Stimulus, Sundance, Steedman Estate and the scholarly secretary of Energy nominee
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STIMULUS LACKING BIG GREEN BUCKS: Barack Obama portrays his stimulus plan as a quick jolt for the ailing economy and a ‘down payment’ on his priorities as president. But those goals appear to be colliding in at least one key area: energy independence. The stimulus package increasingly appears unlikely to include major investments in ‘green infrastructure’ -- the wires and rails that could deliver renewable energy to Americans’ homes and help end the nation’s addiction to oil -- according to alternative-energy advocates who are discussing the plans with the Obama transition team.
WIND FARM CLEARS A HURDLE: A federal agency has rejected high-profile opponents’ arguments that a wind farm situated off Cape Cod would damage the environment. The situation makes for some interesting politics. One of the leading foes is Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), a leading supporter of President-elect Barack Obama, who is a leading supporter of wind energy development. Kennedy and others contended that the wind farm would kill birds, endanger sea life and harm the area’s tourism and fishing industries. But a new report by the federal Minerals Management Service says otherwise.
SUNDANCE, SHADED GREEN: On Day 1 of the film festival that Robert Redford launched, the event morphed into all things eco. From BPA-free Nalgene bottles to exhortations not to print out your e-mail, the reminders were everywhere, reports Entertainment Weekly’s Lisa Schwarzbaum.
NEW HISTORIC SITES: Barely beating the clock on this administration, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne late today announced the designation of nine new National Historic Landmarks, including one in Montecito, the Steedman Estate, also known as Casa del Herrero. According to the news release:
‘Steedman Estate is considered one of the most fully developed and intact examples of America’s Country Place Era that took form and flourished on the West Coast in the early 20th century. The estate features the landscape design of Ralph K. Stevens, Lockwood de Forest Jr. and Francis T. Underhill and the architecture of George Washington Smith and other West Coast designers under the direction of the owner, George Steedman, who was a collector of antiquities and an amateur silversmith. The estate represents a remarkable fusion of landscape design, architecture, horticulture and interior design, reflecting the influence of the antiquities, architecture and gardens of Mediterranean Europe, particularly the region of Andalusia in southern Spain, and responding to the splendid climate, ideal growing conditions, Hispanic roots and scenic beauty of the Southern California landscape.’
PROFESSORIAL INDEED: In a fantastically detailed video posted on change.gov, official online home of the Obama transition team, Energy secretary nominee Steven Chu offers some answers to Web-submitted questions.
ATTENTION BOATERS: Wildlife officials are asking the public for help in locating a whale that was spotted tangled in fishing line near the San Pedro Channel. If you spot it, officials ask that you report it to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Coast Guard.
-- Jim Tankersley and Steve Clow
