Climate Politics
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Obama transition teams wrestles with fiscal policy
Behind the scenes, Barack Obama is busy putting together “the largest and most disciplined presidential transition team anyone can recall,” says Edward Luce in the Financial Times. Obviously this is important for any incoming president, but with so many crises converging, it takes on particular salience this time around. Obama’s team is deep in the […]
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Environment bigger factor in election than immigration, abortion, gay marriage
I was looking at this recent poll from Pew, and wanted to highlight how many people see environment as a big issue in the election: Environment is more important than immigration, abortion, and gay marriage. Which I think explains why McCain is trying to prove he’s the real environmentalist. (Also, he’s probably a bit worried […]
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Biofuels reps ask EPA to exclude greenhouse gas emissions considerations from rulemaking
The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release new rules soon regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard established last year under the Energy Independence and Security Act. The legislation required the EPA take into account the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from the production of various biofuels, including indirect emissions from things like land use changes. On […]
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Gingrich talks up his new book on drilling
The American Enterprise Institute hosted an event with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich last week to promote his new book, Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less. Not surprisingly, most of the event focused on drilling, and there was also the anticipated admonition of a regulatory approach to limiting carbon emissions. Gingrich did seem to acknowledge […]
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Climate change to cause ‘economic deserts,’ U.N. chief says
Parts of the world undergoing severe, sustained drought will likely have to be all but abandoned by humans because water shortages (caused by climate change and overuse of rivers and aquifers) will make them unlivable, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program warned this week.
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A look at House races with hot eco-angles
With all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives up for reelection every two years, it can be hard to keep track of which races will have much of an environmental impact. Here’s a cheat sheet on some of the contests enviros are following most closely, based on the greenest (and least-green) candidates in […]
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FDA advisory panel says agency should redo BPA risk assessment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should redo its flawed risk assessment that found the chemical bisphenol A is harmless, an FDA advisory panel said on Friday. The advisory panel’s finding is an amen to an independent assessment of the FDA’s findings released last week.
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The AP tries to figure out where the candidates stand on mountaintop removal mining
The Associated Press attempts to figure out where the presidential candidates stand on mountaintop-removal coal mining. They talked to campaign surrogates about what the candidates think, and here’s what they got: Mountaintop removal mining “irreversibly alters our natural treasures and poses potential threats to water sources,” and the Republican McCain believes the industry doesn’t need […]
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Schwarzenegger for Obama Energy Secretary?
Until this weekend, the The Great Mentioner had Schwarzenegger on the shortlist for Obama Energy Secretary. That was the buzz in the Politico’s "Dems sketch Obama staff, Cabinet," and on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, where Arnold said of Obama: I would take his call now, I will take his call when he’s president […]
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The environmental take on this year’s gubernatorial races
In the absence of federal action on climate change, governors have become the real leaders on the issue. Eleven governors will be elected on Tuesday, and a number of gubernatorial candidates have put forward very green plans –- as well as some not-so-green ideas. Here’s the rundown on guv races to watch this year. —– […]
