Climate Politics
All Stories
-
Greens psyched by Richardson pick for Commerce Dept.
Several big environmental groups have issued statements praising Barack Obama’s nomination of Bill Richardson today to serve as secretary of commerce. The pick, they said, will help spur green business. National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Larry Schweiger: If there’s anyone who understands that a green shovel can help dig us out of our economic […]
-
A roundup of greenish news from around the Capitol
• Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) says he is considering running to fill the Senate seat that Republican Mel Martinez is planning to vacate in 2010. • Incumbent Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss prevailed in yesterday’s run-off election in Georgia. He beat out Democratic challenger Jim Martin, who was endorsed by Sierra Club and the […]
-
Obama nominates N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson to head Commerce Department
Barack Obama officially announced today that he is nominating New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) to be his secretary of commerce. (See our reporting on Richardson’s green record from last week.) In his announcement, Obama cited Richardson’s work on energy as an important factor. “As a former secretary of energy, Bill understands the steps we […]
-
Island nations call for steep emission cuts to curb rising seas
At the United Nations climate conference in Poland this week, a coalition of over 40 island nations called for extremely ambitious reductions in world greenhouse-gas emissions, fearing the effects of rising seas. The nations proposed that industrialized countries slash their emissions more than 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and more than 95 percent […]
-
Roadless rule limited to 10 Western states, judge rules
A federal judge on Tuesday limited the scope of President Clinton’s popular “roadless rule” to federal lands in 10 Western states instead of the whole country, leaving some 13.6 million acres of roadless forests largely unprotected from road-building and other development. Tuesday’s ruling is a compromise between throwing the rule out and keeping protections in […]
-
EPA approves rule change making mountaintop-removal mining easier
The U.S. EPA on Tuesday approved a controversial rule change that the Bush administration has been trying to make for years which eases restrictions on burying streams under piles of mining waste, making mountaintop-removal mining easier. “By signing off on a rule to eliminate a critical safeguard for streams, the EPA has abdicated its responsibility […]
-
Senate majority leader talks energy policy at wonky event
In an event Tuesday that brought together a motley crew of leaders with an interest in the future of energy policy, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised that the issue would be a top priority for him next year. “As the new Congress convenes, I will make it a priority to work with the Obama […]
-
Supertrain a-comin’
“There’s a reason when you turned on the Olympics to watch them this past summer, you saw mag-lev trains going over 200 miles an hour in supposedly a third world country [i.e., China] in terms of its economy, blowing into town, dealing with environmental problems they have as well as transporting people in a way […]
-
Gov. Ed Rendell says Kathleen McGinty has taken herself out of the running for an Obama post
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says he “heard” that Kathleen McGinty has taken herself out of the running for EPA administrator, according to the Capitol Ideas blog. Until July, McGinty headed his Department of Environmental Protection. Just last week, Rendell was pushing her as a strong candidate for a prime spot in the Obama administration, either […]
-
Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez says he won’t run again in 2010
Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez said today that he’s not planning to seek reelection in 2010. Martinez, who is still in his first term in the Senate, has been one of the few Republicans who has generally opposed offshore drilling (which isn’t totally surprising, given his state’s geography). Even in the rush to open up […]
