Climate Politics

Global warming is a hot potato

Last week I reported on the wide and growing partisan divide in U.S. public opinion over global warming: self-identified Democrats are 39 percentage points more likely than their Republican counterparts to rate climate change a serious problem.

But what puzzled me most was the 13-point drop in concern among Republicans since 1999. Call me naïve, but with all the scientific evidence that's been piling up on the issue -- accompanied by increasing media attention -- I guess I expected slow (though perhaps reluctant) increases in concern all across the political spectrum. Years of rising global temperatures, melting sea ice, and solidifying scientific consensus ought to have converted at least some honest skeptics, right?

A big report released last week by Pew, charting two decades of American political values and core attitudes, provides some clues about what's going on.

Typical Republicans, circa 1999, haven't necessarily found their belief in global warming shaken over the years. Instead, for whatever combination of reasons, people who believe in global warming are drifting away from the Party.

Both sides hating a bill doesn’t mean the bill is good

There’s not much new in this story about Dingell — yeah, yeah, he’s going to move slowly and deliberately on climate change — but I really hate this way of framing things: Speaking with reporters, Dingell said that he expects the end result to elicit complaints from both environmentalists and industrialists. “I seriously doubt if […]

You have to read this to believe it

On Wednesday, the Inspector General’s office at the Department of Interior released a report showing that a Bush appointee who lacked any background in natural science had "bullied, insulted, and harassed the professional staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to change documents and alter biological reporting regarding the Endangered Species Program." She […]

So correct it hurts

Via Hugg, here’s a remarkable video of Bill Clinton — on 9/11/02 — sharing a message on energy that’s so damn right it makes me want to cry:

The Hill’s Not Alive With the Sound of Music

Gore climate concert kicked off of Capitol grounds In a decision that sent discordant music wafting toward Al Gore’s ears, a group of Republican senators has put the kibosh on using the Capitol grounds for a gigantic climate-change-awareness concert this summer. The group — led, not surprisingly, by climate skeptic James Inhofe (R-Okla.) — blocked […]

The man blocks Gore’s concert on the Capitol steps

One of the many stories I missed today: Sen. James Inhofe, in a characteristically petty display of foot-stomping, is blocking Al Gore’s efforts to have one of his Live Earth concerts on the Capitol steps. Inhofe says it’s partisan. Guess it is now. Some good quotes: Noting that many political events — including the 1990 […]

Neither can we

I mentioned in a previous post that Canadians might be facing an election soon over the Conservative government's budget. That turned out not to happen (all three opposition parties had to oppose it, and only two did).

Instead, something much more interesting may happen: The three opposition parties have finalized their much-improved version of a Clean Air Act, with hard targets on CO2 emissions and penalties for those who don't make the necessary cuts. This leaves the government in an uncomfortable position: either accept a bill that they hate, or call an election over it.

Mildly humorous

Sorry for the radio silence today — I’m laboring away over some long-neglected transcripts. To keep you sated — and to tie in with Amanda’s interview (could that picture look more awkward?) — here’s John Kerry on the Daily Show:

John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry chat about their new environmental book

The environment brought them together. And now, together, they’ve brought out a book on the environment. (No flip-flop jokes, please.) John Kerry first met Teresa Heinz at an Earth Day rally in 1990. The two reconnected at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and then, three years later, wed. He continued to […]

As the World Burns

House hearing addresses missing oil and gas royalties The steamiest soap opera in D.C. continues this week with a House hearing on $1 billion in uncollected oil and gas royalties. A cast of star-crossed witnesses testified to the Natural Resources Committee about the forbidden love between the Minerals Management Service and Big Oil. Handsome leading […]