|
| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
The first 100 days
Obama says climate and energy would be top priorities at start of his admin |
Kate Sheppard |
30 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| It's a bit buried here, but Marc Ambinder notes that at a fundraiser in Denver on Wednesday night, Barack Obama said his first-100-day priorities would include sending a 'signal to the world' on energy and climate change. Wish that were a bit more specific, but hey, at least it's in there. |
|
| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, energy, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
|
|
On your Markey
Rep. Ed Markey unveils ambitious new climate legislation |
Kate Sheppard |
28 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Rep. Ed Markey, chair of the Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming, unveiled new climate legislation on Wednesday morning, which he says will take 'the innovative actions needed to ensure a greener, healthier, and more prosperous future.' The plan, which Markey will introduce formally next Tuesday, calls for an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2050, and a number of provisions to encourage technological innovatio ... |
|
| Topics: climate, Congress, Ed Markey, greenhouse-gas emissions, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
Growth industry
Club for Growth starts campaign to derail Lieberman-Warner |
Kate Sheppard |
27 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The Club for Growth -- a conservative group 'dedicated to helping elect pro-growth, pro-freedom candidates through political contributions and issue advocacy campaigns' -- is already waging war on the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, slated to hit the Senate floor June 2. But instead of going after the bill itself, they're targeting individual senators who seem likely to vote in favor of the bill. They've taken out $250,000 in radio and television ... |
|
| Topics: climate, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics, US Senate (all these topics) |
|
|
Climate and service
Obama's commencement speech calls for service to the country, planet on climate front |
Kate Sheppard |
27 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| David beat me to a post on Barack Obama's commencement speech at Wesleyan on Sunday. The part about climate change and clean energy was good, but what I found most encouraging was at the beginning, when climate change was cited, along with hunger, war, and economic strife, as an area where our personal lives and the life of the nation should be aligned: [Y]ou are about to enter a world that makes it easy to get caught up in the notion that there are actually two dif ... |
|
| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, education, Muckraker, news, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
GOP vs. John McCain?
Climate bill fight likely to divide Republicans |
Kate Sheppard |
27 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Politico reports on the divide between John McCain and other Republicans on climate change: By contrast, the debate on a bipartisan climate change bill sponsored by Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) offers McCain a chance to stake out a position different from the president's and see if his party will follow. The catch is that many Republicans are uncomfortable with McCain's talk of a cap-and-trade program for reducing carbon emissions. ... |
|
| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, John McCain, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
For on the Floor
Nations meet to hash out claims to Arctic seafloor |
|
27 May 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:47 AM on 27 May 2008 What with climate change melting record amounts of Arctic ice, the five nations that claim land rights in the Arctic region have been rushing to stake claim to the minerals and oil wealth beneath the Arctic Ocean. Starting Tuesday, Denmark is hosting talks among the five countries, aiming to bring a measure of civility to the Arctic's predicted black-gold rush. One item that Denmark hopes the ot ... |
|
| Topics: climate, international politics, news, oil, oil and gas drilling, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
Ration-All Thought
Personal carbon trading considered in U.K. |
|
27 May 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:17 AM on 27 May 2008 Britain should go ahead with a carbon-credit trading system for individuals, a committee of Members of Parliament has recommended. The system could be modeled on cap-and-trade programs for industry, setting a cap on the amount of carbon each person is allowed to emit and requiring those who would exceed their allotment to purchase credits from those who emit less. Activities such as using gasoline, c ... |
|
| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, news, politics, United Kingdom (all these topics) |
|
|
A Cut Below
G8 nations agree on the need to agree on emission cuts |
|
27 May 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 6:19 AM on 27 May 2008 A three-day meeting of G8 environment ministers in Japan this weekend concluded with a familiar call for nations to agree on goals to cut emissions. The sentiment was formalized in a statement citing "strong political will" among G8 countries to agree to cut emissions by 50 percent by 2050 when they convene at the full G8 summit in Toyako, Japan, in July. "As we head toward the Toy ... |
|
| Topics: climate, G8, international politics, news, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
Beyond the Palin
Alaska will sue over polar-bear listing |
|
22 May 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:07 PM on 22 May 2008 Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will sue the Interior Department over its decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species. "We believe that the listing was unwarranted and that it's unprecedented to list a currently healthy population based on uncertain climate models," says Alaska Assistant Attorney General Steven Daugherty. To green groups, that argument is, shall we say, unimpressive. &quo ... |
|
| Topics: Alaska, climate, climate change skepticism, Department of Interior, endangered species, litigation, news, polar bears, politics, state politics (all these topics) |
|
|
Full text drops
Full text of the substitute amendment to Lieberman-Warner now available |
Kate Sheppard |
21 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The full-text of the amendment [PDF] to the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act is now available, which answers some of the outstanding questions stemming from the outline Sen. Boxer has been circulating. A few important areas to look at in the new version: Cost containment: This is the mechanism, also called an 'emergency off-ramp,' that will automatically release additional emission allowances onto the market to lower the price of carbon credits, should prices r ... |
|
| Topics: Barbara Boxer, climate, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics, renewable energy (all these topics) |
|
|
U.K. OK
David Miliband talks about democracy and the climate crisis |
Kate Sheppard |
21 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| I caught an interesting event this morning with U.K. Foreign Minister David Miliband, who is in town to give a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the 'democratization agenda.' The New American Foundation hosted the morning event with assorted policy wonks, journalists, and political types, and emcee Steve Clemons summarized it best as an attempt to answer the question of whether 'the commitment of the West to liberal values, justice, health ... |
|
| Topics: climate, climate equity, Muckraker, news, politics, United Kingdom (all these topics) |
|
|
Lieberman-Warner dolla billz
How the $5.7 trillion in Boxer's proposed amendment would be spent |
Kate Sheppard |
21 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Barbara Boxer distributed this breakdown [PDF] yesterday detailing how the dolla billz will be spent in her proposed amendment to the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. There are more than $6.7 trillion in carbon credit allowances and auction revenues that will be distributed over the life of the bill, and this shows where that goes. Feels a bit like Monopoly money, doesn't it? |
|
| Topics: Barbara Boxer, climate, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
Make it stop
Oregon and Kentucky vote; nation yawns and rolls over |
Kate Sheppard |
20 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| In case anyone's still paying attention, there were two more primaries today. Hillary Clinton scored a big win in Kentucky, with 65 percent of the vote to Obama's 30 percent. But Obama looks poised to win Oregon, and says he's reached the delegate threshold. Various media folks are reporting that he now has an 'insurmountable advantage' in the race for the Democratic nomination, much like they said ... back in February. It's the Groundhog Day primary! Clinton sa ... |
|
| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, Hillary Clinton, Kentucky, Muckraker, news, Oregon, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
|
|
Energy outage
Senate Energy Committee members wring their hands about the cost of climate action |
Kate Sheppard |
20 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee held a hearing this morning on the economic effects of global climate change legislation, and as expected, it was largely devoted to stoking fears about the potential costs of meaningful action. 'On the extremes, models have been used to show that legislation will have massive disruptions to the economy and cause widespread unemployment,' Committee Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said in his opening remarks. 'They hav ... |
|
| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, energy, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
The Sound of Two Paws Clapping
Green groups sue over polar bear listing |
|
20 May 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 11:56 AM on 20 May 2008 In entirely expected news, green groups have sued over the Interior Department's listing of the polar bear as a threatened species -- or, more accurately, over Interior's caveats that the listing not be used as a means to fight global warming. The Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace, and NRDC say the bears should be listed as endangered instead of threatened, and that the listing sho ... |
|
| Topics: climate, climate change impacts, Department of Interior, endangered species, Greenpeace, litigation, news, NRDC, polar bears, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
Safety pin
Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing to stoke fear about the costs of climate legislation |
Kate Sheppard |
19 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Speaking of cost-containment and the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is holding a hearing tomorrow on 'recent reports analyzing the energy and economic impacts of climate change legislation.' Many political observers see this as a move intended to scare up concern among Senate Democrats that meaningful action on global warming is just too dang expensive. Why interpret it that way? Because the committee is chai ... |
|
| Topics: carbon tax, carbon trading, climate, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics, US Senate (all these topics) |
|
|
Boxer briefs
Barbara Boxer circulates an outline of her amendment to Lieberman-Warner |
Kate Sheppard |
19 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| On Friday, Senate Environment and Public Works chair Barbara Boxer released an outline of what promises to be the version of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act that actually gets debated and amended on the Senate floor in early June. David posted the full document summarizing the manager's amendment earlier today. It's only an outline, not the full text, but from a cursory glance, here are some significant differences from the previous incarnation of Lieberman-W ... |
|
| Topics: Barbara Boxer, climate, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics, US Senate (all these topics) |
|
|
Bringing 'round the House
The House is lagging behind the Senate on climate change |
Kate Sheppard |
19 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The Hill is ablaze with discussion of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, which is expected to hit the Senate floor in early June. But on the House side, movement on climate legislation has been slow and quiet. Several bills have been floated, but none have gained any real traction. Everyone is waiting to see what comes out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.) are collaborating on bill t ... |
|
| Topics: climate, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics, US House of Representatives (all these topics) |
|
|
'2013'
McCain outlines priorities for first term; climate and energy make the cut |
Kate Sheppard |
15 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| John McCain is in Ohio today, where he gave a speech this morning about what he plans to accomplish by 2013. Progress on climate and energy is part of his vision for a better world at the end of his first term: The United States is well on the way to independence from foreign sources of oil -- progress that has not only begun to alleviate the environmental threat posed from climate change, but has greatly improved our security as well. A cap-and-trade system has bee ... |
|
| Topics: climate, elections, energy, John McCain, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
|
|
Bearly legal
Bush admin to list polar bears as threatened; advocates pledge to continue the fight |
Kate Sheppard |
14 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne was flanked by two large television screens rolling video of polar bears as he discussed his department's decision Wednesday to declare the bears 'threatened.' The video bears -- and the bears in the many photos on display at the press conference -- were fat and happy, wrestling on solid ice floes and devouring the flesh of prey. But environmentalists fear that Interior's decision not to give the bears the stronger 'endangered' design ... |
|
| Topics: climate, Department of Interior, Muckraker, news, polar bears, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
Me, on McCain, on climate, on the radio
Talking about where the candidates stand on climate and environmental policy |
Kate Sheppard |
14 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Shameless self-promotion alert: I was on the program 'The Conversation,' which airs on the Seattle NPR affiliate KUOW, last night talking about McCain's climate plan and where the presidential contenders stand on environmental policy. I'm about 10 minutes in, and as you can tell by the smattering of 'uhs' and 'ums,' there's a reason why I'm a writer not a talker. |
|
| Topics: climate, John McCain, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08, shameless self-promotion (all these topics) |
|
|
Threat Laid Bear
Polar bears threatened, but drilling in their habitat still OK, says Interior |
|
14 May 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 11:47 AM on 14 May 2008 Polar bears are a threatened species, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced Wednesday -- but that doesn't mean we can't drill in their habitat! The "threatened" designation means the bear could become endangered if conservation steps aren't taken; it puts polar bears on the endangered-species list but in effect allows Interior to pick and choose which ... |
|
| Topics: climate, climate change impacts, Department of Interior, endangered species, news, polar bears, politics, progress (all these topics) |
|
|
Nukes to me
More on the nuclear portion of McCain's big climate speech |
Kate Sheppard |
13 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| What's the deal with John McCain's nuclear love affair? It's a question on many people's minds after the candidate's big climate speech yesterday. While McCain has argued repeatedly that he's opposed to subsidies for the nuclear industry, he stresses the need to support the nuclear industry and fund nuclear R&D. The most recent incarnation of his Climate Stewardship Act, introduced in January 2007, would authorize more than $3.7 billion in federal subsidies fo ... |
|
| Topics: climate, elections, John McCain, Muckraker, news, nuclear power, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
|
|
BRIC douse
McCain waters down language on climate dealings with China & India |
Kate Sheppard |
12 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The original text of John McCain's Monday climate speech raised the specter of economic penalties for developing countries if they don't join international climate efforts, but the candidate dropped that reference when actually delivering the address. As the Associated Press puts it: The GOP presidential contender ... prodded China and India -- two major emitters of the greenhouse gases blamed for the planet's warming -- to join the effort, although he muted planne ... |
|
| Topics: climate, elections, John McCain, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
|
|
More Kentucky coal pandering
Obama airs new coal-themed TV ad; Clinton talks up coal too |
Kate Sheppard |
12 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The Obama campaign is running TV ads in Kentucky touting the candidate's commitment to the coal industry, along the same lines as a flyer the campaign is sending out in the state: 'He came to southern Illinois and seen the devastation and the loss of the jobs in this coal industry,' says miner Randy Henry in the ads, which are appearing in the Lexington and Bowling Green television markets. 'Washington, D.C., is not listening to us. Barack understands it.' Th ... |
|
| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, coal, energy, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
|
|
|
©2008. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.