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  • House swing votes stay mum on climate bill

    Nine House Democrats who could determine the fate of the American Clean Energy & Security Act: (rear, from left) Baron Hill, Earl Pomeroy, Artur Davis, Rick Boucher; (front, from left) Mike Ross, Charlie Melancon, Jason Altmire, John Tanner, and Gene Taylor.Photo illustration by Tom Twigg / GristOf the 31 lawmakers who form the statistical center […]

  • Will health care eclipse climate in Congress this year?

    Halfway through the second debate of last fall’s presidential campaign, moderator Tom Brokaw asked the candidates what their top priority would be if elected. McCain hemmed and hawed, but Obama answered in plain language: energy is “priority No. 1” and health care “priority No. 2.” Fast forward. In an NYT Magazine piece this weekend on […]

  • Commenter: New leaders in the making in coal country

    I wanted to call out a great comment on the Carbon Nine story from user johnpdeever: … how bout a little kudos for Zach Space and Charlie Wilson of Ohio for leaning toward the green side?  Both represent a whole bunch of Appalachian Ohio counties that rely on coal (and on burning it to power […]

  • In the House, a nine-way tie for climate swing vote

    The House Democrats who could determine the fate of the American Clean Energy & Security Act: (rear, from left) Baron Hill, Earl Pomeroy, Artur Davis, Rick Boucher; (front, from left) Mike Ross, Charlie Melancon, Jason Altmire, John Tanner, and Gene Taylor.Photo illustration by Tom Twigg / Grist Imagine the 435 members of the U.S. House […]

  • 22 more House Democrats who hold the keys to Waxman-Markey

    In addition to the Carbon Nine, research by economists Matthew Kahn and Michael Cragg shows these 22 Democrats could play a key role in passing comprehensive climate legislation this year, based on the per-capita carbon emissions of their respective congressional districts. Most of the lawmakers listed below have stayed mum about their opinion of the […]

  • What does Specter’s party switch mean for climate and energy?

    The big news today is Sen. Arlen Specter’s announcement that he’ll be switching parties from Republican to Democrat. For the best analysis of why he did it (basically, he was fated to lose the upcoming primary), see Eric Kleefeld at TPM. The boss man asked me to weigh in from Paris on what it might […]

  • Myth: Democrats support good climate policy and Republicans oppose it

    Energy and climate scramble the usual left-right political divisions. Many of the big fights are not among parties but among regions and levels of government. In the U.S. Congress, to be sure, the Republicans=obstructionists formula holds with virtually no exceptions save a tiny handful of remaining Senate “moderates.” Republican obstructionists are joined in the House […]