Climate Politics
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How I learned to stop worrying and love Waxman-Markey, Part 2: In praise of domestic offsets
The two biggest concerns about domestic offsets in climate legislation — the possibility they will be riddled with fraud and/or that they will overwhelm the “genuine” emissions reductions — are I think, largely unwarranted. The fact that Waxman-Markey potentially allows a substantial amount of domestic offsets is no reason whatsoever oppose it. As readers know, […]
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How the ‘OMB memo’ non-story happened
How to cook a non-story…Courtesy Arbron via Flickr Now that the “White House memo” hoopla is over — except insofar as it will live on forever as a zombie Republican talking point — it’s worth pausing to review what happened. It’s a remarkable, real-time example of how the polluter/Republican/media nexus works. And it raises some […]
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Climate-pollution cash shaping fate of Waxman-Markey clean energy legislation
Cross-posted from Wonk Room. Last week, President Obama and Vice President Biden urged the Democrats on the House energy committee during a White House meeting to take “quick action” on comprehensive green economy legislation. Negotiations over how much industries will be subsidized to make the transition to clean energy have stalled subcommittee negotiations over the […]
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What exactly is the difference between journalism and blogging?
Seriously, what is the difference between blogging and journalism? My answer is at the end. Your comments are welcome, as always. The climate misreporting of the day goes to ABC News’ Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper and the AP’s Dina Cappiello. Tapper’s blog today runs the sensational but untrue headline: Obama Administration Memo Warns […]
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Dear Mr. President: Declare Aug. 3 as Armistice Day
On the upcoming anniversary of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, President Barack Obama has the opportunity to declare an armistice in the polarized Appalachian coalfields, mend a 30-year mining policy of betrayal, and call an end to the most divisive and egregious human rights and environmental violation sanctioned by our federal government. On […]
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‘Obama White House’ not challenging EPA endangerment finding [UPDATES]
[UPDATES AT BOTTOM OF POST] The AP has what looks like a blockbuster story today: “White House memo challenges EPA finding on warming.” The Obama White House bashing the EPA process for regulating greenhouse gases! That’s huge! Only the AP got the story completely wrong. Here’s the backstory: Today, Republican senators released a memo that […]
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Crist, a green-leaning moderate Republican, is running for U.S. Senate
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist declared his candidacy for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, aiming to help recover an increasingly endangered species — the moderate Republican — in increasingly hostile habitat — Washington, D.C. Crist is running for the seat now held by fellow Republican Mel Martinez, who intends to leave the Senate when his first term […]
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Barton worries that EPA will regulate runners
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is concerned about the plight of marathon runners under a cap-and-trade plan. No, we’re not making this up. Barton, the ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee and a vocal climate skeptic, told conservative magazine Newsmax in an interview published on Monday that he is worried that regulating greenhouse-gas emissions […]
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Does the public need to understand cap-and-trade?
A new Rasmussen poll shows that just 24 percent of people know what “cap-and-trade” is. Even that is an optimistic gloss: in fact, only 24 percent of people know that cap-and-trade is meant to address environmental issues. Some 29 percent think it’s a new Wall Street regulation; 30 percent have no idea. Professional enviros seem […]
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Speculation runs rampant as Dems reportedly reach a deal on climate bill
House leaders have reportedly reached a tentative deal on a climate and energy bill — and in the absence of details, speculation is rampant about how the bill has been weakened or otherwise changed. Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the bill’s coauthors, had wanted to start markup of […]
