Latest Articles
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SOTU 2007: Innocent question
It’s always "clean, safe nuclear power" and "clean coal," yet "wind and solar power" needs no modifiers. Wonder why that is.
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When you hear the word ‘reform’, you know it’s bad
After promising substantial benefits from boosting CAFE standards — 5 percent reduction in gas use by 2017 — Bush’s energy proposals contain a rather notable caveat: These amounts are based on an assumption that on average, fuel efficiency standards for both light trucks and passenger cars are increased 4 percent per year, beginning in Model […]
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Oil manipulation bad, corn manipulation good
I’m sifting through Bush’s energy proposals. This is particularly rich: The President’s Plan Enables America To Lead The World To Energy Security. By establishing such a visible and ambitious fuel standard, America’s global leadership will help encourage our friends and allies to consider similar policies. Actions by America’s friends and allies to increase their production […]
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They’re up
The energy security policies in Bush’s SOTU are up on the White House website. Have a look. More later.
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Why federal farm support deserves a fresh look
Note: Over the course of three weeks, as Congress begins discussion of the 2007 farm bill, Victual Reality will be devoted to analyzing the political economy of farming and teasing out an agenda for a socially and environmentally sustainable farm policy. It’s more exciting than it sounds, we swear! [Read the first installment below, the […]
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They flattered my kids — quid pro quo!
A few months ago, Maywa mentioned a service called Greendimes, which — in exchange for $5 $3 a month — will take over the arduous task of reducing your junk mail by getting your name off distribution lists. It will also plant a tree in your name each month. Partly thanks to procrastination and desperation, […]
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Al Gore and the Oscars
Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth has received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary. I’m on record predicting it will win. Should we start a betting pool?
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Oh, the irony
Savor the ironies: TXU Corp., the largest Texas electricity producer, said its plan to build $10 billion of coal-fueled power generation in the state appears "consistent with" a business group’s proposal to curb global warming by capping carbon-dioxide emissions. Does this mean that TXU is psychotic or that the corporate U.S. Climate Action Partnership is […]
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Bush no longer matters on climate
Sebastian Mallaby notes the recent heating up of the climate change issue and correctly teases out the main political implication: Bush has become irrelevant.
