NEW SHERIFFS IN TOWN: Birmingham has a new environmental watchdog. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) recently opened an office in the Magic City in order to take a more active role in environmental protection in the city and state. The office is staffed by attorneys Keith Johnson and Sarah Stokes, both Alabama natives.

DOUBTING RICHARD: Alabama Republican Senator Richard Shelby sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar expressing his doubts regarding a nearly 300,000-acre expansion of the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge recently proposed by the U.

GREEN EXPO NOTEBOOK: Yo, Green Spacers. Last week, the BJCC exhibition hall was the site of the Green Building Focus Conference and Expo, one of the largest events of its type in the Southeast, which is hosted by Birmingham firm Green Building Focus.

Rock and bluegrass band Rollin’ in the Hay will help kick off the month by playing shows in both cities. The Tuscaloosa show will be held on August 26 at the Dixie, 1307 University Blvd., from 9 p.m. to midnight. The Birmingham show will be held on September 9 at Rogue Tavern downtown from 8 p.

Hi, Green Spacers. Jesse here. I made a mistake last week in editing Green Space intern Andy McWhorter’s excellent debut feature, A Road to nowhere? An update on the Northern Beltline. As editors tend to do, I changed some of Andy’s wording and referred to as an “opponent” of this long-planned freeway in northern Jefferson County. That was incorrect. My apologies to Andy and the CRS. CRS executive director Beth Stewart supplied me with the following explanation:

Beltline proponents claim that it will help relieve traffic congestion on freeways in downtown Birmingham and bring new economic development to northern and western Jefferson County. Opponents believe that the purported benefits of the project, if they come at all, may not outweigh the economic and environmental costs.

Madison, Your piece on Cap and Fade was not bad. I wish, however, you would write about how it would damage our economy by increasing energy costs. The EPA will be just as lethal to business. Does this make sense? Look at both sides. Not just your side.

Hey, Green Spacers, it’s Jesse. What up? I’m just chillin’ here at the Green Space cracker barrel. I’m giving Madison Underwood a break this week. I also want to welcome our enterprising new Green Space intern, Andy McWhorter, who will be our lead-off hitter this week with an item related to that damned depressing Gulf oil spill.

CAP-AND-FADE: While our media alternately raved at and apologized to Shirley Sherrod last week, the prospect of major climate change legislation meant to cap greenhouse gas emissions died without so much as a proper burial.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEEPAGE: BP’s leaking oil well has finally been stopped. On Thursday, BP activated a new containment device at its failed Macondo well, sealing the well for the first time in three months.