Find out how Cooch took $55,000 from the disgraced "U.S. Navy Veterans Association," in apparent exchange for his promise to get the Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs (which had "notified Thompson's group that it no longer qualified for an exemption from state registration requirements") off the group's back. Can we say "pay-to-play?" Find out more.
Update by Miles: "Dominion Virginia Power is interested in building up to 400 wind turbines in Atlantic waters in what could be a powerful message for an emerging domestic source of clean energy," reports the AP.
Good news, courtesy of Environment Virginia (see statement on the "flip") and the Obama Administration. Of course, Bob McDonnell - and even, in fairness, several leading Democrats - continue to focus on dirty energy development, including risky oil drilling off our coast (need I remind these folks of the Gulf of Mexico disaster?). That's misguided, given that the answer for Virginia, America, and our planet clearly is to move as fast as possible in the direction of energy efficiency, wind, solar, and other forms of clean, inexhaustible, 100% "made in the USA" energy. In other words, time to move forward into the 21st century, not stay tethered to filthy, increasingly outmoded 19th and 20th century energy sources (which, I'd add, continue to receive huge taxpayer-funded subsidies, which they have for over a century now - why?!?).
As you probably know, Blue Virginia - and RK before it - has not exactly been a big fan of Dominion Virginia Power. In fact, we're the ones who coined the slogan, "Dominion: Global Warming Starts Here." In general, I think it's fair to say that we look at anything and everything Dominion does with skepticism at best. Still, there are times when it's important to give credit where credit is due.
In this case, as you can see from the graphic, Dominion Virginia Power's emissions of major pollutants - SO2, NOx, and Mercury (Hg) have been plummeting, and are forecast to continue plummeting in coming years. Now, obviously, a lot of that is due to Dominion simply complying with what the law makes them do, while another part is due to Dominion switching away from dirty coal to cheaper - and also cleaner - natural gas. In addition, I'd really like to see a similar graph for what's arguably the most important emission of all - carbon dioxide, which is contributing to potentially catastrophic global warming. Still, what this graph displays is progress, and I think it's fair to give Dominion at least some credit for that.
Richmond, VA - Virginia Democrats spoke out today against former-Senator George Allen's reckless and hypocritical rhetoric on the possibility of building more oil and natural gas pipelines in Virginia without giving them the proper environmental and public safety review.
"If there were an issue, gosh we'd put a natural gas pipeline, or should we put an oil pipeline through Virginia, it wouldn't be worrying about gosh, lets have a study, let's determine the danger of this." He continued, "if Virginia were trying to hold up a gas pipeline, or oil pipeline, it simply wouldn't happen because we have them."
House of Delegates Democratic Leader David Toscano (Charlottesville) condemned Allen's dangerous suggestion that new pipelines would not require study because "we have them:"
"Building a pipeline through Virginia without conducting a single study or review is not in the best interests of our citizens. While a decision to build may ultimately make sense, the failure to conduct a comprehensive review sets a dangerous precedent.
"George Allen's suggestion that we can build an oil pipeline through Virginians' backyards without a thorough review of the consequences demonstrates, once again, that he puts the oil industry's interests before public safety and the good of the Commonwealth."
Virginia Senator Adam Ebbin (Arlington), a member of the Argiculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee continued:
Bob McDonnell just proved once again how much smarter of a politician he is than Ken Cuccinelli. While Cuccy is like the gung-ho Marine who's always the first to rush into battle -- and hence the first to get shot -- Gov. Bob actually thinks and aims before pulling the trigger.
Today's case in point: uranium mining, about which the governor decided not to lift Virginia's current ban this year. Instead, he's directing state agencies to develop a "regulatory roadmap" and creating a workgroup to study the site in Pittsylvania County where Virginia Uranium is seeking to dig up the radioactive stuff.
It's a clever move, essentially a strategic retreat to allow the corporate-owned party to regroup and plan out how to give the uranium lobby most of what it wants a little further down the road. And it managed to stir the pot enough that Virginia Uranium supported the delay while the Virginia League of Conservation Voters criticized the governor for preempting legislative debate.
There's a ton of reaction this afternoon pouring in regarding President Obama's decision on the proposed Keystone XL Canadian tar sands project. The statement from the White House is available here (basically, it blames "the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people"). Also, keep in mind that this project would have created no jobs, and in fact might have caused a net loss in jobs, according to an independent study by Cornell University researchers. Basically, this thing is a boondoggle for Big Oil, combined with really bad news for the environment, for absolutely no good reason. Other than that, it's freakin' brilliant! LOL
Anyway, here are reactions by Virginian politicians and environmental groups, starting with Rep. Jim Moran, with whom I agree 100% on this. I'll add more as I see them, or as you let me know about them in the comments section. Thanks.
Moran Statement on Denial of the Keystone XL Pipeline Application
Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Ranking Member on the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement on the Obama Administration's decision on the Keystone XL Pipeline:
"I applaud President Obama's decision to deny the application for the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline. Our collective national interests, whether economic, environmental, or national security, would be better served by reducing our addiction to fossil fuels. Instead, we should be investing in safer, cleaner energy sources of the future like wind and solar power. A robust investment in clean energy promotes thousands of higher-tech, higher paying jobs. Building a pipeline to tap one of the dirtiest sources of fuel and the few temporary jobs it might create are not in our nation's best long term interests."
The Virginia Sierra Club responds to Gov. McDonnell's "Energy Policy and Budget Initiatives" (see on the "flip"), released earlier today. I agree with the Sierra Club's assessment: McDonnell's approach does not acknowledge environmental reality, weakens an already weak, voluntary "Renewable Portfolio Standard" - exactly the opposite of the direction we need to be going - and is simply inadequate in every way to the energy and environmental challenges we face as a state and as a nation. As with the rest of his governorship, Bob McDonnell's initiatives always end up with reminding us of that old, comic tag line: where's the beef? In this case, it's a nothing burger.
Statement of Glen Besa, Virginia Director for Sierra Club in response to Governor McDonnell's Energy Policy Initiatives
The "all of the above" approach to energy policy touted by Governor McDonnell fails to acknowledge the hard reality of a changing climate and the vulnerability of Virginia to its impacts from hurricanes and droughts to sea level rise. The economic vitality of the Hampton Roads region is second only to New Orleans in vulnerability to sea level rise.
The Governor's package of legislation includes two weakening amendments to the already broken voluntary renewable energy standard that this past year rewarded Dominion Virginia Power with $76 million in increased utility rates despite the fact that the utility has not built one wind or solar facility in the state.
With legislation the devil is always in the details, and until we actually read the bills we are concerned with the legislation related to mining and natural gas development. Branded as promoting improved safety in mining, any efforts to expand development of fossil fuels ignores the reality of climate change. At the same time, despite the claim of an "all of the above" approach, we see too few initiatives to advance wind and solar. We are pleased that the Governor has allocated $500,000 devoted to supporting offshore wind power although we note this far less that is needed. We also are pleased the Governor is moving forward with alternatively fueled vehicles in the state fleet using federal funds available to the state.
As we speak, media moguls around the world are releasing lists of the top stories of the year gone by. But I guarantee that most will miss or underplay the one story of greatest consequence to our lives and those of our descendants - in 2011, Mother Nature demonstrated that climate change is real and dangerous, while leaders around the world did absolutely nothing in response.
2011 was a year full of big headlines, from bin Laden's capture to the earthquake in Japan to the Gabby Giffords shooting. But global warming has the capacity to kill and disrupt the lives of more people than any terrorist leader, crazed gunman or even tsunami can ever dream to. (Take for example the European heat wave of 2003 that killed over 40,000 people.)
Nationwide, more than 6,000 heat records have been broken this year. On average, the U.S. has three or four events every year that are considered major natural disasters. But, this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration counted at least a dozen such events. Based on reports to date, damages are expected to exceed $52 billion.
It's decisions like this one which are exactly why we all need to vote for Democrats, not Republicans. No, Democrats aren't perfect by any means, but can you imagine this type of pro-environment move coming from a Gingrich or Romney or Perry or Paul administration? No, I didn't think so.
For more on this historic action towards protection of our air and water, see here. Also check out David Roberts' analysis, which concludes that this one is a "bona fide Big Deal" - in a very good way.
The following press release is the Sierra Club and Environment Virginia. Hmmmm...perhaps we should revise our slogan from "Dominion: Global Warming Starts Here" to "Dominion: Mercury Poisoning Starts Here?"
New Data Reveals the Heaviest Mercury Polluters in Virginia Dominion is the biggest mercury polluter in the state; while American Electric Power (AEP) claims the title of biggest in the nation
ALEXANDRIA, VA - Today, representatives from Environment Virginia and the Sierra Club released new data on airborne mercury pollution emitted from coal-fired power plants throughout the nation with an emphasis on Virginia. The data reveals Dominion as the biggest mercury polluter in the state with a total of 491 pounds while American Electric Power (AEP) claims the title as biggest mercury polluter in the nation with 6,220 pounds emitted in 2010.
Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that harms children and pollutes the environment. Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury pollution in the country; emitting 2/3 of all airborne mercury pollution. Once in the air, mercury falls into waterways with rain or snow, where it builds up in fish and enters the food chain. Even a small drop of mercury is enough to make the fish in a 25-acre lake unsafe to eat.
"Parents in Virginia shouldn't have to worry that their children's bodies are toxic dumping grounds," said Caroline Kory, State Associate for Environment Virginia. "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving forward to protect our children's health from toxic mercury pollution, and we can't let big polluters stand in the way."
Great speech, too bad it isn't really what the REAL Bob McDonnell had to say. Instead, this is "Virginia Sierra Club activist Daryl Downing giv[ing] the clean energy speech Bob McDonnell should have given (but did not) at the Governor's Conference on Energy in Richmond." For his part, McDonnell did the usual Republican/corporate tool "drill baby drill" and "mine baby mine" routine -- back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, in other words. Such visionaries, these Republican'ts. (snark)
The story points out numerous examples in which, contrary to the right wing line that climate scientists are "alarmist", climate change impacts are proving worse and coming quicker than most scientists have predicted:
A decade ago scientists predicted the Arctic wouldn't be ice-free in summer until 2100. But the extent of summer ice in the North has rapidly shrunk and today covers 70 percent of the area it did in 1979. Now some scientists think the Arctic could be naught but open water within 25 years.
In August, a team lead by University of York researcher Chris Thomas published a study showing that plants and animals are moving to higher elevations twice as fast as predicted in response to rising temperatures. They're migrating north three times faster than expected, they found.
As for extinctions,[...]the real-world rates are more than double what the best computer modeling showed: While the studies, on average, warned of a 7 percent extinction rate, field observations suggested the rate was closer to 15 percent.
In short, scientists -- and I would add politicians, the media and much of the environmental community -- have been too conservative in their estimates. In trying to avoid scaring people or overstating the case, too many have understated it, and in the process, failed to rouse the world to action to prevent the awful consequences that are already beginning to come true.
Last night at a fundraiser for the Virginia Progressive Caucus (organized by Del. Patrick Hope) in Arlington, prior to a showing of the powerful, anger-inducing (against the rapacious natural gas industry) documentary film Gasland (on the hazards of natural gas "fracking," of which there are many!) two important environmental leaders - JR Tolbert from the Sierra Club and Jeffrey Painter of the League of Conservation Voters spoke about Virginia energy policy.
JR Tolbert focused on fracking in Southwest Virginia, as well as Governor McDonnell's foolish focus on making Virignia the "energy capital of the East Coast" solely through fossil fuels. Tolbert pointed out that fracking injects chemicals into the ground that have an impact on local communities. The question, in Tolbert's mind, is "do you choose corporations and corporate profits over public health and safe drinking water?" Sadly, it appears that Bob McDonnell sides heavily with corporate profits over public health. Tolbert also emphasized the crucial importance of maintaining our "Virginia State Senate environmental firewall" against the climate science deniers and "radical, anti-environmental agenda" of Bob McDonnell et al. So, get out and vote and protect that firewall!
Jeff Painter reiterated Tolbert's point about the crucial importance of keeping Democratic control of the Senate "firewall" against the Republicans' radical, anti-environment agenda. Painter then talked about uranium mining, and the need to keep the ban in place. Virginia Uranium, which is actually a Canadian company, has been lobbying hard, and spending boatloads of money (including to buy people off), to convince Virginia legislators to lift that ban. Painter emphasized the importance of contacting your legislator and letting them know what you think about this issue (e.g., oppose lifting the ban!). I asked Painter whether Virginia Uranium's lobbying efforts, including flying lawmakers to France and Canada, have been effective. According to Painter, they haven't been particularly effective, "for all the money that they have spent." So now, they're looking at other alternatives, maybe through the budget process and/or through the governor's office via regulations. In other words, these people are relentless, and they get paid good money to do this, so they're not going to stop until they get their way - or, better yet, are defeated once and for all.
P.S. The music in the background is the intro to the film Gasland. I actually think it's appropriate that it was playing during Tolbert's and Painter's remarks.
Del. Kaye Kory (D-Fairfax) asked me to post the following:
OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR MCDONNELL: DON'T ENDANGER OUR WATER SUPPLY!
Dear Governor:
I urge you to cancel your short-sighted plans to withdraw Virginia from the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB). Virginia has benefitted greatly from its 70 year membership in this Commission. I seriously doubt that our
Commonwealth would have accomplished on its own what it has achieved as a Commission member--activities ranging from pollution monitoring to shad restoration.
The money saved in Commission dues, about $150,000 annually, is truly a pittance compared with what we receive as a Commission member: research and long-range planning aimed at keeping the Potomac a vibrant and healthy resource, a resource upon which more than 1/5 of Virginia's residents depend. The planning for the region's long-term water requirements,the monitoring and coordination of the regional supply of usable water to Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland are functions that Virginia cannot perform alone. All this cooperative work would be jepordized were Virginia to withdraw from the ICPRB. Virginia has been a mainstay of support for the ICPRB since its inception in 1940, largely because it alone has nearly 40% of the river's total drainage area. Therefore, it is uncertain whether the Commission could continue to exist without Virginia's membership. Certainly the co-operative water sharing covenant operative in times of drought would not continue.
Finally, I firmly believe that because some potential uranium mining sites would drain into the Occoquan and on into the Potomac, we should be seeking, not discarding, the technical capabilities and expertise available through the ICPRB as we face this vitally important environmental question in the upcoming session of the General Assembly.
Back in February, a new Harvard study found that "when the entire life-cycle of coal is considered -- extraction, transport, processing, and combustion," they add up to a cost to the American people of "roughly US$300 to US$500 billion dollars annually." Then, in April, we wrote about our interview with Professor Michael Hendryx of West Virginia University, whose research has found that coal mining "is a loser economically, environmentally, and in terms of public health." Now we've got yet another economic analysis coming to the same conclusions.
When the authors add in highly conservative estimates of the cost of carbon dioxide pollution, they find that "the damages caused by oil- and coal-fired power plants are between 30 and 40 percent higher." With an estimated social cost of carbon -- a damage estimate of global warming pollution -- of $65 (far less than other estimates), the [Gross External Damages - GED] for coal-fired generators is $0.21/kilowatts.
In other words, instead of being "cheap" and "affordable," coal is actually the costliest fuel for electricity.
"The findings show that, contrary to current political mythology, coal is underregulated," Legal Planet's Dan Farber comments. "On average, the harm produced by burning the coal is over twice as high as the market price of the electricity. In other words, some of the electricity production would flunk a cost-benefit analysis. This means that we're either not using enough pollution controls or we're just overusing coal as a fuel."
Actually, we're doing both: not using enough pollution controls AND overusing coal as a fuel. Fortunately, we know how to eliminate both of those problems: by removing coal subsidies, by internalizing coal's externalities, and by removing the obstacles holding back clean energy from rapidly taking coal's place in America's energy picture.
Is this energy summit, being held on October 4 in Alexandria as part of Bob McDonnell's newly-announced "Energy Month" in Virginia, supposed to be satire, a bad joke, or is McDonnell actually serious? Just a few problems here. First, check out the people on the panels, listed below. Can we get any more biased, against clean energy and the environment, than this?!?
Oil and Gas Development: The Onshore and Offshore Challenge
8:45am Keynote: Honorable Mark Warner, U.S. Senate, Virginia
8:55am Remarks: Mr. Terry McCallister, Chairman and CEO, Washington Gas
9:00am Remarks: Mr. Mike Ward, Executive Director, Virginia Petroleum Council
9:05am Discussion: Beginning with Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama (more on climate science "skeptic" Bentley here)
Nuclear Energy: Renaissance or Requiem
9:30am Keynote: Honorable Lindsey Graham, U.S. Senate, South Carolina
9:40am Remarks: Mr. Stephen Kuczynski, Chairman, President & CEO, Southern
Nuclear Operating Company
9:50am Discussion Beginning with Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi
EPA Regulations and Impact on Energy and the Economy
10:15am Keynote: Honorable Joe Manchin III, U.S. Senate, West Virginia
10:25am Remarks: Mr. Kevin Crutchfield, CEO, Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
10:35am Discussion Beginning with Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia
A few comments. First, where are the advocates for clean energy? Where are the voices for energy development that's safe for the environment? Where are the non-corporate voices? Where are the regular Virginians who would be harmed by oil spills, global warming, mountaintop removal coal mining, etc?
What do Republicans have against clean water, anyway? Do they all have something against it? Sometimes you'd think so, given the ongoing anti-environmental assault by teahadists in Congress. Closer to home, check out the following press release from the Chap Petersen for Senate reelection campaign for yet another example of this phenomenon. In this case, we have another apparently fanatic, anti-environment, extreme Teapublican candidate opposing a crucial environmental law, one that passed the Virginia Senate AND House unanimously (and was signed by Gov. McDonnell), that was totally non-controversial, and that clearly needed. Why is she opposing it? Because she claims it "was using environmental laws to shut down a local business." This is, frankly, nuts. By Culipher's "reasoning" (to use the word VERY loosely), if a corporation wanted to dump nuclear waste and coal sludge in the middle of your neighborhood, any effort to oppose that would be going against business and should be opposed. I mean, seriously, where do Republicans FIND these crazy candidates?!? Anyway, I'm just glad that Chap Petersen's in the State Senate, and that he's likely to be reelected (overwhelmingly, if his opponent is really this extreme) in a few weeks. Go Chap!
A Clear Choice: Chap Petersen for Fairfax
Culipher attacks Petersen for standing up to the owners of the Pickett Road Tank Farm, saying, "It's not the role of the legislature" to protect our communities from a known environmental polluter.
Vienna, VA- At Thursday's debate at American Legion Post 177 in the Town of Vienna, Republican challenger Gerarda Culipher criticized Senator Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) for bringing legislation to clean up the Pickett Road Tank Farm, which has been a continuing source of petroleum spills and water contamination for the past twenty years.
"I'm proud to have stood up to the owners of the Pickett Road Tank Farm for their disregard for our families, our waterways and Fairfax, because legislation that I sponsored they will have to come up to current safety standards or shut down" said Senator Petersen.
OK, not that there was much doubt about it, but after watching this unhinged tirade, I think we can all agree that Morgan Griffith is completely, unequivocally nuts. He's also completely, unequivocally wrong, with every word he spews in his floor speech in the House of Representatives. What's truly astounding is that someone this ignorant, this angry, frankly this unstable, can possibly BE in the House of Representatives. For whatever reason, though, he is, and it's extremely unfortunate (emphasis on the word "extreme") for his district, for Virginia, and for America.
OK, enough of that looniness -- I feel like I need to take a hot shower after watching the Griffith video. Now, watch on the "flip" as Gerry Connolly demolishes Griffith and his fellow riders on the crazy "TRAIN." What "TRAIN" is that, you ask? I'll let Rep. Connolly explain:
...the bill is extraordinary even for the most anti-environmental House of Representatives in American history. The Republican leadership has attempted to pass over 110 anti-environmental bills, amendments, and riders, but the TRAIN Act would be one of the most destructive for America's environment and our public health. It appears that the Republican leadership took every anti-environmental bill, rider, amendment, and night-time fantasy of the Koch brothers and wrapped them into a single legislative package called the TRAIN Act.
If you're in DC, stop by the White House and express your support for these folks, staging a sit-in at the White House in an attempt to stop approval of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands Pipeline. Why are they doing this? Because, as Tar Sands Action explains, "The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and instead focus on developing safe, clean energy." Why the urgency? Because "President Barack Obama will decide as early as September whether to light a fuse to the largest carbon bomb in North America...the 1,700-mile long Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport this dirtiest of petroleum fuels all the way to Texas refineries."
President Obama: say NO to this pipeline. It's wrong in every way, at a time when climate change is accelerating, and also when we urgently need to be getting off of fossil fuels and onto clean, renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, energy efficiency, etc.). This really isn't that complicated; in fact, the only reason it's even a question at all is that the oil industry, the wealthiest industry the world has ever known, has been applying enormous pressure on our politicians to "drill baby drill," regardless of the disastrous environmental consequences. In the case of tar sands, it's basically "drill baby drill" on steroids from an environmental damage perspective. Why on earth would we move in this direction, especially when there's a much, much better way? Well, we shouldn't, and the folks in front of the White House are putting their bodies on the line to try and stop this thing. For that, we should all be eternally grateful -- but even better, we should lend them every bit of support we can.
The mark of the most backwards and destructive governments in history has been their suppression of science, reason and intellectuals in favor of paranoid conspiracy theories.
So listen to likely GOP presidential frontrunner Rick Perry: "There are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling into their projects."
You may have become so used to hearing such comments from right wing political rabble rousers and phone-hacking media outlets that they don't shock you anymore. If so, think about this: a man who could conceivably become president is proposing to lead a witch hunt against scientists for the crime of seeking the truth. In memory of the victims of past mass hysterias, let's call it The Climate Libel.
When times are bad, sometimes the people choose a leader like FDR, with the positive vision to pull them out of the rut into a better world. And sometimes, in desperation, they choose a leader like the guys FDR had to defeat.
Scapegoating is a tried and true political tactic almost as old as civilization itself. After a natural disaster, the ancient Greeks would drive a beggar, crook or disabled person into exile in order to purify the city. Scapegoating since has ranged from the Salem Witch Trials to Southern lynch mobs to the McCarthy era to the bloodbaths of Nazi Germany, Cambodia, Yugoslavia, and Rwanda.
Many of these cases have a few characteristics in common. It's important to note these in order to anticipate the pattern and be ready to defend our scientists if they are indeed the next class to be thrown to the wolves so as to rile up the masses and distract everyone from what's really going on.
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Update by Miles: "Dominion Virginia Power is interested in building up to 400 wind turbines in Atlantic waters in what could be a powerful message for an emerging domestic source of clean energy," 
From the Democratic Party of Virginia, more criticism of George Allen's latest idiocy:
Bob McDonnell just proved once again how much smarter of a politician he is than Ken Cuccinelli. While Cuccy is like the gung-ho Marine who's always the first to rush into battle -- and hence the first to get shot -- Gov. Bob actually thinks and aims before pulling the trigger.
The Virginia Sierra Club responds to Gov. McDonnell's "Energy Policy and Budget Initiatives" (see on the "flip"), released earlier today. I agree with the Sierra Club's assessment: McDonnell's approach does not acknowledge environmental reality, weakens an already weak, voluntary "Renewable Portfolio Standard" - exactly the opposite of the direction we need to be going - and is simply inadequate in every way to the energy and environmental challenges we face as a state and as a nation. As with the rest of his governorship, Bob McDonnell's initiatives always end up with reminding us of that old, comic tag line: where's the beef? In this case, it's a nothing burger.
The following press release is the Sierra Club and Environment Virginia. Hmmmm...perhaps we should revise our slogan from "Dominion: Global Warming Starts Here" to "Dominion: Mercury Poisoning Starts Here?"
Cross-posted at 
Cross-posted from 
