Daily Green

Hello and good afternoon all. In today’s news:

• Oil leak is stopped for first time since April 20 blowout;
• Obama reacts cautiously to hopeful BP test results;
• Bills targeting oil industry move forward in House committees;
• How polluters are misleading CA voters;
• Scientists alarmed about sweeping Green Chemistry Initiative;
• Renee Sharp: “Green Chemistry Draft Regs: Toothless, Limited, Biased Toward Industry”;
• A California campaign with global consequences;
• “Intersolar Chair: CA Losing Solar Race”;
• The future of solar in California;
• State sues Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over clean energy;
• Brian Leubitz: “We Can Be Better than Spain: Building a Green Economy”;
• David Lewis: “Don’t Pave My Bay!”;
• Toxic-waste sites haunt Silicon Valley;
• Salad mix recalled as E. coli threat;
• Geologists protest bill to remove state rock;
• Mixed report on local air quality;
• EPA finds more problems at California toxic dump;
• Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman square off, separately, on CNBC;
• More in state politics;
• David Allgood sends you into the weekend with an oil-rich Cure for Insomnia.

Top News

Washington Post, Los Angeles Times 7/16/10
“Oil leak is stopped for first time since April 20 blowout”
“The gusher is gone. The plume is off the well. BP's Macondo well isn't dead yet, and it may be back in a flash, but at 3:25 p.m. Eastern time Thursday it ceased to spew oil into the Gulf of Mexico.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/07/15/ST2010071506710.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-20100716,0,1365992.story

New York Times, Washington Post 7/16/10
“Obama Reacts Cautiously to Hopeful BP Test Results”
“BP said on Friday the early test results on its recently capped undersea well were heartening and there were no signs of fresh oil leaks, as the stricken well in the Gulf of Mexico held tight overnight and into the morning.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/17/us/17spill.html?_r=1&hp
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/16/AR2010071602518.html

Los Angeles Times 7/16/10
“Bills targeting oil industry move forward in House committees”
“Legislation inspired by the BP spill includes environmental and worker safety measures and a conservation fee to go toward parks and other protected areas.”
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-congress-20100716,0,2674372.story

CLCV Blog 7/15/10
“How Polluters are Misleading Voters”
“But the problem isn’t just a matter of limiting campaign contributions. There’s a serious accountability flaw in the way campaign contributions are disclosed… Here’s the key difference: some groups are purposefully deceptive about who they actually are. Groups like Put California Back to Work are largely funded by corporate interests that do not actually represent the groups their names suggest they represent. However, you wouldn’t know that unless you actually looked them up on the Secretary of State campaign finance website, as they don’t disclose this fact on their campaign materials because they don’t want voters to know who they actually are. And why would they?”
http://www.ecovote.org/blog/?p=2656

California Watch 7/16/10
“Scientists alarmed about sweeping Green Chemistry Initiative”
“Thursday marked the last day the public could comment on the draft regulations proposed for California’s sweeping new Green Chemistry Initiative. Several prominent scientists, public health officials and environmental organizations expressed their dismay – including the state’s own scientific advisory panel, the Green Ribbon Science Panel.”
http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/green-chemistry-initiative-greeted-dismay-chemical-company-wish-list

California Progress Report 7/16/10
Renee Sharp: “Green Chemistry Draft Regs: Toothless, Limited, Biased Toward Industry”
“California’s Green Chemistry Initiative has been touted as a bold and innovative move toward more effective and efficient regulation of industrial chemicals in consumer products. But the Initiative’s draft regulations would perpetuate the most serious flaws of the current system: too weak, too slow and stacked against the public in favor of industry.”
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/7955

Center for American Progress 7/15/10
“A California Campaign with Global Consequences”
“This November, California voters are in danger of undoing one of the most progressive pieces of environmental legislation ever passed.”
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/07/prop23.html

State Environmental News

Climate Watch (KQED-FM blog) 7/16/10
“Intersolar Chair: CA Losing Solar Race”
“Despite frequent pronouncements by the outgoing governor of the Golden State, the chair of the giant solar industry expo that winds up in San Francisco today says ‘California and the US are losing badly in the global race’ for solar energy deployment.”
http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/07/15/intersolar-chair-ca-losing-solar-race/

Forum (KQED-FM) 7/15/10
“The Future of Solar in California”
“California officials are fighting a move by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to block a major green energy financing program. We find out what this means for homeowners who want to install rooftop solar panels. And with a major international solar conference meeting in San Francisco this week, we talk to experts about the future of the industry in the state.”
http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R201007150900

California Report (KQED-FM) 7/15/10
“State Sues Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Over Clean Energy”
“California is suing federal mortgage lenders to stop them from effectively blocking a loan program that helps property owners make their homes and businesses more energy efficient. Attorney General Jerry Brown announced the lawsuit in San Diego yesterday.”
http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201007150850/b

Calitics 7/15/10
Brian Leubitz: “We Can Be Better than Spain: Building a Green Economy”
“The California economy is bigger than that of Spain. The Spanish economy is roughly 1.46 trillion, ours is roughly 1.85 trillion. Spain has plenty of sun, we have plenty of sun. Spain has a population that is concerned with the environment, as does California. (Though we'll get some hard numbers with the Prop 23 question of AB32 repeal.) So why is Spain now producing a nuclear power station's worth while we're still dithering around the margins?”
http://www.calitics.com/diary/12145/we-can-be-better-than-spain-building-a-green-economy

Huffington Post 7/15/10
David Lewis: “Don’t Pave My Bay!”
“The gushing oil in the Gulf of Mexico is a daily reminder of how vulnerable our bays, estuaries and oceans are to devastation from human activities. But the efforts of brave people over decades also prevented man-made destruction that threatened to shrink the West Coast's largest bay to a narrow river. Now thousands of people are working to restore San Francisco Bay for people and wildlife. So it's shocking that the country's largest private corporation proposes to pave over San Francisco Bay salt ponds where tidal marsh could be restored.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-lewis/dont-pave-my-bay_b_641058.html

Wall Street Journal 7/15/10
“Toxic-Waste Sites Haunt Silicon Valley”
“Silicon Valley is home to one of the nation's heaviest concentrations of toxic-waste sites. The costly effects of the region's tainted industrial past can be seen in this city's eastern outskirts. Here a residential neighborhood sits 2,000 feet from a toxic-waste site once used as a chemicals-processing plant run by Romic Environmental Technologies Corp. Romic processed hazardous materials like solvents, fuels and inks from local technology companies and other manufacturers for nearly 50 years. The facility was closed in 2007 after a series of environmental and safety violations.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111704575355212354653420.html

Sacramento Bee 7/16/10
“Salad mix recalled as E. coli threat”
“State health officials on Thursday warned Californians not to eat a brand of pre-packaged salad mix containing romaine lettuce that was possibly contaminated by E. coli bacteria.”
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/16/2893907/lettuce-recall.html

San Francisco Chronicle 7/16/10
“Geologists protest bill to remove state rock”
“It takes real effort to impugn the reputation of an inanimate object, but there is a movement gaining traction in Sacramento to strip the California state rock of its lofty title for what geologists say is a trifling offense: It contains asbestos.”
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/16/MN3T1EE9KS.DTL

Wall Street Journal 7/15/10
“Mixed Report on Local Air Quality”
“In eco-concerned California, the Bay Area can claim at least one environmental bragging right: better air quality. But locals may have their geography to thank as much as fewer vehicle emissions. The Bay Area recently scored better in air quality than Southern California and the Central Valley by two measures—ozone and particle pollution—according to the American Lung Association.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704075604575357613754478720.html

Associated Press 7/16/10
“EPA finds more problems at California toxic dump”
“For the second time in four months, federal investigators have found problems at a central California landfill that local residents blame for birth defects, and ordered the West's largest toxic waste dump to clean up soil tainted with a cancer-causing chemical.”
www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i6d3EEYoSv77LjGeeXtndR74eNnwD9GVSI1G0

State Politics

Capitol Alert 7/15/10
“Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman square off, separately, on CNBC”
“In the closest forum to a debate so far, Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman appeared on Larry Kudlow's show on the cable business news channel CNBC this afternoon, but not at the same time.”
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/07/jerry-brown-and-meg-whitman-sq.html

Capital Notes 7/15/10
“Meg's Booklet: The November Edition”
“The gubernatorial campaign of Meg Whitman has a new edition of their much publicized (and probably very expensive) policy booklet ready for the fall election. And while it's being marketed as a more targeted look at her plan to create jobs, what it rewrites -- and leaves out -- from the first edition feels like another sign of a pivot from a partisan primary to a broader general election contest.”
http://blogs.kqed.org/capitalnotes/2010/07/15/megs-booklet-the-november-edition/comment-page-1/

Los Angeles Times 7/16/10
“Meg Whitman attacks Jerry Brown on job-creation issue”
“The gubernatorial candidate criticizes her rival for not offering a plan to boost employment and unveils a 34-page booklet on the issue, which she plans to mail to voters statewide.”
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0716-whitman-20100716,0,5892309.story

California Watch 7/16/10
“Whitman out-raises Brown 4 to 1 in large donations since primary”
“Meg Whitman has out-raised Jerry Brown four to one in large contributions during the month-plus since the June 8 primary, further adding to her already massive cash advantage heading into election season, state campaign records show.”
http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/whitman-outraises-brown-4-1-large-donations-primary

Calitics 7/15/10
Robert Cruickshank: “Meg Whitman Plans To Spend $30 Million to Build Republican Party”
“Meg Whitman's overall politics are very much like Arnold's. But we're starting to see a very big difference in how they treat the rest of the Republican Party. Whereas Arnold didn't have coattails, Whitman is doing her best to buy them.”
http://www.calitics.com/diary/12144/meg-whitman-plans-to-spend-30-million-to-build-republican-party

Daily News 7/16/10
“More than 1,000 nurses converge in Atherton to rally in front of Meg Whitman's house”
“The tree-lined Atherton street where Meg Whitman lives was overrun Thursday afternoon by roughly 1,000 nurses clad in red scrubs, who staged a rally and political skit in front of the Republican gubernatorial candidate's home to demonstrate their opposition.”
www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_15527306

Sacramento Bee 7/16/10
“Whitman backs off on immigration inspections”
“Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is backing away from a key immigration proposal she advanced in this spring's competitive GOP primary after farmers and other business interests expressed displeasure with her idea.”
www.sacbee.com/2010/07/16/2894084/whitman-backs-off-on-immigration.html

Sacramento Bee 7/15/10
“Ad Watch: Whitman attack on Brown's record stretches truth”
“Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is running a TV ad attacking Democratic nominee Jerry Brown's record on taxes and jobs and depicting him as a hand of unions and special interests. Following is text of the ad and an analysis by David Siders of The Bee Capitol Bureau:…”
www.sacbee.com/2010/07/15/2891240/adwatch-whitman-attack-on-browns.html

San Jose Mercury News 7/16/10
“Fiorina lags far behind Boxer in money race”
“Polls show the Senate race between Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina is a dead heat, but Boxer is miles ahead in the all-important contest for campaign dollars, their campaigns reported Thursday.”
www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15526930?nclick_check=1

San Mateo Daily Journal 7/16/10
“Fiorina opposes Wall Street overhaul legislation”
“Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina says she would have voted against the financial regulation bill approved Thursday by Congress. The former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO says the legislation does not solve the problems that caused the nation’s financial meltdown.”
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=136101&title=Fiorina%20opposes%20Wall%20Street%20overhaul%20legislation

Los Angeles Times 7/16/10
“California controller's fortunes have risen through battles with governor”
“Since his election in 2006, John Chiang has clashed with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on slashing employees' pay to fix a budget impasse. But this year, he may be running out of arguments.”
www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/la-me-chiang-profile-20100716,0,7481534.story

David Allgood’s Extra-Special Friday Cure for Insomnia

Local News From the Golden State:

Trapped chinook salmon moved to cooler waters.
www.chicoer.com/news/ci_15529384

Desert areas reportedly hot this summer.
www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_15524839

Federal judge halts BLM wild horse roundup.
www.thedesertinde.com/Articles 2010/Federal-Judge-Halts-Interior--0715.html

Kern County sued over allocating water to new development.
www.mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=7166&current_edition=2010-07-09

Draft of Klamath dam removal project legislation released.
www.siskiyoudaily.com/newsnow/x1445281863/Official-draft-Klamath-legislation-released

Anti-recycling patriot from Don’t Tread On Me (DTOM) group running for Ridgecrest City Council seat.
www.ridgecrestca.com/newsnow/x242415744/One-more-candidate-adds-their-name-to-the-field

Mt. Shasta City won’t support cloud seeding ordinance.
www.mtshastanews.com/newsnow/x680546302/Mount-Shasta-City-wont-support-water-rights-ordinance

The Big Spill, Day 87:

BP Gadget now being tested to determined if valves can be closed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10658519

BP may stick asset buyers with liability for Gulf damage claims.
www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-16/bp-may-saddle-asset-buyers-with-suits-as-claims-rise-toward-100-billion.html

Whistle blower says BP cleanup is in disarray.
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/16/bp-whistleblower-oil-cleanup-disarray

BP disaster has negative domino effect on the lives of Gulf residents.
www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/us/16land.html?_r=1&hp

Pets being abandoned as BP disaster leaves people without livelihoods.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/15/oil-spill-gulf-pets-aband_n_647663.html

Some Gulf residents have trouble believing BP spill has stopped.
www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_15527682?nclick_check=1

Fossil Fuel Funtime:

Massey Energy's disabling mine safety monitors called wide spread practice in firm and industry's operations.
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128555903

AK Rep. Don Young defended BP's safety record in Alaska, says despite faulty maintenance and subsequent oil spill, people shouldn't connect it to the catastrophe in the Gulf.
www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/16/97637/bps-pipeline-safety-record-defended.html

Lawmakers press EPA for assurances that the toxic dispersant used by BP is safe.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58798

EPA wants more authority over oil dispersants.
www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/15/15greenwire-epa-chief-calls-for-more-authority-over-disper-72278.html

Utilities signaling support for carbon caps but want "relief" for other pollutants.
www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/15/15climatewire-utilities-signaling-support-for-carbon-caps-37350.html

Groups sue coal plant touted by Texas as permitting success.
www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/15/15greenwire-enviro-groups-to-sue-coal-plant-touted-by-texas-8391.html

BP spill investigation expanded to thousands of abandoned wells.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/15/gulf-oil-spill-abandoned-wells_n_648517.html

Court rules that director must give Chevron limited outtakes in lawsuit over devastating pollution in Ecuador.
www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-crude-20100716,0,6616868.story

Senate will hear BP terrorist for oil allegations.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/07/gulf-oil-spill-bp-lockerbie-conspiracy-accusations-fly.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+(Greenspace)

Seal Beach demands BP, Arco remove contaminated soil.
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/a-clockwork-orange/seal-beach-bp-arco-soil/

News from the Homeland:

More than half of new power in US is green.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58806

Climate bill falls short of Obama's Copenhagen promises.
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/16/us-senate-climate

BP spill undermines US renewable energy manufacturers.
www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-16/sunpower-vestas-lose-more-than-big-oil-from-spill-as-energy-bill-fails.html

Energy efficiency helps homeowners avoid foreclosure.
www.enn.com/energy/article/41541

Ignorance, obstacles mar sea turtle protection.
www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2010/2010-07-15-091.html

Diabetes, air pollution linked.
www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/diabetes-linked-to-traffic-air-pollution-and-inflammation/

Saving sea turtles one egg at a time.
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-turtles-20100715,0,2244379.story

News Of The World:

June 2010, hottest June ever recorded. Climate change skeptics say June isn't a month.
www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/jul/16/june-2010-warmest-recorded

Mammoth hunters helped change climate.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58805

Illegal logging down worldwide, still major problem.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58800

News from the EU:

More than half of new power in EU is green.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58806

Italy proposes regulated market to stop speculation in oil.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58803

News from the land of Many, Many People:

Scientists create more effective CO₂ absorbing crystals.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58799

Environmental degradation causes emergence of environmental groups.
www.economist.com/node/16592268?story_id=16592268&fsrc=rss

News from the Damp Isles:

BP faces sentencing in oil depot explosion.
www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/15/bp-buncefield

Despite enormous liabilities ahead, BP shares soar on word that gadget is working.
www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/16/bp-shares-rise-oil-well-capping

BP increases investment in bio-fuels.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58802

News From The Land Of the Four O’Clock Sun:

Gov't cracks down on roadside salmon sales.
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/government-cracking-down-on-roadside-salmon-sales-near-port-alberni/article1641783/

Park board likely to quash vote on imprisoning whales in Vancouver aquarium.
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/plan-to-poll-vancouverites-on-captive-whales-appears-doomed/article1640568/

Winnipeg's spraying war on mosquitoes has residents fuming.
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/winnipegs-fogging-war-on-mosquitoes-has-residents-fuming/article1641884/

US environmental groups attack Alberta tourism over oils sands development.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58801

News From the Rest of the World:

Is the tide turning on deforestation?
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/is-the-tide-turning-on-deforestation/

Red Sea corals threatened by rising temperatures.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-10646290

Sydney, Australia buys electric car fleet.
www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2010/2010-07-15-01.html

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