Troy versus the oil company

AG: BP Trying To Get Alabamians To Give Up Right To Sue Over Spill | TPMMuckraker.

So, Alabama’s only Attorney General, Troy King, in between bouts of trying to shield bingo parlor operators from prosecution, is going after BP for the company offering lowball settlements to everyone on the Gulf Coast for how the company sort of poisoned the entire Gulf of Mexico with the oil rig fiasco. BP, meanwhile, is likely already funnelling money to Luther Strange, the Business Council candidate for the Republican AG nomination. Troy is, in this matter, right (that almost never happens) and I find myself on his side. I feel dirty.

Is this really a good idea?

NASA wants public to vote on best Earth science mission – Breaking News from The Huntsville Times – al.com

I mean, they’ll just vote for “Colbert” again.

Thanks, guys!

Alabama Power plant nation’s worst for mercury | TuscaloosaNews.com | The Tuscaloosa News | Tuscaloosa, AL

What with being downriver and all, I really enjoy that you’re sending mercury into the atmosphere. Well, at least we’re upwind.

Well, that’s surprising

Hoover’s Mayor Petelos appears on Fox Business Network to discuss alternative fuels – Breaking News from The Birmingham News – al.com

I figured that he would suggest running power plants by “burning Mexicans”, but it’s all ethanol and stuff.

Despoil the environment for only $4 a gallon!

Cullman County’s Stony Lonesome OHV Park to open this fall- al.com

This is what is known as bad timing. Though if you’re going after the idiot demographic, I suppose any time is good.

Speed limits have nothing to do with public safety

Reduced speed could be ahead for Alabama; bill would cut limits, create committee- al.com

It’s about fuel consumption. Cheap gas meant higher speed limits. Current gas prices mean lower ones.

Fish win, industry loses, yay!

Sturgeon stays on protected list- al.com

A group of “industry” lawyers (that is, people who think it would be dandy if we could just strip-mine the whole world, except for golf courses) was basically trying to get the Endangered Species Act overturned by the Supreme Court. The Alabama sturgeon is certainly endangered — in that there appears to be only one left — but the corporate creeps say that because there’s no “economic” use of the sturgeon, there only being one left, Congress shouldn’t have the ability to protect it. The Court refused to hear the case.

Larry Langford is full of gas

City of Birmingham looking for companies to tap methane gas from two landfills- al.com

BMLL wants to tap a couple of landfills to gather methane gas. There is a certain amount of merit to this; however, the effort would take a huge initial investment towards a goal that may not be economically feasible.

Another genius move from the genius

Mayor Larry Langford to order E-85 fuel for some Birmingham city cars- al.com

Here’s the thing… E-85 (meaning it’s 85 percent ethanol, the rest gasoline) does burn cleaner than regular gasoline. However it is less efficient. E-85 (according to Wikipedia, which is always reliable) gets 25 percent less to the gallon than regular gas, and costs five to ten percent less. Of course, with the tax increase, Birmingham will have plenty of money, right?

Look on the bright side

Greenland’s ice sheet melts as temperatures rise – CNN.com

If the coasts flood, maybe it’ll put out some of these fires. Everyone enjoying the End Times so far?