Climate Politics
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Democrat Mark Begich looks to unseat indicted Ted Stevens
Sarah Palin isn’t the only Alaskan in a hot race this election season. Enviros are also closely watching the state’s Senate race, which has incumbent Republican Ted Stevens up against Democrat Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage. Stevens cruised to an easy victory in the Republican primary last month, winning 63 percent of the vote […]
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House passes minor environment-related bills and works a bit on climate
The House got down to some business on Thursday, working to cross a few things off its list before time runs out on the 110th Congress. It passed the Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act, which would curb speculation in the energy-futures markets. The bill was approved by a vote of 283 to 133, and […]
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New McCain ad repeats discredited claim that Obama will raise taxes on electricity
After releasing an ad earlier this week that contained debunked lies about offshore drilling and gas prices, John McCain unveiled a new ad today, "Dome," that hits on classic conservative fears of "massive government," and both "painful" and "skyrocketing" taxes. The ad’s voiceover specifically stokes fears of "skyrocketing taxes on life savings, electricity, and home […]
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McCain says fish love oil rigs
“And by the way, on that oil rig — and I’m sure you’ve probably heard this story — you look down, and there’s fish everywhere! There’s fish everywhere! Yeah, the fish love to be around those rigs. So not only can it be helpful for energy, it can be helpful for some pretty good meals […]
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Texas Rep. Joe Barton kills effort to clean up power plants
In 2003, a Dallas Morning News editorial dubbed Republican Congressman Joe Barton “Smokey Joe” for his efforts to protect Texas polluters from pollution control requirements. Now Smokey Joe is at it again. He has blocked an attempt in Congress to make at least some progress towards cleaning up coal-fired power plants. The issue involves a […]
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I’ll be on Meet the Bloggers tomorrow
I’m going to be on Meet the Bloggers tomorrow at 1 p.m. EDT talking about energy, the environment, and the elections. Also appearing will be Kevin Grandia of DeSmogBlog and Brad Johnson, a Gristmill contributor and blogger at the Wonk Room. The featured guest this week is Simran Sethi, the environmental correspondent for CNBC. […]
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Asked about oil’s fungibility, Palin says … um, something
“Oil and coal? Of course, it’s a fungible commodity and they don’t flag, you know, the molecules, where it’s going and where it’s not. But in the sense of the Congress today, they know that there are very, very hungry domestic markets that need that oil first. So, I believe that what Congress is going […]
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A roundup of environmental news from the presidential race
• Obama announced a proposal for a $5 billion Great Lakes restoration program on Tuesday, with funds to be spent on wetlands restoration, sewage repairs, cleaning up mercury and other toxic pollutants, and controlling invasive species. The proposal is expected to help him in the crucial swing states of Michigan and Ohio. • McCain […]
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Lying about drilling: it works
This is what demagoguery on drilling will get you: Senate Republicans’ campaign chief said Wednesday that he’s more optimistic now than he has been at any point in the cycle, and that it’s possible they could play Democrats to a draw in November. Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee […]
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Canada has its own elections, which may shape future of a carbon tax
Canada is two weeks in to its third election in four years, and environmental issues have been … well, not quite front-and-center, but definitely somewhere in the foreground. And that could be a very bad thing for the chances for a carbon tax in the U.S. The election has been pretty dull, even by Canadian […]
