transition talk

CAP hosts ‘green recovery’ event

The government in waiting Center for American Progress today organized a panel on “Green Recovery,” bringing together some power-players in that realm to talk about the prospects of getting energy and environmental components into both the short- and long-term vision for economic growth. Two of the players — former EPA administrator Carol Browner and Pennsylvania […]

Obama notes climate and energy policy will be key to national security

President-elect Barack Obama this morning officially unveiled his national security team, and in his remarks cited the need for policy that addresses climate and energy concerns as coupled with national security. “The national security challenges we face are just as grave — and just as urgent — as our economic crisis,” said Obama. “We are […]

With the food world’s eyes on farm policy, is the real action at Treasury?

Food-politics blogs and listservs are blowing up with speculation about whom Obama will tap as USDA chief. I’ve weighed in myself here and here. (Update: House Ag Committee chair Colin Peterson, tipped as a top contender for the USDA spot, says he’s not interested. Evidently, he calculates that his current post is the more powerful […]

Obama forms recovery council with climate-action advocate at helm

In his third press conference in as many days, Barack Obama today signaled once again that environment and energy issues will be at the heart of his administration’s efforts to fix the ailing economy. The president-elect said he will appoint an “Economic Recovery Council” to focus on reversing the current economic trends. The council, which […]

Enviro coalition delivers a whopping transition plan to Obamaland

Twenty-nine of the country’s biggest green groups today rolled out a comprehensive list of actions and policies they’d like President-elect Barack Obama to adopt after he takes office Jan. 20. In it, the groups stress the need for an approach that unites environment, energy, and economic policies. “We need to dig ourselves out of the […]

How to change USDA with sustainable agriculture allies

In a recent post, I discussed likely candidates for secretary of agriculture in the Obama administration and encouraged you to voice your support or dislike of the names being floated to Obama’s transition team. You can have an impact: in large numbers, voices of the people are very powerful. Please continue to make your opinions […]

Vilsack out; Peterson and Herseth Sandlin square off

Until very recently, speculation around who would take the top spot at Obama’s USDA centered on former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack, a champion of both genetically modified seed technology and farm-subsidy reform. But now Vilsack’s out of the running, the Des Moines Register reports. Evidently, a petition from the Organic Consumers Association helped sink his […]

Obama’s new director of domestic policy on a progressive energy agenda

Obama’s new director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes, is likely to focus a lot of her work on health care and education. But she’s also written a bit about what a progressive president should do on energy. While she was the executive vice president for policy at the Center for American […]

Obama announces economic advisers, stresses clean energy

President-elect Obama continued to stress the importance of clean energy during a Monday press conference in which he officially unveiled his economic team. Returning to themes outlined in his Saturday radio address to the nation, Obama said America “could lose millions of jobs” without “bold action” on the economy. Such action should include steps toward […]