Horses, flounder, major measures, coal-to-solar switching

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

California adopted a "Low Carbon Fuel Standard" to eventually reduce the carbon footprint of vehicle fuel sold there, counting the impact of biofuel-related changes to land use. (Los Angeles Times editorial, set three days before the measure was approved, but--with associated comments--describing the issue's controversy well)
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-lowcarbon20-2009apr20,0,1679884.story

Report-out from the first day of hearings on the current big "climate bill." (Grist, which has since been posting daily updates on the hearings. Keep checking grist.org if you're interested.)
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-23-as-biz-leaders-call-for-a/

For the fourth time in two years, the governor of Kansas vetoed a bill to allow construction of two coal-power plants (Associated Press).
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1140243.html

The EPA proposed new restrictions on mercury and other toxins emitted by cement kilns, after being sued for not doing so. (Earthjustice)
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2009/federal-government-cracks-down-on-mercury-pollution-from-cement-kilns.html

Earthjustice convinced a Florida power company to replace plans for a coal-power plant with plants for a solar-power plant. (Naples Daily News editorial)
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/apr/11/editorial-solar-powered-plant-proposal-looks-winne/

Winter flounder fisheries have declined in New England, and inter-state fishery regulators are considering their options. (Brunswick Times Record)
http://www.timesrecord.com/website/main.nsf/news.nsf/0/CE0A47AE604971EF852575A00059D7B9?Opendocument

Lobster-trap reductions were proposed for reducing whale entanglements. Somehow, the idea is meeting resistance. (Bangor News)
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/104153.html

New York Times
Obama signed a bill newly designating two million acres of "wilderness" in nine states. [It had been rejected by the House in March, but was re-introduced]
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/wilderness-lands-bill-becomes-law/

On the continuing "problem" of wild horses in the western US, and whether equine birth control can solve it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/science/21horse.html?ref=science