Energy & Environment: Markey Wants Answers on Rare Earths
• Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., "is pressing the Obama administration for information about alleged Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals used in defense and energy technologies, warning of threats to U.S. interests," The Hill reports.
• "Three months after BP capped its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Louisiana is still building a chain of sand berms off its coast to block and capture oil even as federal officials and many scientists argue that the effort will prove pointless," the New York Times reports.
• An Idaho couple has "sued the state to stop the shipments by Imperial Oil and ConocoPhillips" to an oil sands site in Canada, "arguing that the" truck loads delivered there "would threaten the integrity of Idaho's historic portion of U.S. 12, as well as the safety of communities that depend on it as the main road in and out of the area," the Times also reports. "National environmental groups and climate change activists are supporting their efforts, seeing a broader opportunity to stall development of Canada's oil sands, which they denounce as a dirty source of energy. "
• "Combating climate change has long taken a back seat to coal production in West Virginia, but in the hard-fought House race in this state's 1st district, global warming hasn't even made it onto the bus," The Hill reports. "In interviews on Thursday, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for Congress voiced skepticism of the science behind global warming, and the Republican, David McKinley, flatly called concerns about climate change 'an attack on coal.'"
Contributor
Kevin Kennedy
Biography provided by participant
Kevin M. Kennedy joined WRI's Climate and Energy Program as Director of the U.S. Climate Initiative in April 2011. In this capacity, he oversees the Institute's domestic climate and energy strategy, working with federal agencies, Congress, state governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to advance a clean energy economy and respond to climate change. In addition to developing cost-effective, low-carbon policies, Kennedy will support WRI's work with top American companies to develop new clean energy innovation strategies.
Prior to joining WRI, Kevin served as the Assistant Executive Officer in charge of the Office of Climate Change at the California Air Resources Board (CARB). In this role, he had broad responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), including leading the team responsible for evaluating and developing market-based compliance mechanisms, incentives, voluntary actions, offsets and other approaches for achieving emission reductions in support of AB 32. Mr. Kennedy holds a Ph.D. from the Energy and Resources Group at University of California, Berkeley, and has more than 20 years experience in energy and environmental policy.
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