Climate Change Legislation

Senate should consider deforestation as part of climate bill 2
Posted 1 month ago Far too little attention has been paid to the role tropical deforestation has in warming the planet. Protecting tropical forests is an economic imperative, argue Lincoln Chafee and John Podesta.
Entergy CEO warns of humanity’s extinction if climate legislation not passed 13
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago Participants in a Clean Energy Economy Forum at the White House included J. Wayne Leonard, the Chairman and CEO of Entergy Corporation, the utility giant based in New Orleans, La. Speaking at the White House event, Leonard called for action on climate change and clean energy not just for economic reasons but starkly moral ones.
New Cantwell climate bill is simpler and more equitable 5
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago On Sept. 22, in a speech to 100 world leaders gathered at the United Nations to discuss climate change, President Barack Obama declared the U.S. "determined to act." But at the same time, word began to circulate on Capitol Hill that the Senate might be equally determined not to vote on the climate bill any time soon.
It’s Easy Being Green, but ...

Saving the planet is hard 1
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago Paul Krugman concludes in "It's easy being green," that "the claim that climate legislation will kill the economy deserves the same disdain as the claim that global warming is a hoax." Indeed, but the notion that the Waxman-Markey legislation is about "saving the planet" (Krugman's words) is equally inscrutable.
A WALK THROUGH THE WEEK'S CLIMATE NEWS

The Climate Post: Climate change blamed for New York midtown traffic 0
Posted 1 month, 4 weeks ago The journal Nature has published a study that attempts to find numerical “planetary boundaries” for global change, an effort that the authors believe will help policymakers better understand humanity’s impact on the planet and its life.
If you can’t say something helpful, don’t say anything at all 2
Posted 2 months ago The Washington Post has been editorializing in favor of congressional action to address climate change for more than a decade, but an editorial Monday makes us wonder if they mean it.
Spokespeople

Climate Riders use pedal power to raise awareness 0
Posted 3 months ago
How far would you go to fight climate change? Hundreds of cyclists will pedal from New York City to Washington, D.C., in late September to do just that.
drilling democracy

Big Oil holding ‘town halls’ on climate bill 0
Posted 3 months, 1 week ago
Following in the footsteps of the corporate-backed protest movement against health care reform, a group founded and funded by business interests opposed to regulating greenhouse gas pollution is planning a series of rallies to oppose the climate legislation being considered by Congress.
Cap-and-fade for Australia's conservatives

The defeat of Australia’s climate plan is not bad news for cap-and-trade 12
Posted 3 months, 1 week ago
It may be tempting to view the Australian Senate's defeat Wednesday of climate change legislation as a portent of things to come as the U.S. Senate prepares to take up a cap-and-trade bill. But the rejection of the Australian legislation reflects the peculiarities of Aussie politics rather than the viability of cap-and-trade.
Cap and Carp

Key to climate bill, offsets have plenty of critics 7
Posted 3 months, 1 week ago
The Waxman-Markey climate bill does not propose a pure cap-and-trade scheme. It's actually cap and trade and offset. Carbon offsets are controversial: Viewed by supporters as a way to control carbon costs under cap-and-trade, but decried by critics as a significant flaw that will undermine the overriding goal of lowering carbon emissions.
It Could Be Verse

Climate-news poem: Forgery edition 0
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago
In the hubbub surrounding the ACES vote, a lobbying firm sent fake letters to a congressman from organizations of color. That kind of offense deserves an immediate and powerful response. Or, in this case, a limerick.
Breakthrough's rebuttal

Joe Romm’s strategy to lose the clean energy race 30
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago By Jesse Jenkins, Teryn Norris
On Monday, Joe Romm of Climate Progress publicly attacked us for publishing an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle -- called "Will America lose the clean energy race?" (a longer version was posted here at Huffington Post.). Here's our response.
In plain english

‘Citizen’s Guide’ primes readers for climate activism 2
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago
Two Middlebury students have authored a guide to climate policy to help every American understand the details and political context around the climate debate in Congress. The result is "The Citizen's Guide to Climate Policy."
Senate Environment Committee Hearing - July 7, 2009

Opening remarks from Chu, Jackson, Vilsack, Salazar and Barbour 0
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
What are they smoking?

Obama endorses climate bill, press corps asks about his cigarettes 0
Posted 5 months ago
President Obama gave a strong endorsement of the American Clean Energy and Security Act at a White House press conference today, but reporters didn't bother to ask him about it.
It Isn't Easy Being Green

Contesting on occupied terrain 0
Posted 5 months ago
There is much evidence to indicate that there will be a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives next week on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, ACESA.
An ACES up the sleeve

Climate bill would be a net gain for federal budget, says CBO 1
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago
The Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill would be a net gain for the federal Treasury, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office, bringing in $24.4 billion over 10 years.
T Boone's gonna love this

How to shut down 93% of coal without building new plants or reducing power supply 27
Posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago
A quick analysis shows that the underutilized U.S. natural gas power plant fleet could quickly ramp up to take most coal off-line -- at fairly low cost. Paging a Mr. Pickens!
Climate politics scoop and question of the week 2
Posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Okay, I don’t know if it is a scoop, heck, I don’t know for certain it is true, but a very reliable source tells me that Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants the climate bill on the House floor the last week in June.
Charlie Wilson's Score

Commenter: New leaders in the making in coal country 0
Posted 5 months, 4 weeks ago
From Grist commenter johnpdeever: "Ohio Reps. Zach Space and Charlie Wilson went out on a limb, publicly expressing willingness to attempt to go green to a degree at least and to do what they can to make our coal industry better. I'm in Space's generally very Republican district, and he could be a model of how young new Democratic reps even here in coal country can help all you coastal folks."