Climate Politics
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The ‘historic’ 2008 election drinking game
Of all the drinking games I have ever proposed (Note to self: Do I have a drinking game problem? Nah, I can quit anytime), the one for election day coverage this year is certainly the most likely to leave you unconscious on the floor for the longest period of time: Take one shot every time […]
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Election ads featured three times more wind turbines this year than in 2006
Fun election fact, from the League of Conservation Voters: In 2006, federal candidates ran a total of 17 ads featuring images of windmills, representing the beginnings of clean energy as a campaign issue. In 2008, federal candidates ran at least 54 ads featuring windmills.
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Judgment and objectivity in media
Kevin Drum examines the notion of journalistic objectivity via cap-and-trade: The biggest difference between the two cap-and-trade plans, of course, is that Obama seems to actually believe in his proposal whereas McCain pretty plainly doesn’t. For him, it’s just window dressing that would almost certainly have been forgotten as soon as he got in office. […]
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Bush administration prepares environmental messes for the next prez
As Americans anxiously wait to find out who will become our next president, the current occupant of the White House continues efforts to undermine environmental protections. Whomever wins today will inherit a bounty of 11th-hour actions of the Bush administration on environmental issues, pushed through before No. 44 is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2009. […]
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Gingrich shills for Republican energy policy under bizarre guise as energy guru
Newsweek leads off an interview with Newt Gingrich by saying that when it comes to the challenges of energy policy, he "understands these challenges better than most." Says who? What in Gingrich’s writing and record show that he is anything but a party-line conservative Republican on energy? It’s bizarre how the media repeats these things […]
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Montana gubernatorial candidate defends his eating habits
In perhaps one of the more bizarre controversies this Election Day, the final day of the Montana gubernatorial race was consumed with debate over what the Republican candidate, Roy Brown, does and does not eat. On Monday, Brown responded to an email rumor circulating the state alleging that Brown and his family are (gasp!) vegetarians. […]
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More speculation on Obama cabinet picks
Politico takes a look at a possible Obama staff and cabinet. (See also Grist’s look at possible green-related Obama appointees.) It gives a mixed view with some knockouts and some … not-so-knockouts. These EPA pics don’t thrill me: Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.); Kathleen McGinty, former head of the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agency My vote? […]
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Enviro groups endorse underdog challenger in Senate race
The League of Conservation Voters made a late endorsement in the Georgia Senate race last week, backing Democrat Jim Martin against incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R). This is another race that Democrats are hoping to win as they pursue a 60-vote majority, but greens are particularly keen on a Martin win. Chambliss earned a tiny […]
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On the need to distinguish between consumption spending and investment spending
A while back, both Ezra and Ryan pointed to this post from James Surowecki, economics writer for the New Yorker. The first paragraph should be inscribed on the wall of Congress: One of the peculiarities of the U.S. budget process is that we don’t distinguish between "expenditures" that are actually long-term investments, often with high […]
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Obama has outplayed McCain on coal
There’s a lot of hubbub about the latest Obama coal controversy. To state the obvious: there’s very little chance that something like this, breaking this late in the election, will have any effect on anything. It’s sound and fury. That said, folks should look closely at exactly what Obama said. As I argued in these […]
