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What Robert Byrd’s death means for the climate bill

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), who died early this morning at the age of 92, fought for most of his legendary career to keep coal mining at the center of West Virginia’s economy. But in the last few months of his life, he hinted at a remarkable change of heart, speaking out on the damage coal […]

Bigger ‘Dead Zone’ projected for Gulf, even without oil’s effects

A satellite view of past Dead Zone in the Gulf: The red areas show how a vast, nitrogen-fed algae bloom has risen, blotting out most sea life underneath.(NASA)The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just released a report that contains even more bad news for the Gulf of Mexico. This year’s Gulf Dead Zone will be […]

Expert measures human cost of Gulf oil leak

Dr. J. Steven Picou is Professor of Sociology at the University of South Alabama. He is currently working on human response to the BP oil spill.Photo courtesy of stevenpicou.com Steven Picou doesn’t have the happiest of jobs. He specializes in the human toll of disasters. As a sociology professor at the University of South Alabama […]

Republicans oppose Democratic climate plan in favor of alternatives that would cost more and do less

When it comes to climate and energy, most political attention has focused on Democrats, which makes perfect sense — they’re in the majority and they’re the ones putting together a bill. How do you stop an elephant … and its bad ideas?Photo: Jared Rodriguez/truthout.org via FlickrBut it is worth pausing periodically to contemplate the utter […]

What would happen if we admitted to the high risk of deepwater drilling?

Was the Obama administration “arbitrary and capricious” in imposing a six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling? U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman thought so. His June 22 order reversed the moratorium, citing the “immeasurable harm” to “the local economy, the Gulf region, and the critical present-day aspect of the availability of domestic energy in this country.” […]

USDA recalls 96,000 tons of beef … from one family

Yes, it’s a video from the Onion, and one of its finest. But with burger-grilling season heating up, and bacteria-friendly temperatures rising across the nation, it’s worth taking the meat of the video’s message with a grain of salt. (Gagging from my puns yet?) If you can find beef at your local farmers market, you’ll […]

‘Hands Across the Sand’ protests are a hit [SLIDESHOW]

Code Pink forms the words “End Oil” on Venice Beach, Calif.Photo: Lisa SmithlineProtesters gathered in 860 locations around the world on Saturday, June 26, to protest offshore drilling and call for clean energy. The events are being billed as the largest protests against offshore drilling in history. Although they had an expected anti-BP feel, Hands […]

Where the Smart Money Goes Next

As thousands of young scholars bid farewell to familiar homes and high schools to enter college in the fall, it made me wonder where the smart money will be going (other than the contents of my son’s 529 account, which I know is headed to Penn) as it leaves the old economy behind and moves […]

What Role Will Senator Murkowski Play in Climate and Energy Negotiations?

Speaking at a sparsely-attended luncheon in Fairbanks, AK on Friday, Senator Murkowski (R-AL) touted her failed effort to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions as a ‘badge of honor.’ She went on to explain why she considered the maneuver, which went down by a 53-47 margin on June 10th, a qualified success. “We […]

A Salon debate on cap-and-trade and energy politics: day one

Last week, I took part in a debate at Salon.com on the merits of pricing carbon (and related matters). My debate opponent was Steve Everley, manager of policy research at American Solutions and a contributing author to To Save America: Stopping Obama’s Secular-Socialist Machine, by Newt Gingrich. Salon has graciously agreed to let us republish […]