The Washington Post has allowed George Will to publish distortions and lies about climate science for years, without correction. Because of netroots outrage at Will’s most recent lies, Will’s editors — editorial page editor Fred Hiatt and Washington Post Writers Group editorial director Alan Shearer — have come under increasing pressure to restore journalistic ethics to their pages. Questioned by the Wonk Room Wednesday during a panel on how journalists cover energy policy, Washington Post reporter Steve Mufson washed his hands of the Will Affair:

The editorial page, just for the record, is a separately run part of the newspaper from the news page, and the news reporters have nothing to do with George Will’s column. Although it is safe to say the column has been the subject of some conversation.

Watch it:

Mufson made his remarks at the Energy Information Administration 2009 Energy Conference, where he, Eric Pooley, USA Today’s Barbara Hagenbaugh, and energy blogger Robert Rapier discussed energy and climate journalism with John Anderson, journalist-in-residence at Resources for the Future.

The “conversation” among Post employees has now spilled into the public square. Mufson, one of the Post’s most senior scribes, joins Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, reporters Juliet Eilperin and Mary Beth Sheridan, cartoonist Tom Toles, ombudsman Andrew Alexander, and blogger Andrew Freedman in distancing themselves “for the record” from Hiatt and Shearer’s use of the Washington Post’s reputation to support George Will’s lies.

Back in February, David Bradish, who blogs at NuclearNotes, commented on my post “Nuclear meltdown in Finland“:

How about you let us know when wind power in the U.S. actually generates one percent of the electricity in the country? Then I would say you could start bragging.

I knew we had already broken one percent but wanted to wait until we had EIA’s full electricity data for 2008, which you can find here:

Total Generation 2008:  4,114,880 Thousand Megawatthours

Wind Generation 2008:  52,017 Thousand Megawatthours

So wind was about 1.25% of U.S. electricity in 2008 — higher really now, since that averages over many months during which the record wind construction last year was taking place (see “U.S. wind energy grows by record 8,300 MW“).

So I guess it is time to start bragging.

Interestingly, EIA reports that last year, wind generation soared while coal and natural gas dropped:

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Article of the Day

E&E Daily (Subs. req’d).

Developer shrugs off recession, plots all-solar Fla. city

Defying the current economic down turn a Florida developer announced plans to build the United State’s first solar-powered city. Solar photovoltaic cells will power the city’s homes, offices, and factories, and the project will go up about 20 miles from Fort Myers, ground zero for the foreclosure crisis:

“Babcock Ranch” would be built on 17,000 acres in Charlotte and Lee counties, with more than half of the land set aside for nature preserves, agriculture and other open space. Florida Power & Light Co. would build a 75-megawatt solar photovoltaic array to supply electricity to the development’s 6 million square feet of residential, industrial and retail buildings….

Developer Syd Kitson is betting heavily that he is going to attract investors, businesses and 45,000 residents to his $2 billion ranch community, which he plans to start building next year. He is promising 19,500 homes, 20,000 permanent jobs, open spaces and plenty of carbon-free megawatts.

“Solar is just the first step,” Kitson told reporters…. “Babcock Ranch will be a true living laboratory of the new-energy economy … where innovative companies can design, build and use the renewable and efficient technologies that customers across the country and around the globe will need.”

Three years ago, Florida agreed to buy 73,000 surrounding acres from Kitson’s company, Kitson & Partners, and preserve the land for hunting, camping, hiking and other recreation. The land deal still ranks as the largest of its kind in state history….

Charles Pattison, president of the conservation group 1,000 Friends of Florida, also applauded the Babcock Ranch plan. Kitson bought the land in 2005 from a family that had used it for timber and ranching since the early 20th century….

Kitson … said he is attempting to persuade several companies to set up shop in Babcock Ranch. He is targeting solar panel manufacturers, lithium-ion battery makers and other clean-energy companies.

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[Guest blogger Bill Becker proposes a new award for unsung heroes of sustainability, those fighting to preserve natural capital and stop catastrophic global warming.  Your nominations are welcome.]

What would happen if the same six people won the Oscars every year? Three things: 1) The Oscars would get so boring that no one would pay attention; 2) the awards would lose credibility; and 3) a lot of very talented people would go unrecognized.

That what’s happening in regard to our national and international heroes of sustainability – the many people who day in and day out demonstrate uncommon persistence in the face of virtual anonymity.

I received a call the other day from someone who wanted me to attend a conference. Her selling point was that her organization was giving an award to one of sustainability’s superstars — someone who already has received considerable honors and attention for his good work.

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