2013 March Environment & Climate News

The March issue of Environment & Climate News reports on the failure of Fisker Automotive in Delaware, which took state taxpayers’ money to create green jobs but has yet to produce a single car in the state. The $21.5 million in grants and loans is unlikely to be repaid, and state taxpayers have covered $400,000 in electric bills the company has yet to pay.

Also in this issue:

• Florida state Rep. Matt Gaetz wants to repeal a state law requiring Florida service stations to sell only ethanol-blended gasoline.

• Natural gas exploration in shale formations could create more than 47,000 jobs in Illinois and spur $9 billion in statewide economic development, concludes a new study released by the Illinois Chamber Foundation.

• Experimental wind turbines installed at taxpayer expense on the Michael V. DiSalle Government Center in Toledo failed less than two years after installation and are now sitting unused.

• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Los Angeles County officials did not have to implement special pollution abatement plans for water flowing from concrete-encased storm water channels into more-natural portions of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers.

• A majority of the senior scientists responsible for producing the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s draft report are affiliated with environmental activist groups, investigative journalist Donna Laframboise reports.

• After more than 50 years of declining food prices, ethanol subsidies and mandates have caused a dramatic rise in U.S. food prices since 2005, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show.