Climate Politics

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  • Breaking the Gordian knot on climate legislation

    The Senate is tied in knots on climate legislation. In President Obama’s view, putting an economy-wide price on carbon is the most effective way to stimulate clean energy invest­ment and jobs. Most Democrats — though not enough — agree. Roughly half a dozen Republicans, given some political cover, might go along, but the party’s leadership […]

    Peter Barnes Politics

  • If Bingaman is the climate bill’s best hope, where does that leave us?

    This is Sen. Jeff Bingaman looking excited.Could Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) be the savior for Senate climate legislation? That’s the latest chatter inside the Beltway. Bingaman has been pushing an energy-only bill, passed by his Energy Committee last year, that wouldn’t put a cap or a price on carbon. But he’s also now drafting a […]

    Randy Rieland Politics

  • How an energy bill could fuel more global warming

    Cross-posted from NRDC Switchboard. As President Obama and senators consider their options on energy and climate legislation, it’s important to be clear about what will move the country forward and what will move it backward. Will our leaders put us on the road towards the carbon pollution cuts desperately needed to take back control of […]

    David Doniger Politics

  • Winning on climate may require reforming the U.S. Senate

    Tom Udall (D-N.M.)The chess game of climate politics — or, more specifically, of putting a binding limit on climate-changing pollution from dirty fuels — is at a moment of great uncertainty. President Obama continues to push for putting a price on carbon, and Senate action may come in July or August. But there’s every chance […]

    Alan Durning Politics

  • Exclusive: Obama admin unable to resolve shutdown of PACE clean-energy program

    Obama administration officials have failed to resolve a dispute with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that has shut down Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), according to an email obtained by Grist. The impasse will likely kill the promising clean-energy financing tool until Congress passes legislation addressing it, according to Cisco DeVries, who first created the […]

    Jonathan Hiskes Politics

  • We need a declaration of independence from foreign oil

    This weekend, our nation will recognize its 234th birthday — celebrating the freedom we have fought for since the first shots of the American Revolution were fired in the town of Lexington, Mass., in the heart of my congressional district. The great American experiment still has battles left to fight, freedoms we must achieve. The […]

    Ed Markey Politics

  • Tories’ attack on Jamie Oliver reflects conservative parenting styles

    From the international edition of the “Why Elections Matter” handbook comes news that chef and school-food activist Jamie Oliver‘s well-regarded and successful set of school food reforms are being dissed by Britain’s new Tory health minister. Oliver has spent years on the program, which has improved school menus, kids’ eating habits and, according to studies, […]

    Tom Laskawy Politics

  • Newt Gingrich isn’t pro-market, he’s pro-business

    Here at the end of the week, I have a few final thoughts on my carbon debate with Steve Everley of American Solutions (see: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and Amanda Little’s interview with Newt Gingrich, Steve’s boss. A recent report from the International Energy Agency revealed a stunning fact: Worldwide, fossil-fuel energy corporations receive $550 […]

    David Roberts Politics

  • Climate scientist Mann gets final exoneration from Penn State

    Few if any American climate scientists have been as falsely accused — and thoroughly vindicated — over both their academic practices and scientific results as Dr. Michael Mann. Today, Penn State issued its final and complete exoneration of Dr. Michael Mann in the matter of his scientific practices “for proposing, conducting, or reporting research,” primarily […]

    Joseph Romm Politics

  • Will hurricanes rain down oil on the Gulf of Mexico?

    An oily mess on the Gulf coast.Photo: David HelvargBy the end of the summer, it could be raining oil along the Gulf of Mexico.  Hurricane Alex is the first of a series of 14 named storms predicted for the 2010 hurricane season. The Gulf is warmer than it’s been since before 2005 when unusually warm […]

    David Helvarg Politics