sundance

The light bulb ban that wasn’t

Heard the news? Incandescent light bulbs will be banned come 2012. The government will force you to buy mercury-laden CFLs or expensive LED bulbs… so better start stockpiling the light bulbs now!

You may have run across this rhetoric, especially now that California has chosen to implement upcoming federal standards a year early (they started on January 1). You may be tempted to pick up a case or two of incandescents. But if you dig just a bit deeper, you’ll find that much of the rhetoric surrounding these new regulations is just that…

Repeat after me: there is no light bulb ban on the horizon.

Gabby Giffords: Congress’ voice for solar power

No doubt most of us are still experiencing some shock after Saturday’s mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, which took the lives of six people, and wounded 14, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Dignitaries from President Obama to Arizona governor Jan Brewer have spoken highly of Giffords’ work ethic, passion, and common-sense approach to policy.

Annie Leonard & the Story of Stuff Project take on the cosmetics industry

Lead in your lipstick? Carcinogens in your child’s baby shampoo… even when it’s labeled “natural” or “organic?” It turns out that cosmetics and personal care products have been on the voluntary self-regulation train for generations… so Annie Leonard and the folks at the Story of Stuff Project have once again teamed up with Free Range Studios to make another video: “The Story of Cosmetics.”

Are required eco-driving lessons an affront to personal liberty?

Whether you agree with the argument or not, you might understand how global warming legislation might be viewed as a government intrusion into the private sector. Same might be said of the “no child left inside” bill? But mandating “eco-driving” habits be taught to teenagers? While this seems relatively harmless, a bill introduced by Detroit Democrat Bert Johnson into the Michigan legislature has spurred debate over the proper roles of both driver’s education and government.

Clean Cruise Ship Act Introduced to Stop Raw Sewage Dumping

Nearly identical bills to prevent cruise ships from discharging raw, untreated sewage in U.S. coastal waters were introduced Wednesday in both Houses of Congress.

The Red Rock Wilderness Act: Our Chance to Be Present at the Creation

This week marks an historic turning point for people who love the wild canyon country and sweeping mesas of Southern Utah. For the first time, the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest and Public Lands will consider a bill designed to protect millions of acres of spectacular Utah lands as wilderness.

All of these lands—some of the last great places on earth—are owned by the public, but most of them remain vulnerable to industrial development. America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act would protect them from oil and gas development, uranium mining, and off-road vehicle use. Meanwhile, hunters, anglers, hikers, and families could continue to enjoy them, including the renowned Cedar Mesa, San Rafael Swell, and the Book Cliffs.

This is our chance to be present at the creation. If we pass the Red Rock Wilderness Act, we can tell our grandchildren we helped birth the latest Yellowstone. We can say we preserved treasures equal to Zion, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks. We can add to the wilderness inheritance of future generations, and they will thank us for it.

300 Groups Ask Senate for More Powerful Climate Bill

A coalition of more than 300 groups, representing the faith, human-rights, social justice, and environmental communities, sent a letter to U.S. senators today demanding energy and climate legislation that is much stronger than the measure approved by the House of Representatives in June.

Teddy Kennedy’s environmental legacy

As commentators, politicians, and friends mourn the death of Senator Edward Kennedy, much of the discussion has focused on the issue that the Senator himself described as “the cause of my life”: health care reform. A tweet from fellow green blogger Chris Baskind reminded me that Kennedy also had a strong record on environmental issues. [...]

Australian Senate Kills Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme

The Australian Senate Thursday defeated the Rudd Government’s attempt to limit climate change with a carbon emissions trading scheme and 10 related bills.

Congress takes another shot at No Child Left Inside

Richard Louv’s 2005 book Last Child in the Woods introduced the phrase “nature deficit disorder” into our lexicon. Louv argued that kids spend much less time outdoors, and, as a result, not only fail to develop an appreciation for and connection to nature (and, by extension, the importance of environmental challenges), but also suffer from health problems such as obesity, attention deficit disorder, and even depression to a greater degree.

Waxman-Markey takes first step towards a cleaner, more efficient energy economy

Friday’s passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) signaled a definite shift in US policy towards energy use and climate change. Though the bill had its detractors — most notably Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and even progressive Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) — ACES, or Waxman-Markey, set new standards for clean energy adoption, energy efficiency, and, most notably, greenhouse gas emissions.