2012 September Environment & Climate News

The September issue of Environment & Climate News reports the North Carolina legislature overrode a veto by Gov. Bev Perdue, making natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing legal in the Tar Heel State.

Also in this issue:

• A reanalysis of U.S. surface temperature station data shows temperatures are rising only half as much as claimed by the U.S. Historical Climatology Network and others in the government responsible for maintaining temperature data.

• An abundance of domestic energy will enable the United States to cut in half its reliance on oil from the Middle East by the end of the decade, and could end any reliance at all by 2035, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

• A proposed solar power plant in the Mojave Desert will not have to meet the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Environmental groups opposed the exemption, saying the solar power plant would harm threatened species.

• After months of study punctuated by a highly emotional public debate, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) will soon announce his decision on whether to allow natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.

• The New Hampshire legislature has enacted legislation prohibiting state officials from creating or participating in a low-carbon fuel program without first getting approval from the legislature. Gov. John Lynch (D) allowed the bill to become law without his signature.

• The American Bird Conservancy has filed suit in federal court accusing the U.S. government of “flagrantly violating” the Freedom of Information Act by failing to appropriately respond to its FOIA requests for correspondence between the federal government and wind power companies.