Climate Politics
All Stories
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Economists prefer Obama on energy and environment policy
Dilbert author Scott Adams commissioned a survey of 500 economists, asking them which candidate they prefer on a variety of issues. The results are … not very interesting. Short story: economists prefer Obama. Medium story: Democratic economists prefer Obama, Republican economists prefer McCain, and independents swing Obama (46-39 percent). Breakdown of the 500, drawn from […]
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GOP VP candidate says she’d be in charge of McCain’s energy policy
At a rally in Ohio on Tuesday, GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin told the crowd that she’d head up energy policy in a McCain administration. “John and I, we’ve discussed some new responsibilities that I’m going to have as vice president,” Palin said. “First, I’ll help to lead the mission of energy security.” […]
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Bipartisan deal in Senate would extend renewable tax credits
The Senate appears to have reached a deal on a major tax package that includes the extension of tax credits for renewable energy that are set to expire at the end of this year. Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), chair and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, announced on Tuesday that […]
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Clinton Global Initiative jumps the shark, invites McCain to keynote on energy solutions
I understand that CGI will also have Senator Inhofe keynote on climate science, Karl Rove on ethics, and President Bush on openness in government. Seriously — or ridiculously, take your pick — the CGI has announced: Senator John McCain will deliver the opening remarks live at the “Integrated Solutions: water, food and energy” plenary session. […]
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How can journalists cover the views of a candidate whose views are indeterminate?
The other day, asked if he supports ending mountaintop removal mining, John McCain said, "I do." But then he added, "I’m happy to tell you that I’ve seen a dramatic improvement in the behavior of the coal companies. They are doing a much better job." Contacted by reporter Ken Ward Jr. about his support for […]
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Physicists group urges U.S. to embrace energy efficiency
A group of some 46,000 physicists urged the United States on Tuesday to dramatically improve its energy efficiency in the interest of becoming more energy independent, saving money, and staving off climate change. The group, the American Physical Society, said of such a program, “the opportunities are huge and the costs are small.” Smart folks. […]
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House energy bill includes oil-shale provisions that alarm conservation groups
The energy bill that passed in the House last night also permits forward movement on commercial oil-shale development, a provision added to the legislation on Monday. The provision repeals the current moratorium on finalizing regulations regarding oil-shale production, and would allow states to decide whether or not to permit oil-shale development on federal lands within […]
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EPA, U.S. lax on e-waste regulation, GAO says
A new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office paints a bleak picture of electronic-waste practices in the United States and condemns the U.S. EPA for its lax enforcement of a new national e-waste law. E-waste often contains toxics like cadmium, lead, and mercury, which can leach out of computers, TVs, and other electronics once […]
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House passes an energy bill that combines increased drilling with expansion of renewables
After a day-long debate over energy legislation, the House passed the Democrats’ “Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act,” a bill that both opens up new areas of the country to oil extraction and increases support for renewables. “The energy bill puts us onto that path of independence by having a comprehensive legislation which […]
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Markey on House Dems’ energy bill
The House just passed the Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act [PDF] (more on that in a moment). In the meantime, here’s video of Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming Chair Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on the floor earlier with one of the more passionate speeches of the day:
