Sound the Alarm, Vote No on California Proposition 26

While you and your friends are marking the “No” box on your ballot for Proposition 23, be sure to do the same for its less glamorous and more underhanded cousin, Proposition 26.  If it passes, this proposal will shift enormous costs for pollution and its effects from rich corporate polluters over to California’s cash-strapped  taxpayers, i.e., you, me, our kids, and our neighbors.

Proposition 26 is a deliberately disingenuous attempt by oil, tobacco and alcoholic beverage companies to prevent new fees to be levied on the products or consequences of their industries.   Oil companies, for example, want to avoid having to pay new fees that would help pay for the clean-up of oil spills they cause.  They instead want to force California taxpayers to pay for their oil spills.  They cravenly hide this agenda behind the pleasantly mainstream-sounding slogan, “No Hidden Taxes.”

EPA Thumbs Nose at Climate Leaders Program, Corporations

Read the amazing report below from Paul Baier, Vice President of Consulting for Groom Energy Solutions, regarding how the U.S. EPA not only cancelled its acclaimed Climate Leaders Program without explanation but also butchered how it handled the situation.  One wonders what EPA has in mind.  With an increasingly conservative Congress successfully stifling legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, working proactively with more enlightened corporations through incentives and market-driven approaches seemed like an intelligent approach.  What's next, EPA?

I can't paraphrase better than Baier's original prose so I won't.  I'll add one word only: Disgraceful.  Here is the report from Paul Baier:

Dear Colleague,

 Notes from a Stunning EPA Climate Leaders Meeting

The EPA having just unexpectedly cancelled its voluntary carbon reporting program a few weeks ago, held its annual (and last) Climate Leaders meeting this week in New Orleans. Originally scheduled to be a 2.5 day event, it was hastily shortened to 2 half-days. Here are a few of my observations from the meeting.