Animal
Factories
In a last minute favor to the animal factory industry,
President Bush's Environmental Protection Agency exempted
animal factories from a federal reporting requirement
first enacted 28 years ago. The rule required animal
factories to tell EPA about emissions of ammonia or
hydrogen sulfide from manure pits or other farm operations.
The animal factory industry failed in several attempts
to get this through Congress in the last three sessions.
See
comments that WORC and some member groups organizations
submitted on this and another proposed rule change earlier
this year.
A
report released December 16 exposes how industrial
hog and dairy operations are subsidized through the
federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
The report, entitled Industrial Livestock at the Taxpayer
Trough, estimates that between 2003 and 2007, roughly
1,000 industrial hog and dairy operations have captured
at least $35 million per year in taxpayer support through
EQIP.
CAFOs
Uncovered – The Untold Costs of Confined Animal
Feeding Operations, a new study by the Union of Concerned
Scientists.
Putting Meat on The Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America, a recently released report by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.
Court
Rulings require water law clarification – WORC supports the Clean Water Authority Restoration
Act
More
Factory Farms...
GM
Crops
Wheat and rice growers tell Congress about USDA’s failure to study economic impacts of genetically modified crops.
Testimony of Todd Leake, Dakota Resource Council
Testimony of Harvey Howington, Arkansas Rice Growers Association
WORC submits comments on scope of study to evaluate deregulation of genetically modified alfalfa
(pdf 46k)
Is Roundup Ready alfalfa growing near you? USDA has
listed
counties where Roundup Ready alfalfa is grown, or
call USDA, 866-724-6408, to find out
More
GM Alfalfa...
More
GM Crops...
Energy
WORC seeks new 90-day comment period to protect landowner rights and the environment from tar sands pipeline
Read letter to Department of State
Read news release
Surveys show Coloradans and Montanans support shift to
renewable energy, energy efficiency, and fuel-efficient
vehicles.
Read Colorado
and Montana
surveys and news releases
Read statement
by Peggy Utesch, Western Colorado Congress
Read statement
by Beth Kaeding, Northern Plains Resource Council
Listen to streaming audio recording of Colorado
and Montana
news events
WORC joins with 10 groups to protest oil shale leasing plans.
Is there a Future for FutureGen?, a WORC briefing on a cancelled plan to build a coal-fired power plant and store carbon dioxide emissions.
Al Gore sounds off on mountaintop removal and coal to liquids in a brief video
by Netroots Nation.
"Clean Coal” doesn’t exist, a short video by CLEAN
WORC
criticizes plans for massive oil shale leasing program
The Key to Lower Gas Prices: Efficiency, not oil shale, can reduce the price at the pump now, a factsheet by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Western
Resource Associates report addresses resource planning
for generation and transmission cooperatives
(pdf 2MB)
House
votes to boost renewable energy and protect western
waters and landowners
Learn how your
representative voted
Read summary
of key provisions
Stripmine
Act 30 years later – Is it working?
See
testimony
of rancher Ellen Pfister
See WORC
news
release
More
on Energy...
Clean Water
Background briefing on Clean Water Restoration Act
More
on Clean Water...
Biofuels
Making biofuels microprocessing legal, WORC
briefing.
Sustainable bio diesel
production goes hand in hand with cattle ranching,
an audio
commentary by rancher Jeanne Charter.
WORC urges EPA to deny request for freeze on enthanol Renewable Fuels Standard.
Read Letter
WORC releases new report Biodiesel Benefits for Cattle Producers:
Feeding Byproducts of Biodiesel Production
News release
Executive summary
Growing Sustainable Biofuels: Common Sense on Biofuels, by Patrick Mazza
Union of Concerned Scientists releases new report,
“Biofuels:
An Important Part of a Low-Carbon Diet”
John
Farrell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, comments
on why energy policies should encourage “better”
rather than “more”
Read
report “Locally owned wind and ethanol –
better, not bigger”