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An environmental-justice advocate insists he’s not dead yet
Ludovic Blain. “The Death of Environmentalism” should be called “The Death of Elite, White, American Environmentalism.” A critique of the environmental movement that draws on neither the perspectives nor achievements of the environmental-justice (EJ) movement is, at very best, incomplete. That the DOE interviews and recommendations only focused on white, American male-led environmentalism meant that […]
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Why race and class matter to the environmental movement
This piece is excerpted from the essay “The Soul of Environmentalism: Rediscovering Transformational Politics in the 21st Century.” The full essay can be found here. Elvis was a hero to most,but he never meant shit to me …— Public Enemy, 1989 Activists of color may not want to stand on John Muir’s shoulders. Environmentalism in […]
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Climate finally getting more notice in Senate with energy-bill amendments
The climate-change debate is beginning to move forward inside the Beltway — at a glacial pace relative to the rest of the industrialized world, of course, but these days even glaciers are moving at a discernable clip. Heat is on in Senate as climate starts getting more attention. As the energy bill goes through the […]
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Weakened in Review
Bipartisan efforts to revamp the Endangered Species Act begin A hearing of the Senate fisheries, wildlife, and water subcommittee last week kicked off what is likely to be an extended process of revising and updating the Endangered Species Act. There is bipartisan agreement on several measures, including providing grants and incentives to private landowners to […]
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Coast Riposte
House blocks attempt to lift ban on coastal drilling; more to come An attempt to weaken the U.S. moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling — established by Congress in 1982 and renewed every year since — was blocked yesterday in the House by a 262-157 vote. However, drilling opponents view it as just the […]
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That’s Hot
States sue EPA over new mercury rules and the “hot spots” they’ll create A coalition of 11 states filed suit against the U.S. EPA in federal court yesterday, charging that the agency’s recently issued mercury emissions rules, which establish a “cap and trade” system whereby coal-fired power plants can trade pollution credits, pose an unacceptable […]
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New Apollo Energy Act contrasts sharply with “Jurassic” GOP energy bill
On April 21, Congress stepped back in geologic time when the House of Representatives passed an energy policy of the dinosaurs, by the dinosaurs, and for the dinosaurs. This energy bill is truly a “Jurassic” piece of legislation that relies on a limited energy source derived from creatures and plants that died millions of years […]
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Mr. Hanky
Bush touts biofuels and his energy bill With his approval ratings plunging due in part to high gas prices, President Bush is fighting back by … sniffing a hanky. Let us explain. Yesterday, Bush visited a biodiesel refinery in West Point, Va., to tout the alternative-fuel subsidies in his energy bill, which the Senate will […]
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Subsidy Slickers
Nuke subsidies being added to McCain-Lieberman climate bill The latest draft of the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act proposes hundreds of millions of dollars in new subsidies for the nuclear power industry, in the form of a cost-splitting arrangement that would have the feds shoulder half the expense of developing and getting regulatory approval for three […]
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On a Wing and a Mayor
U.S. mayors form coalition to fight climate change, one city at a time A bipartisan coalition of 132 U.S. mayors — led by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels (D), and recently joined by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) — has issued a high-profile rebuke of Bush administration inaction on climate change. The leaders have […]
