Climate Politics

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  • Phony coal map distorts clean energy bill costs

    You have to hand it to the coal industry.  They are not content to just spend millions of dollars on “wild and crazy” advertising claims about “clean coal.” Now, they are bringing those same mad skills of deception to mapmaking.  Yes, you read that right:   We are now looking at lying via cartography. This colorful […]

    Peter Altman Politics

  • Contesting on occupied terrain

    “I am open and I am willingFor to be hopeless would seem so strangeIt dishonors those who go before usSo lift me up to the light of change.” “I Am Willing,” by Holly Near There is much evidence to indicate that there will be a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives next […]

    Ted Glick Politics

  • Congress gives green light to “cash for clunkers” bill; Obama to sign

    The “cash for clunkers” bill is now headed to President Barack Obama’s desk, and he’s expected to sign it enthusiastically. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden personally lobbied senators to support the bill, helping stave off a Republican-led effort to kill it. The bill ultimately passed the Senate on Thursday as part of a large […]

    Kate Sheppard Politics

  • White House and enviros amp up efforts to pass climate bill in House

    The House is gearing up to vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act as soon as next week, and both the White House and environmental groups are planning a full-court press to get it passed. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), coauthor of the bill, has said he is “very close” to making a final deal […]

    Kate Sheppard Politics

  • Negotiations are all well and good, but where’s the bling bling?

    With less than six months to go before Copenhagen, the global climate negotiations are at a pivotal moment. After a two-week negotiating session in Bonn, the negotiations are turning the corner. Or are they? For the first time, negotiators in Bonn debated the draft text of a global deal – a mixed bag of good, […]

    David Waskow Politics

  • The Climate Post: Gimme your wallet–or else the forest here gets it

    The Obama administration this week released a 196-page plain-language report that describes predicted future impacts of climate change on the U.S. The report comes during a week of inconclusive negotiation among key House lawmakers on climate legislation, and as the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passes what could be the third energy bill in […]

    Eric Roston Politics

  • House GOP circulating anti–climate bill document created by coal lobby

    [See updates below.] It’s no secret that the fossil-fuel industry produces many of the talking points Republicans use to scare voters about energy legislation. Usually, though, dirty energy execs don’t literally sign on as authors. House Republicans are circulating a PowerPoint document that purports to show the regional breakdown of costs for energy consumers under […]

    Kate Sheppard Politics

  • Cap-and-trade primer goes to Washington (DC)

    We all know that the devil’s in the details when it comes to legislation, and the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a.k.a. Waxman-Markey, is no exception. This 900-plus page proposal tackling climate change and clean energy is chock full of such fiendish facets. We at Sightline Institute carefully studied the climate portion of the […]

    Lisa Stiffler Politics

  • The climate bill is about more than shaking the money tree

    Shake it, but please don’t break it.While Tom Philpott has been following the cage match between the House Ag Committee and its chairman Rep Collin Peterson, and Rep. Henry Waxman, author of the Waxman/Markey climate bill currently before Congress, the latest doings seem to have broken through to the broader blogosphere. Maybe it’s because the […]

    Tom Laskawy Politics

  • CBO: Household costs under Waxman-Markey likely much lower than report reflects

    Last Friday, the Congressional Budget Office answered some questions from Sen. John Kerry about its much-discussed report (PDF) on the costs of cap-and-trade. You’ll recall the report’s principle conclusion: a cap-and-trade program would reduce the deficit over the next decade. Despite that positive outcome, the report contained some scary numbers, like the fact that the […]

    David Roberts Politics