Climate Politics

Video, yo

Here’s Sen. Barbara Boxer (most appropriately named!), discussing global warming at the National Press Club (for 25 min.). Good stuff: (h/t: Hugg)

Shooting for a green capitol

No, it's not a new psychological disorder, but a plan for greening the capitol complex.

Over at Building Design and Construction they've got a piece on the acceptance of a "green the capitol initiative."

Johnson Takes a Pounding

EPA administrator spars with Senate over climate action Senate Democrats badgered EPA administrator Stephen Johnson yesterday about the agency’s greenhouse-gas foot-dragging. They unleashed a barrage of questions at an Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, focusing on the recent Supreme Court ruling that said EPA has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide vehicle emissions. Faced […]

Lots o’ goodies

The Nation has devoted its current issue to "surviving the climate crisis," and it’s chock full o’ good stuff. First up is Jim Hansen, the World’s Least Censored Censored Scientist, who recommends the following five steps: "First, there should be a moratorium on building any more coal-fired power plants until we have the technology to […]

Nothing sexier than debates over ethics!

I forget where I found this, but there’s a good piece on Environmental Research Web about the moral aspects of geoengineering. The author, UW prof Steve Gardiner, raises several concerns, but for my money, this is the most telling: It is not silly to think that substantial investment in geoengineering will itself encourage political inertia […]

Letter to the editor from Arkansas

This is the text of a letter to the editor printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on April 16 of this year:

You may have noticed that March of this year was particularly hot. As a matter of fact, I understand that it was the hottest March since the beginning of the last century. All of the trees were fully leafed out and legions of bugs and snakes were crawling around during a time in Arkansas when, on a normal year, we might see a snowflake or two.

This should come as no surprise to any reasonable person. As you know, Daylight Saving Time started almost a month early this year. You would think that members of Congress would have considered the warming effect that an extra hour of daylight would have on our climate. Or did they?

Perhaps this is another plot by a liberal Congress to make us believe that global warming is a real threat. Perhaps next time there should be serious studies performed before Congress passes laws with such far-reaching effects.

Connie M. Meskimen
Hot Springs

A belated Earth Day quiz

Can you guess?

1. "In 1971, I participated in the second Earth Day and became the coordinator of an interdisciplinary Environmental Studies program at West Georgia College."

Find out here.

2. On the occasion of the first Earth Day: "[there is an] absolute necessity of waging all-out war against the debauching of the environment."

Find out here.

3. "Our nation has both an obligation and self-interest in facing, head-on, the serious environmental, economic and national security threat posed by global warming."

Find out here.

4. "We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down global warming before it is too late. The science is clear. The global warming debate is over."

Find out here.

Lesson: Stewardship is a value that should always transcend party politics.

Look At Me, I’m Cassandra Dee

McCain comes out singing on global warming and energy Karl Rove might think global warming is the province of shrill Hollywood harpies, but John McCain knows better. In a speech Monday ahead of his expected entry into the presidential race tomorrow, the Arizona senator termed global warming “a serious and urgent economic, environmental, and national-security […]

A mixed bag

John McCain gave a major speech today in which he said that energy dependence and global warming are major threats to America’s future that urgently need to be addressed. The policy section started off with this great bit: Energy efficiency by using improved technology and practicing sensible habits in our homes, businesses and automobiles is […]

Who’s the biggest fattest liberal?

Over at National Review, Deroy Murdock is eager to assure his fellow right-wingers that Rudolph Giuliani is no liberal! What’s his evidence? Why, when he was mayor Giuliani doused the city with toxic insecticide! He built dirty power plants in poor parts of town! He privatized the management of Central Park! No liberal would ever […]