The EPA has come out with its “Clean Power Plan,” which would for the first time directly restrict climate change carbon pollution from power plants. The plan sets 2030 as a goal and would force the country to move toward electricity supplied by renewable energy. The plan comes in advance of international climate talks in Paris this winter and has the advantage of not involving the nation’s climate-change-denying Republican Congress. Fossil fuel industry messaging and politics machinery (the “free-market” industry) is running on full tilt in opposition to the plan.
Colorado’s Independence Institute: “The Plan… achieves very little, costing American taxpayers and ratepayers billions of dollars, and endangering the reliability of our electric grid.” Independence Institute President Jon Caldara: “If the EPA wants regulate emissions outside of their lawful authority, they should start with their own hot air.”
Note: The German economy is running well on major-share renewable energy.
Parched, indefinitely
Gov. Jerry Brown’s executive order to cut back water use in California statewide by 25 percent is the not the real headline. If you read through the order, writes Vauhini Vara in the New Yorker, the truly important part is the recognition that this is not a temporary problem. “It’s a new era,” Brown says. And in that new era, there’s just not enough water to go around.
Parched, indefinitely, and ready to burn
Firefighters are working to contain a 130-acre wildfire outside of Fowler, which is 40 miles east of Pueblo. La Junta fire chief Aaron Eveatt says the blaze was started by a private fire not fully extinguished. His team saved three houses Wednesday night and an approaching storm could bring rainfall soon. Via the Gazette.
Major curfew
Starting Friday and lasting through the end of September, people under 18 have to stay in at night in Denver, except to attend a school or religious or adult-supervised event. It’s Denver’s SafeNite program and it’s meant to align with school vacation months. This year it also coincides with a recent spike in gang-related violence. But that’s just coincidence, according spokeswoman for the city’s safety office Daelene Mix: “It’s not specific to gangs, it’s specific to youth.” Via the Denver Post.
Good deal
A Vox explainer from Max Fisher on how the Iran deal is actually a remarkably good one, much better than anyone could have expected.
Still there
Obama has gone many rounds now with Iran. But his toughest opponents on the Iranian nuclear deal are still standing. Via the Washington Post.
Of course
Guess whether Republican presidential candidates thought the Iran deal was better than expected. We can start with Marco Rubio. He said the deal was “troubling,” and that Obama’s Iranian policy was, in general, “farcical.” So I guess you can put him down as a no. Via the National Journal.
More religion news
The Somali terrorist group, the Shabab, attacked a Kenyan university, separated Muslims from Christians and killed the Christians. By the time the attackers were killed, 147 lay dead. Via the New York Times.
The real religion, yo
The Republican divide: The religious right hates the “fix” to the Indiana RFRA bill. Big business loves it. Indiana’s overwhelmingly Republican legislature voted overwhelmingly with big business.
Oh, Indiana
A letter from home: The brother who died and the editorial on “religious freedom” and gay rights in the Indianapolis Star.
