Climate Politics
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Republicans [sic] for Environmental Protection
Climate change is real, it’s caused by humans, and it will create serious risks for our nation’s security, economy and quality of life — and sooner than we think. That’s the unmistakable message from scientists who have devoted their professional lives to understanding how human activities affect climate. One of them is Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, […]
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Tax junk food, but also subidize veggies
Soda can … harm your health.The taxman cometh for soft drinks. Or so it appears these days. We already know they’re on the table as a possible funding source for Obama’s health care reform. And behind the scenes, the co-author of an influential paper on the potential positive effect of soda taxes, New York City’s […]
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Utilities and coal-state Democrats are wrecking our last chance on climate change
Utility companies and their coal-state apologists in Congress are wrecking America’s last, best chance to solve global warming. By insisting on free pollution permits, utilities are creating a climate bill that is complicated, unfair, and destined to fail in future years. It’s now up to Congressman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and the House Ways and Means […]
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Rally in Seattle Thursday for climate, clean energy, healthy communities outside EPA climate hearing
I have a fair number of readers in Seattle, so I’m happy to pass on this rally notice from Climate Solutions (reprinted below). The 20-person nonprofit with a great name is organizing a rally in Seattle Thursday, noon, outside of the EPA hearing on the endangerment finding. They have more than 1,500 people attending so […]
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House GOP attacks big business, science, legislative process, and even Joe Barton!
“Business is not always going to be a good friend of the Republicans, and that needs to be reflected in our strategy,” said MWR Strategies President Michael McKenna, a Republican energy lobbyist. The GOP members of the House Energy and Commerce committee, led by Joe Barton of Texas, are, ironically, bereft of any ideas on […]
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Southern Company, coal plants, and the latest gizmo
Who is behind the push for “clean coal”? Seems like it ought to be simple, but it’s not. Take a look at this list of members of the “clean coal” front group ACCCE. There are effectively three lobbies: producers, utilities, and legislators. Producers’ interest in “clean coal” is obvious: they want to sell more coal. […]
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Exclusive: Have China and the U.S. been holding secret talks aimed at a climate deal this fall?
For those of us who believe that maintaining a livable climate pretty much depends on a U.S.-China deal on greenhouse gas emissions (see here), the Guardian’s story Monday was a bombshell: China and US held secret talks on climate change deal • Negotiations began in final months of Bush administration • Obama could seal accord […]
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Obama nominates Superfund polluter lawyer to run DOJ environment division
Cross-posted from Wonk Room. President Barack Obama has nominated a lawyer for the nation’s largest toxic polluters to run the enforcement of the nation’s environmental laws. On Tuesday, Obama “announced his intent to nominate” Ignacia S. Moreno to be Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division in the Department of Justice. Moreno, […]
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‘Jobs of the Future’ ad pressures GOP to support climate bill
The progressive group Americans United for Change unveiled a new TV ad today that seeks to put pressure on Republicans to support President Obama’s energy plan. Titled “Jobs of the Future,” it links Obama’s green-jobs ambitions to President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to the nation to put a man on the moon. “Today President Obama […]
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The Waxman-Markey Rorschach blot
In early June I’ll be speaking at a plenary session on climate politics at the America’s Future Now! conference organized by the Campaign for America’s Future. They asked me to write a post on the Waxman-Markey bill to kick off discussion in advance of the conference. The post is here, and reprinted below. —– The […]
