Climate Politics
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Obama calls for regulation of oil markets and decreased dependence on oil
On Sunday, Barack Obama promised to end unregulated oil speculation and close the “Enron loophole,” which he says are at least partly to blame for rising gasoline prices. “For the past years, our energy policy in this country has been simply to let the special interests have their way — opening up loopholes for the […]
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McCain calls for $300 million prize for the designer of a better electric-car battery
Republican presidential contender John McCain gave a speech in Fresno, Calif., today calling for a $300 million prize, paid by the government, to be awarded to the person who can design a better electric car battery. “This is one dollar for every man, woman, and child in the U.S. — a small price to pay […]
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Enviros’ border-fence appeal turned down by Supreme Court
Homeland Security officials can continue to waive environmental laws to speed construction of a fence on the U.S.-Mexico border, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club. The groups had argued that the eco-law-waiving power given to Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff in 2005 was […]
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Prez candidates tout new policies to lower oil prices
John McCain and Barack Obama have both called for changes to national energy policy in recent days that they said would eventually help lower oil and gasoline prices. On Sunday, Obama called for closer regulation of oil speculators that have been a major force contributing to the rise in oil prices. He said his plan […]
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I think Friedman is upset with Bush
The Mustache kicks ass today. He says it’s “hard for [him] to find the words to express what a massive, fraudulent, pathetic excuse for an energy policy” Bush is backing, but he manages fairly well. Extra kudos for highlighting the absurd refusal of Republicans to renew the PTC and ITC. One ommission: he doesn’t mention […]
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Obama sweet-talks Florida, criticizes McCain’s shift on off-shore drilling
Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama responded to John McCain’s call to end the moratorium on off-shore drilling in a press appearance in Chicago on Friday and made his own appeal to the voters of Florida: When I am President, I will keep the moratorium in place and prevent oil companies from drilling off Florida’s coasts. […]
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A weekly roundup of greenish news from the Capitol
A few of this week’s environmental happenings that I’ve been meaning to point out: • Oilman-turned-clean-energy-evangelist T. Boone Pickens came to town to testify about the country’s transmission problems that are preventing wind from becoming a major source of power. Pickens, who is attempting to build the world’s largest wind farm in Texas, joined experts […]
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Solar proponents in the Empire State eagerly await new legislation
My colleague, Shaun Chapman, of our New York City office, offers this update on solar policy progress in the Empire State:
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The GOP disinformation machine settles on an angle
It seems that another way that the GOP will try to win on this issue is by painting carbon pricing as a massive tax increase. This is just dishonest, though politically it’s their best bet (assuming a complete lack of regard for actual outcomes). Let’s all think back to the Lieberman-Warner debate, when Bush did […]
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Bush invokes executive privilege to shield EPA administrator from subpoena
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was set to vote today to hold U.S. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson and Susan Dudley of the White House Office of Management and Budget in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over documents related to recent controversial decisions on smog and California’s request for an emissions waiver. […]
