NASCAR hits 5 million miles on 15% Ethanol blend, with 20% less emissions...

[Bill USA]

13. California's love affair with Big Oil - letters from a Corporate Feudalist State.

(this was posted by DU member JohnWxy quite a while back. I copied it and saved it as it as it was important information.)


Who is John Daum?

... John Daum was one of the lawyers who represented Exxon Mobil in the Exxon Valdez case filed against Exxon-Mobil for damages resulting from the "worst oil spill in environmental history". Mr. Daum "was able to lower the punitive damages that were to be paid to fisherman, landowners and others to one-tenth of the original damages."

..and who is Mr. Daum's wife? ... that would be Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air Resources Board. ..now you can begin to understand why the CARB instituted carbon emissions numbers for ethanol that had nothing to do with scientific empirically validated research.


California's Love Affair with Big Oil - DomesticFuel.com.

Last week, the Southern California Association of Governments turned down $11 million in stimulus money for Pearson Fuels to install 55 E85 stations. Huh? And this shortly after the expanded rules were announced for the Renewable Fuels Standard, not to mention the Low Carbon Fuel Standard that went into effect on January 1.

What would cause the most notorious state, hailed around the world for its progressive environmental policies, to shun a lower carbon fuel? Hmmm…could it maybe, just possibly be that it is blinded by it’s Big Love for Big Oil?

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Last year California Lawyer Magazine Awarded its Clay Awards which are given to lawyers who show extraordinary achievements. Lawyers John Daum and Mary Nichols both won a Clay Award for two very different achievements. Daum won for his co-counsel regarding the worst oil spill in environmental history – the Exxon Valdez. But he didn’t win for his work to hold Exxon accountable for its actions – he won the award because he was able to lower the punitive damages that were to be paid to fisherman, landowners and others to one-tenth of the original damages. The magazine writes, “This was truly a signature punitive damages case, and it could have major implications for environmental and other torts in the future.”

While Daum was given an award for his work in defending Big Oil’s environmental offenses, Mary Nichols, who is the chairman of the California Air Resources Board and Daum’s wife, was given an award for her role in passing the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. This piece of legislation is intended to reduce CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. While the final rules are just now coming through the pipeline, the policy could potentially regulate all areas of energy use including land use and will be enforced through a “cap-and-trade” program. It is important to note that through this program, Big Oil doesn’t have to reduce its CO2 emissions solely through alternative fuels. If they bring to market technology that reduces CO2 but still uses fossil fuels, the technology will still meet policy requirements.
(more)

.. and check out the hundred million dollar grants made by Big Oil (EXXON-Mobil, BP) to California Universities)