"The sleek little mower, which looks a bit like a grass-eating version of the Toyota Prius, fires up at the touch of a button and quietly hums along for an hour before it nees recharging." --The Colorado Springs Gazette
AAEA is an environmental organization founded in 1985 that is dedicated to protecting the environment, enhancing human, animal and plant ecologies, promoting the efficient use of natural resources, increasing African American participation in the environmental movement and promoting ownership of energy infrastructure and resources. We resolve environmental problems through the application of practical environmental solutions.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Neuton Battery-Powered Mowers Look & Cut Cool
Maryland & Virginia Electricity Bill Increases
The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008
GREEN PRODUCTS
Carolyn Barnes is pictured above at left holding a bottle of MonaVie, made from the legendary Acai Berry, is one of the few Brazilian exports that can directly protect the mighty Amazon rainforest itself.
New Leaf Paper LLC - - a maker of recycled paper.
Eco-Products Inc - - a Boulder, Colorado company that makes comnpostable dinnerware. They use a corn-based polymer produces by NatureWorks LLC of Minnetonka, Minnesota, a unit of Cargill & Teijin Ltd. of Japan.
TerraCycle - - a maker of fertilizer from worm castings is marketing an artificial fire log for winter chimney use that has soy was as a key component.
Annie's Inc - - a Napa, California-based maker of organic macaroni and cheese, pizza and other foods.
Supreme Court Gives Exxon Relief and Guns To DC
The Supreme Court in a 5 to 4 decision struck down the District of Columbia's ban on handgun possession on June 26 deciding for the first time in U.S. history that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to own a gun for self-defense. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the majority opinion and was joined by Chief Justice John G. Robers, Jr., Anthony M. Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito, Jr.:
Dissenting justices included Stephen G. Breyer, John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg."We hold that the District's ban on handgun possession in the home violates the Second Amendment, as does its prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the home operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense. The Second Amendment surely elevates above all other interests the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home."
We agree with this ruling because law abiding citizens of the District of Columbia and other violence prone cities should be able to protect themselves in their homes. The gun ban has not reduced gun violence in the District of Columbia and Black-on-Black murder with guns is the most immediate environmental threat to youth all over America.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
AAEA Featured in "Black Enterprise" Magazine
McDonald believes that it’s important to reach the African American community in relatable ways. “I’m trying to break the stigma and stereotypes of what an environmentalist is, and repackage it to reach our community,” he says. The organization also reaches its target audience through various programs. McDonald hopes that the group will hit home with African Americans when it comes to issues that they can relate to, one being asthma. “Black people have the power to influence policy issues just as long as they are educated and aware of the issues.” “Our communities are often the path of least resistance for waste,” he explains. McDonald encourages African Americans to voice their opinions, as there is currently no national legislation to protect communities from such toxic waste.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
First New Nuclear Plant Will Be Built In Mississippi
EOI submitted the application for the COL by letter dated February 27, 2008. The application was accepted for docketing on April 24, 2008. The application is liste under NRC's Agencywide Documents Access Management System (ADAMS)under accession number ML080640433. The EOI COL application is also available on the Internet.
In addition, roughly 30 NRC staffers visited Mississippi to gather data at Grand Gulf on June 16 and met with the New Plant organization June 17 through June 18.
Boxer Versus Inhofe on Global Warming: Inhofe Wins
Senator Boxer did get 48 of the 60 votes needed to pass the Lieberman-Warner legislation. AAEA supported the bill and generally supports climate change legislation. We do no support auctioning the offsets. That increases the price tag. The second heavyweight global warming fight will see a new president in office and a new energy bill will probably be in play. But unless energy prices start moving south, prospects for any climate change legislation will be dim. The Ali-Frazier contest still favors Ali (Boxer as Ali and Inhofe as Frazier).
Monday, June 23, 2008
Speculators Helping To Hurt You At the Gas Pump
Black Billionaires Should Buy Exxon Mobil Gas Stations
Exxon Mobil will probably sell the other 10,000 stations that carry Exxon Mobil signs to the distributors that already own and operate those stations. It is projected that the stations will sell for between $500,000 and $2 million. Gas stations clear a few cents profits on each gallon of gas sold. Evidently, the $40 billion from the gasoline stations is not profitable enough for Exxon Mobil when they made $400 billion last year. Regardless, this is an excellent opportunity for a black entrepreneur to get into the oil and gas business. We bet $40 billion is an attractive income figure too.
Obama & McCain On Energy & Environment
PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Robert Boone Retires
Monday, June 09, 2008
AAEA Supports Soccer Stadium In The Washington Post
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Black Enterprise 2008 Annual Report on Black Business
"In the area of commerce , in particular, there is nothing like the threat of recession, economic turmoil, and market uncertainty when it comes to separating the real leaders from the pretenders. In the midst of a rapidly shifting global economy, seemingly filled with limitless amounts of both
adversity and opportunity, true leaders stand out from the rest. Leaders don't chase fortune and fame; they serve missions and are able to articulate a future for that mission in clear, simple language. They understand that wealth and power are not primary objectives, but inevitable byproducts of fulfilling a need and making a consistent, positive investment in achieving a larger goal. Leaders have vision."
[Special Thanks: Tamara E. Holmes--Writer/Editor]
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Congressman John Sarbanes - "No Child Left Inside"
Dear Mr. McDonald:
At a time when the world is confronting issues such as the finite supply of fossil fuels, global warming, and many other important environmental problems, organizations such as yours have helped to raise public awareness and taken steps to improve the environment. Our nation's future relies on a well-educated public to be wise stewards of the environment that sustains us, our families and communities, and future generations. Environmental education in our schools can help us as individuals make the complex, conceptual connections between economic prosperity, benefits to society, environmental health, and our own well being. "No Child Left Inside" has become a national movement to establish environmental education programs that promote healthier children and communities and to inspire the next generation of environmentally conscious citizens.
In line with this movement, I am the author of H.R. 3036, the No Child Left Inside Bill, which would establish environmental education programs that promote healthier children and communities. I am deeply committed to both improving education in our nation's public schools and to protecting our environment. H.R. 3036 combines those goals by: creating a new environmental education grant program, providing teacher training for environmental education, and including environmental education as an authorized activity under the Fund for the Improvement of Education. H.R. 3036 also requires states that participate in the environmental education grant program to develop a K-12 plan to ensure high school graduates are environmentally literate. On April 22nd, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a field hearing at the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge in order to showcase the importance of this legislation.
As an organization committed to improving the environment for future generations, I would like to invite you to join the No Child Left Inside Coalition [We joined]. For more information please visit our coalition website. I look forward to working with you and the other 270 member organizations to ensure our children are ready to address the environmental issues of the future.
Sincerely,
John Sarbanes
Member of Congress
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Society of Environmental Journalists 18th Annual Conference
SEJ is bringing together a diverse selection of tours and concurrent sessions, including one the biggest and best collection of computer lab sessions ever. Energy and climate will be a major focus, with a special emphasis on coal. They will hear from some of the top writers, scientists, industry speakers and environmentalists discussing mountaintop removal, water contamination, sludge pond hazards, air pollution and carbon sequestration. More than 800 people attended last year's conference in Stanford, California, which generated immediate stories and sources for our members.
Environmental Justice Amendment For Global Warming Bill
As an alternative to legislation and as an insurance policy in case climate change legislation does not pass, AAEA has developed a voluntary EJAR program that provides a platform for utilities, automakers and communities to address and influence the Hot Spots issue. Any utility, automaker or citizen can: sell to, donate or purchase compliance allowances from, the voluntary AAEA-EJAR or otherwise support the EJAR program. AAEA is currently meeting with interested stakeholders to develop EJAR projects. AAEA has also developed an emissions trading platform to directly facilitate exchanges. The AAEA EJAR program will leverage allowances and resources to promote environmental justice practices and projects designed to:
1) Increase the installation of pollution control equipment,
2) Promote community education and
3) Enhance health-related activities.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Global Warming Cap-&-Trade Bill On Senate Floor This Week
AAEA Supports S.3036
is being debated on the Senate Floor this week and includes the following provisions:
Provides for selling, exchanging, transferring, submitting, retiring, or borrowing emission allowances. Establishes: (1) a domestic offset program to sequester GHGs in agriculture and forests; and (2) the Bonus Allowance Account.
Establishes the Carbon Market Efficiency Board, which shall observe and report on the national GHG emission market and provide cost relief measures if it determines that the market poses significant harm to the U.S. economy.
Provides for the distribution of emission allowances, including initially giving allowances to: (1) specified owners and operators of covered facilities; (2) states; (3) load-serving entities that deliver electricity to retail consumers; (4) the Secretary of Agriculture to reduce GHG emissions in the agriculture and forestry sectors; (5) international forest protection activities; and (6) the Emission Allowance Account for covered facilities in the electric power and industrial sectors.
Establishes in the Treasury and provides for allocations from: (1) the Energy Assistance Fund; (2) the Climate Change Worker Training Fund; (3) the Adaptation Fund; and (4) the Climate Change and National Security Fund.
Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation to auction emission allowances. Provides for the use of auction proceeds, including for a zero- or low-carbon energy technologies program, an advanced coal and sequestration technologies program, incentives for production of fuel from cellulosic biomass, and an advanced technology vehicles manufacturing incentive program.
Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to set forth provisions concerning appliance energy efficiency requirements and state building energy efficiency code updates.
Requires the President to establish an interagency group to determine whether foreign countries have addressed GHGs.
Directs the Administrator to establish an international reserve allowance program. Requires the proceeds from sales of such allowances to be used to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on other countries' disadvantaged communities.
Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the Administrator to permit commercial-scale underground injection of carbon dioxide for purposes of geological sequestration.
Requires the Secretary of Energy to study the feasibility of the construction of: (1) pipelines for the transportation of carbon dioxide for sequestration or enhanced oil recovery; and (2) geological carbon dioxide sequestration facilities.
Directs the Administrator to establish a task force to study the cost implications of potential federal assumption of liability with respect to closed geological storage sites.
Authorizes the President to waive this Act's requirements in a national security emergency.
Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to direct securities issuers to inform investors of material risks related to climate change.
(1) Under a greenhouse gas reduction program that places a cap on carbon emissions, the cost of building new reactors will be less prohibitive than they currently are without such a program;
(2) The market signal sent by placing a cap on carbon will incentivize investment in mature, zero-emissions technology; and
( (3) The construction of nuclear plants and the manufacturing of nuclear components in the United States will create new jobs for Americans; and
(4) Over 40 years of experience in the United States with commercial nuclear power plants has shown that nuclear reactors can be operated safely.