According to Friends of the Earth, crews are attempting to prevent the spilled oil from reaching Lake Michigan, where it could cause catastrophic environmental damage.

Before this week’s oil spill, federal officials criticized Enbridge, the Canadian tar sands oil giant that owns the pipeline, for ignoring corrosion that compromised the pipeline’s integrity, according to Friends of the Earth. 

TransCanada, another major Canadian tar sands oil company, is currently seeking Obama administration approval for its proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, which would travel 1,700 miles from Canada to refineries near Houston. The company is also seeking a safety waiver that would allow it to use thinner-than-normal steel and pump oil at a higher-than-normal pressure.

The Keystone XL pipeline would cross 71 rivers and streams including the Ogallala Aquifer, putting water supplies and the environment at risk. The Ogallala, which is the nation’s largest aquifer, provides drinking and agricultural water for eight states and supports one-fifth of the wheat, corn, cotton, and cattle produced in the United States. 

“This disastrous oil spill in Michigan is yet another wake-up call to the tragic impacts of our oil dependence,” said Alex Moore of Friends of the Earth.”Coming on the heels of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, this spill reinforces the need for us to build a clean energy economy, not more pipelines.”

Moore said Enbridge and other oil companies like BP have “deliberately cut corners on safety without respect for the people or communities they put at risk.”

“President Obama should take a long, hard look at this disaster and deny a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, the next on Big Oil’s wish list,” Moore said.

For months, Moore said ranchers, environmentalists, and public health advocates have challenged TransCanada’s plans to build another pipeline to carry the “world’s dirtiest oil from Canada’s tar sands into the United States.:

“ The Environmental Protection Agency recently handed the State Department’s draft analysis of the proposed pipeline’s environmental impacts a failing grade, in part because it failed to address the dangers the pipeline would pose to communities along its path,” Moore said.

“We conclude that a stronger link between energy and non‐energy commodity prices is likely to have been the dominant influence on developments in commodity, and especially food, markets. Demand by developing countries is unlikely to have put additional pressure on the prices of food commodities, although it may have created such pressure indirectly through energy prices.”

The authors, according to RFA, also conclude that it is unlikely biofuels played a significant role because they do not represent a large percentage of worldwide grain and oilseed use.

According to RFA, the authors point out: “Yet, worldwide, biofuels account for only about 1.5 percent of the area under grains/oilseeds. This raises serious doubts about claims that biofuels account for a big shift in global demand. Even though widespread perceptions about such a shift played a big role during the recent commodity price boom, it is striking that maize prices hardly moved during the first period of increase in US ethanol production, and oilseed prices dropped when the EU increased impressively its use of biodiesel. On the other hand, prices spiked while ethanol use was slowing down in the US and biodiesel use was stabilizing in the EU.”

RFA said it has long challenged those seeking to blame ethanol and biodiesel production for the run up in commodity prices. During the height of the debate, the industry has always held that record oil prices had much more to do with commodity and food prices than biofuel production.

“In reversing course, this World Bank report reaffirms the marginal role biofuels play in world commodity and food prices,” said RFA President Bob Dinneen. “The RFA has long noted that ethanol production has continued to increase while corn prices have now returned to normal levels. Volatile oil prices, speculation, and adverse weather conditions all played far more significant roles in driving commodity prices to record and near record prices. This report should silence critics in the food processing industry, the livestock industry, on Capitol Hill, and anywhere else that sought to portray ethanol as the boogeyman. With this phony food and fuel discussion put behind us, perhaps a real conversation about America’s energy future can ensue.”

The report also came to some interesting conclusions about the role of energy prices and speculation in commodity prices, Dinneen said, including:

• “Fiscal expansion in many countries and lax monetary policy created an environment that favored high commodity prices. The depreciation of the US dollar—the currency of choice for most international commodity transactions— strengthened demand (and limited supply) from non‐US$ commodity consumers (and producers). Other important contributing factors include low past investment especially in extractive commodities; investment fund activity by financial institutions that chose to include commodities in their portfolios; and geopolitical concerns, especially in energy markets.”

• “We conjecture that index fund activity (one type of “speculative” activity among the many that the literature refers to) played a key role during the 2008 price spike.”

According to the analysis, governments of the world are spending substantially more on subsidizing fossil fuels than on renewables and biofuels.

“In all, governments of the world provided approximately $43-46 billion to renewable energy and biofuels technologies, projects, and companies in 2009,” according ot the research. “This total includes the cost of renewable energy credits or certificates, tax credits, cash grants, feed-in-tariffs and other direct subsidies. The amount does not include more “upstream” support, such as subsidies to corn farmers to grow feedstock for use in U.S. ethanol plants, nor does it include any value transfer from carbon cap-and-trade schemes. The $43-46 billion stands in stark contrast to the $557 billion the research shows was spent on subsidizing fossil fuels in 2008, as estimated by the International Energy Agency last month.”

“One of the reasons the clean energy sector is starved of funding is because mainstream investors worry that renewable energy only works with direct government support,” said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “Setting aside the fact that in many cases clean energy competes on its own merits – for instance in the case of well-situated wind farms and Brazilian sugar-cane ethanol   this analysis shows that the global direct subsidy for fossil fuels is around [twelve] times the subsidy for renewables. And that is without taking into account the enormous security and public health costs of fossil fuels, as well as the appalling pollution catastrophes on the Gulf Coast, the Niger Delta and elsewhere.”

Johanns said support has faded for a Senate cap-and-trade bill that taxes greenhouse gas emissions.

“Headlines like “Democrats Call Off Climate Bill Effort” indicate that legislators listened to their constituents, who reject further burdensome cost increases on aspects of everyday life,” Johanns said. 

But this battle isn’t over, Johanns said.

“There is talk of reviving cap-and-trade with a strategy that circumvents regular order in the Senate, as well as the will of the American people. I introduced a bill earlier this week to prevent this from ever materializing,” he said.

 Johanns said the reason a legislative scheme to pass cap-and-trade has come to light is because its proponents do not have the 60 votes needed in the Senate.

“This is a sign that the legislation is flawed. Traditionally it would’ve been reworked until it merits the support of 60 senators. But not anymore,” he said.

 Johanns said the plan now is to pass an energy bill in the Senate without a cap-and-trade regime, but add cap-and-trade later, in a House-Senate Conference bill.

“When that bill comes back to the Senate, in a lame-duck session, some in the majority predict that senators who are no longer facing re-election, due to retirement or a loss, are likely to flip-flop and support it. The political scheming of a lame-duck Senate would triumph over the will of the American people,” he said. 

According to Johanns, this has given cap-and-trade proponents a fresh avenue to pass it without Senate debate.

“As one senior Democrat said in a recent interview, the post-election environment could let some members feel “free and liberated” to vote a cap-and-trade regime into law,” he said. 

But the obvious question, asked Johanns is: “Free and liberated from what?”

“Should the passage of such a sweeping policy initiative depend on the moment its proponents are least accountable to those who elected them? Are we to understand that the American people are a burden, a handicap, a captor of public officials?” he said.

“This shocking scheme might be easily dismissed, had it not already been widely reported. Politico wrote that the strategy now is to “conference the new Senate [Energy] bill with the already-passed House bill in a lame-duck session after the election, so House members don’t have to take another tough vote ahead of midterms.” Energy and Environment Daily reported, according to House majority leadership, the “conference committee may wind up merging the House cap-and-trade plan with a Senate bill that does not include it,” Johanns said. 

 Even President Barack Obama and his press secretary have recently hinted as much, Johanns said.

“Less than six months after railroading the health care bill through budget reconciliation, the plan again seems to resort to any means necessary to get an equally ill-conceived bill through Congress. The American people do not want – nor deserve – more procedural shenanigans,” he said. 

Johanns said he has  introduced a bill on July 27, to prevent cap-and-trade from being inappropriately added to a bill — unless the Senate has already debated and approved it.

“It does not directly address the merits or shortcomings of cap-and-trade; it essentially requires cap-and-trade to pass the Senate before being inserted in a conference report,” he said.

 Johanns said if cap-and-trade is added in conference and comes back to the Senate, two-thirds of the Senate would have to agree to vote on it without having debated it.

“If the Senate approves a cap-and-trade regime under regular order, my amendment wouldn’t be triggered. The amendment is waiting for Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to allow it consideration on the Senate floor,” he said.

Johanns said, “If we’re going to pass a bill that will change our economic landscape, it should be good enough to pass on its own merits. Any major policy initiative — like cap-and-trade — should be debated in the Senate so the American people have an opportunity to understand its implications and voice their opinions.”

He said this is an issue that transcends partisanship, just as it did when the Senate voted overwhelmingly last year to keep cap-and-trade from passing via budget reconciliation.

“My bill looks ahead to preserve the legislative process now — so it is not hijacked later,” Johanns said.

If, in four or five months, the Senate is “free and liberated” from public opinion to pass bills that would otherwise be rejected, as one of my colleagues suggested, what does that say about our relationship with the American people? It’s no surprise Congress has such low approval ratings.

 ”We should debate the merits of cap-and-trade. If it is going to be voted on, we should be on the record before the election, not after. The idea that we can be “free and liberated” from our constituencies should be eliminated from the Senate’s conscience,” he said.

 According to the report, NWF said “from 2000 to 2010, the oil and gas industry accounted for hundreds of deaths, explosions, fires, seeps, and spills as well as habitat and wildlife destruction in the United States.”

“ These disasters demonstrate that the BP incident is not merely an accident but an industry pattern that places profit ahead of communities, local economies, and the environment,”  according to the report.

“The oil and gas industry’s careless business approach does a clear injustice to the American people. The total cost of the status quo in lives lost and environmental damage is far too high,” said Tim Warman, executive director of the NWF’s global warming solutions program. “There is a better way to meet our energy needs with cleaner and safer energy sources. We should not delay with enacting policy solutions that reduce our addiction to fossil fuels.” 

According to Warman, the report, “Assault on America: A Decade of Petroleum Company Disaster, Pollution, and Profit” provides a sampling of thousands of on- and off-shore disasters of all types, large and small.

These examples, the report said, from each year shed light on how “the oil and gas industry has continued to show negligence and experience accidents all over the country.”

“While not exhaustive, the listing offers a cross-section of spills, leaks, fires, explosions, toxic emissions, water pollution, and more that have not occurred in the last decade – the post- Exxon Valdez era, the post- Oil Pollution Act of 1990 era, when the industry claimed to have mended their dangerous ways,” according to the report.

“Make no mistake, partisan bickerers have delayed a bill that will help small businesses stay open and create jobs, which is very disappointing,” Nelson said. “Coming together behind this bill is exactly how Congress should work. Small business owners, community bankers and others across Nebraska have told me it will help grow our small businesses and put Nebraskans to work.”

Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., voted against the bill.

Nelson said because small businesses drive our nation’s economy, “Congress should take every reasonable opportunity to improve the climate for small businesses.”

“This bill would provide useful federal aid to foster small business jobs and help push America back onto the road of economic recovery,” he said. ”It is fully paid for, won’t add to the deficit and has strong support from our Main Street businesses, bankers and community leaders.”

What puzzles Nelson is that fact that,  “I cannot think of why anyone, except to score political points and add another ‘No’ notch on their belt strangling progress, would oppose this bill.”

“Passing common sense legislation that doesn’t add to the deficit and supports Nebraska’s small businesses is what Nebraskans expect Congress to do,” Nelson said.

 The small business lending fund bill would provide $12 billion in tax incentives for small businesses, encourage investment in small businesses and provide small businesses with the vital access to capital they need to create jobs. The Senate proposal has a $30 billion Federal small business lending fund and an agriculture disaster relief provision. Current estimates are that the amendment is deficit neutral over ten years.

The Independent Community Bankers of America, and 29 state associations, including Nebraska Independent Community Bankers, strongly supported the bill in a July 21 letter to Senate leaders.

 “The SBLF (Small Business Lending Fund) is a bold, fresh proposal that would provide another capital option for community banks to leverage and expand small business credit,” their letter said. “The $30 billion fund could be leveraged to provide as much as $300 billion of credit. What’s more, the structure of the SBLF program will create a powerful incentive for community bank recipients to lend… The SBLF proposal has all of the features needed to attract broad participation by community banks.”

 In addition, the American Bankers Association supports the bill, numbered H.R. 5297. Floyd E. Stoner, an ABA executive vice president, said in a recent letter to Congress: “Even with the general economy starting to improve, there are still many areas of the United States that struggle under the weight of the severe downturn.  Since banks are a reflection of their communities, they are suffering with the communities they serve.  Yet even in areas beset by poor economic conditions there are strong borrowers. (The bill) would allow banks to avoid that result and continue meeting the needs of their communities.  With an improving economy and public investments, such as those proposed in H.R. 5297, lending can increase faster in some of the hardest hit areas of the country.  Community banks, which are the life blood of many communities, can provide the needed capital.”

 Also supporting the Senate bill was the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President Bruce Josten said in a July 23, 2010 letter to senators: “To get the economy back on track and generating jobs, America needs a strong and vibrant small business community.  To that end, H.R. 5297 contains many provisions that would allow entrepreneurs to have more access to capital.  Additionally, the bill contains important tax code changes that would encourage investment, promote fairness, and allow small business owners to retain existing cash flow from operations in order to start, grow, and expand their enterprises.”

On Thursday, the Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee held a hearing on hydropower Rep. Adrian Smith  Small-Scale Hydropower Enhancement Act (H.R. 5922).  The bill is designed to encourage and promote efforts to produce more hydropower from smaller sources.

 Hydropower is a clean, renewable, non-emitting source of energy which provides low-cost electricity and helps reduce carbon emissions.  Hydropower accounts for 67 percent of America’s total renewable electricity generation.

 Smith said the thousands of miles of irrigation canals, pipes, and ditches in the West provide an opportunity for new hydropower generation.  Hydropower produced in man-made water delivery systems does not consume or disrupt water deliveries and has no environmental effect on temperature or aquatic life, Smith said.  In addition, he said many irrigators are eager to use small projects to generate much-needed revenue to repair aging facilities and reduce electricity costs.

 Federal policies imposing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) permitting rules, however, have effectively stifled advancements and innovation in the small hydropower field, according to Smith. 

“One-size-fits-all federal regulations make small scale hydropower projects throughout the country financially prohibitive by imposing unnecessary and outdated rules.  My bill would help stimulate the economy of rural America, empower local irrigation districts to generate revenue, and decrease reliance on fossil fuels – all at no cost to the taxpayer,” Smith said.

 Smith’s bill would exempt any conduit-type hydropower project generating less than one and a half megawatt from FERC jurisdiction.  The bill also would require the Bureau of Reclamation to examine its facilities for more conduit generation opportunities using existing funding.

However, the total number of people they employed rose to 121 million, with businesses adding approximately 300,000 employees to their payrolls.

According to the Census Bureau, these findings come from County Business Patterns: 2008,which provides the only detailed annual information on the number of establishments, employees, and quarterly and annual payroll for most of the 1,100 industries covered at the national, state and county levels.

Among states and the District of Columbia, Florida saw the largest percentage decrease in business locations, a 3.1 percent decline from 2007, representing more than 16,000 establishments.  Among Florida’s largest counties, Broward accounted for nearly 2,000 losses, followed by Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, which lost 1,900 and 1,300 businesses, respectively.

Besides Florida, the states with the largest percentage decreases in establishments were Michigan (2.6 percent), Idaho (2.5 percent) and Ohio (2.4 percent). Only four states and the District of Columbia saw increases in establishments in 2008: Texas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Wyoming.

Leading states and the District of Columbia with the highest percentage increases in employment from 2007 to 2008 were North Dakota (4.1 percent, adding 12,000 employees) and New Hampshire, (3.9 percent, adding 22,000 employees).

Among the 50 largest counties, only nine saw increases in the number of establishments in 2008. Ten counties had declines of more than 1,000 establishments.

Counties with the highest increases in payroll included Philadelphia, Pa., which rose 6.2 percent to an average of $48,993, and Multnomah, Ore., which rose 3.6 percent to an average of $43,952.

At the national level, the health care and social assistance sector gained more than 6,700 establishments and nearly 420,000 employees in 2008 from the previous year.

The real estate and leasing sector lost nearly 14,500 establishments, a 3.8 percent decline from the previous year.

“Nebraska farmers and ranchers suffered huge losses earlier this summer from storms and flooding, and it’s my hope that Secretary Vilsack will take quick action regarding the Governor’s request,” said Johanns. “A disaster declaration will ensure those hardest hit are eligible for much-needed assistance.”

The request includes the counties of Boone, Box Butte, Boyd, Cheyenne, Dawson, Garfield, Holt, Johnson and Kimball. A Secretarial Natural Disaster Designation is necessary to gain access to disaster assistance programs, including low-interest loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE).

 The legislation will next be considered by the full House of Representatives.

“This was a great step toward fixing the veterinarian shortage which plagues many rural communities.  Large animal vets, in particular, are integral to small, rural communities but are often scarce.  The Veterinary Services Investment Act seeks to stem this tide,” Smith said.