politics
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Campaign dreams: A GOP primary race where climate matters
On the final day of New Hampshire campaigning, can an anonymous donor get GOP candidates to care about the climate with cold, hard cash? Find out.
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Chief of Staff Bill Daley resigns, environment rejoices
Greens have been singing "won't you go home, Bill Daley" for a while (turn-of-the-century music jokes, anyone? No?). The now-former chief of staff was the guy responsible for kneecapping EPA smog regulations, and he was generally considered to be in the administration merely as a sop to Big Business. So now he's resigning, and probably the next guy will be an improvement? We hope?
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These Republicans believe in climate change. And they vote
Watching this excellent short film by James West about that rare-but-not-as-rare-as-you-think species, the Republican who believes the science of climate change, I was reminded that there was a time in U.S. politics when science was not a partisan issue.
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Time to be angry, not cynical, about corporate money in politics
We're unfazed by things that should shake us to the core, like how Big Oil pays Congress to do its bidding. We need to get naïvely angry again.
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Wildfires too hot? Jump in the Senate office pool
Each year, congressional staffers participate in a macabre annual office pool in which they try to predict how many acres of U.S. land will burn in wildfires. And thanks to climate change, it starts earlier every year.
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Rick Perry advocates solution to climate problem he doesn’t believe in
Of all the GOP candidates, Rick Perry has been perhaps the most fervently dismissive of the reality of human-caused climate change. So why does his energy plan include a provision for "clean coal" technology, which is used to capture carbon dioxide and pump it underground?
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Politics blocks scientists from explaining why this year’s weather was record bad
A typical year in the U.S. includes three to four extreme weather events that do more than $1 billion in damage, but 2011 featured 12 of them. Add in the slightly-less-expensive extreme weather we experienced, and the total price tag is north of $50 billion. Scientists say they now have the tools to determine how […]
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Republicans put a deadline on Keystone XL, surprising nobody
As predicted, Republicans in the House have grudgingly allowed a two-month extension on the payroll tax holiday, on the condition that they can impose a deadline on Keystone XL pipeline approval. President Obama had postponed approval for a year, based on evidence that the environmental analysis was flawed, but Republicans want a decision NOW NOW […]
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Maine bans LEED in state buildings at timber industry’s behest
The pristine wilderness of Maine would make anyone feel more in touch with the environment … unless you're a politician and vested interests with tons of money put pressure on you to undermine green programs like LEED and you cave. That's the short version of what happened earlier this month. For a while, Maine was […]