Adding to the list of irreparable damages left for a legacy, President Bush and his cronies are now set to open 10,000 acres of public land in eastern Utah, to allow for drilling of natural gas and oil.  The Bureau of Land Management plans to auction off the tracts of land, which border three national parks, conveniently one month before Bush leaves office, making it difficult for the next administration to reverse the plan.  According to the New York Times:

National Park Service officials say that the decision to open lands close to Arches National Park and Dinosaur National Monument and within eyeshot of Canyonlands National Park was made without the kind of consultation that had previously been routine.

This is a lasting impression we can’t afford to let Bush leave behind.

takepart by supporting the National Parks Conservation Association and help protect these natural treasures.

Related:  Inconvenient Truth of the Day

Photo: Arches National Park, NYTimes

Nevada, it’s not just for gamblers anymore. The Silver State is seeing an industry boom the likes of which it hasn’t experienced since the growth of its gambling industry starting in the 1950’s. A state that was once on the verge of losing its statehood after changes in the mining industry caused a massive drain in population - which in turn lead the state to legalize both gambling and prostitution ,in certain underpopulated counties, in order to draw residents back within its borders - is now seeing the same arid, sun drenched conditions that burdened it being turned into an asset through the rapid growth of the solar power industry.

Witness the opening of Ausra’s solar thermal power plant factory in Las Vegas last week which will produce the hardware necessary to convert all that free, clean, renewable sunlight out there into power we all can use. At full capacity the plant can produce equipment to generate 700 MW of electricity - enough to power 500,000 homes. The future of solar looks practically limitless in Southern Nevada, with the Bureau of Land Management having received applications for production facilities capable of producing up to 10,000 MW, projects that could bring up to $40 Billion worth of investment to the state.

Read the rest of this entry »

The United States Bureau of Land Management has reversed itself on a freeze it implented on solar development on public lands. The moratorium had been announced just a month ago, but public pressure forced the agency to undo the decision.   Thus, the government will continue to accept applications for plants to be built across the West (official website for the project here).

The freeze came on May 29, when, if you recall, the energy crisis wasn’t really doing any better. The Bureau had stated it would not accept applications for solar power plants until a study had been done on the environemntal impact of solar power had been concluded, which would take two years.

Read the rest of this entry »

The US Government has placed a moratorium on all new solar projects on public lands citing (get this) environmental concerns. The Federal Bureau of Land Management says a two year study of the potential environmental impact solar plants could have on public lands is needed before any new work on production facilities can proceed.

The decision by the Bureau which came down in late May has caused much consternation in the fledgling solar power industry, where fears are growing that the government is hobbling the industry and its access to empty, sunny public lands of the West and Southwest, just when the appetite for clean, renewable alternative energy sources such as solar is taking off.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Holly Gordon, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for solar thermal energy company Ausra, told the New York Times, “The Bureau of Land Management land has some of the best solar resources in the world. This could completely stunt the growth of the industry.”

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s June 27th, I’m Gina Telaroli and this is TakePart.com’s look at the week in social action

Volcano power and geothermal energy are becoming increasingly attractive potential sources of renewable energy. These clean, natural power sources could even supply up to 25% of the electricity used in the United States in just a few short decades according to energy experts.

Currently Alaskan state officials are conducting a survey of potential volcanic and geothermal hotspots within the state. The spots will then be leased to energy companies to further explore the sites for their potential. The firt such lease-sale is set for this August on Mount Spurr, a volcano that erupted in 1992.

Beyond Alaska, virtually all Western states as well as those on the Gulf of Mexico are conducting geothermal research on their lands. The Feds are getting in on the act too, with the Bureau of Land Management having just completed a survey of 11 Western states & Alaska for “lands with high potential for renewable geothermal resources”. The study found 200 million acres of public lands with geothermal potential.

Read the rest of this entry »