McNerney named to House Global Warming Committee

Congressman Jerry McNerney, who campaigned for Congress as a renewable energy expert deeply concerned about the climate crisis, has been appointed to the new House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

"Before my election to Congress, I spent more than 20 years of my professional career researching the benefits of and developing renewable energy sources.  I am excited to begin the work of this important committee, including the discussion of exploring and expanding new energy technologies.

"Moving in this direction will not only address the harmful effects of global warming and protect our environment, but will lead to economic stimulation and the creation of an entire spectrum of good-paying jobs here in the United States."

The Select Committee will hold hearings and investigations locally, nationally, and internationally to gather the information needed to protect our national security and the environment. It is charged with recommending to the Congress policies, strategies, technologies and other innovations to reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign sources of energy and prevent global warming.

“The members of the new Select Committee I am appointing today are outstanding for their creativity, diversity of experience, and knowledge of energy and global warming issues,” Speaker Pelosi said. “I have great faith in their ability to lead our efforts to confront these serious challenges. Global warming and energy independence are urgent issues that have profound implications for our nation’s economic competitiveness, national security, environmental quality and public health. The wide-ranging expertise of these members will be critical in finding viable solutions that stimulate our economy, promote jobs, and protect our environment.”

In addition to this new appointment, Congressman McNerney is also serving on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Science and Technology, and Veterans' Affairs Committees.

Comments

[Eric Rader]

Nuclear Waste" and "Depleted Uranium"

How much "nuclear waste" (spent nuclear fuel rods) for a family of four for twenty years? What is "Depleted Uranium?"

The nuclear power for a family of four for twenty years generates no more than a shoe box of spent fuel rods that critics call "nuclear waste" The nuclear hysterics will not allow our country to reprocess the rods to extract the highly radioactive isotopes and reclaim the plutonium that can be used as new fuel. If we reprosess the spent fuel rods, the remaining "waste" that must be buried for a family of four for fifty years will fit in a pill bottle or a shot glass. Compare this to the scare stories you get from the nuclear hysterics who would have you believe that nuclear power plants generate mountains of nuclear waste that can be scattered all over the world. The total nuclear waste generated by all 103 nuclear plants in the U.S. over the last fifty years will fit in the volume of a typical high school g ym (77,000 tons by weight so far). Does that sound like an enormous task? Or difficult to safeguard once it is stored a thousand feet inside of a mountain?

"Depleted Uranium" is nothing more than normal uranium from the ground that has be processed to remove most of the fissionable isotope U235. Hence, depleted uranium is almost pure U238. It is less radioative than normal uranium found everywhere in the crust of the earth. People eat about a microgram of natural uranium each day because it is in almost all food. A pound of uranium carried in your coat pocket is no more dangerous than a pound of iron. Only the U235 component of natural uranium can make bombs. U235 is about 0.7% of natural uranium. The rest is U238.

For info on depleted uranium used in weapons and other applications see the following links:

http://www.nato.int/du/home.htm

http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/policy/cur du.htm

[Karl Hodges]

We are hopeful and excited by what McNerney can bring to the table. I would like to promote plug-in electrics and bicycling. For electric vehicles we need to stop Chevron from monopolizing Nmh battery technology for which they hold patent rights! Currently available lead batteries weigh the cars down a great deal. Cyclists on the other hand need an education program that will assure they are treated as vehicles. Nothing could be more effective for cycling safety, and general promotion.

[Robert Roark]

We are working on several breakthrough technologies that help address the "Inconvienent Truth", and hope to discuss the case for mega acreage production of Bamboo, with you and the committee. California can lead the way in Carbon reduction, alternative fuels, (ethynol at a much higher rate, and lower cost than Corn, and Hydrogen, far less costly than other methods), and many other new "eco frendly" applications. Please have someone on your staff read the information on the web site:bambooisgrass.com
It has a lot of info that directly addresses the problems we are facing, and offers opportunities for everyone who wants to help save the air and water, while making plenty of profit.

[Robert Roark]

We are working on several breakthrough technologies that help address the "Inconvienent Truth", and hope to discuss the case for mega acreage production of Bamboo, with you and the committee. California can lead the way in Carbon reduction, alternative fuels, (ethynol at a much higher rate, and lower cost than Corn, and Hydrogen, far less costly than other methods), and many other new "eco frendly" applications. Please have someone on your staff read the information on the web site:bambooisgrass.com
It has a lot of info that directly addresses the problems we are facing, and offers opportunities for everyone who wants to help save the air and water, while making plenty of profit.

[Daniel Hutchins]

For sure: Funny thing, I consider myself a scientist and I don't remember seeing any indisputable evidence that the earth's climate is being changed because of human activity. Scientific analysis does not lead to a conclusion that the earth is warming up because of human activity, and people who deny Al Gore do not receive equal time in the press.

[Dave Kisor]

Speaking of patent rights, there should be type of patent much like open source software, making fully it available to the public where big corporations couldn't scoop up all of the patents and prevent anybody else from using new ideas.

Now for some wishful thinking. If someone would search for patents dealing with "alternative" energies gathered up by big corporations, just being sat upon out of pure greed and posted them, that would show how much more concerned those corporations are about their profits than our atmosphere.

2 links on Depleted Uranium:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12903.htm
http://cseserv.engr.scu.edu/StudentWebPages/IPesic/ResearchPaper.htm

This is in response to the link nearby telling how harmless DU is. While it is true we consume a trace amount of uranium, this generally tends to excede that trace quantity.