Free Talk Live

Breakthrough promises $1.50 per gallon synthetic gasoline with no carbon emissions

A gallon of regular gas was $5.69 Thursday in Calabasas, while a gallon of super costs $5.89 with cash and $5.99 with credit. Such prices are causing pain at the pump for many drivers who might see an 11-cent increase by later this morning, which means some could be paying more than $6 a gallon.

When the Environmental Protection Agency said in late June that it would force Western coal-fired power plants to install haze-reducing pollution-control equipment at a cost of $1.5 billion a year, it said it had to in order to settle a lawsuit by environmental groups.

One organization involved in the suit, the Environmental Defense Fund, has a long history of taking the EPA to court. In fact, a cursory review finds almost half a dozen cases in the past 10 years.

The proposed National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act would let the agency waive 36 federal environmental protection laws in the name of better border patrols on public lands. But it would give Homeland Security unchecked authority to disregard major environmental laws covering wilderness areas, national parks and wildlife refuges.

Schools – hospitals – police – fire protection – currency – environmental protection – roads – EVERYTHING! Everything the State does the market can do better, if only they would get out of the way. So, of course spacesuits are no exception.

Jeff Tucker on the insanity of 1.6 gallon toilets.

The EPA has changed its policy on corn-ethanol blends, and states may soon change their formula 15 percent ethanol. The problem with that? There are fears might void your warranty or damage your car. Also, from the article:

"The only group that really seems to like the new rule is the ethanol lobby.

"'We've force fed a fuel into every American's car that benefits a few thousand corn farmers and ethanol refiners at the expense of virtually every other American,' EWG's vice president of governmental affairs, Scott Faber, told Mother Jones.

No grocery store would hire a clerk who insisted on adding up a customer's purchases with an ancient abacus. Yet a similarly archaic standard is about to be inflicted on the nation's taxpayers and consumers. Current farm programs—which consist of massive subsides, price supports and various marketing restrictions—were enacted in 2008 and expire on Dec. 31. That should be cause for rejoicing, except that the system is rigged against consumers and taxpayers.

Several environmentalist groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) are petitioning the EPA to ban lead bullets and shot (as well as lead sinkers for fishing) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).