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Touting the Volt, GM exec denies anthropogenic climate change

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz was on the “Colbert Report” last night to talk about the new Chevy Volt, but a lot of the conversation ended up being about whether or not Lutz believes in anthropogenic climate change. Colbert, on the Volt: “This is tantamount to admitting that we have to do something about global […]

FDA releases guidelines for developing genetically modified animals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will today announce guidelines for the development of genetically modified animals, a step on the road to their broad commercialization. The agency is expected to ask companies developing genetically modified animals to report a range of information about how they were engineered and how the alterations could affect the […]

Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales are pursuing dramatically different environmental strategies

Over the past decade, the current British government has taken a crack at devolution, giving Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales a level of operational government unseen for a century or more. The fledgling administrations of these three “devolved nations” have embarked on very different policy trajectories on the environment, among other policy areas. The sustainable […]

GOP VP candidate says she’d be in charge of McCain’s energy policy

At a rally in Ohio on Tuesday, GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin told the crowd that she’d head up energy policy in a McCain administration.   “John and I, we’ve discussed some new responsibilities that I’m going to have as vice president,” Palin said. “First, I’ll help to lead the mission of energy security.” […]

Bipartisan deal in Senate would extend renewable tax credits

The Senate appears to have reached a deal on a major tax package that includes the extension of tax credits for renewable energy that are set to expire at the end of this year. Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), chair and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, announced on Tuesday that […]

Clinton Global Initiative jumps the shark, invites McCain to keynote on energy solutions

I understand that CGI will also have Senator Inhofe keynote on climate science, Karl Rove on ethics, and President Bush on openness in government. Seriously — or ridiculously, take your pick — the CGI has announced: Senator John McCain will deliver the opening remarks live at the “Integrated Solutions: water, food and energy” plenary session. […]

How can journalists cover the views of a candidate whose views are indeterminate?

The other day, asked if he supports ending mountaintop removal mining, John McCain said, "I do." But then he added, "I’m happy to tell you that I’ve seen a dramatic improvement in the behavior of the coal companies. They are doing a much better job." Contacted by reporter Ken Ward Jr. about his support for […]

Truth in advertising

Check out this pearl from commenter David Ahlport (found in the comments of David Roberts’ Cost Tic post). I’m a proponent of using ads to spread ideas. The problem with most ads is that they are at best half-truths. This one has it all. They draw a gentle and humorous line between themselves and negative […]

The financial meltdown and other considerations for clean energy development

Tom asked earlier what the "anarchic" disintegration of Lehman Brother’s carbon trading desk — taking place within the broader disintegration of the entire company — means in the bigger picture. And the answer, most likely, is pretty much nothing. This is true for a variety of reasons, not least among them that Lehman Brothers was […]

L.A. train collision dismays new riders

Speaking of trains, the horrific train wreck in L.A. last Friday came as ridership on the region’s rail network was on the rise, The New York Times reports. Los Angeles has long been known for its car-choked freeways. But after gas prices in California rose to more than $4.50 a gallon over the last several […]