Climate Politics
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Edwards reacts
John Edwards is the first leading candidate to respond to the advance of the Lieberman-Warner bill:
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The real story at Bali
In 2005, at the U.N.'s Montreal Climate Negotiations, a ragtag but sizable delegation showed up at the conference, desperate to make sure that the world heard their call for climate action. The event proved to be a formative time for people involved in the youth climate movement, and many date its launch to that time. In a conference notable for acronyms and obscure policy jargon, the youth activism was like a breath of fresh air.
While delegates bemoaned the lack of action in the United States, there was an outpouring of activism and creative organizing -- like the launch of It's Getting Hot in Here -- that made many of them think if the young people care so much in the U.S., maybe there is still hope to get them engaged.
Well, the youth are back and badder than ever.
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House passes landmark energy bill; Senate up next
Today, by a 235-181 vote mostly along party lines, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an energy bill that represents a decisive break with decades of energy policy focused on fossil fuels. The bill, shepherded through the House via the tenacious arm-twisting and ass-kicking of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), would: raise auto fuel-economy standards for […]
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The 15 minute House vote on the Energy Bill …
… just started. Update shortly. UPDATE: It passed! The bill now goes to the Senate. Reid says he’ll hold a cloture vote on Saturday. The big question is whether Reid can get the bill through with the RPS and the tax provisions intact. It would be quite a feat if he did. UPDATE 2: Here […]
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San Francisco mayor proposes city carbon tax
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has announced that in November 2008 he will submit a carbon tax to voters for their approval. If it passes, it would be only the second such carbon tax in a U.S. city, the first was Boulder, Colo., last year. The draft plan would raise utility taxes for businesses but […]
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House floor debate on federal Energy Bill
Forget live blogging. Watch it live on your computer via C-span.org.
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At least 215 climate scientists sign declaration urging action on climate change
In a notable first, some 215 of the world’s top climate scientists from over 25 countries have signed a declaration directed at the leaders attending the United Nations climate conference in Bali, Indonesia, urging strong action against climate change. In a relatively toned-down document, the scientists said in their own way that climate change really, […]
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Why cap-and-trade is preferable to a carbon tax
The Washington Post ran an interesting op-ed in its Think Tank Town section last week, arguing for a carbon tax. The nut graph:
The only effective way to begin reducing greenhouse gas emissions and slow global climate change is to make it more expensive to emit carbon dioxide. Unless businesses and consumers pay a price for carbon dioxide, neither will make the investments in technology and changes in energy use needed to dramatically reduce emissions.
Rock on, Think Tankers. But that's just the start of the goodness. The authors -- two researchers from RAND Corporation -- also put forth a nifty idea about how to cushion the economic impacts of new taxes:
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Obama expecting ‘serious conversation’ about ‘drastic steps’ on climate change
There was — see if this sounds familiar — almost nothing about climate or energy in the recent Democratic primary debate hosted by NPR. There was one intriguing tidbit at the end, however, triggered off this question from a listener: Mr. JAMES IRWIN: What do you think the toughest choice you have left to make […]
