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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. Just a few of his accomplishments on this front:

• Targeting the “oil depletion allowance”: according to a list of accomplishments available on his Senate website, in 1975, Kennedy was responsible for trimming a rather generous tax deduction for oil producers.
  
  
• Co-sponsoring fuel efficiency standards: Kennedy co-sponsored the original legislation establishing CAFE standards, and also supported the ‘07 increase in those standards.
  
  
• Supporting mass transit: Kennedy fought to keep Amtrak funded, and to also raise “the monthly amount of the employer-based federal mass transit tax benefit from $105 to $200,” putting it on par with a federal parking tax benefit.
  
  

Of course, Kennedy also raised the ire of many environmentalists in a least one case: he was adamantly opposed to the Cape Wind project off of Nantucket Sound.

Maybe it wasn’t “the cause of his lifetime,” but Senator Kennedy clearly had an impact on environmental policy and legislation during his storied tenure in the Senate. Other issues will likely receive more attention in the next few days, but it’s worth considering — and perhaps even debating — Kennedy’s environmental legacy.

So, what do you think? Will Kennedy be remembered as a champion of environmental protection and conservation? Should he be? Share your thoughts…

Image credit: Kennedy’s official photo via Wikimedia Commons

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

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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.

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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.

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