Charley and I will sit down with EOEEA Secretary Ian Bowles this Friday at 12:30 pm for an on-the-record chat about environmental policies and priorities. Between the Middlesex Fells, the wind regulation bill, and the flap over the water withdrawal policy, there should be a lot to talk about. I’ll live-blog the conversation so that you can participate.
On a positive note, though, the Patrick administration has come to an agreement with the environmental groups that jumped ship over the water withdrawal issue, and the groups have rejoined the advisory panel. That is good news for everyone.
If you have specific questions for Secretary Bowles, drop them in the comments — and please join us Friday at 12:30.
Please share widely!
Please ask Secretary Bowles if he believes that enforcement by DEP should be done so that there is a level playing field, and if so, whether he believes that it is nonetheless acceptable to give a better deal to people and companies who have contributed to the governor or lt. governor or who are somehow connected to the governor or lt. governor, because someone in the governor’s office or eoeea has asked for that.
“No, absolutely not. We don’t even know who has contributed, and if we did, it wouldn’t affect our evaluation.”
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p>Do you have a specific example you want to ask about?
but then they’d have to kill me.
The two single largest contributors to the carbon footprint of America — and indeed, within Massachusetts — are burning coal for electricity and gasoline for transportation. In MA, we also historically have burned oil to generate quite a bit of electricity, although that’s wavered recently as price has fluctuated.
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p>These are also two carbon fuel uses where public policy can exploit the reality that these two uses can be substantially reduced over a ten year period through any combination of taxation (including negative taxation), regulation, zoning, education, infrastructure choices, and so forth.
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p>Please answer both parts: What is Massachusetts doing to reduce our consumption of coal and oil in electricity generation, and to reduce use of gasoline for transportation? AND What percent reduction (increase) of consumption of each of these do we expect within Massachusetts between now and 2015? 2020? 2025?
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p>Note: this is for the whole US. MA uses less than average gasoline per capita, and MA electricity generation in 2005 was 23% coal, 31% gas, 26% oil. The coal number is better than the US average, but the oil is worse and about as awful from a CO_2 perspective.
What is rejected energy? I’m guessing waste heat, based on the fact that the bulk of it is from transportation and electricity generation…
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p>Whatever it is, it’s really upsetting that there’s more of that than anything else — anywhere — on the chart.
I have been sitting here waiting for the Ian Bowles interview to be posted. Did the interview happen or was he scared off?
for your prompt reply to my question. You guys are dripping with class.
Yes, we had the interview. But shockingly, between yesterday afternoon and this very second I have not had the couple of hours it will take for me to sift through the audio, cut it up into easily digestible segments, and write up some highlights.
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p>Of course, if you wanted to pay me for doing that (and all the other thousands of hours I put into this blog), it would be easier to find the time. But since I imagine that you are unlikely to make that offer, you will just have to wait until I have some spare time. Because this blog remains an essentially volunteer enterprise.
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p>Thanks a million for your understanding. Check your attitude at the login screen next time, why don’tcha.
would have sufficed. Maybe just something like, “yes, we interviewed him and its coming soon.” There is a word for you that you must have been called a thousand times so I won’t repeat here.
I didn’t see your previous post until after you posted your snippy one, because I actually didn’t look at this thread between 9:33 pm Friday night and 10:47 am Saturday. Astonishing, I know, but actually true.
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p>Anyway, I accept your apology, and no hard feelings.