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Presidential candidates meet for their final showdown tonight

With just 20 days to go before the election, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama will meet at Hofstra University for their third and final debate tonight at 9 p.m. EDT. Their ultimate encounter, moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News, will focus on domestic and economic policy. Might we hear some questions (or, […]

ESA can’t help protect species from climate change, Bush admin argues

The Endangered Species Act can’t be used to spur regulation of specific sources of greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States, according to new memos outlining the Bush administration’s legal arguments on the matter. One of the memos, from a top Interior Department lawyer, reasons that since it can’t be proved that greenhouse-gas emissions from a […]

How to fend off biological and cultural extinctions

The relationship between our planet’s vanishing species, languages, and cultures has long fascinated me, so I was thrilled to write a story on the subject for the current issue of Seed. In the piece, my co-author Terry Glavin and I mention some important legislation being put forth at the annual meeting of the IUCN in […]

Canada’s election deals defeat to Liberal Party and carbon tax

Canada’s national election on Tuesday strengthened the country’s Conservative Party minority in Parliament and summarily killed hopes for a national carbon tax to fight global warming. The carbon tax plan, which would have levied a tax on most fossil fuels but would have been offset by income-tax reductions, was a main plank of Liberal leader […]

Soros on green as the motor of the economy

In an interview with Bill Moyers (via Green Inc.), financier George Soros has some things to say about how green investments can pull us out of the current financial crisis (a subject I’ve been hitting repeatedly these last few days): Here’s the transcript: BILL MOYERS: So let’s think about those people down at Neely’s Barbecue […]

Non-GM seed and feed make a comeback

I recently met with members of Japan’s Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Cooperative (SCCC) in my office in San Francisco to discuss how to overcome the difficulties of obtaining certain non-GM products for its 1 million members. The 14-person delegation — comprised of pig, chicken, cattle, and dairy producers for the co-op — came to the U.S. […]

Canadian elections strengthen Conservatives, drinkers

Well, it was a short, boring campaign, and, uh, nothing really happened. I’m writing this before the polls have all reported in, but the Conservatives have almost certainly gained a couple dozen seats, putting them just — just — short of a majority government. The Liberals have run on a campaign of trying to be […]

News tidbits from the presidential race

• The Salt Lake Tribune has an in-depth look at Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s records and rhetoric on energy, honing in on a number of specific issues, from renewables to oil shale to “clean coal.” There’s even a handy chart. • Washington Post columnist Andrew Freedman looks at how the presidential candidates might reshape […]

In video series, Grist tries to stump the candidates with tough climate questions

  Running Out of Gas?   When watching the presidential and vice presidential debates, ever get the feeling the candidates aren’t really answering the questions? Especially when it comes to, ahem, climate and energy issues? Grist took to the streets to find everyday citizens (if you consider Grist employees everyday citizens) willing to ask the […]

Recyclers of industrial batteries work to derail tougher EPA standards

Lobbyists for industrial battery recyclers charged over to the White House recently to crank up arguments against possible tough new regulations of lead, a key ingredient of automobile and other heavyweight batteries. The closed-door meetings were prompted by a court order requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to act by Wednesday to update its 30-year-old […]