Happy Friday! Oil hit record-prices today: $103.05 per barrel. Bully for us…

That tops the inflation adjusted high of $102.53 set in 1980. Oil first inched over $100 to welcome in the new year on January 2nd and has hovered around $100 since then, routinely spiking into new record territory. Now we’ve blown past the final record: the inflation adjusted highs reached in the ’80s.

This news comes as analysts predict $4.00 per gallon gasoline when refiners switch over to reformulated blends in Spring.

Of course, you and I already know that. We see it every time we drive past a gas station, or god forbid, actually pull in to fill up our tanks!

You’d assume President Bush would be clearly aware of the state of gas prices as well, given how much they impact average Americans every day. Well, you might assume that about another president anyway… I wasn’t too shocked to learn that President Bush is actually completely clueless that gas prices are soaring towards $4.00!

In a press conference today, he revealed his complete ignorance of what life is like for real Americans on the street in an interview that began with a simple question from Peter Maer of CBS News. Here’s the transcript of the exchange, courtesy of NTYimes blog, “the Lede”:

Q: What’s your advice to the average American who is hurting now, facing the prospect of $4 a gallon gasoline, a lot of people facing –

MR. BUSH: Wait, what did you just say? You’re predicting $4 a gallon gasoline?

Q: A number of analysts are predicting –

MR. BUSH: Oh, yeah?

Q: — $4 a gallon gasoline this spring when they reformulate.

MR. BUSH: That’s interesting. I hadn’t heard that.

“I hadn’t heard of that?!” Seriously?! Well that explains a lot…

Like why President Bush has routinely blocked the US Congress’s fiscally responsible attempts to re-invest wasteful oil subsidies to kick-start new sources of clean, homegrown renewable energy.

Three times now, the House of Representatives of the 110th Congress has passed bills that would end wasteful subsidies to oil companies designed to spur domestic oil exploration at a time when oil priced in at about $20.00/barrel. With oil prices at record levels over five times higher than when Bush took office, it’s simply fiscally irresponsible to shower an industry recording record profits with taxpayer subsidies while denying the most promising and fastest growing clean, homegrown renewable energy technologies critical incentives that spur their growth.

The House passed their third attempt to correct this irresponsible tax spending and shift funds to extend critical renewable energy and energy efficiency tax credits, as well as support purchases of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Perhaps the third time’s a charm, but this victory could be short lived, with President Bush again threatening to veto and a Republican-led filibuster in the Senate expected (again!).

But I guess if President Bush doesn’t have a clue what oil and gasoline prices are really like these days, he can be forgiven for ignorantly and irresponsibly defending oil subsidies to Exxon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and friends… These oil companies are incidentally reaping record profits off of the record prices paid by every-day Americans at the pumps, all while the economy tanks… But maybe President Bush doesn’t know that either.

So maybe we should go light on President Bush… After all, he doesn’t know any better!

But WE, the every day American tax payer do!

WE know that lavishing subsidies on established and highly profitable industries is a pretty poor use of taxpayer money.

We ALSO know that subsidizing the energy industries of the past will not help us solve the energy challenges of the future! To do that, we’re going to have to be Energy Smart! We’re going to have to invest in new, clean, domestic energy sources like wind, solar, geothermal, energy efficiency, new 100+ mpg plug-in hybrid cars and more in order to have an energy supply that is sustainable, both environmentally AND economically.

WE know better, so let’s let the Senate and President Bush know it’s time to re-invest! Let your Senators know it’s time to be smart with our energy subsidies.

Tell the Senate to pass H.R. 5351 the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008 so we can take a step towards a sustainable, prosperous and secure America!

Can coal ever be clean?

These guys are spending tens of millions trying to convince you, the American voter, that the future of America’s energy lies with “clean coal.”

A new documentary film, “Burning the Future: Coal in America” aims to clue Americans in on why “slightly less deadly coal” is probably a more accurate term for what the spooked coal industry is trying to push these days. Or maybe “laundered coal.”  But “clean?” Well check out the trailer and see what you think:

Here’s the film’s short synopsis:

In Burning the Future: Coal in America, writer/director David Novack examines the explosive forces that have set in motion a groundswell of conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia. Confronted by an emerging coal-based US energy policy, local activists watch the nation praise coal without regard to the devastation caused by its extraction. Faced with toxic ground water, the obliteration of 1.4 million acres of mountains, and a government that appeases industry, our heroes demonstrate a strength of purpose and character in their improbable fight to arouse the nation’s help in protecting their mountains, saving their families, and preserving their way of life.

“Burning the Future” will be airing next week, starting Sunday March 2nd, on LinkTV on Cable and DirectTV. From the site:

How/where can you see BTF?

TUNE IN: Sunday, March 2 at 9:30 p.m. PT, Monday, March 3 at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT, Saturday, March 8 at 5:00p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. PT, Sunday, March 9 at 10:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. PT and Friday, March 14 at 11:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT

LINK TV is available as basic service on DIRECTV channel 375, Dish Network channel 9410, and select cable stations. Check LinkTV.org http://www.linktv.org/programs/special_burning for all show times and full program information.

I’ve emailed the film’s folks to see about getting copies on dvd at some point soon for airing’s (since I don’t get cable or DirectTV). I’ll post an update on details if I get a response. If you DO get LinkTV, check it out!

No coal is clean coal!

Our growing and increasingly organized anti-coal campaign must be doing something right, friends: word has it from AP that the coal industry - spooked by the success of the increasingly powerful movement to stop the coal rush - is fighting back big time. The industry is spending big bucks - tens of millions of dollars! - running major advertising efforts and going on the political offensive this election year to try to ensure that whoever is elected in November, coal’s future will be secure.

Are we going to let them get away with it?!

I think not!

We’re already going toe-to-toe with the coal-front group “Americans for Balanced Energy Choices” on the ground in primary states. We’re fighting proposed coal plants across the country and beating back the coal rush. We’ve pushed banks to scrutinize investments in dirty energy. We’re spending our spring breaks fighting dirty energy extraction and mountain top removal at Mountain Justice Spring Break, and we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the 2008 elections. And now we’re talking about a nationally-unified “No Coal!” effort and nationwide actions against fossil fuels on Fossil Fools Day.

So it’s David-and-Goliath time folks: time to get out that slingshot and keep hammering on the giant - the coal industry. We’ve got them mighty uncomfortable if they are spending tens of millions of dollars to fight back.

And sure, we’re up against a giant, but remember that there are two kinds of power in the world (as my friend Jenny says): money and people. Well we might not have much of the former, but we’re certainly strong on the latter!

So here’s to people power, taking on an industry intent on peddling a dirty energy future and putting billion dollar coal companies on the defensive!

And here’s to our vision of a sustainable, just, and prosperous future that inspires us to seek alternatives to a dirty energy future and ignore the coal industry’s package of lies!

Keep fighting the fossil fools. As I say at WattHead, a sustainable, just, and prosperous energy future is possible, and we can make it real.

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

Businessweek isn’t exactly the paragon of reporting on environmental issues, but it sure blew the climate whistle a few days ago in this piece. The story, as many do, begins with two households: the US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a brainchild of NRDC, Environmental Defense, along with GE, Alcoa, BP, and Duke Energy, pushing for a federal cap-and-trade bill; and the Center for Energy and Economic Development (CEED), an industry group that promotes coal and opposes climate legislation.

USCAP members have signed onto statements and actively advocated for climate policies that are on par with the latest IPCC reports: 60-80% carbon cuts by 2050, and fairly strong interim targets, a virtually unprecedented change of regulatory heart by CEO’s of America’s largest industrial corporations. And, being heads of industry, they’ve received a warm welcome on Capitol Hill.

CEED actively opposes any legislation regulating or capping greenhouse gases and believes, as CEO of GM Frank Lutz eloquently said on the record a few weeks ago, that climate change is “a total crock of shit.” GM is a member of both CEED and USCAP. In addition, CEED helped birth the rather euphemistic Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC), which launched a $35 million astroturf campaign to convince the public–and the presidential candidates–that “clean coal” should be America’s energy source. Check out this video of ABEC and climate activists sparring on the campaign trail.

Despite an ancient grudge over climate science and the need for strong federal policy, USCAP and CEED have something in common–their membership rolls. GE, Alcoa and Caterpillar, all members of USCAP, sit on the board of CEED, and Duke Energy was one of ABEC’s founding members and primary funders. Building more coal plants, needless to say, will not help stop climate change.

Are the corporations flip-flopping, doublespeaking, playing climate activists for fools, getting their greenwashed cake and eating it, too? Much of the debate over caps and priorities comes down to the vague promise of carbon capture and sequestration, the technological basis for ABEC’s “clean coal” rhetoric. Most industry execs, when pinned down, will admit that “clean coal” is far from being a reality–that we need to put more federal dollars into research and development before carbon capture is ready to be deployed on any economical scale.

CEED has, so to say, spilled the civil blood, and made industry’s greenwashed hands unclean. I think it’s time to mutiny.

www.masspowershift.org     REGISTER TODAY - EARLY REGISTRATION CLOSES MARCH 1ST!!!

This past weekend, fifty students and young profressionals from across Massachusetts descended upon the University of Massachusetts-Amherst to continue the planning efforts for Mass Power Shift.  This second planning meeting drew upon the strength of an earlier planning meeting, which saw 70 students, community members, and young professionals from around the state attend.  (Amherst is a bit tougher to get to for Boston area students). For the second meeting in a row, the excitement of the planning team was captured on film by a professional documentary maker.

 Our planning efforts are well on our way, with space confirmed at Boston University (including the Track & Field Center with seating for up to 5,000 and 50 classrooms for workshops and strategy sessions) and on the Boston Common for our exciting rally Soul Purpose Live, an event we are partnering with local band Melodeego to put on.  We’ve already scored our first press hit, and have successfully engaged environmental and community organziations from across the state to join in our planning efforts, including the Sierra Club, Clean Power Now, Clean Water Action, MassPIRG, Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light, the American Instittue of Architects - Central Massachusetts, the Worcestor Immigrant Coalition, and many many more!  Workshops are getting confirmed and our planning team continues to grow.

 While we are targetting our recruitment at folks within the state as we will be lobbying in favor of the Global Warming Solutions Act on the House side (the Senate is voting today on this important 80% by 2050 bill), students and community members from anywhere and everywhere are welcome to attend.  For more information, check out our website at www.maspowershift.org or contact Craig Altemose at craig@masspowershift.org