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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Notable quotable
Drilling we can believe in |
David Roberts |
08 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| 'Barack Obama opposed offshore drilling, but of course last night he changed his position on that. What that told me is that he's not willing to drill for energy, but he's sure willing to drill for votes.' -- Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, offshore drilling, politics, Sarah Palin (all these topics) |
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Let's talk about caps, baby
Enviros cheer debate talk about climate and energy, but want more details |
Kate Sheppard |
08 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Say what you may about last night's debate, but it was anything but boring for enviros. Even if the candidates largely recycled preexisting talking points on energy and climate, the mere fact that both issues got top billing in a presidential debate was an historic first. 'What strikes me as important is that energy has risen to the top of the list in terms of issues that people are concerned about right now. It's really energy, the economy, health care, and the w ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, elections, energy, John McCain, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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One swing voter, swung
Ingrid Jackson's question about climate change put candidates on the spot |
Kate Sheppard |
08 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| For the first time in this year's presidential debates, the two candidates were asked point-blank about what they would do to address climate change in the first two years of their administration. Ingrid Jackson asks the candidates about environmental issues. This morning, Grist caught up with the young woman who asked the question -- Ingrid Jackson, 30, a senior psychology major at Tennessee State University in Nashville and a Children Services Officer ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, energy, John McCain, Muckraker, politics, presidential race 08, video (all these topics) |
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Energy first
Obama names energy as first administration priority |
David Roberts |
07 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The candidates have put forth ambitious proposals on a number of issues, but one of the great unanswered questions of the race has been what each would prioritize in office. The first policy initiative undertaken by the new president will benefit from a sense of first-term energy and momentum. Depending on what happens in ensuing years, there could be no choice about what becomes Nos. 2 or 3. Circumstances tend to intervene. So what's that crucial first priority? T ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, elections, energy, John McCain, politics, presidential race 08, video (all these topics) |
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Climate's brief turn in the spotlight
Obama and McCain asked directly about climate change at debate |
Kate Sheppard |
07 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The second 2008 presidential debate included a single, pointed question on global climate change from an audience member, but that didn't stop both candidates from working the issue of energy independence into their responses to all sorts of questions throughout the 90-minute faceoff. By and large, John McCain and Barack Obama stuck to their scripts on energy, arguing that the nation must invest more in alternative and renewable energy sources ... and rely ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, climate change, energy, John McCain, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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Above average
Savvy citizen asks the right question about climate change at debate |
Guest author |
07 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This is a guest post from Bill McKibben, a scholar in residence at Middlebury College and author of a dozen books, most recently The Bill McKibben Reader. McKibben serves on Grist's board of directors and is cofounder of 350.org. ----- Thank heavens for the 'average citizen.' After approximately 4 million debates over the past year, someone finally asked the right and real question about climate change. Ingrid Jackson, over in Section C of the audienc ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, Bill McKibben, climate, energy, John McCain, presidential race 08, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Debate Video: Obama on energy independence
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David Roberts |
07 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Obama on energy in tonight's debate: |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, climate change, energy, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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Miner offense
Coal miners in West Virginia stay home in protest of anti-Obama NRA tactics |
Kate Sheppard |
07 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Coal production at the Blacksville No. 2 Mine in Monongalia County, W.Va., came to a halt for one day last week when all the miners stayed home in protest after a National Rifle Association camera crew tried to get them to bad-mouth Barack Obama on film. The United Mineworkers of America has endorsed the Democratic candidate for president, and union officials were miffed that the NRA was allowed on the property. Here's the story: Union officials say they took the day ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, coal, elections, energy, mining, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08, West Virginia (all these topics) |
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Notable quotable
Fascinating L.A. Times article on racial and coal politics in Virginia |
David Roberts |
07 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| 'We're all black in the mines.' -- Jerry Stallard, a coal union organizer in Virginia, arguing to his fellow miners that Obama's support for unions and for coal is more important than the color of his skin |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, coal, elections, mining, presidential race 08, quotables (all these topics) |
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Debate and switch
Enviros suggest questions for Tuesday's townhall-style debate |
Kate Sheppard |
06 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Eleven days after their first matchup, John McCain and Barack Obama will meet again in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday night for a 'townhall format' debate. NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw will be the moderator, but it will be crowd members asking the questions, all of whom are supposedly undecided voters. There will be between 80 and 120 of these undecided voters in the audience; Brokaw will select about 15 of them to ask their questions. Chances are slim that any glob ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, elections, John McCain, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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She's got Obama's ear
Obama adviser Heather Zichal talks to Grist about energy and climate |
Kate Sheppard |
06 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Heather Zichal. Barack Obama's campaign has a deep bench when it comes to climate and energy policy, one that includes scientists, policy wonks, and economists. On July 20, Obama added Heather Zichal to the team as policy director for energy, environment, and agriculture. Before coming to the Obama campaign's Chicago headquarters, Zichal served as the legislative director for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), running both his domestic and foreign policy. In 2004, sh ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, elections, interview, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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Biden, your time for clean coal
The Biden-Obama position on 'clean coal' is not a mistake |
Joseph Romm |
03 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Today, my inbox is bombarded with emails from enviros and clean energy advocates, some of whom say that Biden's (and Obama's) support of clean coal is 'abysmal, absolutely abysmal.' I could not disagree more. I have this argument with enviros all the time. Tuesday, I argued the point with Ted Glick, the national coordinator of the U.S. Climate Emergency Council on Earthbeat radio. You can listen to the audio here [mp3]. Yes, I think it is mistake to use the ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, carbon sequestration, coal, elections, energy, Joe Biden, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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Politics and the Dinner Table
Weighing Obama's and McCain's stances on food and farm policy |
Tom Philpott |
03 Oct 2008 |
Victual Reality |
| Will the next president be tough enough to defy the wishes of agribusiness? Apologies to Grant Wood Last month at Slow Food Nation, Michael Pollan made an interesting point about food policy and presidential politics. Food issues won't likely play much of a role during the campaign's stretch run, Pollan said, but the winning candidate will almost certainly be forced to confront ... |
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| Topics: ag policy, agriculture, Barack Obama, food, John McCain, politics, presidential race 08, Victual Reality (all these topics) |
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VP debate: The question of climate change
Watch the video and read the transcript |
Grist |
03 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Last night's vice presidential debate featured an important exchange on climate change. Grist is posting the video and transcript excerpt below: Moderator Gwen Ifill's question to Sarah Palin: 'Governor, I'm happy to talk to you in this next section about energy issues. Let's talk about climate change. What is true and what is false about what we have heard, read, discussed, debated about the causes of climate change?' Here's the transcript of this section of the debat ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, elections, energy, Joe Biden, John McCain, politics, presidential race 08, Sarah Palin, video (all these topics) |
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Debating the VP debate
Rate the energy and climate quotes on Ameritocracy |
Grist |
02 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| As Ashley Braun noted in an earlier post, Grist recommends checking out Ameritocracy.com and participating in their unique approach to rating the debate. Grist recommends the climate and energy questions in particular. Here's one on climate change: |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, politics, presidential race 08, Sarah Palin (all these topics) |
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Financial meltdown: Still bad for the environment
Credit crunch slows clean energy development |
Adam Stein |
02 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| A few weeks ago, I made some guesses about how the big picture trends in the economy would affect the development of clean energy. And though it's still early days for the financial crisis, so far my guesses look pretty good. The Times talks to a few industry insiders, who confirm that the credit crunch is slowing down clean energy projects. Abyd Karmali, the global head of carbon emissions at Merrill Lynch, is optimistic in the long-term (as, I suppose, I am too), but ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, economy, investing, renewable energy, tech, Wall Street (all these topics) |
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Back from the death
Shellenberger and Nordhaus go after Obama by recycling GOP talking points |
Joseph Romm |
02 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| They're back! I've been bombarded by people wanting a comment on the new S&N L.A. Times piece, 'The green bubble bursts.' How about 'naive and dangerous'? Shellenberger and Nordhaus get coverage in the media because they are green(ish) recyclers of rubbish. They take piles of garbage (i.e. Republican talking points) and repackage them with some green-sounding lingo and then put their green credentials behind them. I have been ignoring them for a while now, but ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, climate change mitigation, elections, environmental movement, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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Go tell it on the mountain
Will the push to open Yucca Mountain shift Nevada toward Obama? |
Kate Sheppard |
01 Oct 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The Bush administration is pushing full speed ahead with plans to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain -- and that could affect the presidential race in the battleground state of Nevada, where John McCain and Barack Obama are in a dead heat. Last month, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission agreed to review the federal government's license application for the site, where it wants to store spent fuel from nuclear plants around the U.S. as well as military nuclear w ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, John McCain, presidential race 08, nuclear power, energy, politics, Muckraker (all these topics) |
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Did Obama back off the energy independence issue? In a word -- no
Debate part 2: Obama stays on energy independence message |
Joseph Romm |
30 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Some people worry that Obama seemed to put energy independence on the 'back burner' by suggesting his clean energy plan was the 'first thing' he would cut to make room for the $700 billion bailout rescue deal. Significantly, that isn't the message heard by at least one group of crucial voters -- undecideds. During the debate, Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg ran a dial group of 45 undecided voters in St. Louis, Missouri. 'These voters had an unmistakably Republican ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, presidential race 08, elections, politics, energy (all these topics) |
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'No one can be opposed to alternate energy'
Debate part 1: McCain tells the truth and lies at the same time |
Joseph Romm |
29 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Let me briefly hit the big picture on the debate. The two insta polls out, from CBS and CNN, show that McCain lost by a large margin, by 13 percent or so. That large a gap means independents in particular didn't like his performance (by 22 percent in this poll). And that is no big surprise since for independents, who fundamentally don't like partisan politics -- that's why they aren't a member of either party -- repeatedly showing contempt for one's opponent is a h ... |
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| Topics: greenwashing, John McCain, energy, Barack Obama, presidential race 08, elections, politics (all these topics) |
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Prez dispenser
A roundup of news on the presidential election |
Kate Sheppard |
29 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Barack Obama visited Nevada, where he assured voters that he loves the mining industry. Locals in Sarah Palin's hometown of Wasila, Alaska, say that she 'fouled her own nest' by promoting rampant development during her tenure as mayor. 'Sarah's legacy as mayor was big-box stores and runaway growth,' said one resident. One of the victims of that development was the lake in Palin's own front yard, Lake Lucille, which is now effectively a 'dead' lake. In her ... |
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| Topics: Sarah Palin, presidential race 08, Barack Obama, elections, politics, news, Muckraker, Alaska (all these topics) |
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Be mine
McCain campaign releases contrived ads promoting coal |
Kate Sheppard |
29 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The McCain and Obama campaigns have been bickering for the past week about who loves coal more. Today the McCain campaign released new coal-happy radio ads in Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The ads claim that 'clean coal means cleaner air,' but 'Obama-Biden and their liberal allies oppose clean coal.' In reality, Obama has been a consistent supporter of coal with carbon capture and sequestration since the beginning of his legislative career, to the ch ... |
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| Topics: coal, advertising, John McCain, Barack Obama, presidential race 08, elections, politics, news, Muckraker, offshore drilling (all these topics) |
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Debate: spending
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David Roberts |
27 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Last night moderator Jim Lehrer pressed the candidates about what spending priorities they would postpone or cancel in response to the financial crisis (a bit of framing I find maddening). In the heat of the debate I was irritated with Obama for not countering the frame directly. Going back and watching, though, he did seem to stick to his guns on certain important investments. Watch: Here's McCain's answer to the same question: Don't miss the analysis of ... |
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| Topics: elections, politics, presidential race 08, John McCain, Barack Obama, video (all these topics) |
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Debate: Green issues largely sidelined in first debate
Energy security came up frequently, but climate change only mentioned in passing |
Grist |
26 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The first presidential debate between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama focused mainly on national security issues and the economic crisis/Wall Street bailout package. But energy issues came up a few times during the debate, with McCain and Obama squabbling over the details of how the country could achieve greater energy security. Grist's David Roberts and Kate Sheppard live-blogged the debate. Here are their posts: * The big picture on energy * McC ... |
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| Topics: politics, presidential race 08, elections, John McCain, Barack Obama (all these topics) |
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Debate: The big picture on energy
Candidates spar on who has most more comprehensive vision |
Kate Sheppard |
26 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Obama said that we 'have to have an energy policy to deal with not just Russia' but with other not-so-friendly regimes. He also said the United States should increase 'domestic production, and yes, offshore drilling ... but we only have 3 percent of the world's oil .. we can't drill our way out of the problem.' Obama said that our plan should include 'wind, solar, yes, nuclear, clean-coal' and hit on McCain for voting against renewables numerous times over his 26 year ... |
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| Topics: presidential race 08, elections, Muckraker, politics, John McCain, Barack Obama (all these topics) |
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