Articles by Adam Browning

Robert Novak thinks poor industry is getting beat up

I'm in D.C. for the holidays, so I have the pleasure of reading the Washington Post in its entirety, instead of just sporadic links.

I can report back to the rest of the U.S.: rest easy. You are not missing much.

Robert Novak rings in some Christmas cheer with an op-ed, "Losing it to to the greens."

Apparently, thanks to "environmentalists' well-financed propaganda operation," there are supporters for carbon legislation in even the Bush administration, and industry is "utterly helpless" and "utterly clueless as to how to respond."

So unfair, with all the cards stacked up against industry that way. Tell you what, Mr. Novak, environmentalists are nothing if not fair -- and what the hell, it's Christmas -- so here's what we'll do.

We'll swap budgets with your industry pals.

Yes, I know, it seems almost suicidally generous, but we wouldn't want to win unfairly. We'll take Big Oil, Big Coal, Big Utility, and Big Auto's dough, and you and your friends can laugh all the way to the bank on Sierra Club's famous riches. I'll even throw in Vote Solar's private island as a personal gesture of apology.

Al Gore’s tragic humor

Al Gore, funny guy:

Do you know if President Bush has seen the movie yet?

Well, he claimed that would not see it. That's why I wrote the book. He's a reader.

And a personal anecdote:

Finally, a racy calendar with a purpose

The second best thing about this effort is that in the event their Climate Protection Campaign doesn't work out, they already have a leg up on adaptation.

Take bets on the long future

Much of environmentalism is about long-term thinking. If you are looking for a meta-narrative, I'd say most people who define themselves as environmentalists are motivated by the desire to see something they love -- clean air, beautiful places, whales, or whathaveyou -- stick around a bit longer.

That's why I think the Long Now Foundation, dedicated to the promotion of long-term thinking, is one of the coolest organizations around.