Publisher's Watch

How Many Tea Partiers Does It Take to Screw Up a Light Bulb? Posted By Jonathan A. Schein

Now that the election is over and the new Republican majority is set to take over the House of Representatives come January, members of Congress are vying for committee leadership positions. One position in particular is for the chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Established in 1795, it is one of the oldest standing committees in Congress, and has been in continual service for more than 200 years. Its responsibilities include oversight of consumer protection, public health, food and drug safety, telecommunications, air quality and environmental health, interstate and foreign commerce, and the supply and delivery of energy. Whoever wins the position of chair will certainly wield a tremendous amount of influence over these issues.

> Read More

High-Speed Rail on Slow Track Posted By Jonathan A. Schein

Amtrak has announced it's purchasing the next generation in energy efficient passenger trains that use approximately 2,134 BTUs per mile (which compares to 3,578 per mile for a passenger car and 3,942 per mile for domestic airplane flights). The 70 new locomotives will come on line between 2013 and 2019 and replace 64 locomotives, some dating back to 1980. These new trains will mostly be manufactured domestically in Sacramento by Siemens AG. And the manufacturing facility will have 2 megawatts of solar cells on its roof. These new trains will feature regenerative braking--much like that in hybrid automobiles--which will also generate electricity. Their top speed will be 125 miles per hour.

> Read More