate change – California Governor Jerry Brown says climate change is to blame for the state’s early wildfire season. (Los Angeles Times)

Defending greenhouse gas rules – The EPA will be back in court today to defend its regulations to fight climate change from challenges being brought by industries and states like Texas. (E&E News)

Support for vehicle technology research bill – That’s what Congressman Gary Peters is looking for from auto suppliers. Peters urged suppliers to reach out to Congress to let them know they support his Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2013, which would promote private-public partnerships to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles. (Detroit News)

Climate polling – About 75 percent of the U.S. believes the global temperatures are rising, and roughly 61 percent believe the federal government should take action to address it — up from 49 percent in 1997. (Politico)

Keeping wind growing – The American Wind Energy Association is trying to get its long-term policy plan for wind tax credits accepted by the House and Senate tax committees. (The Hill)

Group forms to boost wind in Michigan – A new group is forming in Michigan to promote the wind industry in the state. The consortium is looking to boost the state’s wind energy supply chain and enhance the infrastructure needed to create more wind jobs in the state. (CBS Detroit)

Germany acting on climate – German Chancellor Angela Merkel says it is no longer an option todo nothing on climate change. (Gulf Times)

Compliance mandatory – The American Chemistry Council is unveiling a new Product Safety Code that outlines best practices for ensuring the safe development and use of chemicals in products. (BNA)

Path out of homelessness – A group of homeless and formerly homeless adults are building jobs skills in a green jobs program in Maryland. (Your4State)

Bring jobs on two wheels – Detroit is the heart of the American auto industry, but an industry on two wheels is growing there too. (Detroit Free Press)

BLUE-GREEN LINKS

Businessweek: Tom Steyer, Climate-Change Batman

New York Times: A Carbon Trading System Worth Saving

Sacramento Bee (CA): Jerry Brown calls climate change reason for budget restraint

Chicago Tribune (IL): Quinn vetoes bill that would have increased ComEd rates

Charlotte Observer (NC): Group suggests new transit tax, private help

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