Climate Politics
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Building a Green Tea Party
A leading thinker on the left recently wrote that elite authorities have failed us and require grassroots input to become accountable. A leading thinker on the right recently wrote that centralized authorities have failed us and should be balanced by stronger local economic, political, and social networks. Now Woody Tasch of the Slow Money Alliance […]
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What can the health-care act teach the food movement?
President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton celebrate healthcare reform. Will food reformers ever get to celebrate a wide-ranging policy victory? Photo: White HouseWhat follows is the first of a two-post series. “This is what change looks like,” declared a triumphant President Obama after the House had narrowly passed an historic healthcare-reform bill. What would […]
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American Enterprise Institute accidentally makes the case for climate legislation
Several folks have already taken note of this but I wanted to add a few thoughts. Mark Perry at the American Enterprise Institute seems to be inadvertently making the case for climate change legislation. First, he lists a series of things environmentalists predicted would happen assuming business-as-usual levels of pollution. Then, using this chart, he […]
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Designed to Obstruct, US Senate Erodes Public Trust
Last time, I illustrated how the un-democracy of the US Senate hogties the Pacific Northwest. It radically underrepresents the most-populous, diverse, and innovative parts of the country, making it exceedingly difficult for the nation to adapt to the demands of a radically new global era by, for example, adopting sweeping new approaches to energy and […]
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Murky future for Clean Water Act restoration
Now that health insurance reform has passed Congress, is it finally time to restore the health of America’s waters? I know what you’re thinking — the Clean Water Act already protects the nation’s waters, right? That we learned our lesson and cleaned up our water act after the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969? Wrong. […]
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Permission to take a worry break, enjoy the health-care victory
Without getting all pundit-y, can I suggest that it wouldn’t hurt progressives to celebrate more? Others have done a better job than I can explaining what a big deal health-care reform is. I’ll just add: if you need a break from fretting about climate change, or ocean acidification, or agribusiness and school lunches, or the […]
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No rest for the warriors.
Today President Obama signed health care reform into law. This is an incredible victory not just for the President and members of Congress who championed the legislation; not just for the movement of people and organizations who advocated for change; not just for the millions of Americans who will soon have affordable health coverage when […]
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Kerry-vs.-Bingaman power struggle lurks beneath ‘what next?’ question in Senate
Sens. Kerry, Lieberman, and GrahamPhoto: Wonk RoomIn the wake of health care reform passage, the question du jour seems to be: what next? The Senate doesn’t have a ton of time before mid-term elections bring Silly Season (not that any season is free of silliness in the Senate). A number of issues are tapping on […]
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Coalition of 22 Democratic senators urges floor vote on climate bill this year
Now that health care reform is out of the way (praise f’ing Zeus!), what’s next for the Senate? Several issues are jockeying for attention: jobs, financial reform, immigration, and others. More than one senator has said that there’s just no time to get to climate and energy this year, especially after the protracted and divisive […]
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Passage of healthcare security bill gives momentum to bipartisan climate and energy security bill
The success of health reform creates momentum for Democrats that is almost certain to help advocates of climate change legislation. So begins the EnergyGuardian story (subs. req’d) by reporter and Fox News contributor Jeffrey Birnbaum. Similarly, BusinessGreen reports: The chances of US climate change legislation passing this year received a major boost after President Obama secured victory in his historic […]
