Climate Politics

U.S. is freaking out over tiny E.U. carbon tax on air travel

Long ago, in a land far, far away, where it seemed possible that carbon cap-and-trade would be a thing that we all got on board with, the European Union decided it would make sense to include air travel in its carbon trading scheme, because flying on planes is one of the most carbon-intensive activities that humans engage in. But — psych! — turned out no one (*cough* Congress *cough*) really wanted to deal with carbon. The E.U., however, did not get that memo and still wants to charge American airlines for the carbon they emit on their way to Europe. Here's how that's playing out so far:

The U.S. airline industry: NO FAIR! We'll see you in court, suckers!

The European Union: Um, ok, well, they're our courts. 

Greens join Occupy Wall Street, protest against everything being super screwed up

In all of the navel-gazing that climate activists conduct in order to figure out why the world is on the highway to carbon hell, one thing that's easy to forget is what we're up against: Gigantic, tremendously wealthy entrenched interests whose only goal is to maintain the status quo right up until the Once-ler burns the last of our fossil fuels. In other words, corporations.

Corporations fund the climate denial machine, lobby for subsidies to keep themselves viable long after the social and environmental costs of their ways have become egregious, and at the slightest provocation, sic their anointed party on any alternative energy that should threaten their unsustainable model.

That's why it should be no surprise that a movement aimed, at least vaguely, at reducing the power of corporations should be appealing to anyone who cares about the future of life on earth.

Attention climate wonks: you can't take the politics out of politics

Princeton's Robert Socolow is the latest climate wonk to wistfully hope that we can tackle climate change through reasoned persuasion. That's unlikely.

Jerry Brown wishes we could treat clean energy like we treat stuffed lions

California Gov. Jerry Brown (whose full first name is Edmund, who knew) has reached across the aisle for the sake of dead mountain lions. Now he'd like to gently suggest to the California senate that things like clean energy might be almost as important.

A look at CHP markets across the country: Sometimes supportive policies aren't enough

This post was written by Anna Chittum, Senior Policy Analyst at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and a contributing author at the ACEEE blog. Here at ACEEE we love combined heat and power (CHP). CHP is a critical, affordable, and proven energy resource that can produce electricity and thermal energy at the same […]

How to care for your 6-foot Rick Perry chia head

If you have a spare $4,500 lying around, you can now own a Rick Perry chia head that's as tall as Rick Perry. 

Gee, we wish Obama would rip on Perry's denialism in public

“You’ve got a governor whose state is on fire, denying climate change,” said President Obama at a fundraiser in Silicon Valley on Sunday, allegedly. It's like he's been reading Grist! Or more like he made the obvious connection that everyone with even a lizard-like sense for irony would make. It’s nice to see the president […]

Tax expenditures: a boring thing you should be outraged about

In budget terms, tax expenditures may look the same as simple government spending, but the political differences are enormously important.

Bill Clinton slams U.S. climate deniers: 'We look like a joke'

Former president Bill Clinton blasted the GOP for supporting climate science denial.

McConnell opposes energy loan guarantees — except in Kentucky

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is outraged that politically connected energy companies are getting loan guarantees ... outside of Kentucky, his home state.