Dominion Virginia Power Having Trouble Siting Power Lines

The utiltiy dropped plans to run a high power line through most of Loudoun County. There are very rich and powerful people there so it is no wonder. People are such hypocrites when it comes to energy. They want to use as much as they can but do not want to be inconvenienced by even the mere sight of a tower and lines.

Dominion is planning to use the I-66 right of way but the rich horse country citizens will make it virtually impossible to build the lines anywhere. They will fund the obstructionist environmental groups to block it every else as an encroachment on scenic views. Yet all of these people probably live in large homes that gobble electricity. They probably have multiple televisions, computers and other appliances. They probably have 50 incandescent light bulbs too. Such illogical hypocricy must be challenged and overcome for the good ot the greater society.

G.E. & Hitachi Will Merge Nuclear Divisions

The two companies will merge to compete with Westinghouse (owned by Toshiba & Areva) to build the new but yet built economic simplified boiling water reactor and advanced boiling water reactor.

Hitachi will take a 40% ownership share of G.E. and Hitachi will take a 20% share of Hitachi's nuclear business. (NYT)

Robert Samuelson Is A Global Warming Genius

The Washington Post columnist is so dead on in his article, "Greenhouse Guessing," that it is scary. At first we thought he had lost his mind by criticizing the current Stern Report. But by the end of the article, you had to agree that Samuelson nailed it. Nailed fairly, squarely and scientifically.

Samuelson acknowledges global warming and agrees that something needs to be done about it. He rejects Stern's notions though that you can measure the precise economic effects based on what 'might' happen. Samuelson writes, "No one knows what [global warming's effect] might be, because we don't know how much people might adapt....Unless we develop cost-effective technologies that break the link between carbon dioxide emissions and energy use, we can't do much." Smauelson gets it.

Constellation & Areva Promote Nuclear Power

Constellation Energy Group and Areva formed a joint venture in 2005, Unistar Nuclear, to build new nuclear power plants. Unistar is considering building new nuclear plants at Calvert Cliffs, Maryland and Nine Mile Point in New York.

Areva is a Bethesda based subsidiary of French nuclear power services Areva Group. Constellation is based in Baltimore, Maryland. The new UniStar Nuclear is based in Annapolis, Maryland.

Kyoto Protocol Joint Implementation Mechanism

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has launched a new mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol expected to generate significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming. With the launch of the Kyoto Protocol’s joint implementation (JI) mechanism, developed countries will be able to acquire carbon credits from greenhouse gas emission reducing projects undertaken in other industrialized countries, in particular central and eastern European transition economies.

These tradable carbon credits can then be used to meet emission reduction or limitation commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. JI will generate real projects which will help green the economies of central and eastern Europe. With its launch, we can expect emission reductions in the order of several hundred million tonnes of CO2 by the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The JI is similar to the Kyoto Protocol’s clean development mechanism (CDM), which permits industrialized countries to invest in sustainable development projects in developing countries, and thereby generate tradable emission credits.

While smaller in terms of its emissions reduction potential, it is an equivalent to the CDM with regard to cooperation among countries that have targets under the Kyoto Protocol and a credible alternative to the much-feared ‘hot air.' ‘Hot air’ refers to the concern that some countries will have excess emission allowances under the Kyoto Protocol without undertaking specific efforts to reduce emissions and that they could then flood the carbon market by selling them at lower price, reducing the incentive for other countries to cut emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol presently requires 35 industrialized countries and the European Community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5% below 1990 levels in its first commitment period between 2008 and 2012.

Mailing Address: CLIMATE CHANGE SECRETARIAT (UNFCCC), P.O. Box 260 124, D-53153 Bonn, Germany Office Location: Haus Carstanjen, Martin-Luther-King-Strasse 8, D-53175 Bonn, Germany Media Information Office: (49-228) 815-1005 Fax: (49-228) 815-1999 Web: http://unfccc.int

Our Carbon Mercantile Exchange Is Open for Business

The Center for Environment, Commerce & Energy (the Center) has opened an emissions trading service with carbon dioxide as the main commodity. The Carbon Mercantile Exchange (CMX) is a service that allows clients to trade carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury. Customers can reduce their "emission footprint," the total emissions created by driving, flying, usnig electricity and other activities. CMX is easy to use and fully transparent. All transactions are open for public review. The CMX is a free on-line emissions offset clearinghouse service.

CMX can be used to complement other emissions offset programs. Our mission is to promote verifiable reductions in greenhouse and smog-forming gases. The service is open to everyone. It is a market-based system that will rely on the goodwill of the participants to conduct honest trades. The service is a dynamic portal that will serve as a gateway for innovative emissions reductions. CMX is one part of a global effort to reduce global climate change and smog in our cities.