Climate Politics
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Myth vs. reality on the Copenhagen climate summit
Co-written by Rebecca Lefton, a Researcher for Progressive Media, and Daniel J. Weiss, a Senior Fellow and Director Climate Strategy at the Center for American Progress. Myth #1: Copenhagen is already a failure. Instead of a binding agreement we’ll end up with a political deal that gets us nowhere. Reality: We are on schedule at […]
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The Climate Post: Throngs enter Copenhagen’s climate gates
First Things First: President Obama last week shifted the date he will visit the Copenhagen climate talks from Dec. 9 to Dec. 18, the last and most consequential day. Three days into the 15th U.N.-sponsored Conference of Parties, this otherwise mundane fact carries the most symbolism. Whatever happens, whatever has already been settled or is […]
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Gore vs. Palin on Climategate
Super-blogger Andrew Sullivan has an intriguing feature on his site called The Odd Lies of Sarah Palin in which he catalogues the way the most popular so-called “conservative” in the country today lies seemingly reflexively, even about topics which are not the least bit controversial. (For instance, whether or not she consulted her daughters about […]
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Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman release framework for Senate climate/energy bill
Sens. Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman held a press conference today to discuss the framework they’re developing for a clean energy bill that can get to 60 votes in the Senate early next year. (Audio here.) Obviously the event was timed to have an impact in Copenhagen. Both Kerry and Lieberman said explicitly that their intent […]
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Memo to Politico: Climategate is a flop
Today’s Politico headline from Copenhagen is: “Climategate distracts at Copenhagen.” This seems based on a very low bar for what constitutes a distraction. Is the international summit torn now between resolutions saying global warming is a moral imperative or a dastardly hoax perpetrated by the sinister scientist conspiracy? Hardly. Is there one country that previously […]
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Is the leaked draft a big deal or a non-issue?
Earlier this week, a leaked draft of proposed treaty text from Denmark caused quite a kerfuffle. We asked our expert panel: Is it a big deal, or a tempest in a teapot? Here are edited excerpts from their responses: —– Andrew Light Senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Any veteran of the UNFCCC meetings […]
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The Time for Coal Ash Regulation is Now
How many people have to be sickened or killed before we get strong coal ash regulations in the U.S.? I ask this during a week very full of news on coal ash – the by-product of burning coal for power. Our latest and biggest news is our notice today putting New Mexico’s San Juan Coal […]
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Bill McKibben on skunks at Copenhagen’s garden party
Cross-posted from MotherJones.com. A demonstration in support of the islands of Tuvalu, the 4th smallest country in the world, which is holding out for a legally-binding treaty in Copenhagen.Photo and caption: Oxfam InternationalCOPENHAGEN — From the distance, you could hear a little noise and rhythmic chanting cutting through the train-station drone that is the normal […]
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Time for Americans to 'raise their game' on climate change
Everyone should read this Matt Ygelsias post on the need for all of us to “step up our game” morally speaking as regards the climate. The climate change “debate” is a true gut check moment. And right now, we’re failing: CNN was running a climate change story yesterday with the chyron “Global Warming: Fact or […]
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Inside the youth movement at Copenhagen
Today is “Young and Future Generations Day” at the Copenhagen climate talks, where at least 1,000 youth from dozens of countries are in attendance. So far this week, youth activists have put on dozens of media stunts, such as dressing as green-faced “aliens” and asking passers-by to take them to their climate leaders. Young people […]
