Articles by David Roberts

Wolcott and me

There is no greater stylist of the English language writing on the World Wide Interwebs today than Vanity Fair's James Wolcott. So to be quoted by him is akin to having Thom Yorke stroll past you on the sidewalk, humming one of your tunes (or, for our older readers, the equivalent of Bruce Springsteen pulling you from the audience to dance awkwardly for a few moments in his video). I don't really go in for the fanboy thing (ok, not much), but if there's one thing I appreciate it is a good turn of phrase, and Wolcott cranks out three or four every time he sets fingers to keyboard, so consider this me screaming and throwing my bra onstage. Um, as it were.

Sadly, he quotes me as "Energy Bulletin," referring to this post, which was reprinted at EB. It all comes in the context of a post about Boy Scouts collapsing in the heat. Check it out.

No one knows much about Bush’s Asia-Pacific treaty, but some folks think it’s genius

I haven't commented yet on the "Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate" (APPCDC?), the new climate-focused tech-sharing agreement Bush signed with Australia, China, India, and South Korea. The details are still under wraps, so nobody knows very much about it. (Of course, that's not stopping people from weighing in; Jeff's got a nice wrap-up of reaction so far.) Frankly, I fear the details will just reinforce the cynicism that's encrusted itself like bitter eye boogers around my once starry, hopeful eyes ever since 9/11 Changed Everything©. Our own Amanda Griscom Little will be writing on the treaty this week; until then I choose to remain ignorant and preserve what remains of my faith in the human spirit.

One thing I can say: I'm fairly suspicious of any analysis that starts like this:

It must be very strange to be President Bush. A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, he can't get anyone to notice. He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile.

More on selective libertarianism

I stand by the sentiment expressed here, but acknowledge that Jerry Taylor was entirely the wrong target. (Something I'll acknowledge at greater length in a post I have brewing about libertarianism, energy, and environmental policy. Every time I try to write it it metastasizes to a length more appropriate to epic poetry. Concision, alert readers will have noticed, is not my forte. So ... stay tuned.)

Consider, for instance, the following two responses to the just-passed energy bill.

It ain’t pretty

The energy bill passed through the House today, and is expected to pass the Senate by a wide margin on Friday.

The nation's editorial boards have not taken kindly to this bill. The folks at Campaign for America's Future sent around a sampling of responses, which I've included below the fold. I've added some links. If you have links to other op-ed reactions, leave them in comments.