This post was written by Rich Kassel. According to Forbes and other reports, U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón have reached an agreement on resolving the two nations’ long-standing dispute over cross-border trucking.  The two presidents met in Washington today, and supposedly agreed to a phased-in plan that would authorize both Mexican and U.S. long-haul carriers to move goods in both countries, provided the Mexican trucks meet U.S. safety standards. With any luck, this will close a dispute that has lasted for several years. What should come next? A great next step would be for Mexico to adopt …

Secretary Clinton made a compelling case for why pollution-reducing investments are in the U.S. interest.In testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it clear that U.S. investments in global efforts to reduce carbon pollution are strongly in the U.S. interest. She also made the case for why these investments are a key priority. The House Republicans passed a budget which dramatically guts U.S. international investments in efforts to cut carbon pollution, while President Obama’s budget request makes key investments in these efforts. This hearing comes at a critical moment, as there are two competing …

In the midst of the House of Representatives efforts to completely gut US international investments in addressing carbon pollution, two leading Members of Congress highlighted how the US would lose out from these draconian cuts.  US Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) both raised the alarm bells – and they are ringing very loud as the House just voted for these major cuts.  Now eyes are on the Senate and the White House to reject these cuts. In the midst of the House debate, Rep. Berman took to the House Floor to remind us that these cuts …

Today the US House of Representatives is expected to vote on an amendment which would deny any US funding to international efforts to determine whether global warming is happening and how much damage it will have on humanity.  The amendment from Rep. Luetkemeyer (R-MO) would block funds to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  This amendment would effectively pretend that global warming doesn’t exist and then put blinders and earplugs on so that reality doesn’t get in the way of their opinion.  It is like when my children put their hands over their ears, close their eyes and …

Today the US House of Representatives is expected to vote on an amendment which would deny any US funding to international efforts to determine whether global warming is happening and how much damage it will have on humanity.  The amendment from Rep. Luetkemeyer (R-MO) would block funds to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  This amendment would effectively pretend that global warming doesn’t exist and then put blinders and earplugs on so that reality doesn’t get in the way of their opinion.  It is like when my children put their hands over their ears, close their eyes and …

President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2012 budget request that will invest in global efforts to reduce carbon pollution, tap into the growing global demand for clean energy, and make countries more resilient to the impacts of global warming.  It takes a scalpel to the international funding at a time when we need more international climate funding, not less.  But the President’s budget invests in efforts that benefit Americans, while the recent House Republican proposal would gut programs that help America compete and protect its citizens from the damages of carbon pollution.  One budget invests in what is needed, the …

The House Republican budget proposal would gut key programs to help the US tap into the growing global demand for clean energy technologies, reduce the carbon pollution from the loss of tropical forests, and help developing countries adapt to the impacts of global warming.  Cutting these programs is bad for American competitiveness and for the environment. In the last fiscal year (FY2010), Congress approved funding of $1.3 billion for global efforts to reduce carbon pollution and help developing countries become less vulnerable to global warming impacts.  This funding is a very, very, very small share of the overall US budget—around …

The Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Hal Rogers (R-KY) just proposed significant cuts to US international funding.  While the proposal he just released doesn’t spell out the exact cuts for different programs and categories of funding, we expect that the Majority Members of the committee will recommend cuts to US international climate funding.  Such cuts would be “penny wise and a pound foolish” as this funding benefits the US in many ways. For the “State, Foreign Ops” subcommittee Rep. Rogers proposed funding for Fiscal Year 2011 of $46.95 billion, which is 17% less than President Obama’s original FY 2011 …

President Barack Obama, in his annual State of the Union address called for new economic growth based on clean energy and innovation. The president proposed obtaining 80 percent of America’s electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. Other countries are seeing the benefits and reaping the rewards of making smart investments in the clean energy future. So as Obama hinted: the U.S. better get in the game or it will be left on the sidelines. The numbers (and pictures) tell the story. Clean energy investments are happening right now all throughout the world. Clean energy market is real and growing.  …

Chinese President Hu Jintao is in D.C. for a state dinner with President Obama and for a series of meetings over the next three days. They have a lot on their plate (both literally and figuratively), so climate change won’t be the only thing that they discuss. But you can sure bet that it will come up. There are also many parallel energy/climate events occurring in D.C. while he is here. Significant progress was made in Cancun on key issues that both countries outlined as critical components of their vision of success for that meeting. The meetings between the two …