Climate Politics
All Stories
-
Australia’s Garnaut Report gets usual reactions from usual suspects
The final, 700-page Garnaut Report is out. (More about the report — Australia’s version of the U.K.’s Stern Report — here.) Says Wiki: The report recommended that Australia push internationally for a carbon dioxide equivalent concentrations of 450 ppm, which would commit Australia to reductions of 25% on 2000 levels by 2020, and 90% by […]
-
A can’t-lose debate strategy for Joe Biden
I have a new mini-article in Salon, “A can’t-lose debate strategy for Joe Biden.” It explains how Biden can win the debate and score big points with independents by bringing up clean energy and global warming as much as possible. This may require more message discipline than the Dem VP nominee has. The article ends […]
-
Sarah Palin, polar bears, and junk science
There’s lots of buzz around this piece in the Guardian, in which Ed Pilkington shows that Alaska governor Sarah Palin, battling to keep polar bears off the endangered species list, made use of junk science and scientists funded in part by Exxon and the American Petroleum Institute. Those interested in the subject should read this […]
-
What enviros would like to hear (but probably won’t) in tonight’s VP debate
Joe Biden. Tonight’s vice presidential debate is by far the most anticipated debate of this election cycle. In the right corner, newcomer Sarah Palin. In the left, Joe Biden, a senator who’s been in office since Palin was “in, like, the second grade.” A series of klutzy and unflattering interviews with Palin on CBS this […]
-
Shellenberger and Nordhaus go after Obama by recycling GOP talking points
They’re back! I’ve been bombarded by people wanting a comment on the new S&N L.A. Times piece, “The green bubble bursts.” How about “naive and dangerous”? Shellenberger and Nordhaus get coverage in the media because they are green(ish) recyclers of rubbish. They take piles of garbage (i.e. Republican talking points) and repackage them with some […]
-
Overfishing drove Somali fishers to piracy
Pirates involved in the high-profile hijacking of an arms shipment off the coast of Somalia said recently that they were driven to piracy by overfishing. In 1991, the country’s government collapsed and patrols that had guarded against international plunder of Somalia’s tuna-rich waters suddenly stopped. Commercial fishers from around the world rushed in and decimated […]
-
A Palin/Biden bingo game to help you veep score during the debate
Looking for a way to veep score on environmental issues in tonight’s VP debate? Grist has got your back with a sure-fire method for determining who really wins these things: Talking Points Bingo. Download printable bingo cards [PDF]. The Rules: Download and print off the Palin and Biden boards (there are 10 different boards in […]
-
Sen. DeMint tries to push through pro-drilling bill in last days of Congress
Apparently not satisfied with the expiration of the moratorium on drilling along the Outer Continental Shelf, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is circulating a bill [PDF] that open up still more offshore areas to drilling. The “Drill Now Act of 2008” would accelerate the expansion of offshore drilling by superseding a provision that currently prevents new […]
-
McCain/Palin nuclear plan would make U.S. more dependent on Russia for energy
Sarah Palin might have a tougher time keeping an eye on Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin if John McCain wins the election. McCain plans to build 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030. Palin affirmed her support for nuclear power in the CBS News interview that aired last night: Also tapping into the nuclear, the […]
-
Senate approves bailout bill with renewable-energy tax-credit extensions
The Senate just passed the financial bailout plan by a vote of 74 to 25. The measure includes a tax package that contains extensions for renewable-energy tax credits, which may hold it up in the House. Right now, it looks like the House is going to vote on the plan, with the tax package, on […]
