Climate Politics
All Stories
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Stupid things senators are saying about the Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman proposal
Over the weekend, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) released some details about their upcoming “tripartisan” energy/climate bill. (I wrote about it here.) This has prompted a flurry of press coverage, as various senators and interest groups react to the proposal. The result? A torrent of confusion, nonsense, and outright […]
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Is Bill Barrett Corp's Major Lobbying Spree Aimed at Ken Salazar?
In the fall of 2008, the outgoing Bush administration gave the oil and gas industry a parting gift that now threatens to destroy the Roan Plateau in Colorado, an area known for its stunning vistas, “beloved by hunters, anglers and hikers for its clear streams, herds of deer and elk, and rugged beauty.” The Roan, […]
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Sen. Blanche Lincoln faces a challenger from the left, but is he any better on the environment?
Blanche Lincoln Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter (D) is mounting a primary challenge against conservative Democrat Blanche Lincoln for the U.S. Senate seat she’s held for two terms. Environmentalists and progressives have it in for Lincoln, angry over her opposition to high-profile Democratic issues like a public option in health care and cap-and-trade. The Sierra […]
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Murkowski wants to save Alaska by destroying it
Cross-posted from the Wonk Room. As Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) work to craft comprehensive climate legislation that can overcome a fossil-fueled filibuster, swing vote Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is trying to dig the carbon hole deeper. Before climate policy had a chance of becoming reality, Murkowski claimed to […]
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Stop the Attacks on the Clean Air Act
A Senate vote is looming on a measure that would gut the Clean Air Act, proposed by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. The resolution’s passage would give big polluters a bail out by blocking President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from taking action to limit global warming pollution – even from the biggest polluters […]
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Maybe locavores can save the world after all
Financial blogger Felix Salmon has an essay in Foreign Policy called “How Locavores Can Stop World Hunger.” Salmon normally focuses on issues involving economic crises, monetary policy, complex derivatives, macro-economics and governmental oversight of financial markets — but here is talking monocultures, sustainable agriculture and GMOs. Tom Philpott has opined on the similarities between financial […]
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The ‘energy-only’ bill and Byron Dorgan’s deficit hypocrisy
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) is fiscally responsible, a “deficit hawk” as they say in the biz, and like most people who self-identify with that label in Washington, he’s very keen for everyone to know it. Back in September 2009, he urged President Obama to focus on reducing the deficit — indeed, said it should be […]
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Myths and realities of cap-and-trade
Worries about “gaming” or market manipulation often crop up as objections to climate and energy legislation. While these concerns are understandable, they are not warranted — and they can be addressed in a well-designed system. So let’s look at some of the most common myths. Myth #1: Cap-and-trade markets have no track record. Reality: Cap-and-trade […]
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The bluefin tuna gets a bigtime backer: the U.S. government
The Atlantic bluefin may be down, but it’s not out. After delaying a decision, the Obama administration came out today in support of a proposal to declare the bluefin an endangered species and to ban international trade in the threatened fish (via The Washington Post): The U.S. government announced Wednesday that it supports prohibiting international […]
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USDA research chief concerned about ‘safety of organic food’
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO — In another post, I’ll explain why I’m in Mexico for the next two weeks, and how I came to attend a conference sponsored by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, titled “Agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries: Options and opportunities in crops, forestry, livestock, fisheries, and agro-industry to face the challenge of food […]
