Utah's Environmental Stewardship Caucus is Greenwashing Things

    The wheels of new energy are about to be knocked off by those who prefer covered wagons. Well, in Utah they are. As the legislative session ramps up, so do attempts to entrench the old transportation standards -- oil, gas and coal -- in our energy system.
   The old guard may have its day. Those who believe in fossil fuels are seizing power.
   They've organized the Environmental Stewardship Caucus. Now that's a name that would indicate they will be caretakers of earth and the skies above. 
   Not so. 
   They are armed by the fossil fuel industry. Check their campaign donor lists. Wonder who is behind them.
   Among legislation being proposed is a bill that would place fossil fuels at the top of the list when it comes to deciding which power sources we will use. As is now, the cost of the energy and the risks that that energy poses are the leading factors. Those with the Environmental Stewardship Caucus want to change that. They suggest the top priority should be whether the energy source is adequate, followed by, in order, whether the source is reliable, dispatchable, affordable, sustainable, secure, and clean.
   Notice how affordable (which solar and wind are) got moved down the pole. Right now, cost and risk are the top priorities. But on the list proposed by the Environmental Stewardship Caucus, cost/affordability drops to the middle of the equation -- and risk is dropped entirely. Risk being reference to the danger of greenhouse gases, the Environmental Stewardship is taking a stand against combating climate change.
   If you should say, No, that isn't true, clean is on the list, notice that clean is the very last item, the last priority. Clean is but an afterthought. 
   Risk? It could be argued that an energy source can be considered unclean without necessarily being considered a risk. If you don't believe in climate change, their is no risk posed by oil, gas, and coal; so why even have risk on the list?
   There is a word for what is going on in Utah. It's called "greenwashing." It's when an organization tries to fool the public into believing its aims and policies are environmentally friendly.
    Exhibit One: the Environmental Stewardship Caucus.  

(Index -- Climate change info)