Climate Politics
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Obama expected to tap Richardson to head Commerce
Various news outlets are reporting that President-elect Obama has settled on New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to serve as Commerce secretary, adding another Clinton veteran to the incoming Cabinet. Richardson was Clinton’s ambassador to the United Nations from 1997 to 1998, and Energy secretary from 1998 to 2000. The secretary of Commerce, according to the […]
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Obama appears likely to tap Rep. Raúl Grijalva for Sec. of Interior
Raúl Grijalva. Over the weekend, several news sources reported that Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is the top name on Obama’s list to head the Interior Department, a job that would put him in charge of federal lands, national parks and endangered species. Grijalva has represented Arizona’s 7th district since 2003, and has racked up […]
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Dingell’s fatal blunder — refusal to compromise
The NY Times has the background story on just how Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) beat John Dingell (D-MI) for chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. The turning point was Dingell’s rejection of a truce that Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the No. 2 Democrat in the House, was trying to broker: Two days after […]
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Reflections on the Governors’ Climate Summit
The Governors’ Climate Summit was bookended by two striking visuals. The first was President-elect Barack Obama, kicking off the proceedings with a recorded message that stated in clear, unequivocal terms that the federal government is back in the game; governors, mayors, and companies working to battle climate change will have an active partner in Washington, […]
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New report from Duke University pinpoints where green policies will create jobs
In his most concrete policy proposal since the November election, President-elect Barack Obama last week said his administration will “mark a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process.” Obama said that will “start” with a federal cap and trade system […]
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Conservatives claim CAFE standards caused car companies’ woes
A key reason for Detroit’s woes is that for decades they successfully fought efforts to build the kind of fuel-efficient cars the public has increasingly wanted to buy. Virtually all independent observers acknowledge that fact, but no conservative leader can. After all, they provided the political support and the votes that blocked repeated efforts by […]
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Utah gov bashes fellow Republicans on environmental issues
“If we’re going to survive as a party, we need to focus on the environment. There’s a fundamental tone deafness with our party when it comes to the environment … The last place we can be as a party is be viewed as the anti-science party. That’s not a model for the future.” — Utah […]
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In weekly radio address, Obama announces plan to create 2.5 million jobs
In his weekly Democratic radio address this morning, President-elect Barack Obama announced an “Economic Recovery Plan” that he has directed his team to create. The plan, he said, will create 2.5 million jobs by 2011, and though they’re still “working out the details,” he said it will include plans for green development. “We’ll put people […]
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Business groups, community activists blast California’s cap-and-trade plans
One day after being applauded at a climate change summit in posh Beverly Hills, California officials faced a different kind of reception during a Sacramento public hearing on the state’s monumental greenhouse gas reduction plan. A standing room only crowd of Latino farm workers, inner city residents, dozens of cities and air district officials, small […]
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Waxman may move to put climate allies at head of key subcommittees
As the new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has the authority to reorganize the panel’s subcommittees, which could have further implications for climate and energy policy in the 111th Congress. The position many enviro observers are wondering about is the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, which is currently headed […]
