We know that many of you have unanswered questions about Vermont Yankee and its impact on your community. Join CLF’s team of experts and fellow community members for a discussion about Vermont Yankee, our vision for a clean energy future and how we can get there. Now is your chance to join in the discussion – and get answers to the questions you may still have. Vermont Yankee Q&A Thursday, June 10th 6:00-8:00pm The River Garden 157 Main Street Brattleboro, VT RSVP to events@clf.org or by calling 800.370.0697 x760 by June 7th. We hope to see you there!

In probably the most honest headline published since the start of the BP oil disaster, today’s Miami Herald writes “With no clear plan, experts brace for worst.” US Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen is contemplating an attempt at plugging the gushing well with a collection of shredded tires, golf balls and other assorted technologically advanced clogging materials. Meanwhile, the BP spokesperson on the scene says, “I have every confidence we’ll find a good temporary solution.” When asked for particulars he revised his confidence to say he has every “hope and prayer.” Another step towards honesty. “Sometimes we are not prepared for adversity,” as Cannonball Adderley once said. Why not approach adversity with honesty? Oil booms, chemical dispersant, skimmer boats and prep to wash oily wildlife are the basic tenets of oil spill response. For all the creativity and commitment read more…

The political landscape seems to be shifting in response to BP’s oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. An overnight poll of Florida residents shows a remarkable shift in public opinion on the value of oil drilling off of their coast. Are these results at all surprising since Floridians are seeing the approaching slick to their heralded beaches? Let’s put it in the context of the previous Florida oil storm, which came in the manner of a multi-million dollar lobbying onslaught by a secret group of out-of-state oil companies in late 2008 and through 2009. This secret cabal was so careful about hiding their indentities that their names are still unknown to Florida citizens despite creating a debate that was on the front pages for months. What a difference an exploding oil platform makes.  Now, the Democrats in read more…

As the BP oil spill heads east the US Coast Guard, BP and the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection are planning a coordinated response in the event that oil reaches the western coast of Florida, reports Offshore Magazine, a publication dedicated to issues related to the offshore oil drilling industry. (The ability to plan is certainly a good thing because, as we all know, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.) Late yesterday NOAA predicted that impacts will not reach the western coast of FL for at least 72 hours at current rates. However, the reports are coming in of the oil slick now moving within a few miles of the Mississippi and Alabama coasts. Preparing for a catastrophic oil spill on Florida’s famously white sand beaches reminds me of read more…

As the Great Oil Gush of 2010 continues we look to our elected leaders for solutions, consolation, inspiration and really good sound bites. Right there on the ol’ Gulf Coast, down around Mississippi way there’s a man by the name of Gene Taylor, Democrat, Member of the House of Representatives. Congressman Taylor hustled up a Coast Guard plane ride to get a good look at the millions of gallons of oil headed into the shores, estuaries and highly profitable fishing grounds. After investigation he offered these soon-to-be-regretted words: “It’s not as bad as I thought it’d be.” Expounding on the fruits of his research Rep. Taylor concluded, “A lot of people are scared and I don’t think they should be.” The oil, you see, will break up naturally and even looks like a rainbow on read more…

Out of sight, out of mind—until of course, 2 million people are left wondering why they don’t have clean drinking water. This weekend’s Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) water main break, which spilled millions of gallons of drinking water into the Charles River, should alert us to a larger and often hidden crisis of under-funded water infrastructure across the country. The underground pipes that provide our drinking water and that convey our sewage away from homes and businesses are typically hidden from sight, but are increasingly drawing attention through catastrophic failures. While the cause of the MWRA pipe burst is not yet clear (officials report the pipe was only 7 years old), this incident signals that continued oversight and investment is needed to keep our water infrastructure working to protect health read more…

Only Rush Limbaugh’s fevered imagination could have hatched the idea that environmentalists caused the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: RUSH: I want to get back to the timing of the blowing up, the explosion out there in the Gulf of Mexico of this oil rig. Since they’re sending SWAT teams down there now this changes the whole perspective of this. Now, lest we forget, ladies and gentlemen, the carbon tax bill, cap and trade that was scheduled to be announced on Earth Day. I remember that. And then it was postponed for a couple of days later after Earth Day, and then of course immigration has now moved in front of it. But this bill, the cap-and-trade bill, was strongly criticized by hardcore environmentalist wackos because it supposedly allowed more offshore read more…

Understandably, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (which seems to be the first oil spill to have a Facebook page) has been the subject of intense interest on this blog (repeatedly), in New Orleans (which incredibly finds itself in the cross-hairs of ANOTHER disaster) and in nearby Florida, where brilliant and acerbic environmentalist Carl Hiaasen (buy his books, especially the ones for kids) makes his mark on the subject. But here is a different angle on the disaster. Consider the recent episode here in New England where a quarter of the population of Right Whales were spotted feeding in an area where whales are not normally found. This reminds us that putting an inherently dangerous activity like oil and gas drilling anywhere in the ocean is read more…

Increased wind speed late yesterday started putting oil on Gulf Coast beaches about 10:00pm last night. Our colleagues at the Gulf Restoration Network are working hard to deal with the oil onslaught. The federal government is stepping up their response and making sure we all know they are. White House political chief David Axelrod announced this morning that they are putting off any new drilling until the administration conducts an “adequate review.” Let’s hope that means at least an immediate moratorium for the Atlantic coast and the Arctic, where drilling could go forward this summer. (Could you imagine a similar spill scenario that occurs under Arctic sheet ice? With no oil booms, skimmer boats, 100-ton steel caps or airplanes dumping “dispersants” in sight?) Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida has already announced he read more…

As if New Orleans hasn’t suffered enough, Yahoo News and the Times Picayune are now reporting that the Crescent City’s residents are being assaulted by the odor emanating from the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Apparently strong winds are blowing fuel-scented fumes into the city from the massive oil slick that is now just a few miles from the Louisiana coast.  Yahoo News quotes one resident as saying that “it smells like it’d smell if a bus was in front of you blowing out exhaust fumes right in your face.” It’s pretty hard to chant “Drill, baby, drill” when you are gagging on the fumes from a nasty oil spill.  I hope Louisiana’s Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu, a longtime apologist for the oil industry and agitator for more off-shore oil exploitation read more…