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Author |
Published |
Section |
RNC: Drill, baby, drill
House GOP leaders call for their energy bill, or no energy bill at all |
Kate Sheppard |
04 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| House Democrats are planning to co-opt the idea of an 'all of the above' energy policy that the Republican congressional leadership has been pushing, offering them a bill that includes an expansion of offshore drilling, coupled with a renewable electricity mandate, energy-efficiency standards for buildings, and provisions to raise taxes on the oil industry. This is essentially the Democrats attempting to call Republicans' bluff on energy policy by getting them to vote ... |
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| Topics: tax incentives, video, renewable energy, Congress, legislation, oil and gas drilling, news, politics, Republican National Convention, Muckraker (all these topics) |
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The Golden-State Touch
California bill aims to curb sprawl |
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21 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:10 PM on 21 Aug 2008 Hopes are high that a bill aimed at curbing California sprawl will pass the state legislature and be signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill, SB 375, would channel transportation funding toward projects that encourage smart growth. Each of California's 17 metropolitan regions would create a "sustainable community strategy" to encourage compact development; projects included in t ... |
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| Topics: California, legislation, news, placemaking, politics, progress, sprawl, state politics, urban planning (all these topics) |
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More good stuff, some ugly
'Gang of 10,' part 3 |
Joseph Romm |
20 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Part 2 began an analysis of the bipartisan compromise proposed by the "Gang of 10" senators, suggesting that their deal isn't so bad. The other evidence the deal isn't so bad is that the House GOP is threatening to refuse to vote for it. The good of the five-year extension of the renewable tax credits certainly beats the 'bad' of doubly de minimis drilling. But what about the rest of the deal? More good Offsets The $84 billion in investments in con ... |
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| Topics: Congress, energy, legislation, politics, renewable energy, tax incentives (all these topics) |
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National Clean Energy Summit: The R-word
Meetings about clean energy conspicuously fail to identify the main barrier to it |
David Roberts |
20 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| There were two remarkable aspects of the National Clean Energy Summit: Federal policy recommendations from the varied speakers -- scientists, business types, politicians -- were largely in sync. In fact, I got sick of hearing the same policies touted over and over again: renewable tax credits, cap-and-trade, electricity grid improvements, efficiency standards, renewable mandates, increased R&D. It seems that there is broad agreement on what needs to be done. ... |
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| Topics: Congress, energy, legislation, politics, renewable energy, tax incentives (all these topics) |
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House GOP says drill here, drill now, compromise ... later
'Gang of 10,' part 2.5 |
Joseph Romm |
20 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Part 1 argued argued that the Democrats would be smart to compromise on offshore drilling. Part 2 began an analysis of the bipartisan compromise proposed by the 'Gang of 10' senators, suggesting that deal isn't so bad. I am interrupting this series to point out that the House GOP is so nervous that the Dems might kill their pathetic political ploy by forcing a vote on a reasonable compromise that they are willing to delay indefinitely any deal that includes drilling, ... |
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| Topics: energy, legislation, oil, oil and gas drilling, politics, renewable energy, tax incentives (all these topics) |
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The doomed fate of climate change legislation
In either an Obama or McCain adminstration, climate legislation will be back-burnered |
Jason D Scorse |
19 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Just months ago there was a palpable sense of optimism that no matter who is elected president this November that the U.S. would soon embark on serious climate change legislation. I think recent events have shown that the chances of that happening are slim to none. Let's start with if McCain is elected. Today the senator from Arizona is going to do a photo-op on an oil rig because he has become the biggest champion of increased drilling this side of the Middle ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, carbon trading, climate, John McCain, legislation, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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Sip 'n' Skip
California won't ban BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups |
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19 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:58 PM on 19 Aug 2008 With 22 legislators abstaining, the California Assembly voted 31-27 Monday not to ban chemical bisphenol A in baby products. BPA is one of those things you'd like to keep out of your kid; the bill would have banned it from bottles, sippy cups, and other containers for tots. Legislators also voted 36-33 (with 11 abstentions) against a bill that would have banned equally icky chemical PFOA from food ... |
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| Topics: California, food, green living, health, legislation, news, parenting, politics, state politics, toxics (all these topics) |
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'I have not missed any crucial vote'
John McCain, who has missed several crucial energy votes, says he hasn't |
David Roberts |
17 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This is McCain interviewing Walter Isaacson at the Aspen Institute: "I have not missed any crucial vote." Says Satyam at ThinkProgress: McCain's has actually missed several "crucial" energy votes. In July alone, he missed every single energy vote brought to the floor. This session, McCain has skipped votes supporting renewable energy tax credits four times, all of which were filibustered. In June, for example, McCain missed a vote on the ... |
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| Topics: John McCain, legislation, politics, video (all these topics) |
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To achieve maximum technologically feasible GHG reductions, or not to, that is the question
EarthJustice challenges the legality of the draft plan for California's A.B. 32 |
David Roberts |
17 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| EarthJustice is challenging the legality of the draft release of California's climate change program, A.B. 32. They say it fails to follow all of the statutory requirements. Specifically: This letter focuses on three primary deficiencies in the Draft Scoping Plan: first, the Draft Scoping Plan uses the 2020 greenhouse gas emission limit as a ceiling on the amount of greenhouse gas emission reductions required, when in reality the emissions limit is the minimu ... |
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| Topics: California, carbon trading, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, legislation, state politics (all these topics) |
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Bachmann drilling overdrive
Cuckoo bananas energy policy from House conservatives |
Josh Dorner |
17 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) personifies just how haywire House conservatives have gone lately, particularly on energy issues. She quickly made a name for herself after being elected to Congress in 2006. In fact, she gained some dubious notoriety even before being elected, announcing to a Brooklyn Park, Minnesota congregation in October 2006 that "God then called [her] to run for the United States Congress." If possibly violating election laws we ... |
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| Topics: energy, legislation, oil, oil and gas drilling, politics, renewable energy, tax incentives, video (all these topics) |
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Wait and Pelosi
House Speaker says she's open to compromise on offshore drilling |
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12 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 2:45 PM on 12 Aug 2008 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on "Larry King Live" Monday night that she would consider allowing a vote on offshore drilling, but only if it were part of an energy package that included renewable-energy investment and release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Pelosi has refused to allow a vote on offshore drilling as a stand-alone issue, despite Rep ... |
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| Topics: energy, legislation, Nancy Pelosi, news, oil and gas drilling, politics, US House of Representatives (all these topics) |
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Price subsidy
How much of a subsidy is the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industry Indemnity Act? |
Joseph Romm |
09 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The answer is perhaps as high as a hundred billion dollars. First some background. I testified in front of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee in July. In my testimony, 'The High Cost of Nuclear Power,' I pointed out the obvious -- that nuclear is a mature source of power that has benefited disproportionately from government support to date: From 1948 to today, nuclear energy research and development exceeded $70 billion, whereas research and develo ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy subsidies, legislation, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Where there's a drill, there's a way
New House bill combines drilling with tax extensions for renewables |
Kate Sheppard |
09 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| A bipartisan group of House members has unveiled a new compromise energy bill, roughly along the lines of the Gang of 10 bill released in the Senate last week. 'The National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act' would repeal federal prohibitions on offshore oil and gas production and lift the ban on finalizing regulations for oil-shale development. Some of the proceeds from offshore leasing would be spent on environmental programs: 15 percent on ... |
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| Topics: energy, legislation, Muckraker, news, oil and gas drilling, politics, renewable energy, US House of Representatives (all these topics) |
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Something for nothing
Since offshore oil is de minimis, why shouldn't Obama and the Dems make a deal? Part 1 |
Joseph Romm |
06 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Getting something for nothing is always a good idea. Kudos to Senator Obama and other progressives for understanding this. The key questions are: How much of a 'nothing' is ending the congressional moratorium on offshore drilling? How much of a 'something' can progressives get by way of a serious effort to end our oil addiction once and for all? Right now, it seems like conservatives are willing to hold their breath until they turn blue in the face before the ... |
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| Topics: Congress, energy, legislation, oil, oil and gas drilling, politics (all these topics) |
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Now they're ready
The history of House Republicans on energy in the 110th Congress |
David Roberts |
04 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| As you contemplate the House Republican spectacle today, wherein they protest the "Democrat five-week vacation" in the face of high gas prices, keep a few things in mind. The 109th Congress -- the first session of Bush's second term -- worked the least, and accomplished the least, of any Congress since the original do-nothing Congress of 1948. The Republicans totally botched it when they ran the place. Meanwhile, the 110th has worked its tail off, in the fa ... |
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| Topics: Congress, energy, legislation, oil, oil and gas drilling, politics (all these topics) |
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A Weitzman once said ...
Should low-probability, high-impact risks govern policymaking? |
David Roberts |
04 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| All due respect to Paul Krugman, but the Weitzman thesis [PDF] has always made me a little uncomfortable. The idea is that it's human nature to disregard unlikely risks, but if the unlikely risks are catastrophic enough then legislators should build policy around them. If there's, say, a 2 percent chance that global warming could substantially wipe out human civilization, we should do whatever possible to avert that risk. But how do you keep that genie in the bottl ... |
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| Topics: politics, legislation (all these topics) |
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California climate skirmish
Los Angeles utility starts to squawk as it stares down a $700 million carbon bill |
Adam Stein |
04 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Regulators have won praise for speed and thoughtfulness with which they have laid the groundwork for implementation of A.B. 32, the landmark bill that aims to bring California's greenhouse gas emissions down to 1990 levels by 2020. But even within a single state, climate change legislation creates winners and losers, and regional tensions are starting to show. California's climate plan consists of a slew of new efficiency standards, regulations, and reduction measures ... |
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| Topics: California, carbon trading, climate, energy efficiency, greenhouse-gas emissions, legislation (all these topics) |
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Fred Krupp's response
EDF prez says we can't afford to wait for the ideal first step |
Guest author |
29 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Fred Krupp This is a guest post from Fred Krupp, head of Environmental Defense Fund. It is a response to this post. ----- Ken Ward tracks the evolution of EDF's position on climate legislation in search of evidence that we've relented on tough global warming pollution limits since making climate change a top priority more than ten years ago. He sees our support of the Climate Security Act as a retreat from bold action, as surrender to what's merely possible i ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, Environmental Defense Fund, legislation, politics (all these topics) |
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Are You Just Toying With Us?
Congress agrees on product-safety bill banning phthalates, lowering lead in toys |
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29 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:21 AM on 29 Jul 2008 The U.S. House and Senate have agreed to a compromise product-safety bill that would ban phthalates from children's toys, lower toy lead levels, and require third-party safety testing before toys are put on the market. In 2007, some 45 million toys were recalled for high lead levels and other safety defects, and the resulting parental and consumer outrag ... |
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| Topics: health, legislation, news, toxics, United States (all these topics) |
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Deadlock, stock, and oil barrel
Congress hopes to break energy deadlock before August recess -- but don't hold your breath |
Kate Sheppard |
29 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Members of Congress are desperate to pass anything something on energy this week before August recess begins on Friday and they head home to face voters restive over gas prices. But Democrats and Republicans are so bitterly divided over what to do that prospects for progress look uncertain at best. Democrats in both branches of Congress are hoping to pass bills to curb speculation in the oil-futures market and release some oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reser ... |
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| Topics: Congress, energy, legislation, Muckraker, oil and gas drilling, politics (all these topics) |
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What about Bob?
Sen. Robert Menendez chats with Grist about climate legislation |
Kate Sheppard |
25 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Sen. Robert Menendez. In the Senate debate over the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act last month, Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) stood out as one of the most vocal advocates for making polluters pay to emit greenhouse gases rather than giving them free carbon credits. He also spoke up about the need to spend more on clean technology and help developing countries adapt to climate shifts. Menendez floated a handful of proposed amendments to the climate le ... |
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| Topics: climate, Congress, energy, interview, legislation, Muckraker, politics, US Senate (all these topics) |
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For goodness lakes
Michigan Lt. Governor John Cherry says the Great Lakes need help |
Guest author |
23 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This is a guest post from Michigan Lt. Governor John Cherry, who has been working recently to preserve and restore the Great Lakes. ----- Lt. Gov. John CherryI'm especially pleased to be a guest blogger on Grist today, since earlier today legislation was introduced in the United States Senate and House of Representatives to ratify the Great Lakes Compact. Now that the Compact has been ratified by the eight Great Lakes states, as well as the Canadian provinces ... |
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| Topics: habitat protection, legislation, Michigan, politics, state politics, water pollution (all these topics) |
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Seeking New Shores
House Dems fail attempt to make Big Oil drill on the land it's got |
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18 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:15 AM on 18 Jul 2008 A bill that would have required oil companies to drill on leased land they already hold before seeking new conquests failed in the House of Representatives Thursday. The legislation's "use it or lose it" provision would have required that oil companies exhaust oil exploration on already-leased land before acquiring new acreage. The legislation also would have required ... |
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| Topics: energy, legislation, news, oil and gas drilling, politics, US House of Representatives (all these topics) |
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Carrots, sticks, and crumbs
The farm bill is over, so what happens next? |
Aimee Witteman |
17 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| In a stuffy room on Capitol Hill last week, I joined a couple dozen activists and farmers to discuss the farm bill. Why would we bother to meet in hot-as-an-oven Washington D.C. to discuss the legislative mess that recently sputtered to an all too drawn-out end? While the ink is barely dry on the new farm legislation, the campaign for the 2012 Farm and Food Bill has already begun. The group of grassroots advocates met in D.C. last week to wipe the sweat from th ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, food, legislation, politics (all these topics) |
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How do you spell relief?
Bipartisan group of House members rolls out bill for gas-price relief |
Kate Sheppard |
17 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| A bipartisan group of six House members introduced a bill on Wed. to help reduce the gas-price pressure on Americans by investing in transit alternatives and smarter city planning. 'The Transportation and Housing Options for Gas Price Relief Act of 2008' (H.R. 6495) was introduced by Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), and is cosponsored by Chris Shays (R-Conn.), Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Jerry McNerney (D-Calif), and Hilda Solis (D-Calif.). The bi ... |
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| Topics: Congress, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics, public transportation, US House of Representatives (all these topics) |
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