New Proposed Climate Change Bill in Washington Is Simpler and More Equitable

On Sept. 22, in a speech to 100 world leaders gathered at the United Nations to discuss climate change, President Barack Obama declared the U.S. “determined to act.” But at the same time, word began to circulate on Capitol Hill that the Senate might be equally determined not to vote on the climate bill any time … Read More

ACORN: Federal Government’s Best Investment Ever

Date: 23 Sep 2009 | posted in: equity, From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

To understand the current attacks on ACORN, and the organization itself, we need to go back more than 60 years, to the 1930s and the New Deal, when for the first time, the federal government accepted responsibility for directly helping the non-working poor. These programs were expanded in the 1940s, but in the 1950s, a backlash … Read More

Might private, not public, be the dirty word?

Consider: Which of these sectors is the one really doing a number on society? At the birth of the American republic, the word “private” had a sinister connotation. Derived from the Latin privare, meaning to reduce or tear apart, it described behavior often contrary to the public interest. In the late 18th century, a pirate was called a privateer. Today “private” has become a positive, even boosterish word, while “public” carries a shady undertone. “Private sector” has become synonymous with efficiency and innovation, while “public sector” connotes bloat and unresponsiveness, even corruption.… Read More

Why Does the Much-Touted Climate Bill Look Like It Was Stolen From the Republican Playbook?

Date: 8 Jun 2009 | posted in: Energy, From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Most environmental leaders and Democratic Party officials argue that we should support the Waxman-Markey carbon cap and trade bill (American Clean Energy Security Act) no matter how imperfect because it represents an important small step forward.  In this commentary by David Morris, he concludes that the bill would be acceptable if it was stripped of its cap and trade provisions. Retaining the cap and trade provisions and he sees it as a giant step backwards that may well hobble further progress in federal efforts to combat climate change for years to come.

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ILSR’s Minnesota Carbon Tax Shift Archives

In the 1990s, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and other energy activists in Minnesota undertook an effort to get Minnesota to adopt a billion dollar "tax shift" that would have raised the cost of energy while reducing taxes on income and/or property. ILSR was integrally involved in the design of the legislative proposal and examined the impacts on various sectors of Minnesota’s economy. Below you will find the archive of the materials that were prepared to support the initiative. Over several years, the proposal was debated extensively but never enacted into law. … Read More

The Energetics of Ethanol: An Introduction and Link to Studies

Date: 12 May 2009 | posted in: Energy | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Does it take more energy to make ethanol than is contained in ethanol?  That question continues to haunt the ethanol industry even after nearly 30 years of expanding production.  Over the years more than 20 scientific studies have examined the question.  This document contains links to the major studies of the subject completed during the last decade or so.… Read More

David Morris speaks on the Challenge of Going Green in a Recession

Date: 27 Apr 2009 | posted in: Energy, From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

On Sunday, April 26, David Morris addressed a crowd hosted by the DFL Education Foundation, on the challenges of developing renewable energy in a time of economic turmoil.  His remarks follow:

I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this distinguished audience this evening.  My charge is to address the question, “Can We Be Green in a Recession?”  Or as the teaser for this meeting puts it, can we be green without green?

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If it’s citizens vs. utilities, utilities win

The PUC has an approval process that stacks the deck against the public.

A few days ago the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved a massive high voltage transmission project (known as CapX) that will cost Minnesotans an amount equal to the projected biennium state budget deficit and four times the total bill to taxpayers for the Gopher and Twins stadiums. 

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