I think we’re all pretty familiar with corporate greenwashing, in which toxic companies attempt to downplay their destructive habits by touting any little green effort they can muster.  But as we move towards a green economy, we must be wary of businesses that try to pass of their pollution-based operations as beneficial for the planet.  One such effort is underway from the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, a coal industry front group that has spent $1.3 million in ads leading up to this year’s presidential election, which suggest that using coal power is “environmentally responsible”.  Despite this ruse, and efforts to create “clean” coal technology, the reality is that this dirty, destructive, and limited resource is not the answer to our worlds energy needs, and definitely not the solution to climate change.

As John Grant writes in his book, The Green Marketing Manifesto:

You can’t put a lettuce in the window of a butcher’s shop and declare that you are now ‘turning vegetarian’.

And for a good laugh, check out NRDC’s parody of the coal industry.
takepart by joining the Stop Global Warming Virtual March.

As our very own Jon Popham reported, oil prices fell to a five-month low yesterday - and the Environmental Protection Agency wants to keep it that way in the wake of Hurricane Gustav.  To ensure a steady supply of gasoline, the EPA announced Monday it would “waive certain quality standards” for fuel in Texas, according to a Reuters article.

‘We recognize the environmental benefits of these fuel programs. However, to minimize or prevent problems with the supply of gasoline, I am today issuing this waiver of the RFG and RVP requirements for the covered areas in Texas that are subject to these standards,’ EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said in a letter to the Texas Governor that was obtained by Reuters on Monday.

The waiver will be in effect for one more week, until September 10.  The article also notes that the same waiver was granted Louisiana last week.

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Good Morning America! Hello!!! The Pacific Ocean is a mess. GMA has a story this morning about the world’s largest trash dump. And guess where it is? That’s right, the  Pacific Ocean.

This Great Pacific Garbage Patch is mainly made up of non-biodegradable plastic and smaller pieces in the patch extends thousands of miles, from California’s coast to China.

ABC news reports, that series of currents in the Pacific Ocean pull debris from North America, Asia and the Hawaiian Islands into this toxic stew which then lands into a graveyard of 3.5 million tons of trash that’s 80 percent plastic.

The amount of garbage has more than doubled in 5 years and it is making its way into wildlife.

“I found 26 pieces of plastic, all different colors inside one stomach,” said marine researcher Christiana Boerger.

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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.

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The Atlantic City Convention Center is planning to build the largest solar paneled roof in the United States. The center is hiring PEPCO Energy Services of Arlington, VA to install solar on 290,000 square feet of its roof. Under the arrangement, PEPCO will pay to install the panels and the Convention Center will then buy the electricity back from PEPCO.

The center says the panels will supply 25% of its electricity needs and will save it aproximately $4.4 Million over the course of the twenty year contract with PEPCO. The project will create 2.36 megawatts of energy each day, enough to fill the electricity needs of 280 homes, making it the largest solar project installed on a single roof in the entire country.

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Geothermal power is experiencing a boom in Germany thanks to forward-thinking legislation there.  The new law has made it financially feasible to drill wells deep enough to hit the high temperature water in the earth’s crust necessary for this clean energy source. 

In 2004 less than 0.4% of Germany’s electricity supply came from geothermal energy.  But after a renewable energy law that went into effect that year set prices at .15 Euro/kilowatt hour a construction boom was set off from which several new power plants are beginning to come online.

Geothermal electricity production has the advantage of being available all day, every day in the locations where drilling for it is feasible.  In volcanic locations like Iceland the technology is already used extensively due to the closeness of heated pools of water to the earth’s surface and subsequent ease of accessibility. 

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Mother’s Day is this Sunday (don’t forget!), so be sure to take a look at some of the great posts we’ve put together in celebration of moms everywhere! Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

Katie Halper:

Top 10 Mother’s Day E-Cards

Hillary Andrews Will Not Lick Bob Stokes’ Swizzle Stick

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Nicole Hughes:

Top 10 Green Gift Wrap Ideas For Mothers Day

Peak Oil Strip Tease

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Andy Kondrat:

Tornado Devestated Town Rebuilds As Green Model Community

Radiohead Attempts An Eco-Friendly World Tour

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Jon Popham:

Nepalese Art Photography: Rubin Museum of Art

America’s First Wind-Powered City

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Giulia Rozzi:

Women For Women International Celebrates Mothers Day

Even More on the Kentucky Derby

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Gina Telaroli:

Video Blog: The Week In Social Action

The War Now Tomorrow and Forever

Rock Port, Missouri (pop. 1395) has become the first city in America to be powered 100% by wind energy. The Loess Hill Wind Farm, built entirely within the cozy confines of Rock Port, is now online with four 1.25 megawatt wind turbines, capable of collectively producing 16 gigawatts of electricity annually. Rock Port’s historic consumption of electricity averages around 13 gigawatts, giving the northwest Missouri town a net surplus of 3 gigawatts of electricity which will be sold to the Missouri Public Utility Alliance.

You can by learning more about wind energy on the website of the American Wind Energy Association, the trade association of the wind power industry. The AWEA educates the public regarding wind power and lobbies politician to create responsible public policy that further utilizes this clean, sensible technology.

Latino voters are overwhelmingly concerned about the environment and global warming, according to a national survey conducted by the Sierra Club. Previous studies show that Latino communities in the United States are disproportionately affected by climate change and environmental pollution, with some 91% living in urban areas where polluted air increases the risk of illnesses like cancer and asthma.

The poll also showed that:

**Overwhelmingly (80%) said that energy and environmental issues have “a lot” or “some” impact on the quality of life and health of their families. These voters have a high level of exposure to toxic sites.

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