Climate Politics
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We’ve already slowed greenhouse-gas emissions
Given that the Republicans in power are clearly willing to go to the mat to make sure we make no further strides towards improving the environment, this is good news: Even if the government takes no further action to regulate greenhouse gases, our emissions will grow much more slowly than predicted in coming years. In […]
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Policy in an age of post-truth politics
Obama still doesn’t get it.Photo: White HouseAs Joe Romm noted the other day, Ezra Klein has an interesting column in WaPo making the case that, in terms of policy, Obama “is a moderate Republican of the early 1990s.” Putting aside the emergency measures responding to the economic crisis, Obama’s signature initiatives have been a health-care […]
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Ezra Klein: ‘Obama, based on his positions, is a moderate Republican of the early 1990s’
Klein writes, “as Democrats moved to the right to pick up Republican votes, Republicans moved to the right to oppose Democratic proposals.”Photo: The White HouseThe Washington Post‘s Ezra Klein has a terrific column that places the failed climate bill into the political context that has been missing from so much of the recent debate: If you put […]
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How Tim Pawlenty ditched his Arctic explorer bestie and turned his back on climate change
This is like something out of Mean Girls: Former Minnesota gov Tim Pawlenty used to pal around with this amazing Arctic explorer dude, Will Steger, having slumber parties and plotting how to get the GOP to believe in climate change. Then Pawlenty fell in with a clique, the GOP Presidential Hopefuls, and if he wanted […]
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Opponents of climate bill far outspent environmentalists, according to Climate Shift data
The data suggest opponents of climate legislation far outspent environmentalists during debate over the bill in 2009 and 2010: 8-to-1 on lobbying in 2009 4-to 1 (or more) on advertising in 2009 8-to-1 in donations to candidates and Congress members in 2010 cycle 10-to-1 on independent election expenditures in 2010 I am basing those numbers […]
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What would happen if Americans had a say in how their tax money is spent?
Lemme tell you …How would America change if taxpayers were allowed to specify how their tax money were spent? That fascinating question (no, really, it’s fascinating!) is explored in a piece by Cait Lamberton in the latest issue of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. Side note: if you don’t read Democracy, you really should bookmark […]
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Power Shift recap: ‘Stuck on stupid,’ money pollution, and Snuffleupagus
Are you rallying in D.C. right now for the Power Shift 2011? You're NOT? Well, lucky for you we've been posting highlights over the weekend. Here's what you missed, you poor sap: Former White House advisor Van Jones wants to hold both parties to high standards, but he's not sure they'll live up to it. […]
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Obama meets with young climate activists after they stand up to him
President Obama meets with Energy Action Coalition leaders in the White House. Photo: The White HouseYouth climate leaders in town for the Power Shift conference got some powerful evidence that their public frustration with President Obama is getting noticed in the Oval Office: Halfway through a meeting at the White House between leaders of the […]
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Van Jones at Power Shift 2011: ‘While they’re stuck on stupid in D.C., your generation is rising’
Cross-posted from the Wonk Room. In a passionate keynote address, green jobs leader Van Jones exhorted the 10,000 youth climate activists at the Power Shift conference in Washington, D.C., to “shift the power” and lead the clean power revolution. He argued that both parties need to be held accountable for their failures, and that activists […]
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Obama as Snuffleupagus: Expect our imaginary friend to skip out on Power Shift again
Obama chooses basketball over climate activists.Photo: The White HouseOn the eve of the Power Shift 2011 climate youth conference, no one expects President Obama to show. If he did, he’d probably get booed by activists angry about his tightening embrace of the oil, coal, gas, and nuclear industries. But it was a very different story […]
