Latest Articles
-
The SEC chief fiddled while Wall Street exposed the public to billions in bailout funds
Remember the Securities Exchange Commission? The SEC got its start in the 1930s, when dodgy dealing on Wall Street triggered that massive economic meltdown now known as the Great Depression. The idea was that the SEC would impose transparency on stock markets and make sure that people actually knew what they were buying or selling. […]
-
Senate energy event highlights importance of efficiency; Republicans don’t absorb the lesson
An early version of this post appeared on Get Energy Smart Now, with follow-up on Think Progress. —– The Senate held a Bipartisan Energy Summit on Friday, attended by some of the nation’s top experts from MIT, Google, CSIS, CERI, and Shell. (Regrettably, the nation’s top energy expert, Sarah Palin, was unable to bring her […]
-
How do we build (energy) infrastructure?
The enthusiasm for unregulated markets in the last 30 years of American public policy has obscured how large pieces of infrastructure get built. Unregulated markets, to work according to their ideal, require economic actors to be able to create competing offers which are judged by consumers or buyers according to the total value they represent. […]
-
Companies move toward nontoxic chemicals and products
Here’s a crazy fact: A baby’s body contains nearly 300 chemical compounds by the time it takes its first breath. It’s the consequence of a chemical industry that has long paid little mind to where its products end up or what they do to people and the planet; of the estimated 83,000 chemicals on the […]
-
Party leaders in the House exchange heated notes about energy policy
The House energy battle is underway again this week, with votes on a bill possible as early as tomorrow. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released an outline of the Democrats’ bill last week; it would open some new areas to offshore drilling and provide support for efficiency and renewables. House Republicans are demanding a vote on […]
-
Big Oil whines that it’s something for nothing
The oil industry has figured out what I’ve been saying for weeks: The Senate Gang of 20 swap of limited, offshore drilling for lots of clean energy is something for nothing. I hope Congressional Dems figure that out, too, and vote for the darn thing in droves. The key fact to bear in mind is […]
-
Gang of 20 energy bill contains ‘most significant taxpayer-backed boost to nuclear power ever’
There’s heated debate in green circles about the Gang of 20 Senate energy bill — the New Energy Reform Act of 2008 — which would open up some offshore drilling in exchange for modest support for alternatives, paid for by closing tax loopholes that benefit the oil industry. What hasn’t gotten much press is that […]
-
-
Hunting moose
Paul Theroux on the populist totem of the moment: All this talk about moose hunting! It is as though, because of the animal’s enormous size and imposing antlers, bringing one down is a heroic feat of marksmanship. Nothing could be further from the truth. As Henry David Thoreau wrote in “The Maine Woods,” killing these […]
-
Obama campaign goes on the attack while McCain’s newest ad calls for more drilling
The Obama campaign is going on the attack today. It’s releasing a new ad, “Honor,” that strings together media quotes accusing John McCain of making false claims and running a sleazy campaign. And Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden is hitting McCain with a speech — unambiguously titled “Bush 44” — that argues the Republican […]
