Pioneer Days Rodeo moves indoors

An increase in competitors, partially thanks to a new venue, has Curry County Mounted Patrol members excited about the event they sponsor every year. And that’s despite the 39th annual Pioneer Days Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Rodeo moving away from the facility that bears the group’s name. This is the first year for the Pioneer Day’s rodeo at the indoor Curry County Special Events Center. The Curry County Mounted Patrol Arena was the previous home for the event. Mounted Patrol President Richard Hadley may wax sentimental about the feel of an outdoor rodeo, but he also believes the new structure has helped lead to a big increase in this year’s competitors. And that’s a good enough reason to be happy about the rodeo, which begins at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday...ClovisNewsJournal

Song Of The Day #050

For our fiftieth song here is some early Porter Wagoner singing Itchin' For My Baby.

Energy Bill on Track to Pass in Senate

After months of on-again, off-again markups, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee appears on the verge of passing an energy bill that makes good on Democrats’ pledge to tilt the energy balance heavily in favor of renewables. But the regional nature of the energy debate will be on full display when the bill moves to the Senate floor, where the key fights will include a controversial first-time national renewable energy mandate as well as provisions to expand nuclear power, and onshore and offshore drilling of oil and natural gas. Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) before Memorial Day was able to coax enough support from committee Democrats and a lone Republican — Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) — to push through the inclusion of a renewable energy standard of 15 percent by 2021 that is the centerpiece of the bill. Bingaman, a five-term Senator from an oil- and gas-producing state, has been the top Democrat on the panel since 1999 and knows his way around energy issues...Another unresolved issue that will likely drag out on the floor is the yet-to-be revealed oil and gas title of the bill. A Bingaman spokesman said the centerpiece of the section will be a “robust” inventory of oil, gas and renewable energy resources in the Outer Continental Shelf. But committee Republicans, as well as some Democrats, have made clear that they would like to see expanded production included in the bill as well. The timing of the Senate floor debate remains unclear. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said only that the Senate will wait to move on energy until after the House passes its bill, which could occur this month...RollCall

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Through the Ages By Paul Jenks

1803
President Thomas Jefferson negotiates the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and ushers in a long political saga over how to manage the great new expanses of land.

1816
Congress creates the Public Lands Committee, and Ohio Sen. Jeremiah Morrow (Democratic Republican) becomes its first chairman. It is one of the Senate’s original standing committees. For the next 193 years, only two Senators from Eastern Seaboard states will serve as chairman of the committee or its successors.

1831
Alabama Sen. William Rufus King (Jacksonian), who later served as vice president under President Franklin Pierce, leads the committee as a debate between how to distribute public lands roils 19th-century politics. Eastern Seaboard lawmakers favor selling the land to raise money to pay debts, while Western lawmakers favor generous land grants to settlers...

It continues with similar summaries and ends with:

2001
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) becomes chairman of the committee for the first time and alternates the chairmanship with fellow New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici (R) until 2007, when Democrats retake control of the Senate and Bingaman takes over the gavel. The committee is recognized for its collegial and relatively nonpartisan processes.

Obama Administration Proposes Text for New Global Warming Treaty That Would Impose Stricter Rules on U.S. Than on China or Saudi Arabia

The U.S. State Department has provided the United Nations with proposed text for a new global warming treaty that would require the United States to comply with stricter carbon emissions standards than most other countries in the world--including, for example, China and Saudi Arabia--and that anticipates that U.S. taxpayers will provide foreign aid to support efforts to control carbon emissions in developing nations. The text, obtained by CNSNews.com, was submitted in early May to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is developing a new international global warming treaty that is expected to be finalized at an international conference to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December. The treaty will reduce carbon emissions from the U.S. and other "developed" countries while allowing "developing" countries--which include the world's largest polluter, China, and oil-rich nations such as Saudi Arabia--to avoid equal restrictions...CNSNews

Save the Planet. Paint the Roof

The other day, the current Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu was speaking at the "St James's Palace Nobel Laureate Symposium" in London which, if it is not the most pretentiously named meeting on the planet, it must be among the top five, told his laureateal colleagues that we should paint much of the world white to reflect heat back up into space and, thus, cure global warming. I am not making this up. Ok. I made up the word "laureateal" but the rest of this is true. From the London Times: Building regulations should insist that all flat roofs were painted white, and visible tilted roofs could be painted with "cool-coloured" paints that looked normal, but which absorbed much less heat than conventional dark surfaces. Roads could be lightened to a concrete colour so they would not dazzle drivers in bright sunlight...

Rich Galen says Secretary Chu recommended all roads and roofs be painted white to fight global warming. Galen adds green trees, all cars and human heads - all six billion of - them to the list.

What would you add to the list?

Refugees Join List of Climate-Change Issues

With their boundless vistas of turquoise water framed by swaying coconut palms, the Carteret Islands northeast of the Papua New Guinea mainland might seem the idyllic spot to be a castaway. But sea levels have risen so much that during the annual king tide season, November to March, the roiling ocean blocks the view from one island to the next, and residents stash their possessions in fishing nets strung between the palm trees. The chain could well be uninhabitable by 2015, locals believe, but two previous attempts to abandon it ended badly, when residents were chased back after clashing with their new neighbors on larger islands. This dark situation underlies the thorny debate over the world’s responsibilities to the millions of people likely to be displaced by climate change. There could be 200 million of these climate refugees by 2050, according to a new policy paper by the International Organization for Migration, depending on the degree of climate disturbances. Aside from the South Pacific, low-lying areas likely to be battered first include Bangladesh and nations in the Indian Ocean, where the leader of the Maldives has begun seeking a safe haven for his 300,000 people. Landlocked areas may also be affected; some experts call the Darfur region of Sudan, where nomads battle villagers in a war over shrinking natural resources, the first significant conflict linked to climate change...NYTimes

The policy paper is here.

Study says land-use changes part of carbon problem

Cutting down forests for agriculture vents carbon dioxide into the air just as industries and fossil fuel burning does. But policymakers debate whether to include terrestrial carbon in plans to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gases. A new study in Science magazine suggests that failing to include land use changes could lead to massive deforestation and higher costs for limiting carbon emissions. Also, improvements to agricultural technology could be as important as energy system improvements in a carbon-limited future. Oregonian

Using global warming to implement land-use controls - you knew it was coming.

I Wish the Earth Were Warming – It Would Save a Lot of Lives

First, if the earth was warming at a rate of about 1 or even 2 degree per century in recent decades, there are reasons to believe that’s slowed or stopped. One of those reasons is that the “global warming” fanatics have abruptly shifted their rhetoric, adopting instead the new nonsense euphemism “climate change.” This is a clear attempt at inoculation: If it turns out the globe is indeed cooling again, they will merely take their same pre-set, ulterior agenda – huge energy tax hikes to finance bigger government, cripple capitalism, and destroy the freedom-giving automobile, instead forcing everyone to pile like lemmings into “mass transit” – and declare that an identical agenda is now needed to fight “global cooling” … and that we dare not waste any time in debate! Hee-haw! Furthermore, even if the earth did warm a bit in recent decades, there’s no reason to believe man’s activities played a substantial role. Carbon dioxide is not a particularly effective greenhouse gas, nor the most prevalent. (Water vapor is.) Furthermore, the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide generated by man’s activities is infinitesimal. Astronomers tell us that when the earth undergoes modest global warming, Mars does, too. It’s unlikely Mars gets warmer because anyone there is burning coal or driving SUVS. The more likely culprit for the parallel warming of the two planets is solar activity. And third, even if the earth is warming and mankind somehow contributed to the process, no regulations promulgated by the U.S. government can have any useful impact, since the U.S. government has no authority over the activities of fast-industrializing India and China, where new coal-fired generators come on line weekly...LewRockwell

World's undiscovered gas and oil is largely north of Arctic Circle, geologists say

A full 30% of the world's undiscovered gas and 13% of its undiscovered oil are estimated to be located north of the Arctic Circle, U.S. Geological Survey researchers said in a paper published Thursday in Science magazine. The estimate is relatively small compared with known reserves in the major oil-exporting countries, but it is likely to greatly benefit Russia, which has the largest territory in the region, the researchers noted. However, they said, the most likely place for oil in the Arctic is off northern Alaska in the Chukchi Sea. The study, presented by Donald L. Gautier and colleagues, is the first detailed, peer-reviewed and geologically based assessment of natural resources in that region. Most of the undiscovered oil and gas will be found underwater, on continental shelves, the researchers said. The estimate comes at a time when a shrinking Arctic icecap due to global warming is making exploration more feasible. Tensions have risen among nations around the Arctic Circle over how the resources should be exploited. Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has endorsed increased exploration. But conservationists warn that plunging drilling pads into the frozen Beaufort and Chukchi seas and in Bristol Bay could open the door to a catastrophic oil spill in one of the most fragile environments on Earth...LATimes

How Obama Made Energy Platform 'Pop'

...Now, four months into his presidency, Obama has elevated energy and climate issues to near the top of his agenda; he has made them pop by packaging them as ways to create "green" jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on imports of foreign oil. Favoring pragmatism over moral suasion, the president is attempting to make a sharp shift in national policy on an issue that many voters have yet to embrace as a priority, advisers and lawmakers say. His efforts, combined with those of congressional Democrats, have already pushed forward groundbreaking initiatives. February's stimulus act lavished money on projects for renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy research. This month, the White House announced that it had negotiated corporate, state and environmentalist support for higher fuel-efficiency and tailpipe-emissions standards that would clamp the first nationwide limits on greenhouse gases. Finally, the House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 21 approved a bill that would take a cap-and-trade approach to curtailing greenhouse gas emissions, inching closer to a domestic legislative compromise that has eluded climate activists for the dozen years since the adoption of the international Kyoto accords. "Whether or not you think that is a good idea or not depends on your perspective, but no one can deny that the fight going forward and its political implications will reshape how we look at energy issues," said Frank Maisano, an energy industry lobbyist at Bracewell & Giuliani...WPost

Jet aircraft biofuel passes flight tests

Initial tests have found that jet fuel made partly of camelina, algae or other bio-feed stocks can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes by more than 50 percent, doesn’t affect performance and presents no technical or safety problems, a top Boeing official said Thursday. “It meets all jet fuel requirements and then some,” said Billy Glover, who heads The Boeing Co.’s environmental strategy group. Glover said a full report on the test flights would be released next month and aviation biofuel could be approved for use as early as next year. Despite its promise, however, Glover said the real problem is how quickly growers can start producing and refiners processing enough biofuel to make it an alternative to the Jet A fuel used today. Aircraft account for about 3 percent of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions, the principal greenhouse gas, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Though Boeing doesn’t expect much growth in aircraft carbon dioxide emissions, some have estimated they could triple by 2050. Boeing, Virgin Atlantic, New Zealand Air, Continental Airlines and Japan Airlines, along with GE Aircraft Engines, have conducted four tests using a mixture of biofuel and regular jet fuel over the past 15 months. The planes involved included wide-body 747s and single-aisle 737s. The biofuels included blends of babassu, sustainably grown coconut oil, jatropha, algae and camelina...NewsTribune

Carbon capture technology tested

New carbon capture technology is being tested for the first time in the UK on a working coal-fired power station. A 30-tonne test unit will process 1,000 cubic metres of exhaust gas per hour from Longannet power station in Fife. Carbon dioxide will be removed using chemicals and turned into a liquid, ready for storage underground. Energy company ScottishPower wants to test technology which could lead to a full scale carbon capture plant becoming operational by 2014. The UK government recently gave the go-ahead for a new generation of coal-fired power stations provided they were able to limit their CO2 emissions...BBC

The Legal Risks of Building Green

Building green can open the door to plenty of legal pitfalls, a new study warns. The study, by Harvard Law School’s Environmental Law & Policy Clinic and sponsored by Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, a Philadelphia law firm, says that green building raises a number of liability questions. Already, according to Robert Fox, a managing partner with the Philadelphia firm, a number of legal disputes have arisen in the area of green building. “We’re seeing the litigation starting now, and my sense is that there will be more as the government is imposing this as a requirement,” he said, referring to increasing mandates or incentives by governments at all levels to encourage green building practices. According to Mr. Fox, the first lawsuit related to LEED, a green-building certification standard, occurred in Maryland, where a new condominium failed to get LEED certification and a certificate of occupancy in time to get substantial tax credits associated with green building. A legal dispute ensued between the developer and the general contractor and was later settled out of court. Another case, in Albuquerque, shows the potential for conflicts between local and state or federal green building regulations, Mr. Fox said. In response to a filing by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, a federal district judge issued a preliminary injunction that prevented the city of Albuquerque from enforcing its energy code. The judge found that federal statute pre-empted the regulation of heating and air conditioning by the local authority. A final decision is yet to come, according to Mr. Fox...NYTimes

Schwarzenegger Plan Would Close 220 California Parks

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget cuts could mean the closing of up to 220 state parks, among them the home of the world's tallest tree and other attractions that draw millions of visitors. Schwarzenegger this week recommended eliminating $70 million in parks spending through June 30, 2010. An additional $143.4 million would be saved in the following fiscal year by keeping the parks closed. "This is a worst-case scenario," said Roy Sterns, a spokesman at the state parks department. "If we can do less than this, we will try. But under the present proposal, this is it." Among the parks that could be closed, the parks department said Thursday, are Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay, Will Rogers' Southern California ranch and Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which boasts the world's tallest tree, a giant that tops 370 feet. Even the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento is on the list...AP

It's been my experience that when a politician proposes cutting parks they don't really mean it. It's usually used to get the legislators or the public to agree to a tax increase or some other onerous burden they otherwise wouldn't agree to.

The voters in Ca. recently rejected at the polls several of Arnold's proposals to raise revenue, so now he is sticking them in the eye wth his parks proposal.

The voters need to stare the Terminator in the eye and tell him to make a realistic proposal to balance the budget. If he won't, he should be the one terminated.

Food Safety Bill Imposes New Regulations, Fees on Food Industry

A food safety bill making its way through the House of Representatives will result in higher costs for consumers, says a food industry group. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled a June 3 hearing on the bill, which -- according to Democrats -- gives the Food and Drug Administration the authority and money it needs to better ensure the safety of the nation's food supply. The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 would create a registry of all food facilities serving American consumers. All food facilities operating in the U.S. or importing food into the U.S. would be required to register annually with the Food and Drug Administration. An annual $1,000 registration fee would "generate revenue for food safety activities at the FDA," according to a summary of the bill...CNSNews

C.J. Box wins Edgar Award

C.J. Box, a Wyoming writer and member of the local Mystery Writers of America Chapter, was awarded an Edgar Award for BEST NOVEL by MWA. Chosen from a field of approximately 500 novels, BLUE HEAVEN spent four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and has been optioned for film by Michael Besman ("About Schmidt") and Cameron Lamb. It was also selected by the American Library Association as a 2008 Reading List award winner n the category "Adrenalin." BLUE HEAVEN tells the story of twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother who go on the run in the woods of North Idaho, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder--retired cops from Los Angeles, who easily persuade the inexperienced sheriff to let them lead the search for the missing children. William and Annie's unexpected savior comes n the form of an old-school rancher teetering on the brink of foreclosure. But, as one man against four, he knows he needs allies...Examiner

Alliance unites horse owners

The United Organizations of the Horse is a new umbrella group established in response to the growing number of public policy challenges facing American horses, their owners and horse-related organizations. One of the founders is Rep. Sue Wallis, R-Recluse, a rancher and writer, who said she has been working on the organization almost full time since the Legislature adjourned in March. The United Organizations of the Horse seeks to unify all like-minded equine associations and individuals in support of its mission "to promote the humane care and management of horses, and the continued viability of the equine community in the United States of America," a media release said. Wallis claims PETA and the Humane Society of the United states have an agenda to eliminate animal agriculture. The goal of these groups "is to make all Americans vegans," she said...Casper Star-Tribune

I've posted about this group before. Their website is here

"Agriculture" Is Not a Dirty Word

Agricultural science is ripe for a renaissance. For too many years, the agriculture sciences have been disparaged in the science and education communities, perhaps because agronomy, soil science, plant pathology, and animal science use a problem-solving approach rather than simply seeking knowledge. When science research funds are handed out—for example, in the federal stimulus bill—agriculture often gets left off the list. I suspect this is because policy-makers and some scientists see "agriculture" as synonymous with "agribusiness," rather than as a purely scientific discipline, and they assume private funding will take care of agriculture-related research needs. Agricultural scientists at land-grant institutions do receive some research dollars from noncompetitive sources, but not all research is funded this way. Adding insult to injury, the major U.S. science journals don't devote specific sections or editors to agricultural research. Some schools of agriculture have taken the word "agriculture" out of their names, presumably to attract more students in a country where only 2% of the population farms. (It hasn't worked: Enrollment in university agricultural science majors has dropped steadily nationwide since the early 1980s.) In short, agricultural science has an image problem. Our disciplines are not considered relevant and, more disturbing, we're not seen as a source of solutions to many of the world's most pressing challenges, even though many of those challenges directly relate to agricultural science...Science

NAIS system will hurt industry competition

Inherent to every competitive industry is proprietary information. If one competitor gains access to the proprietary information of another, then any competitive advantage associated with that proprietary information is at best lost. At worst, the acquirer of that proprietary information could use it to eliminate competitors. Nowhere in the U.S. economy is proprietary information more important to ensuring competitiveness than in the multi-segmented live cattle industry and beef industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Identification System, however, would grant the four largest meatpackers access to proprietary information held by the thousands of U.S. auction yards and video auctions, as well as cattle feeders. NAIS requires every cattle producer to affix a 15-digit identifier on each animal, which associates each animal to the “premises” of the farmer or rancher who raised the cattle and who sells them to feedlot owners through such markets. NAIS will reduce, if not eliminate, competition in the U.S. cattle and beef industries by granting meatpackers access to proprietary information now held by those markets and feedlots, via the 15-digit identifier. Here’s how: ...AgWeek