Climate Politics

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  • Tim Wirth says imperfect deal at Copenhagen better than no deal

    Timothy Wirth, head of the United Nations Foundation, has a long-term perspective on climate negotiations — and he says people who contend that no deal is better than an imperfect deal are “flat wrong.” While serving as undersecretary of state for global affairs during the Clinton administration, Wirth led the U.S. delegation to Kyoto, Japan, […]

    Amanda Little Politics

  • John Kerry on whether a weak climate deal is better than no deal at all

    COPENHAGEN — As climate negotiators hash out the eleventh-hour details of an operational accord, one question looms over the discussions: Is a weak deal better than no deal at all? I put that question and others to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in a sit-down interview yesterday. The chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee admitted […]

    Amanda Little Politics

  • No ‘truth,’ but telling consequences for Inhofe’s strange Copenhagen visit

    COPENHAGEN — On the day that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton showed up in Copenhagen to say the U.S. would contribute to a global climate action fund, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) also appeared in Copenhagen. Without, however, his much-hyped “truth squad.” Earlier this month, the Oklahoma Republican and one of Capitol Hill’s fiercest critics of […]

    Keith Schneider Politics

  • Pelosi and pals tell world: ‘Blame the Senate’

    COPENHAGEN—Seven Democratic leaders from the U.S. House of Representatives made an appearance in the Bella Center on Thursday, spreading the message that treaty negotiations have the support of the House along with President Obama. Photo evidence: Congress cares! Speaker Nancy Pelosi (center, in red … duh) brought along six fellow Democrats to make sure everyone […]

    Jonathan Hiskes Politics

  • Winter growers get some love from the USDA

    It’s tempting to hear the news (and watch the video!) telling us that the USDA will study winter gardening and wonder why the USDA needs to study something that Eliot Coleman, a farmer in Maine, has been doing successfully — and writing about — for decades and something that Will Allen’s urban farming company Growing […]

    Tom Laskawy Politics

  • USDA sustainable-ag czar Merrigan hits youtube

    Way back in August 2006, I wrote a column arguing that farmers in northern areas could grow a lot more vegetables in the winter, if the USDA would invest in research and infrastructure for it. I wrote: If we wanted to make that vision come true for the nation’s northern climes, all it would take […]

    Tom Philpott Politics

  • Is the ‘climate debt’ discussion helpful?

    I’m intrigued by this notion of “climate debt,” but before I get into it I want to make one thing clear: the transfer of substantial resources from rich to poor countries is necessary for a successful international treaty. It’s necessary for a successful attempt to address global climate change. Nothing below is meant to suggest […]

    David Roberts Politics

  • Walking the tightrope on climate action: getting to success in 2010

    John Kerry delivered a speech in Copenhagen yesterday. It was inspiring, but look past the uplift and it reveals just how tricky the path forward will be. Here’s the needle Obama and Kerry are trying to thread: 1. Copenhagen talks end in substantial political agreement. That means developed countries will need to offer enough financing […]

    David Roberts Politics

  • Getting at the roots of unsustainable U.S. ag policy

    Cross-posted from Civil Eats. Around one third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the way we produce, process, distribute, and consume the food we eat according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Meanwhile, farmers the world over will be the most affected by climate change, as higher carbon in the atmosphere and […]

    Paula Crossfield Politics

  • Only the numbers count — and they add up to hell on earth

    Cross-posted from the Guardian. COPENHAGEN — The Bella Center is a swirl of chatter, the streets of Copenhagen are a swirl of protest. Depending on what hour you listen to the news bulletin, the U.N. climate negotiations have “come off the rails” or are “back on track” or have “stalled” or are “moving swiftly.” Which […]

    Bill McKibben Politics