From Solar Nation :

 The report’s major finding was that electricity from new solar installations in North Carolina is now cheaper than the electricity that would come from proposed new nuclear plants there.  It also found that the continuing downward trend of solar prices will widen the price gap dramatically as time progresses.Reasons for the falling cost of solar include manufacturing and installation advances, economies of scale, and increasingly enlightened tax treatment at both federal and state level in the five years.  Over the same period, design problems and rising cost estimates have led to delays and cancellations of U.S. nuclear projects.  (The average increase in cost estimates for nine such projects is 140%, with some nearly quadrupling or quintupling their original figures).It’s considered significant that these delays and cancellations have mostly occurred in states with open competition for electricity sales.  States with monopoly power markets - many in the south and southeast - are where utilities are still proposing new nuclear plants.

Again, the $3 billion BP has spent on the ‘cleanup’ so far is nothing in comparison to BP’s profits last year.

If the government threatens BP’s Delaware corporate charter, then maybe we see some real action. Until then, BP and government will keep diddling around and not getting the gusher stopped.

In the meantime, the disaster grows- Millions Of Migrating Birds Headed Toward Gulf Oil Spill Mess

Two lessons from BP Gulf gusher-

1) get off fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy
2) get corporations out of government- they are corrupting public priorities

The ‘lamestream media’ keeps citing these huge numbers for the amount that BP has supposedly spent on their oil gusher cleanup.What people  need to understand is that this amount is a small portion of the huge profits that BP made just in the past year.It’s pretty clear that BP is still telling the government what do and not vice versa.That’s why’s it’s past time to apply the ‘corporate death penalty’.

Demand the state of Delaware to revoke BP’s corporate charter.

“BP deserves the corporate death penalty,” Green Change co-founder Gary Ruskin told Corporate Crime Reporter last week. “ BP America Inc. does not have a God given right to perpetually violate our laws with near impunity.”

“Look at BP’s record. The Gulf of Mexico catastrophe. Three environmental crimes, one deferred prosecution agreement, and a very long string of big fines and other wrongdoing.”

“There comes a point when enough is enough. Our nation should not have to tolerate any more abuse from this company. No more deaths, no more catastrophes, no more giant pollution disasters.”

“The corporate death penalty will remove BP America Inc. from the field of action. It will stop their carelessness and lawlessness – for sure.”

“If our laws mean anything at all, we’ve got to draw a line in the sand and say that if you violate our laws again and again, you will lose your charter.”

“Deterrence is very important. We’ve got to revoke BP’s charter to deter other companies from acting with such carelessness.”

“If we don’t, then we basically invite other companies to cut corners everywhere, and disregard the law, because the consequences won’t be worth worrying about.”

“We can expect that the threat of charter revocation will make companies act with greater respect for environmental, health and safety laws.”

“Severe wrongdoing deserves severe punishment. When a company does something as awful as the carelessness that lead to the Macondo oil rig blowout and disaster, they deserve the corporate death penalty.”

“This is a simple matter of justice and of the dignity of our society, and really, of all of us.”

On Tuesday night, President Obama addressed the nation in regards to the disaster that continues to pour oil from a damaged BP deep water well into the Gulf of Mexico.  The Green Party urges all its supporters to continue to contribute, volunteer, and support Green Party candidates on the local, state, and federal level as they put pressure on the United States Congress and Obama administration to respond quickly and effectively to the continuing crisis.

Green Party leaders and candidates have been responded to this crisis since the initial explosion on April 20th that killed eleven workers and caused the massive oil leak that has yet to be stopped.

Jill Stein, Green Party candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, said on April 22nd:

“We are shocked that President Obama has reversed his campaign position and adopted the Republicans’ ”drill, baby, drill” agenda. The President intends to allow the fossil fuel industry to drill in wide ocean expanses that have been off-limits to drilling for two decades. There is no way to guarantee complete safety from spills.

If part of the east coast of the US suffered a spill comparable to the Exxon Valdez spill of 1989, the result would be a catastrophe for public health and valuable natural habitats.”

On April 29th, the Green Party of Florida called on Florida Governor Charlie Crist and President Obama to declare a state of emergency and “take immediate action to mobilize all available resources to protect coastal communities and wildlife habitats”.

The Green Party notes that although President Obama announced a moratorium on new deep-water drilling permits in Tuesday night’s address, deep-water wells currently in operation are continuing to pump oil.

The President announced that he will require BP to establish a relief fund to help cover clean-up expenses.

Howie Hawkins, Green Party candidate for Governor of New York, noted:”It is imperative that the US government seize BP’s assets to insure they are used to pay for damages and clean-up from the oil blowout before BP’s executives and owners cash out and leave the taxpayers holding the bag. It is equally imperative that the trustees of the fund to administer the use of BP’s seized assets represent the people affected and include Gulf Coast representatives of the workers, unions, and small businesses of the fishing, shrimping, crabbing, tourism, and recreation industries, local elected officials, and independent scientists and environmentalists.”

President Obama noted that “For decades, we have talked and talked about the need to end America’s century-long addiction to fossil fuels. And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires. Time and again, the path forward has been blocked - not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor.”

The Green Party hopes that the Obama administration can finally summon the courage to tackle our national addiction to oil.  For decades, the Green Party has worked to introduce concepts like sustainability and ecology into the American political debate.

Rich Whitney, Green Party candidate for Governor of Illinois, notes that “a new political force is emerging to help win the struggle for a healthy and sustainable environment: The Green Party.”

All of our candidates and party leaders continue to call for those in power to use our resources to stop this disaster, clean up the oil, and take real steps to make sure that future accidents with destructive fossil fuels never happen again.

    Support the Green Party!Donate today. A Greener future is within our reach. Your donation today can help us bring the vision we share a little closer to reality.

Mainstream media seems to be underreporting the impact of the BP oil spill.From ISS :

Air tests from the Louisiana coast reveal human health threats from the oil disaster

The media coverage of the BP oil disaster to date has focused largely on the threats to wildlife, but the latest evaluation of air monitoring data shows a serious threat to human health from airborne chemicals emitted by the ongoing deepwater gusher.

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATEShttp://www.gp.orgFor Immediate Release:Wednesday, May 5, 2010Contacts:Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.orgStarlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.orgGreen Party Speakers Bureau: Greens available to speak on energy policy, climate change, and related issues:http://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-energy.phphttp://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-ecological.phpThe Green Party’s 2010 Annual National Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, June 24-27http://greenpartymeeting2010.wordpress.comMedia credentialing page: http://www.gp.org/forms/mediaMore information: 1-866-41-GREEN, office@gp.orgWASHINGTON, DC — Green Party leaders called on President Obama to cancel his call for offshore drilling in US waters off the Atlantic and Alaskan coasts, as the spreading British Petroleum oil spill threatens ecosystems and public health in the Gulf region. Greens also urged the President to hold BP and Halliburton liable for all costs associated with the spill.On Friday, President Obama signaled that his administration is not reconsidering plans to expand offshore drilling in the wake of the Gulf spill (”Obama won’t back off drilling plans, but pledges safeguards,” McClatchy Newspapers, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/30/93216/obama-wont-back-off-drilling-plans.html).”President Obama’s reluctance to set aside his offshore drilling proposal is comparable to the reckless disregard shown by President George W. Bush and other public officials before and after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast,” said Miriam Gennari, Green Party candidate for Arlington County, Virginia, School Board.”No technology can guarantee complete safety from a spill. According to an assessment by Minerals Management Service of the damage to offshore oil and gas infrastructure caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 183 pipelines were damaged and 113 platforms were destroyed, with six spills of 1,000 or more reported (”MMS Updates Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Damage,” May 1, 2006,http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2006/press0501.htm). The 167 million acres of ocean near the Atlantic and Alaskan shores will be vulnerable to the same disaster that the Gulf states are facing right now,” said Ms. Gennari.Greens said that President Obama’s capitulations to energy lobbies, including a plan to construct new nuclear power plants (http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=297) and his support for “clean coal” while refusing to seek a halt to mountaintop removal mining, have surpassed those of President Bush, a former oil executive and enthusiastic ally of such industries.The Green Party supports much stricter federal regulation of fossil fuel extraction and nuclear power, to protect workers, communities, and ecosystems, and an end to public subsidies for fossil fuel and nuclear industries. Greens have warned about the consequences of economic and environmental policies promoted by these industries to guarantee their own profits at public expense. Many Greens favor a moratorium on offshore drilling operations until tighter regulations and adequate insurance (not just BP’s self-insurance policy) are in place.”President Obama wants to establish a bipartisan alliance with ‘drill, baby, drill’ Republicans to boost oil industry profits while trying to end US dependence on foreign oil sources. But the problem isn’t just foreign oil. It’s all fossil fuels, which have proven disastrous in the short term, with the BP spill threatening the Gulf coast, and in the long term as we face global climate change. Democratic Party leaders deserves sharp criticism for their refusal to renew annual bans on offshore drilling beginning in 2008,” said Audrey Clement, co-chair of the Green Party of Virginia (http://www.vagreenparty.org) and co-chair of the national party’s EcoAction Committee (http://www.gp.org/committees/ecoaction/index.php).Greens insisted that BP and Halliburton, the oilfield-services company that handled the rig’s cementing process, be held financially liable for the effects of the spill.”No amount of money can possibly compensate for the lives lost and the damages caused by this disaster, which will be felt for years to come,” said Michael Canney, spokesperson for the Green Party of Florida (http://www.floridagreens.org) and green energy advocate. “Taxpayers and Gulf Coast residents must not be left holding the bag for cleanup costs and damages. BP and Halliburton must be held accountable, even if it means impounding their assets to ensure these bills get paid.”On Thursday, April 29, the Green Party of Florida asked President Obama and Florida Governor Charlie Crist to declare a state of emergency as dead birds and chemical odors were reported along the state’s Gulf coast, and in anticipation of greater damage to beaches and other coastal areas (http://bit.ly/c3hM7k).MORE INFORMATIONGreen Party of the United States http://www.gp.org202-319-7191, 866-41GREENGreen candidate database and campaign information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtmlGreen Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtmlGreen Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakersGreen Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-electionsGreen Party Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus“Two fossil-fuel dangers threaten America’s economic health, public health and natural habitats: coal and offshore drilling for oil, say Greens on Earth Day 2010″Green Party press release, April 22, 2010http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=311“More on the Oil Gush…”By Anita Steward, OpEdNews.com, May 3, 2010http://www.opednews.com/articles/More-on-the-Oil-Gush–by-Anita-Stewart-100502-286.html?show=votesThe Green Party’s 2010 Annual National Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, June 24-27http://greenpartymeeting2010.wordpress.comMedia credentialing page: http://www.gp.org/forms/mediaMore information: 1-866-41-GREEN, office@gp.orgGreen Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United StatesWinter 2010 issue now onlinehttp://gp.org/greenpages-blog~ END ~

From Facing South:

A report released yesterday warns that the design of the Westinghouse reactor makes it particularly vulnerable to through-wall corrosion — already a widespread problem with existing commercial reactors — and thus the possibility of leaking radiation in the event of an accident. The report was commissioned by the AP1000 Oversight Group, which involves more than a dozen nuclear watchdog organizations.“The potential consequences of a radiation release to the environment from a small hole or crack in the AP1000 containment are significant,” according to the report by Arnold Gundersen, a nuclear engineer with Fairewinds Associates of Burlington, Vt. and a former senior executive in the nuclear power industry.His concerns about the reactor’s design are supported by Rudolf Hausler, a corrosion engineer with NACE International, a Houston-based organization devoted to the study of corrosion. Hausler states in an affidavit attached to the report that he agrees with Gundersen’s assessment “in its entirety.”The groups behind the report — which include the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League,Friends of the Earth and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy – are calling on the Obama administration to suspend the licensing process for the AP1000 reactors as well as consideration for taxpayer-backed construction loans. They also urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to launch an investigation into the design flaw.“We believe the Obama administration must put the brakes on,” says BREDL Science Director Lou Zeller.

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATEShttp://www.gp.orgFor Immediate Release:Thursday, April 22, 2010Contacts:Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.orgStarlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.orgGreens demand an end to mountaintop removal mining, poisoning of water, lethal worker safety violations, and industry corruption and control over government policyObama’s offshore drilling plans threaten Alaska and the Atlantic coast with public health disasters and devastations of natural habitatsGreen Party Speakers Bureau: Greens available to speak on energy policy, climate change, and related issues:http://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-energy.phphttp://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-ecological.phpWASHINGTON, DC — On Earth Day 2010, Green Party candidates and leaders said that coal and offshore drilling for oil represented two severe threats to America’s public and environmental well-being, and urged President Obama and Congress to reverse course on both.”There are millions of jobs waiting to be created in conservation, retrofitting, new and clean energy sources, expansion of public transportation, and environmental clean-up,” said Martin Zehr, co-chair of the Green Party’s EcoAction Committee (http://www.gp.org/committees/ecoaction/index.php). “President Obama promised many such jobs, declaring correctly that they would help jump-start the economy. Instead, we’re seeing no cessation of mountaintop removal mining, continued promotion of the ‘clean coal’ myth, and a new White House plan to open up 167 million acres of ocean along America’s pristine Alaskan and Atlantic coasts for offshore oil and gas drilling.”"It’s not a matter of only reducing foreign oil imports. The century of global climate change demands that we drastically reduce fossil fuel consumption and replace it with alternative kinds of energy,” said Mr. Zehr.COAL“The coal industry’s corruption and reckless disregard for human life were on display when 29 non-union miners lost their lives in West Virginia on April 5 because of Massey Energy’s failure to correct serious safety violations regarding the ventilation of methane gas. The same disregard is behind the coal industry’s mountaintop removal mining operations, which are turning West Virginia and parts of other states into crater-covered, highly toxic landscapes. It’s time to end disastrous practices that pervert the very potential of a sustainable coal economy, and bring millions of skilled, high-paying new jobs to these states in conversion to clean energy,” said Jesse Johnson, Mountain Party candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates. (The Mountain Party (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34077835814&ref=ts / http://www.mtparty.org) is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States.)”Mortality in Appalachian Coal Mining Regions: The Value of Statistical Life Lost,” a study published in the July-August issue of Public Health Reports (http://www.health.wvu.edu/newsreleases/news-details.aspx?ID=1217), reports that, while coal mining contributed about $8 billion to the economies of Appalachian states, the costs of reduced life-spans associated with coal mining were $17 billion to $84.5 billion due to the continued use of illegal and immoral non-union mining practices.The Green Party has demanded a halt to mountaintop-removal operations, which have destroyed over 500 mountains in West Virginia, filled in nearly 1500 miles of head waters, and caused toxins to be dumped into freshwater streams and rivers. The Public Health Reports studied offered evidence that the coal industry is causing sickness and early death not just among coalminers but among populations living near mines, processing plants, and transportation centers. The combined effects have elevated poverty rates in Appalachian states and beyond.Greens have disputed industry claims that ‘clean coal’ can be a safe, alternative energy source that will help curb greenhouse gas emissions (http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=242).OFFSHORE DRILLING“We are shocked that President Obama has reversed his campaign position and adopted the Republicans’ ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda,” said Dr. Jill Stein, Green Rainbow Party candidate for Governor of Massachusetts (http://www.jillstein.org). “The President intends to allow the fossil fuel industry to drill in wide ocean expanses that have been off-limits to drilling for two decades. There is no way to guarantee complete safety from spills. If part of the east coast of the US suffered a spill comparable to the Exxon Valdez spill of 1989, the result would be a catastrophe for public health and valuable natural habitats.”Besides the Exxon Valdez and other spills, Greens pointed to Tuesday’s massive explosion aboard an oil platform off the Louisiana coast, in which 11 workers remain missing, as evidence of the risks of offshore drilling.Greens said that the offshore drilling plan proves that the Democrat-Republican leadership is more interested in bipartisan agreements that satisfy the demands of Big Oil rather than a solution to America’s fossil-fuel addiction as the effects of global warming continue to mount. Green leaders especially faulted Democrats for not renewing annual bans on offshore drilling beginning in 2008.President Obama’s capitulations to energy lobbies — also evidenced by his plan to construct new nuclear power plants (http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=297) — have now surpassed those of President Bush, a former oil executive and enthusiastic ally of such industries.MORE INFORMATIONGreen Party of the United States http://www.gp.org202-319-7191, 866-41GREENGreen candidate database and campaign information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtmlGreen Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtmlGreen Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakersGreen Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-electionsGreen Party Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyusGreen Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United StatesWinter 2010 issue now onlinehttp://gp.org/greenpages-blog~ END ~

 Lets get those offshore wind turbines turning…From SmartPlanet.com :

 Texas is increasingly relying on wind turbines to create electric power and that’s annoying the state’s natural gas industry.

The Wall Street Journal chronicles the wind power vs. natural gas feud. The Journal notes how the argument that wind power is a compliment to other fuels doesn’t hold up. Turns out wind can be a replacement for other fuels. Meanwhile, the wind turbine industry has matured rapidly to the point where it can be a replacement.

And the real kicker: Tudor Pickering & Holt, a Houston investment bank, contends that the natural gas used to power electric plants could fall by 18.5 percent by 2013 as plants sit idle.

February 24, 2010Dear Friends:A quick reminder that tomorrow, Thursday, February 25, is the National Call-Congress Day to stop the Obama Administration’s proposed $54 Billion loan program for new nuclear reactor construction–otherwise known as a giant taxpayer giveaway to wealthy nuclear corporations.You can reach every member of Congress through the Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121.We ask that your call your House Representative and both of your Senators, if at all possible.Our asks are these:*we want them to publicly oppose the President’s request for a tripling of the Department of Energy loan “guarantee” program to $54 Billion.*we want them to vote against this program in committee if possible and on the floor if it comes to the floor.We are supplementing the Call-Congress Day with your letters.*If you haven’t written to your Representative yet this week, please do so here.*If you haven’t written to your Senators yet this week, please do so here.Please drop us a quick e-mail (to nirsnet@nirs.org) and let us know that you called, and any response you receive.This is a National Call-Congress Day, being sponsored by several groups, including NIRS, Public Citizen, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Beyond Nuclear, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and others.Let’s keep those phones ringing all day long! Help us spread the word! Make sure everyone has the opportunity to participate. Your actions matter!Thanks for all you do,Michael MariotteExecutive DirectorNuclear Information and Resource Servicenirsnet@nirs.orgwww.nirs.orgP.S. if you’ve never signed the statement on nuclear power and climate (“We do not support construction of new nuclear reactors as a means of addressing the climate crisis. Available renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are faster, cheaper, safer and cleaner strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions than nuclear power.”),please visit our home page, www.nirs.org to sign.