Climate Politics
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House Speaker says she’s open to compromise on offshore drilling
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on “Larry King Live” Monday night that she would consider allowing a vote on offshore drilling, but only if it were part of an energy package that included renewable-energy investment and release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Pelosi has refused to allow a vote on offshore drilling […]
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The public’s attention, for the first time in ages, is focused on energy policy
This article by the AP’s Tina Lam is generally awful in terms of contrasting the candidates on energy. There is exactly one paragraph about what Obama is for, and the rest is a recitation of McCain proposals Obama has opposed. It’s designed, on purpose or by tacit acceptance of right-wing conventional wisdom, to make Obama […]
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Republicans too sissy to shut down federal government over drilling
Congressional Republicans — and Newt Gingrich (wtf?) — continue to threaten to shut down the federal government if Pelosi won’t allow them an isolated up-or-down vote on oil drilling. I say: yes! Please, please, pleeease organize Congressional Republicans to stomp their feet and completely shut down the federal government because the majority leader won’t give […]
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Re: the Russia-Georgia unpleasantness
Let’s not forget that recent fossil fuel prices have boosted Russia’s power considerably, and without any of the messy work required to empower an independent judiciary or build democratic institutions. Let’s also not forget that Georgia houses two large oil pipelines. If John McCain really wants to constrain Russia, he’ll help lead America and the […]
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Va. Senator doesn’t get that the emissions are the crisis
Originally posted at the Wonk Room. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) told the Politico last week that “environmentalists will be forced to compromise next year and support the development of clean coal, nuclear power and other alternative fuels”: We need to be able to address a national energy strategy and then try to work on environmental […]
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Head of CCX endorses McCain’s cap-and-trade program, reveals misunderstanding of climate policy
Over on Huffington Post, Frank Carlson has a story revealing that Richard Sandor, the founder of the Chicago Climate Exchange, supports McCain’s cap-and-trade system over Obama’s — that is to say, he supports giving pollution permits away rather than auctioning them. The story reveals that neither Carlson nor Sandor understands the difference very well. Here’s […]
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The pro- and anti-coal contenders on Obama’s veep shortlist
A commentary on vice presidential prospects by Eric Schaeffer, director of the Environmental Integrity Project, and Frank O’Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch. —– As presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama prepares to make perhaps his most important campaign decision — his choice of a running mate — two governors are said to be on […]
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We campaign continues to shoot itself, and climate movement, in the foot
So as to start by saying nice things, I think this new ad from the We campaign is a vast improvement over the sitting-on-a-couch, lending-credibility-to-scumbags ads they ran earlier this year: That said, I got an email from the campaign on Friday that about made my head explode. Here’s a bit: Last week, the U.S. […]
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Obama campaign targets McCain’s support of dumping nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama released a new ad over the weekend in Nevada, targeting Republican rival John McCain’s support for dumping nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. “Imagine trucks hauling the nation’s nuclear waste on our highways to Yucca Mountain,” the ad says. “John McCain supports opening Yucca. He’s not worried about nuclear waste in […]
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Polling on drilling
Over on Washington Monthly, former Gallup VP David Moore offers some interesting thoughts on polls about oil drilling, suggesting the public might not favor it quite so much as the media has led you to believe.