Climate Politics
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Canadian elections strengthen Conservatives, drinkers
Well, it was a short, boring campaign, and, uh, nothing really happened. I’m writing this before the polls have all reported in, but the Conservatives have almost certainly gained a couple dozen seats, putting them just — just — short of a majority government. The Liberals have run on a campaign of trying to be […]
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News tidbits from the presidential race
• The Salt Lake Tribune has an in-depth look at Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s records and rhetoric on energy, honing in on a number of specific issues, from renewables to oil shale to “clean coal.” There’s even a handy chart. • Washington Post columnist Andrew Freedman looks at how the presidential candidates might reshape […]
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In video series, Grist tries to stump the candidates with tough climate questions
Running Out of Gas? When watching the presidential and vice presidential debates, ever get the feeling the candidates aren’t really answering the questions? Especially when it comes to, ahem, climate and energy issues? Grist took to the streets to find everyday citizens (if you consider Grist employees everyday citizens) willing to ask the […]
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Environment America says McCain’s nuclear expansion would be ‘an economic disaster’
Environment America today released a new report looking at the environmental implications of John McCain’s plan to build 45 new nuclear reactors by 2030, and 100 over time. Their report concludes that McCain’s plan would be “an economic and environmental disaster.” Environment America, which has endorsed Democrat Barack Obama in the presidential election, found that […]
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Why scientists aren’t more persuasive, part 2
In 2007, NPR broadcast a now-infamous climate debate on the proposition “Global warming is not a crisis.” In theory, this sounds like an easy win for the “nay” side — “crisis” is obviously the mildest of words to describe the greatest preventable existential threat to the health and well-being of future generations. But in practice […]
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The new dean of the Washington press corps advances the cause of economic illiteracy
If you’ll pardon me, I’m going to keep harping on this theme. This column from Dan Balz — the New Broder — is absurd for any number of reasons, but I particularly want to draw attention to this bit, which distills Very Serious conventional wisdom: Nor is it evident that [Obama] has dealt realistically with […]
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McCain and Obama need to talk real farm policy
John McCain and Barack Obama need to start talking farm policy. With less than a month before the November elections in a year marked by a world-wide food crisis, energy shortages, climate change, and an international credit crisis, agriculture should be a prominent issue in every media event. Current farm policies are more about corporate […]
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Two very un-green candidates compete for South Carolina Senate seat
In the South Carolina Senate race debate over the weekend, the two candidates were asked directly about climate change and energy concerns. Via Think Progress, here’s what Democratic candidate Bob Conley had to say on global warming: Conley: It really is the arrogance of man to think that we are having any effect. I’m an […]
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Lawmakers use financial crisis as pretext to screw with climate legislation
In a post yesterday I drew attention to an emerging battle over macroeconomics. To put it crudely: does the financial crisis mean the next president will need to trim his ambitions and focus on reducing the deficit? Or does it call for substantial public spending to get the economy moving again (deficit be damned, at […]
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Huge new hydroelectric dam under construction in Brazilian Amazon
A new $5 billion hydroelectric dam now under construction on a tributary of the Amazon River in Brazil will seriously mess with the area’s unique environment and wildlife and displace thousands of indigenous residents, critics say. Up to 3,000 families will be displaced when the dam’s reservoir floods, and the project will also likely affect […]
