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The Latest by Bill Walker

April 22, 2009

Become a Citizen of the United States of Efficiency

By Bill Walker

Join Earthjustice's campaign to call for strong efficiency standards

April 16, 2009

Stopping Soot Will Buy Time in Global Warming Fight

By Bill Walker

On the front page of The New York Times today, Elisabeth Rosenthal takes an in-depth look at a global warming problem you may not know much about: black carbon, commonly known as soot. Carbon dioxide is the main culprit in global warming, but recently scientists have found that soot may be responsible for up to …

April 9, 2009

Beyond Petroleum? Beyond Belief.

By Bill Walker

You’ve seen the ads by BP (formerly British Petroleum), Chevron and other oil companies, bragging about their commitment to move "beyond petroleum" by developing new sources of clean, renewable energy. With its enormous financial assets, record profits and technological expertise, could Big Oil lead us to a clean energy future? Don’t hold your breath (unless …

March 25, 2009

Colorado Passes Nation's Strongest Oil & Gas Drilling Rules

By Bill Walker

The Colorado Senate has passed a package of regulations on oil and gas drilling that increases protections for drinking water, wildlife and natural resources. The rules, which will be signed by Gov. Bill Ritter in the next few days, are the strongest, most comprehensive regulations in the nation. A key provision—and the most contentious—will require …

March 9, 2009

Colorado Drilling Rules Pass First Legislative Test

By Bill Walker

Last week, a Colorado legislative committee approved new oil and gas drilling rules that will protect drinking water, wildlife and the state’s natural resources. The state spent almost two years developing the rules, which will be the most comprehensive in the nation, to deal with the impacts of the state’s unprecedented oil and gas boom. …

February 26, 2009

Yucca Mountain, R.I.P.

By Bill Walker

After 21 years of studies, debate, protests and lawsuits—and $9 billion from the pockets of taxpayers—Yucca Mountain is dead. President Obama’s proposed federal budget axes funding for the Department of Energy’s plan to store the waste from nuclear reactors 1,000 feet under a mountain northwest of Las Vegas. Bloomberg reports: Obama and Energy Secretary Steven …

February 13, 2009

Drilling Threatens 'Polar Bear Seas'

By Bill Walker

(UPDATE: Since this was posted, more than 21,000 Earthjustice supporters sent comments to the Minerals Management Service opposing expansion of oil and gas exploration in the "Polar Bear Seas.") The Beaufort and Chukchi seas are home to one in five of the world’s remaining polar bears. That’s why these icy waters north and west of …

January 30, 2009

Dirty Air Raises Risk of Death; Clean Air Extends Life

By Bill Walker

First the bad news. Over the last decade, hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies from all over the world have clearly established a direct link between dirty air and increased risk of death from lung disease. In 2002, for example, California state scientists estimated that microscopic particles of airborne soot from auto exhaust cause more than …

January 5, 2009

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

By Bill Walker

When a chemical maker or user gets new information about the possible health hazards of one of its products, it’s supposed to tell the EPA. The EPA maintains a website that is supposed to make this information available to the public. But when reporters for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel took a look at some of …

December 19, 2008

Air Polluter 'Malfunction,' or Business as Usual?

By Bill Walker

Even when fully complying with federal clean-air laws, refineries are nasty operations, spewing tons of hazardous pollutants into the air of neighboring communities. But under a regulatory loophole, refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities have been allowed to pollute even more during an equipment malfunction, or when shutting down and starting back up following …