legislation

Senate majority leader talks energy policy at wonky event

In an event Tuesday that brought together a motley crew of leaders with an interest in the future of energy policy, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised that the issue would be a top priority for him next year. “As the new Congress convenes, I will make it a priority to work with the Obama […]

Wolves in the Rockies

A video about keeping wolves protected under the Endangered Species Act: If you’re interested in doing something — insofar as signing an online petition is doing something — NRDC Action Fund has a petition you can sign here.

The new administration’s success with climate policy will depend on where they start

A few observations as to what we can expect from the incoming administration: What they ultimately get done may be a function of what they do first. First off, our economic downturn is going to be long and deep. The headlines about over-leveraged companies going bust or paying down massive amounts of debt essentially mean […]

Why polluter lobbyists are rallying to protect ‘Tailpipe Johnny’

While the Obama transition team starts assembling the pieces of his administration, one of D.C.’s most intriguing subplots is unfolding: the contest between Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.) for chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees clean air, global warming, and other critical environmental legislation. Last week the […]

The next president should use the Clean Air Act to control greenhouse gas emissions

This essay was originally published at Yale Environment 360. —– The urgency of the current situation cannot be overemphasized: The latest scientific research tells us that global warming is accelerating at a rate beyond previous expectations, and that the window for a timely response is closing quickly. Despite some political efforts to muddy the waters, […]

Boxer says she’ll let a President Obama lead on greenhouse gas bill

OK. The chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee didn’t quite say that, at least not directly. But E&E News PM reports ($ub. req’d): Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) expects to take her cues on climate in the 111th Congress from the next president. The chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee […]

Good policy and enduring political alliances are built around goals, not paths

In a thoroughly excellent interview with Streetsblog, Rockafeller Foundation managing director Nicholas Turner urges a pragmatic approach to transportation: … if you’re thinking about transportation … as being a tool that helps you get to a set of broader societal benefits, you want to be somewhat mode-neutral. My guess is that any attempt to move […]

A 50 percent GHG cut by 2025 will save Florida $28 billion

Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change has released its remarkable Final Report. It puts the Sunshine State on the same side of the climate issue as that other sunny coastal state ruled by a Republican (see here). The Action Team finds that an aggressive set of strategies could reduce Florida […]

Take a fun quiz on energy

Friends at West Virginia University have just compiled a 20 question energy quiz that provides some rather interesting “a ha” moments. (There is no coherence to the abbreviated list of questions below other than the fact that I find the answers interesting and/or counterintuitive.) See how you do: If all of the CO2 produced in […]