Climate Politics

Two-thirds of corporations operating in the U.S. pay no income tax

Here’s a little something to keep in mind the next time corporations profess horror at the very idea of a carbon tax: Two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes between 1998 and 2005, according to a new report from Congress. The study by the Government Accountability Office, expected to be released Tuesday, said […]

Exxon John

The Democratic National Committee is being mean to John McCain again:

A piece of internet awesomeness I missed the first time around

Media finally tells public about the real roadblock to good energy policy

Holy hot dog hosannas, I don’t believe it! Finally someone in the mainstream media has seen fit to share with the public one of the basic facts necessary to understand the energy politics of the last two years: Senator McCain did not show up for the crucial vote [to extend the renewable tax credits] on […]

Drilling for Jesus

“[Pelosi] is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she’s just trying to save the planet. We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet — we didn’t need Nancy Pelosi to do that.” — Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.)

Green groups and Dems outraged by Bush admin’s plan to loosen species protections

The Bush administration on Monday proposed major changes to the way the Endangered Species Act is enforced, asserting that federal agencies should be able to decide on their own whether projects like highways and dams would be harmful to endangered species, rather than having independent reviewers make the assessments. Here’s a roundup of reactions, from […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]