Paul Krugman had a post the other day on the "aura of inevitability" and how it finally seems to be working for progressives instead of against them. I think he's on to something.

Summer was brutal for greens. "Cap and tax" attacks were bouncing around the Foxosphere. House Dems were getting killed back home for voting yes on Waxman-Markey. Conventional wisdom said that Pelosi had blundered by forcing them into an unpopular vote for a bill that could never pass the Senate, where health care reform was imperiled and clean energy legislation a forlorn dream.

Since then, however, greens have had one good break after another. And this isn't like 2006, when Al Gore's movie came out and for a while every magazine published a green issue. Those were pop culture events. These latest dramas have taken place inside the hothouse of the Beltway political world, where legislators and political operators take notice.

Good enemies

Start with the dirty energy Keystone Kops, shooting themselves in the foot.

First there was Big Coal's PR arm, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, formerly seen as a lobbying juggernaut that succeeded in putting all of DC in its thrall. Then came the astroturf fraud in August, as Bonner & Assoc. -- working for the coal industry -- got busted sending fake letters from civil rights and women's groups to legislators. ACCCE dropped Bonner like a hot potato, and Bonner blamed ... a temp. Rachel Maddow ripped them a new one. (This story isn't gone, either; a House hearing at which Bonner will testify was recently postponed and will happen later this month. Expect more embarrassing headlines). To boot, ACCCE saw high-profile defections from Duke Energy and Alcoa.

Then there was Faces of Coal, a new astroturf group whose faces turned out to be ... iStockphoto clip art. That one got ripped by Maddow and Stewart.

Then there's the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has bumbled its way into ignominy in record time. First companies began leaving it over its intransigence on clean energy legislation. Then it demanded a "21st Century Scopes Monkey Trial on the science of climate change." Then more companies left. Chamber chief Tom Donahue, oblivious to the changing political winds, bumbled around, at first defiant, then incoherent, then confused, then defensive. Then it emerged that the CoC's membership numbers were wildly inflated -- not 3 million business, but more like 200,000. Then the Yes Men came along and ganked them so successfully with a fake press release and press conference that Reuters got punked, making national headlines and completely eclipsing the launch of the Chamber's goofy PR campaign. Maddow ripped that one too. Then the White House joined in and started pummeling the Chamber, which has spent almost $35 million just in the third quarter of this year lobbying against Obama's initiatives. The Chamber is now in complete disarray, having become, almost overnight, a national symbol of yesterday's news: old, out of touch ideologues in hock to old, out of touch industries.

And finally there are the authors of Superfreakonomics, whose best-seller muddling the science of climate change and advocating for hail-mary policies like geoengineering seems mainly to have served to rouse the progressive intelligentsia to climate science's defense, and to a greater awareness and engagement on the climate issue. I haven't seen this many posts about climate change and climate policy in the progressive mediasphere in ... ever.

Good friends

Meanwhile, there are more and more Faces of Clean Energy, and they ain't clip art.

A huge group of businesses lobbied for legislation on the hill recently. A coalition of religious groups called Day Six is now lobbying for legislation. Operation Free, a group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, is on a Vets for American Power bus tour -- "mission: secure American with clean energy" -- lobbying for legislation. (For supporting "cap and tax type policies," Penn. State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe [R, needless to say] called these vets "traitors" and "Benedict Arnolds." Again: you really couldn't ask for enemies this clueless.) A group of 18 leading U.S. scientific organizations just sent a letter [PDF] to the Senate reaffirming, in blunt terms, the scientific consensus on the nature and urgency of climate change.

This Saturday will mark Climate Action Day, with hundreds of events across the nation and the world. A string of recent polls has shown that Americans of all political stripes, including those in conservative Dem districts and especially young Americans [PDF], want clean energy, support Obama on the issue, and want legislation from this Congress. They aren't falling for the "cap and tax" hysteria.

Remember the Senate clean energy bill that could never pass because it couldn't get bipartisan support? It has bipartisan support now, and Lindsey Graham coming aboard has pushed Murkowski, Byrd, and Voinovich into the maybe column. The road to 60 votes, while far from easy, is clearly visible now.

And that's before the administration has fully engaged. Obama will give a speech at MIT on Friday supporting the legislation. The same day, Lisa Jackson will release the EPA's analysis of the bill. Next week, the Environment and Public Works Committee will begin hearings, and among the first witnesses will be Jackson, DOE's Steven Chu, the Interior's Ken Salazar, Transportation's Ray LaHood, and FERC chair Jon Wellinghoff. This kicks off what's expected to be a full court press from the administration to get the bill done.

---

In short, at least for the moment, greens have the Big Mo. There's a self-reinforcing cycle of positive stories happening. Deniers and delayers are on the defensive.

It feels good! Yes, it's certain to change, and change again, over the course of the long fight in the Senate. But confidence is everything. Greens aren't used to being the ones with muscle and momentum, but now that they've got them the thing to do is get a little swagger. Nothing succeeds like success, and nothing is more powerful in politics than the aura of inevitability.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

SuperFreak Dubner embraces ClimateGate conspiracy theories

Obama administration officials grateful for early spring

Joel Hunter, important pastor.Dr. Joel Hunter, reputedly one of President Obama’s five favorit-est pastors, might have just gotten even more favorit-er.

The Florida megachurch pastor stars in a blitz of new ads on Christian radio stations intended to raise support for a climate bill like the one under consideration in the U.S. House. Hunter, a registered Republican, draws squarely on religious language in the 60-second spots (listen here):

The ads are part of a larger campaign by faith and military groups (an odd combination?) to support climate legislation and ensure that the government “prioritizes the most vulnerable at home and abroad,” according to a news release. The campaign wants a climate bill to include direct rebates to help offset increased energy costs for the American poor and international aid to help developing countries adapt to the effects of climate change.

The ads began airing yesterday in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Virginia, and Ohio – states with lots of religious voters. The ads are funded by the American Values Network (AVN), a faith-based advocacy group recently launched by Burns Strider, the faith outreach director for Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign.

“Addressing climate change is not just a matter of national security and sound economic policy, but a moral duty to care for God’s creation and to care for the needs of those who are contributing the least to climate change but bearing the brunt of its burden,” said Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.), who spoke on the conference call with reporters yesterday. “We need to ensure that this legislation fairly addresses the burden on low- and middle-income families, especially at a time when millions of Americans are out of work.”

AVN boasted it would be spreading its climate message via email to more than 5.3 million evangelicals and Catholics, which sounds like a page from the playbook of Religious Right groups like Focus on the Family. Strider has been an influential religious-voter strategist among Democrats; in tapping Rev. Hunter to speak in the ads, Strider chose a “new evangelical” leader who’s shown more interest in connecting his faith to climate change than to issues like gay marriage and abortion. (Read an interview with him from Grist’s God & the Environment series.)

The network says a number of religious groups have staked out the same position--insisting a climate plan must focus on help for the vulnerable: the Evangelical Climate Initiative, Southern Baptist Environmental Climate Initiative, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Episcopal Church, and Redeem the Vote.

It also claims that three military groups -- Veterans Alliance for Security and Democracy, the Truman National Security Project, and Veterans Green Jobs -- share their climate action principles.

Related Links:

Obama administration may (finally) offer greenhouse-gas targets

George Voinovich (R-Ohio) [UPDATED]

Al Franken (D-Minn.)

Earlier today, Prince Charles and Pope Benedict XVI met to discuss their shared environmental concerns, with Camilla looking on. With press reports so far scant on details, we are left to imagine the proceedings.

We couldn’t find a free photo of the prince shaking hands with His Holiness, so we’re settling for a Flickr shot of St. Peter’s Square. Got a better photo?Argenberg via Flickr
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales: Good morning, Your Holiness.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI: Good morning, Your Royal Highness. May I call you ... Chuck?

HRHPW: Absolutely. May I call you Benny?

HHPBXVI: Not a chance.

Chuck: Ah. Well then, Your Holiness, shall we discuss our shared environmental concerns?

HH: Absolutely. But does she have to be here?

Chuck: Well, Your Holiness, she is my wife. Ipso fatso, if you know what I mean.

HH: I think you know how We feel about your current union, Chuck.

Chuck: Right, yes, the whole adultery thing. But we waited, didn’t we? And see how demurely she dressed, just for you. All in black, from head to toe, like a 102-year-old Italian widow. That’s just for you, Your Holiness. In fact, underneath that black outfit there’s this scarlet teddy that—oh, damn.

HH: I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear that, Your Pervness. Let’s talk climate.

Chuck: Let’s do. As you know, Your Holiness—I couldn’t just call you Ben or something? Or Pope? It’s so much easier, the one-syllable name.

HH: Know what else has just one syllable? Hell. If by chance you end up there ... it’ll be easy to say.

Chuck: Duly noted. As I was saying, I believe climate change poses a grave threat to our civilization.

HH: I concur. Did you know there are solar panels on the roofs here at the Vatican? And we became the world’s first carbon-neutral sovereign state back in 2007? How’s that going over there in Anglican-land, hm? Getting those emissions down?

Chuck: Well, it’s complicated. I don’t actually get to make policy, as you know, and—

HH: What do you make?

Chuck: Well I make a lovely organic oaten biscuit, Your Holiness. I should have thought to bring you some. Oh, which reminds me, I did bring you this set of dessert plates hand-painted with flowers. I don’t know that these will be of any help to you.

HH: Why thank you. Here’s some, uh, medals. And an etching.

Chuck: Your Holiness, I’m touched.

Papal Security: Time’s up.

Camilla: Oh thank Christ! Let’s go to lunch.

Related Links:

Republicans for Enviromental Protection push back for Graham

Greens have finally got the Big Mo

Calling all radicals: Unite for Kerry-Boxer

Courtesy Catholic Climate CovenantCiting dual obligations to care for God’s creation and the world’s poor, a broad coalition of Catholic groups today announced a new commitment to take action on climate change.

The “St. Francis Pledge,” named after the patron saint of animals and ecology, urges Catholics to pray for those affected by climate change, learn about the problem, and take steps to reduce their own consumption and advocate for climate legislation that protects the world’s most vulnerable people.

“Our cars and power plants, more energy consumption and waste—we’re leaving a bigger carbon footprint,” reads a statement on the website of the umbrella group, the Catholic Climate Covenant. “Scientists tell us that means more climate change. Here and around the world, it is the poor who will be hit hardest. With more droughts, floods, hunger and joblessness. As faithful Catholics, we have a moral obligation to care for both Creation and the poor. Pope Benedict XVI insists, ‘Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions’ to curb climate change.”

The group printed a similar message in an ad [PDF] on the New York Times op-ed page today. The campaign’s participants include the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Catholic Charities; the Catholic Health Association of the United States; Catholic Relief; the National Catholic Education Association; and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

"What brings all these groups together are the Biblical call to be stewards of God's creation and Jesus' mandate to care 'for the least of these,'” Bishop William Skylstad, the campaign’s honorary chair, said in a prepared statement. “This prophetic connection in the life and example of St. Francis has fresh meaning for our response to the crisis of global climate change."

The pledge does not endorse specific legislation or suggest specific personal actions, although it seeks to include measures to protect the world’s poor in U.S. climate legislation. (Check out the campaign’s video on its site or below.)

Neither does the campaign mention birth control, long a contentious issue between Catholic leaders and those environmentalists who believe population growth must be curbed. A reporter asked about population control during a conference call with organizers today. Bishop Skylstad said the global population was less important to the earth’s climate than the amount of resources humanity uses.

While environmental stewardship has deep roots in the Catholic Social Teaching tradition, evangelical Christians have made more news in recent years in advocating for and against action on climate change. (Grist’s 2006 special series on God & the Environment found much more hubbub on the issue from evangelicals.)

The emphasis in today’s announcement on the “least of these” who will be most harmed by climate change also jibes with Pope John Paul II’s widely quoted message from 1990:

"When the ecological crisis is set within the broader context of the search for peace within society, we can understand better the importance of giving attention to what the earth and its atmosphere are telling us: namely, that there is an order in the universe which must be respected, and that the human person, endowed with the capability of choosing freely, has a grave responsibility to preserve this order for the well-being of future generations. I wish to repeat that the ecological crisis is a moral issue.”

Pope Benedict XVI mentioned “disturbing climate change” among his concerns in his Easter message to the world last week.

Here’s the video version of the campaign announcement:

Grist's Kate Sheppard contributed to this story.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

Related Links:

Climate Denial Crock of the Week: The big mist take

What Do Coal and Dirty Dorm Rooms Have in Common?

The tar sands blow

Related Links:

Greens have finally got the Big Mo

New religious coalition seeks climate ‘redemption’ via carbon plan

Charles and Benedict chat about climate

Related Links:

Chuck Norris on Copenhagen

The U.S.-India climate ‘partnership’

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Related Links:

Greens have finally got the Big Mo

New religious coalition seeks climate ‘redemption’ via carbon plan

Charles and Benedict chat about climate

Related Links:

Martha Stewart blisters meat industry in Thanksgiving show

Ask Umbra on trash, toxics, and tots

Top 25 reasons to give a damn about climate change

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

The 2,400 solar panels covering the roof of a giant concert hall in the Vatican were activated on Wednesday. And seeing that now the pope is open to solar systems, Galileo shook his fist in his grave.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

Related Links:

Greens have finally got the Big Mo

SolarCity makes electric cars an even smarter investment

Lamar Alexander loves the earth too much to support solar and wind

Related Links:

Environmental education in Guinea Bissau

Home Economics of the JP Green House, Part 1

The Wind Kids: How high school students helped bring a wind farm to Milford, Utah

Related Links:

Obama administration may (finally) offer greenhouse-gas targets

George Voinovich (R-Ohio) [UPDATED]

Al Franken (D-Minn.)

Related Links:

It’s Getting Ha! in Here: Maria Bamford

Gore on the Daily Show: extended dance remix

Gore on The Daily Show

Pope Benedict XVI addressed over 150,000 people in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday as part of Whirled-Youth Day World Youth Day, a massive Catholic get-together meant to infuse the church with the energy of its youth. The pontiff commented on the beauty of the natural world as he saw it from aboard the papal plane. That Pope's-eye-view, he said, was a source of inspiration and wonder. "It is as though one catches glimpses of the Genesis creation story -- light and darkness, the sun and the moon, the waters, the earth, and living creatures." However, all is not well with the world's environment, he said. "Reluctantly we come to acknowledge that there are also scars which mark the surface of our earth, erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world's mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption." Which reminds us, anyone wanna buy a slightly used bobble-head Pope?

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

Related Links:

It’s Getting Ha! in Here: Maria Bamford

Gore on the Daily Show: extended dance remix

Gore on The Daily Show

Related Links:

Oil: enough energy to melt glaciers!

Greens have finally got the Big Mo

Saudis want aid if world cuts oil use

Related Links:

News and views on the Kerry-Boxer climate bill

What does recent Senate drama on the climate bill mean? Peak Boxer

Congressional watchdog issues update on coal ash regulation efforts

Related Links:

Climate psychology in cartoons: clues for solving the messaging mystery

Republicans for Enviromental Protection push back for Graham

Children and riot police face off in Canadian “Moms” video