Barack Obama

Obama on dealing with dumb debate questions

“I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, ‘You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.’ Instead of being appropriately [the tape is garbled]. So when Brian Williams is asking me about what’s a personal thing that you’ve done [that’s green], and I say, you know, […]

A video story of post-election hopes for the planet

Now that the most epic presidential election of our lives is over, Americans should have plenty of free time on our hands. So, what next? This is where Jo comes in. She’s an average American looking for real — heck, any — leadership on climate change from a shiny new President Obama. And she’s got […]

Environmental leaders offer their elevator pitches for Obama

We asked a number of leaders in environment and sustainability issues to imagine they found themselves in an elevator with the president-elect — giving them one minute of his undivided attention. Here are their messages to Obama about how he should approach environment, energy, and climate policy. (For more perspectives, check out Part 2, Part […]

Obama triumphs, names environment and energy as priorities

  “Because of what we did on this day, at this defining moment, change is coming to America,” Barack Obama promised in his victory speech after a landslide victory in his quest for the presidency. Obama made brief reference in his speech to the dual challenges of environmental crisis and energy crisis, promising that these […]

Judgment and objectivity in media

Kevin Drum examines the notion of journalistic objectivity via cap-and-trade: The biggest difference between the two cap-and-trade plans, of course, is that Obama seems to actually believe in his proposal whereas McCain pretty plainly doesn’t. For him, it’s just window dressing that would almost certainly have been forgotten as soon as he got in office. […]

More speculation on Obama cabinet picks

Politico takes a look at a possible Obama staff and cabinet. (See also Grist’s look at possible green-related Obama appointees.) It gives a mixed view with some knockouts and some … not-so-knockouts. These EPA pics don’t thrill me: Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.); Kathleen McGinty, former head of the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agency My vote? […]

Obama has outplayed McCain on coal

There’s a lot of hubbub about the latest Obama coal controversy. To state the obvious: there’s very little chance that something like this, breaking this late in the election, will have any effect on anything. It’s sound and fury. That said, folks should look closely at exactly what Obama said. As I argued in these […]

Power Voters — and Obama — make their final appeal to get out the vote

Woman wearing a United Mine Workers T-shirt and a “No Coal” sticker. Photos: Kate Sheppard In the sea of 85,000 Virginians gathered at the Manassas Fairgrounds to see Barack Obama’s final campaign event Monday night, there were a good number of green “Power Vote” and “No Coal” stickers in the crowd, thanks to the efforts […]

Green groups dropping big cash on independent expenditures for this year’s election

In the past 24 hours alone, more than $130,000 has been spent by independent groups in support of Barack Obama, and of that, $38,024 was spent by the League of Conservation Voters, accounting for the second-largest expenditure by a single independent group in favor of Obama in the final day before people head to the […]