A round-up of recent climate and energy news. Please post other stories below.

Smaller Crops Forecast by U.S. After Planting Delays, Heat Wave

Corn, soybean and spring-wheat harvests in the U.S., the world’s largest exporter, will be smaller than the government forecast last month after a damaging heat wave that may signal higher costs for food and biofuel.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture cut its corn-crop estimate by 4.1 percent, reduced the soybean forecast by 5.2 percent, and said spring-wheat production will be 5.2 percent below what it predicted in July. The harvests for all three crops would be less than expected by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Parts of the Midwest, the main growing region, were the hottest since 1955 last month. Smaller supplies of corn may increase costs for ethanol refiners such as Poet LLC, Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Valero Energy Corp. and meat producers Tyson Foods Inc. and Smithfield Foods Inc., which buy the grain for feed. The price of corn, the biggest U.S. crop, jumped 68 percent in the past year before today.

White House faces Senate, industry pressure on smog rule

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The longest tree-sit in West Virginia history continues into its third week, as one protester remains perched near the mountaintop removal site at Coal River Mountain. Becks Kollins came down from her tree today and was immediately arrested by state police for trespassing:

Becks Kolins, who has been occupying a tree on the Bee Tree permit on Coal River Mountain for the last two weeks, descended the tree voluntarily and was arrested this afternoon by the West Virginia State Police. Kolins, along with Catherine-Ann MacDougal, had been sitting in a tree eighty feet above the ground since July 20th to protest the strip mining of Coal River Mountain. MacDougal remains in her tree, where she continues to stop work on the portion of the Bee Tree surface mine within Bee Tree hollow; she has stated no plans to come down.

Alpha Natural Resources senior management and residents of coal-impacted communities are meeting today at Alpha’s regional headquarters in Madison, WV.

Kolins and MacDougal are part of a nationwide movement of people willing to engage in civil disobedience to stop the immoral destruction of their future by the fossil fuel industry

Two climate activists perched in trees next to a strip mine atop Coal River Mountain in West Virginia have shut down operations for nearly two weeks now. Sunday marked the 12th day that protesters Becks Kolins and Catherine-Ann MacDougal have been camping in trees 80 feet above the ground on the Bee Tree permit, Alpha Natural Resources’ only active strip mining permit on Coal River Mountain. The tree sit is the longest one in West Virginia history, according to the RAMPS campaign, and “has successfully halted blasting on portions of the site, aside from a small blast last Friday afternoon.” Kolins and MacDougal are part of a nationwide movement of people willing to engage in civil disobedience to stop the immoral destruction of their future by the fossil fuel industry, the campaign — an affiliate of Peaceful Uprising — says:

The sitters expressed solidarity with Tim DeChristopher, a West Virginia native who was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for peacefully disrupting an illegitimate oil and gas auction and saving tens of thousands of acres of public land from oil and gas exploitation.Prior to his sentencing, DeChristopher expressed his strong support for the tree sitters. From the trees, Becks wrote, “Tim DeChristopher was sentenced to two years. Please support him and all those who suffer to bring justice to us all.”

“Until this past Wednesday, trucks were still hauling coal that had previously been extracted and stockpiled; now, even this work has ceased,” the campaign reports. Local resident Junior Walk was arrested for supporting the tree sitters along with Elias Schewel on the first day of the protest. Both were released on bail that evening.

Citizen activism may be the only protection the mountains have against the mountaintop removal mining, which is giving local communities cancer and birth defects. West Virginia’s politicians are working with Tea Party Republicans to overturn Environmental Protection Agency efforts to enforce Clean Water Act rules against the pollution caused by blowing up mountains.

On Aug. 20, several weeks of protest will begin in front of the White House to challenge President Obama to prevent the construction of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

“We thank the multitude of people across the country that have expressed their unwavering support for the tree sitters,” the RAMPS campaign wrote in an email update on Saturday. “Please be assured that these words of encouragement are being passed on to the young people in the trees, and will be ever more necessary with each passing day they spend sitting and sweating in the muggy West Virginia heat.”

The RAMPS campaign, reporting on the tree sit on Twitter at @RAMPSWV, is seeking contributions and comments that oppose the renewal of the Bee Tree mining permit, acquired by Alpha when they took over Massey Energy.

Researchers have published two new studies linking water contamination caused by mountaintop removal mining to adverse health effects, further proof that the practice is not only destroying the environment but is also destroying human lives in the communities around it. The first study, published in June, linked MTR to higher rates of birth defects in surrounding communities. The second, released this week, found that multiple forms of cancer were twice as prevalent in MTR communities than they were elsewhere.

Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), meanwhile, continues to ignore the implications of these studies, paying them lip service while sponsoring legislation that will further undermine the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate coal companies and other polluters. Despite calling the incest claims “disgusting” and “uncalled for,” Rahall refused to say what action he would take on the studies multiple times in a recent interview with the Charleston Gazette, saying the studies made no recommendation for what action should be taken:

Well, first of all, I don’t find in these studies, certainly not the latest one that is, where they make any recommendation as to what we should do about mountaintop mining.

In reality, the studies called for specific actions, including strengthening existing EPA regulations. From the birth defects study:

Existing regulations to protect air and water quality in mountain-top mining areas may be inadequate, and enforcement of those regulations has been lax, though recent efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency may be moving in the direction of stricter regulations. The findings documented in this study con tribute to the growing evidence that mountaintop mining is done at substantial expense to the environment, to local economies and to human health.

Unfortunately, Rahall and Congressional Republicans are taking the exact opposite approach. Rahall co-sponsored legislation, passed by the House last week, that would gut the EPA’s ability to enforce the Clean Water Act. Instead of strengthening the EPA, which Rahall has accused of “strong-arming the states,” it would end its ability to restrict “dredge-and-fill” mining permits issued by the Corps of Engineers. The EPA would no longer be able to step in if it deemed state water quality standards to weak or withdraw its approval for of state water pollution regulatory policies.

Rahall claims he is taking the studies seriously. But his actions in Congress continue to tell a different story. In response to a guidance document on water quality standards and surface mining released by the EPA last week, Rahall again took the chance to criticize the agency, saying it had “appointed itself judge, jury and executioner” and “deemed itself Almighty God.”

Republicans have officially unveiled a slash-and-burn budget plan for the environment, with drastic cuts to environmental agencies and numerous riders to exempt polluters from science-based regulation. The House Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, to be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation includes major cuts in funding for the Department of the Interior, the EPA, the Forest Service, and various independent and related agencies.

This Tea Party budget eviscerates protections for air, water, and land while delivering industry lobbyists a grab-bag of favors. The bill denies not only the threat of global warming pollution, but also that of formaldehyde, coal ash, and pesticides. The bill cuts EPA funding by $1.8 billion, or 20 percent, below President Obama’s request, and caps employment at 1992 levels. The bill restores $55 million in offshore oil and gas subsides. The bill overrules the Department of Interior’s provisional decision to protect the Grand Canyon from uranium mining (Sec. 445).

Some of the many riders in the budget bill include:

OFFSHORE DRILLING POLLUTION

– A provision expanding permitting activities for the Outer Continental Shelf, and restricting EPA rules for air pollution on exploration permits (Sec. 433)

MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL POLLUTION

– A provision prohibiting the Office of Surface Mining from moving forward with proposed updates to the “stream buffer rule” (Sec. 432)

– A provision prohibiting federal agencies from working together on mountaintop removal permitting (Sec. 433)

– A provision prohibiting funds for defining coal ash as hazardous waste (Sec. 434)

GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION

– A provision instituting a one-year prohibition on the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources (Sec. 431)

– A provision providing exemptions from greenhouse gas reporting for certain agricultural activities (Sec. 429)

– A provision prohibiting greenhouse gas permitting for livestock emissions (Sec. 428)

– A provision requiring the president report on all executive-branch spending related to climate change in 2011 and 2012 (Sec. 426)

WATER AND CHEMICAL POLLUTION

– A provision prohibiting the EPA from changing the definition of “navigable waterways” under the Clean Water Act (Sec. 435)

– A provision prohibiting funds for the EPA from expanding storm water discharge requirements (Sec. 439)

– A provision restricting EPA regulation of formaldehyde (Sec. 444)

Two coal companies accused of polluting streams in eastern Kentucky continued to pollute streams at higher levels than their permits allowed even after reaching an agreement with the state to stop. In October, environmental groups filed notice to sue International Coal Group (ICG) and Frasure Creek Mining over the pollution of streams. After meetings with state officials, the companies agreed to correct the issue and pay $650,000 in fines.

But according to a new suit filed by the environmental groups, the companies not only failed to stop polluting, they are actually polluting at even higher levels than they were before the agreement. According to the suit, “almost every reported pollutant in the permits analyzed had multiple violations at significant factors above what is considered safe for waterways of Kentucky and the people who use and enjoy those waterways”:

Lisenby’s and Chance’s affidavits allege a review of the companies’ DMRs showed the companies “self-reported” pollution levels as much as eight to 15 times above allowable, permitted levels of several pollutants.

Kentucky politicians are fighting the federal government’s efforts to regulate coal pollution, with dire consequences for its citizens. According to a recent study by professors at West Virginia and Washington State universities, mountaintop removal has a direct link to the prevalence of birth defects in the communities where it is practiced.

Activists fighting to end mountaintop removal mining (MTR) have long pointed to the adverse environmental effects of the process on surrounding communities. Now, the argument that the destructive mining process also has a substantial human cost on those communities is beginning to gain momentum.

According to a new study by professors at West Virginia and Washington State universities, mountaintop removal has a direct link to the prevalence of birth defects in the communities where it is practiced. By studying birth records from 1996 to 2003, the professors found that six separate birth defects were more common in MTR communities. WFPL News reports:

According to the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research, babies born in counties in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee where mountaintop removal mines were in operation were 26 percent more likely to suffer from some kind of birth defect. That’s compared to babies born in counties where there is no coal mining. The babies were also more likely to have birth defects than those born in counties where coal is mined other ways.

“There were even higher birth defect prevalence rates in the recent period,” [Professor Melissa Ahern, lead author of the study] said. “Which means as mountaintop mining has increased, it appears that increase is associated with higher birth defect rates.”

This is not the first study to link MTR and health problems. In May, researchers at West Virginia University found that people living near MTR sites suffered lower levels of health and quality of life than those in other areas.

Unfortunately, even with evidence of MTR’s adverse effects on human health mounting, governors and lawmakers in the Central Appalachian states have continued to battle the communities they represent, choosing instead to stand up for coal companies’ ability to continue destroying our environment and our health.

Our guest blogger is Brian Komar.

The March on Blair Mountain was one of the most inspiring, successful, peaceful volunteer-led protest efforts I’ve ever experienced in my life.

After Grammy-winning singer Kathy Mattea gave an incredible speech and performance, the five-day march ended with more than 1000 rally-goers marching up Blair to make it clear that the coal companies are not going to blast the historic mountain without a fight. Most inspiring of all, the marchers were almost equal parts labor and environmentalists from Appalachia and from around the world. The entire crew that pulled off the march did a remarkable job and deserve our gratitude (and donations).

The night before the rally, there was a free screening of the mountaintop-removal documentary The Last Mountain in Charleston, WV. Bobby Kennedy Jr. and documentarian Bill Haney were joined by many of the freedom fighters highlighted in the film. More than 550 people from across the region packed the gorgeous Capitol Center.

The Last Mountain also screened at Bonnaroo, and had a sold-out opening in Nashville Thursday night, helping spread the message of the fighters for Blair Mountain and the birthright of Appalachia.

This week, the film the coal companies don’t want you to see opens in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia, and we’re holding a special screening in Minneapolis at the Netroots Nation convention. This documentary is becoming part of a new organizing model to leverage culture to help end mountain-top removal and the corporate trampling of democracy.

Take action, pledge to see the film, organize a watch party, and spread the word on Twitter and Facebook, especially with friends in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Philadelphia.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear Thursday at the Embarcadero Cinemas in San Francisco for a Q&A after the 7:20 p.m. show.

Our guest blogger is Chuck Belmont Keeney, Ph.D., the descendant of famed UMWA organizer Frank Keeney. The March on Blair Mountain is taking place in southern West Virginia, June 5 to 11.

Nothing like this has happened to me before.

Walking the road to Blair Mountain, we pass an elementary school. Several of the teachers have taken their classes outside. The children and the teachers cheer us as we walk by.

Minutes later a man slows by the protesters in his pickup truck. He gives us the middle finger and yells, “Get a job, tree huggers!”

A few more paces and we witness an elderly couple on their front porch. They clap and nod. I notice that the old woman is crying. She tells us to keep going.

Others drive by and hurl obscenities in our direction. One sign on a house reads, “Thank You Marchers.” Another sign on a telephone pole warns, “Go Back To Where You Came From.”

Behold the road to Blair Mountain, where another civil war looms in the hills of Appalachia. Ninety years before, 10,000 armed coal miners marched to secure a decent living and to be treated as human beings. They fought an army paid for by the coal operators at the Battle of Blair Mountain. Miners bled and died to provide a better future for their children and, consequently, lay the groundwork for the privilege of weekends off, forty hour work weeks, and many of the other benefits that workers today enjoy. To date the Battle of Blair Mountain is the largest labor uprising in the history of our country.

Today there is a Second Battle of Blair Mountain. The coal companies want to destroy this historic ground with mountaintop removal, and we are trying to save it. Marchers brave the heat, intimidation of the coal companies, and the ugliness of some who oppose us. When we originally planned the five-day march, we arranged to stay at various parks and campsites along the way. While many of these places initially welcomed us, they have all, within the last few days, told us that we can no longer stay at their sites. We then found alternative camp sites. These places too, have since withdrawn their support. Some of them have refused us because of threats from the coal companies; others have not given us specific reasons. What we do know is that many of the owners of these campsites were very hospitable at first, but have since said with regret that we cannot rest on their property. Therefore, we are forced to shuttle marchers back and forth from our headquarters at Marmet each day.

Nonetheless, we march on.

We march to preserve our national heritage. We march to stand up for labor rights. We march to save our water and air from the most destructive form of coal mining ever devised. Communities were divided in 1921 during the miners’ rebellion and communities are divided now. Yet our spirits are high and our faith unwavering. For we know that we stand upon the moral high ground and we ask that the rest of the country stand with us. On Saturday, June 11, 2011 we will hold a rally at the foot of this mountain where speakers and activists such as Robert Kennedy Jr., Ken Hechler, Ashley Judd, the indomitable Larry Gibson, and hundreds of citizens from all over America will raise their voices to the heavens in the triumph of our cause.

Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. Nine months ago, I was just a young history professor content to write my books and teach my classes. Now I find myself in the thick of a movement that commemorates one of the most unique stories in our nation’s history. I have a personal connection to this history, for my great-grandfather was one of the leaders of the miners in 1921. Today, my connection is even more personal as I march alongside so many brave men and women who have become my friends and compatriots. Thus, to the rest of the country, I say this:

If you have witnessed the recent attacks on labor in Wisconsin, Michigan, and other states, and want to preserve the American middle class, now is the time to stand up. If you believe in environmental justice and wish to save communities from pollution and deprivation, now is the time to stand up. If you wish to preserve our historic landmarks for the education of our children, now is the time to stand up. The coal companies are trying to stop us by throwing obstacles and propaganda in our way. Still we march on. The time is now. The place is Blair Mountain, West Virginia.

Do not hesitate. Join us on the road to victory!