Technology
Busted in Bali
U.S. Politicians Duck Energy Challenges
As the warmest year on record moves down to its last few days, U.S. politicians in Washington D.C. and Bali, Indonesia continued to block any meaningful change in energy policy.
For the second time in a week the U.S. Senate failed to pass the long-delayed energy bill, failing by one vote to shut off a Republican threatened filibuster. Even more disgraceful was the performance of U.S. "negotiators" at the global climate-change conference in Bali, where as of Friday morning a final agreement was still being held up by American refusal to countenance any form of mandatory carbon-emission reductions.
In other energy news: food prices hit record levels, mostly due to ethanol subsidies; Silicon Valley venture firm rewards scientist for carbon-capture process; and a bill to research ways to transport and store CO2 gets support from business leaders.
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Movement on Climate Change
Politics & Energy A Combustible MixThere's encouraging news on the energy-politics front this week, as congressional leaders look set to agree on a long-delayed energy bill, world leaders prepare for a major climate-change conference in Bali, Indonesia, and the federal Energy Information Administration reported a 1.5% drop in total greenhouse-gas emissions in 2006 compared to the previous year.
Even Colorado Republicans got into the act, saying they are readying a slate of environmental bills that will include measures to support the logging of beetle-infested pine trees and encouraging consumers to buy energy-efficient appliances.
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Monday Business Roundup
Fans Stiff-Armed in NFL-Cable DisputeThere's a big NFL game this Thursday night pitting the 10-1 Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers, who sport the same record. But plenty of fans in the Mountain West won't get it to see it, because their cable provider doesn't include the NFL Network, which will broadcast the content, in its basic cable package.
The dustup between the NFL, which owns the NFL Network, and the major cable providers including Comcast, has brought to a boil the long-simmering dispute between proponents of bundled cable service – where you pay for a big package of channels, only a few of which you actually watch – and "a la carte" service, in which consumers would choose, and pay only for, the stations they actually want to see.
In other business news: Colorado looks at possible abuses of conservation easements, and for streamside development it's two steps forward, one step back.
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WILD BILL CRUISES IN HIS FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE
The ZENN of Driving
After you've driven a million miles like I have, or so it seems, driving really isn't that enjoyable. It's more like a necessary evil, something you need to do to go fishing. And today, with oil supplies dwindling and global climate change being blamed largely on the internal combustion engine, I almost feel guilty when I start up my trusty Toyota.
But last Friday, I suffered no guilt as I cruised around Helena in a new electric vehicle called the ZENN, which stands for Zero Emissions, No Noise, and is called "Earth's Favorite Car," by its makers. I enjoyed every minute of it, and now, you can, too.
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Coal Is Still King
Solar Future Suddenly CloudyCoal up, solar down – that's the message from the markets and the media this week, as solar-power companies face a possible expiration of the tax credits for solar investments, while coal producers and coal plants continue to boom despite the looming threat of carbon-emissions caps.
The Solar Energy Industries Association posted an alert on its Web site citing "widespread reports" that the long-awaited energy bill being laboriously squeezed through Congress will not include a measure to extend the Solar Investment Tax Credits.
Meanwhile The Economist reports that for all the news about states in the U.S. delaying or canceling the construction of new coal-fired plants, coal is still king (Sub. req.) in much of the world. "Utilities in both [the U.S. and Western Europe] are running their coal-fired plants at full throttle, have several new ones under construction and would like to build even more," the influential British newsweekly reports.
In other energy news: Western governors team for TV ads pushing energy policy legislation in Congress; "micro-hydro" makes a comeback in the Roaring Fork Valley; and the process of divvying up state oil and gas revenue in Colorado goes on, and on, and on...
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Monday Business Roundup
Defying Trends, Western Economy on the RiseWith the national equity markets slumping and Fed chief Ben Bernanke predicting an economic slowdown, the question becomes, how long can states in the Mountain West defy the national trends?
Booming energy production, strong tourism results, a resilient construction sector buoyed by the continuing influx of new arrivals, a resurgent technology industry – all of these are contributing to making the Mountain West the nation's strongest economic region. Now, some snow for the skiing industry would help.
In other business news: Colorado legislators seek a new method of distributing exploding revenues from energy production; Crocs' magical stock-market ride ends with a thud; and Colorado's State Fair faces a roller-coaster future.
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Hurdles For E-Trains
Light Rail Loses Its Green LusterBackers of Northern Colorado's ambitious FasTracks plans for light rail spidering out from downtown Denver cannot be pleased with the results of this week's referendum in Washington State.
There, voters soundly rejected a long-term, multi-billion-dollar mass transit plan for Seattle that had as its centerpiece the Puget Sound's first light-rail system. Notably, among the groups expressing doubts about the "Roads & Transit" Proposition 1 were environmentalists like the Sierra Group.
In other energy news: Gov. Ritter unveils his Climate Plan while seeking middle ground with the oil and gas industry, and energy prices hit an unfortunate trifecta with gasoline, heating oil, and diesel fuel all topping $3 a gallon.
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NATURE'S WISDOM
Biomimicry’s Janine Benyus Honored by Time Magazine
Nearly 10 years after writing a book that essentially created the field of biomimicry, Montana resident, author and entrepreneur Janine Benyus was named one of Time magazine’s 43 “Heroes of the Environment” late last month, a recognition that included a profile in the magazine and trip to London for the awards ceremony.
Benyus, whose 1997 book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature sought to explain how humans could create a more sustainable planet by mimicking designs perfected by nature, said the recognition came a gratifying surprise. “They told us a few weeks before that we had been nominated, but I didn’t find out until right beforehand that it had happened,” the Stevensville resident said this week.
Among the 43 honorees are an array of environmental leaders, scientists and activists, including David Attenborough, Al Gore, James Hansen and Richard Branson.
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A NEWWEST.NET/MISSOULA EVENT
Wired Magazine and the Evolution of Journalism
I’m many thousands of dollars in debt because I’m working toward my graduate degree in print journalism. Not online journalism, or multimedia journalism, or even photojournalism, but print -- as in words, set in ink, which are put upon paper, don’t link to anything, don’t make noise, and can only be sent to a friend in conjunction with an envelope and a stamp.
Is the field I’m training for becoming obsolete? Is the fact that I’m writing these words for an online news site an answer to my own question?
Well, Monday evening I got some reassurance that the field of print media, while perhaps going through some tough times, hasn’t exactly gone the way of the typewriter.
Thomas Goetz, the deputy editor of Wired, came to Missoula to speak with NewWest.Net's Jonathan Weber about technology, the evolution of the media business, and the separate niches for online and print publications. The NewWest.Net/Missoula event, held at the Missoula Art Museum and co-sponsored by Pyron Technologies, was attended by many in the Missoula journalism scene, including the dean of the University of Montana J-School, Peggy Kuhr.
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A NewWest.Net/Missoula Event
Monday: Wired Magazine in Missoula
Event Update: We are very sorry to report that Wired executive editor Bob Cohn, who was to have been our special guest at the event today, sustained a back injury yesterday and will not be able to come to Missoula. However, we are happy to say that Thomas Goetz, the deputy editor of Wired, will be coming in his place. Thomas has been with Wired since 2001, and before that worked at the Village Voice, the Wall St. Journal, and the Industry Standard. While we are disappointed that Bob cannot be here - and Bob feels terribly about it - Thomas is similarly articulate and insightful and will be able to speak to the same set of issues. We hope you'll join us for what promises to be a fascinating conversation about Wired, technology, the Internet and the evolution of the media business.
Wired in Missoula takes place Monday, Nov. 5 at 4:00 p.m. at the Missoula Art Museum, and will be followed by a beer and wine networking reception. Admission is $10, or free if you sign up for our new NewWest.Net/Missoula paid membership program. We're very pleased to have Pyron Technologies as a co-sponsor for the event. We hope you can join us, please call 406-829-1725 or email jonathan@newwest.net with any questions or to reserve your spot!
