2010 August Environment & Climate News (pdf)

The August issue of Environment & Climate News reports how Gulf Coast states are taking the initiative in protecting their environments from the BP oil spill. Also in this issue:

• The Connecticut legislature seriously considered a bill rolling back the state’s aggressive renewable power requirement, but a back-and-forth battle between legislators seeking to loosen the mandates and those working to tighten them ended in a draw.

• Minnesota’s moratorium on new nuclear power plant construction remains in place despite growing efforts to remove it. The Minnesota House voted to allow new nuclear power plant construction, but the Senate took no action on the bill.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a new genetically modified soybean containing healthier oils. The soybean has no trans fats and will produce oil with omega-3 fatty acids.

• Alaska state officials are objecting to the Obama administration’s decision to list more than 187,000 square miles--almost the entire U.S. polar bear population’s range--as critical habitat.

• Efforts to reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by replacing coal and natural gas with wind power appear to be doing more harm than good. A new study finds greater use of wind power increases CO2 emissions.

• Producers of domestic corn ethanol and makers of imported sugarcane ethanol have launched advertising campaigns against each other, seeking congressional action to promote their own interests at each other’s expense.