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Stephen Johnson defends Bush as ‘pro-environmental’

“The president is really a very pro-environmental person. When we first talked, he used the phrase which is precisely, philosophically, where I’ve always been at EPA. He said, ‘Steve, I want you to accelerate the pace of environmental protection while maintaining our nation’s economic competitiveness.'” — Stephen Johnson, EPA administrator

Forest policy is a hot topic at international climate negotiations

The U.S. Secret Service and the press are on higher alert with the arrival of U.S. congressional delegations at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Poznan as the second week of the conference gets underway. While the official Bush delegation is remaining low-profile — even evading questions at today’s press conference — most Democratic congressional […]

If dumping GM’s Wagoner is part of the deal, get rid of Bob Lutz, too

The WSJ reports “Outside Pressure Grows for GM to Oust Wagoner” as part of any bailout deal. Great idea. GM’s Chair and CEO certainly shares of much of the blame for the company’s collapse. But I agree with SolveClimate and DeSmogblog, that Bob Lutz should also go. He is GM’s greenwasher and global warming denier […]

Draft bailout deal calls for ‘car czar,’ ban on lawsuits challenging emissions standards

Congressional Democrats and the White House appear to have reached a deal on a $15 billion rescue plan for the auto industry, one that includes a ban on lawsuits challenging California’s greenhouse gas emission standards and a call for a “car czar” to oversee the rescue efforts. “The terms of any financial assistance under this […]

Senate EPW chair calls on Obama to invest in infrastructure and green energy

In a press conference and a letter to Barack Obama, Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Barbara Boxer today called for massive investment in public infrastructure to grow the economy and reduce global warming, though she was not specific about amounts of money or a timeline for action. “America pulled itself out of the Great […]

Higher gasoline taxes to boost efficiency would be ‘a mistake’

I couldn’t agree more with PEBO on Meet the Press Sunday: New gasoline taxes aren’t the way to boost energy efficiency. Remember, European gas taxes have long been more than $2 a gallon higher than ours, and as of 2002, the average fuel economy of European Union vehicles was 37 miles per gallon, which is […]

Ted Turner chats about his outsized environmental hopes and ambitions

  Ted Turner has always been — for better and for worse — a head turner. He revolutionized media with the first cable news station, CNN. He gave a cool billion to the United Nations. He won the America’s Cup. He married Jane Fonda. He bought the Atlanta Braves. He earned the moniker “Mouth of […]

Focus on renewables and efficiency regardless if ‘clean coal’ is clap or crap

A raging debate has emerged as to whether clean coal is claptrap or crap trap. On the one side are people who think that clean coal means coal plants with carbon capture and storage for the vast majority of the carbon dioxide they emit (or that coal isn’t clean under any plausible definition of the […]

Obama and Biden to kick it with Al Gore tomorrow

This just over the transom from Obamaland: Tomorrow, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be meeting with former Vice-President Al Gore in Chicago to discuss energy and climate change and how policies in this area can stimulate the economy and create jobs. There will be a pool spray in the meeting and […]

Congress and Obama team signal that they will be ready for Copenhagen

In a letter from U.S. groups making the rounds here in Poznan, delegates are being urged to make the decisions needed in Poznan to keep us on schedule for making a final deal in Copenhagen next year, as promised in the historic consensus reached last December in Bali. While the December 2009 meeting in Copenhagen […]