Earth Talk | Wind power

Contributors

Dear EarthTalk: I don’t understand why many people oppose wind power just because they have to look at the turbines. If you ask me, wind turbines are much nicer-looking than coal-fired, waste-to-energy or nuclear power plants. – Michael Hart, via e-mail Whether it’s a wind farm, a coal-fired power plant, a nuclear reactor or even…

VPT InDepth | Road worriers

Chris Graham

You’re Pierce Homer, the Secretary of Transportation in Virginia. For five years, you’ve been overseeing reforms at the Virginia Department of Transportation that have six in seven projects completed on time and on budget, nearly three times the rate of efficiency that we saw out of VDOT from the Allen and Gilmore administrations. You’ve seen…

Remarks by President Obama at UN Climate Change Summit

Contributors

United Nations Headquarters New York, N.Y. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you very much. Good morning. I want to thank the Secretary General for organizing this summit, and all the leaders who are participating. That so many of us are here today is a recognition that the threat from climate change is serious, it is urgent, and it…

David Cox | The BeeVees

David Cox

TV has its Emmys, Broadway has its Tonies. Virginia now has its BeeVees, the first annual awards surrounding the yearly Labor Day extravaganza that makes our own Buena Vista the political capital of the Commonwealth. This year was no exception. The current governor, the lieutenant governor, and candidates for all three statewide jobs (those two…

Earth Talk | Oil spills

Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: I haven’t heard much of late about big oil spills like the infamous Exxon Valdez. Has the industry cleaned up its act, or do the media just not report them? – Olivia G., via e-mail In the wake of 1989’s massive Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, when 11 million…

In the News

Chris Graham

– Capitol Hill: Warner introduces bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing TARP transparency, posted Tuesday, 4 p.m. – Capitol Hill: Webb backs Senate measure aimed at strengthening government oversight in mortgage, corporate fraud cases, posted Tuesday, 4 p.m. – State News: Kaine signs agreement with Germany on climate change, posted Tuesday, 4 p.m. – State News:…

Kaine announces actions on Renew Virginia

Gov. Tim Kaine announced action on Tuesday on several pieces of legislation related to his Renew Virginia green initiative, including a series of amendments to bills included in the package. – SB 1248 – Northam This bill originally implemented the number one recommendation of the Climate Change Commission: the establishment of a mandatory energy efficiency…

McAuliffe unveils part one of Business Plan

Chris Graham

I like people who think in terms of business plans. So I’m beginning to like Terry McAuliffe. “I’m taking the same approach to figuring out how to get our economy going again that I’ve taken with businesses I’ve started or turned around. I’m starting with a Business Plan for Virginia,” said McAuliffe, a candidate for…