Political Climate Articles

  1. THE GRILL

    2. "I think we can all benefit from a more thoughtful discourse." -- Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, 1/11/11
    VERSUS
    "There's a lot of us who say, 'You know that feels kind of like government stepping on us, pushing us to the side,' and there is a continuum between liberty and tyranny." -- Pawlenty, 1/12/11

  2. Court lets EPA mess with Texas

    3. For the third time in two months, Texas officials have lost a legal bid to keep the Obama administration from regulating carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the Lone Star State.
    Wednesday, a federal appeals court rejected a request from Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and state attorney general Greg Abbott to bar the Environmental Protection Agency from taking over the state's greenhouse gas permitting program.
    The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia agreed in December to stall the rules temporarily, but dissolved that stay Wednesday, finding that state officials "have not satisfied the stringent standards required for a stay pending court review."
    The ruling marks Texas' third failed effort to convince federal courts to delay the Obama administration's climate policies while legal fights plays out. In December, the D.C. appeals court refused to stall EPA's efforts to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, and a New Orleans-based federal appeals court rejected Texas's request to delay the EPA permitting takeover.
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  3. Texas Companies Navigate Environmental Agencies' Differences

    4. The politics and rhetoric of the Environmental Protection Agency's multi-front battle with Texas make for a grand spectacle. The EPA insists that Texas' environmental-permitting systems for air quality are too lax and must change - prompting state officials, from the governor on down, to denounce heavy-handed federal interference. Federal courts are considering a dozen lawsuits brought by Texas against the EPA.
    Behind the scenes, however, there are signs that industry is trying to move past the stalemate. Big plants, unable to tolerate permitting limbo at the risk of some of their operations getting shut down, have been talking urgently with federal regulators about their permitting standards - and preparing to revamp their own systems in accordance with the EPA's demands. The EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have also held meetings, out of the spotlight, to discuss a way forward, although the TCEQ says that the differences remain stark.
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  4. Begich: As The Arctic Melts, Let's Drill, Baby, Drill

    5. Yesterday, Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) said that the rapid warming of the Arctic because of oil pollution means that more Arctic drilling should commence. Begich was responding to the presidential oil spill commission's report, which recommended new drilling around Alaska, subject to stronger standards. The Democratic senator from the state most changed by global warming pollution used the commission's report to emphasize his desire for more "Arctic development":
    As many of us have been saying for years, more resources and research are needed for Arctic development as warming temperatures make far north resources more accessible.
    "Producing the enormous energy resources available within our borders is vital for our economic and national security, but we must develop these resources in a safe and environmentally responsible manner," Begich continued.
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  5. The Chamber of Commerce is so extreme they oppose research and development into renewable energy!

    6. Some Pollyannas (climate ostriches?) claim we are moving towards a post-partisan Congress that might embrace massive increases in clean energy R&D. The folks with real money and influence on Capitol Hill, however, know we are moving in the opposite direction. As The Hill reported this week:
    Karen Harbert, president of the Chamber's Institute for 21st Century Energy, in a wide-ranging interview with The Hill late last month said members of Congress should rethink attempts to set aside large amounts of money for the research and development of nascent energy technologies like wind and solar at the expense of conventional forms of energy like oil.
    The fact that the public overwhelmingly supports clean energy R&D means nothing to the pollutocrats who run the Chamber. They strongly opposed the climate and clean energy jobs bill, even though the public strongly supported that too (see "Post BP Disaster: Support grows for comprehensive energy bill that makes carbon polluters pay" for a long list of polls").
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  6. GM and Chrysler, owned by the government, lobby the government

    7. General Motors and Chrysler, the bailed-out automakers still partially owned by the government, have joined an industry coalition that this week lobbied against proposed federal rules on fuel efficiency.
    The notion of federally owned companies lobbying the government - at times on the opposite side of the architects of their bailout - has drawn repeated criticisms from environmental organizations, safety advocates and watchdog groups. They say the government should have used its influence to block the companies from interfering with legislation that could improve the public welfare, such as environmental controls and safety enhancements.
    "Even when the government owned 61 percent of General Motors, the company was arguing against government proposals on auto safety and pollution controls," said consumer advocate Ralph Nader. "As the owner of the world's second largest auto company, the government could really have made the company a model."
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  7. WI Gov. Scott Walker Begs Illinoisans To 'Escape To Wisconsin' Where Taxes Are Actually Higher

    8. Wisconsin's new Republican Governor Scott Walker has rushed to make hay out of the Illinois Assembly's decision to raise individual and corporate tax rates, urging Illinois residents and businesses to move to Wisconsin. But, ironically, Illinois residents who move to Wisconsin should bank on paying higher taxes.
    Conservatives like Walker have insisted on using the figure that Illinois is increasing taxes by a whopping 66 percent. While this is factually accurate, it's misleading as it makes the tax increase seem much bigger than it actually is. Illinois tax rates will only go from 3 to 5 percent (hence 66 percent increase), representing a total increase in tax rates of just 2 percent. This will allow Illinois to solve a massive $15 billion budget deficit without gutting state programs. But even with this increase, tax rates for individuals will still be lower than in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has different tax brackets; the lowest income rate if you make over $11,000 is 6.15 percent. The highest rate is 7.75 percent. Bloomberg noted this yesterday:
    Absent from Walker's sales pitch was the fact that Wisconsin's top income tax rates remain higher than Illinois even under the increase … Walker hasn't yet proposed lowering the state's income or corporate tax rates.
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  8. Agency Revokes Permit for Major Coal Mining Project

    9. WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency revoked the permit for one of the nation's largest mountaintop-removal coal mining projects on Thursday, saying the mine would have done unacceptable damage to rivers, wildlife and communities in West Virginia. It was the first time the agency had rescinded a valid clean water permit for a coal mine.
    Arch Coal's proposed Spruce No. 1 Mine in Logan County, which would have buried miles of Appalachian streams under millions of tons of residue, has been the subject of controversy and litigation since the first application was filed more than a decade ago. Opposition intensified after the Bush administration approved the mine's construction in 2007, issuing a permit required under the Clean Water Act.
    The boldness of the E.P.A.'s action was striking at a time when the agency faces an increasingly hostile Congress and well-financed business lobbies seeking to limit its regulatory reach. Agency officials said that the coal company was welcome to resubmit a less damaging mining plan, but that law and science demanded the veto of the existing plan.
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  9. General Anderson: Save Energy, Save Our Troops

    10. An across-the-board Pentagon efficiency mandate would have many benefits. First, it would save many lives: there are casualties in one out of every 24 fuel supply convoys in Afghanistan; 47 drivers were killed there last year. It would save money; it costs taxpayers about $66 million a day for air-conditioning in the war zones.
    It would also reduce opportunities for the enemy. Some soldiers jokingly call the fuel trucks "Taliban targets," and for good reason - they are a high-payoff quarry for insurgents using nothing but homemade bombs. In addition, having fewer fuel shipments would allow NATO to take highly trained troops off convoy duty and use them in combat or, even better, send them home. That's retired Army brigadier general Steven M. Anderson, writing in the NY Times today.
    Anderson, a senior mentor with the Army's Battle Command Training Program, explains why:
    A NATO oil tanker truck was blown up by insurgents at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border last week, and while no one was injured, the incident temporarily closed the Khyber Pass, the main supply artery for Western troops in the Afghan theater. This has become an all-too-routine occurrence; in the last nine years some 1,000 Americans have been killed on fuel-related missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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  10. No time for delay on climate change, says Clinton

    11. Washington, Jan 14 (PTI) Insisting that time was running out on climate change, US Secretary Hillary Clinton today asked countries like India, China and the EU to show urgency in implementing agreements on transparency, funding and clean energy technology.
    Clinton noted that China and the US are the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases and their cooperation at the UN climate conference in Mexico was critical to the conclusion of the Cancun agreement.
    "Now, we must build on that progress by implementing the agreements on transparency, funding and clean energy technology," she said delivering the first Holbrooke Memorial lecture in Washington.
    "We would ask that China embrace internationally recognised standards and policies that ensure transparency and sustainability," Clinton said in her speech that focused on US-China relationship.
    The Secretary of State said there is no time to delay and the US and China, working with other partners, including the EU, Japan and India, will set the pace and direction for the world to move rapidly toward a clean energy future.
    "On international development, we could make a significant impact by aligning our investments and coordinating projects," she said.
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  11. China reports passing U.S. as global wind leader

    12. China has highest wind power capacity: report
    China has the world's highest wind power capacity after adding 62 percent or 16 gigawatts (GW) in new capacity last year, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.
    The country's total installed wind power capacity reached 41.8 GW at the end of last year, the report said, citing Li Junfeng, secretary general of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association.
    Installed wind capacity in the United States increased by about 5 GW to 40.2 GW at the end of 2010, the report said, citing data from the Global Wind Energy Council.
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  12. Major bank calls US 'significant outlier' on greenhouse-gas action

    13. One of the world's largest banks said Thursday there is "positive momentum" in 2011 for climate change-related investments. But the bank says there's one exception to that rule: the United States.
    The global research arm of HSBC, the world's sixth-largest bank, said Thursday in an investment note that the uncertainty that marked climate investments in 2010 will be replaced this year by optimism.
    But HSBC warns that the United States is a "significant outlier" in the world's move toward policies that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and encourage investment in low-carbon energy technology.
    The prediction comes as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling for policies that will help build a so-called "clean energy economy" in the United States. But lawmakers have largely been unable to come to a consensus on the best path forward. The investment note is the latest indication that the United States is falling behind other countries in this effort.
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  13. Kerry, other Dems say hottest year on record a wake-up call on global warming

    14. Sen. John Kerry and other advocates for climate change legislation say data showing that 2010 was tied for the hottest year on record should prompt action.
    "How many times do we have to be smacked in the face with factual evidence before we address global climate change? Report after report keep confirming it's getting worse every year," Kerry (D-Mass.) said in a statement Wednesday.
    Kerry added: "Will we find common ground and adult leadership or keep piling the science on a shelf to collect dust?"
    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, citing temperature data that date back to 1880, reported Wednesday that last year was tied with 2005 as the warmest on record.
    2010 was also the 34th consecutive year with global temperatures above the 20th century average, the agency reported.
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  14. Fearing high gas prices, Sean Hannity proposes re-invading Iraq and Kuwait to "take all their oil"

    15. I'm not certain what is more inane: That Hannity would say this - or that he actually believes such an invasion would lower oil prices for Americans. Think Progress has the story (with video) in this cross-post.
    Friday's Hannity on Fox News featured a discussion by the Great American Panel about high gas prices, which host Sean Hannity claimed are "now gonna go up to three, four, five dollars a gallon again." The panel ruefully noted that Arab sheiks possess great amounts of oil, and pointed out a recent statement by Kuwait's oil minister that he believes the market can withstand $100-per-barrel oil. After noting that Kuwait is a country that "would not exist [but] for us," Hannity angrily offered his remedy:
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  15. Maintaining Michigan's clean energy momentum

    16. The 2010 midterm elections ushered dozens of new climate science deniers into statehouses and the U.S. Capitol. Michigan may buck this trend, however. Freshly inaugurated Gov. Rick Snyder (R) supported clean energy policies during last year's race. He bested very conservative primary opponents despite a strong conservative resurgence throughout the Midwest. Snyder described himself as a "good green Republican" as he won the statehouse by a substantial margin, handily defeating Democrat Virg Bernaro in the general election. Michigan could turn out to be a clean energy bright spot in a disappointing election season if Snyder stays true to his campaign.
    Keeping his green promises will take some work, but he can build on Michigan's recent success with the right steps. By tightening up mandates, using creative financial tools, and encouraging utilities to keep up the good work, Snyder will show he's serious about maintaining Michigan's clean energy momentum.
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  16. The Koch Brothers' Climatologist

    17. The other day, USA Today ran an article reporting that 2010 had tied 2005 as the warmest year since record-keeping began in 1880. That's disturbing data, or course. But what really caught my eye was who they chose to question the significance of the news: a climatologist with….the Cato Institute. That's a policy outfit heavily funded by the very companies whose emissions heat up the earth's atmosphere. Consider how he was presented:
    …It was the 34th consecutive year that the global temperature was above average, according to the data center. The last below-average year was 1976.
    "This warmth reinforces the notion that we're seeing climate change," says David Easterling, chief of scientific services at the data center in Asheville, N.C.
    Not so fast, says Pat Michaels, a climatologist with the Cato Institute in Washington. "If you draw a trend line from the data, it's pretty flat from the 1990s. We don't see much of a warming trend over the past 12 years."
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  17. US environmental agency revokes mine's permit for mountaintop removal

    18. EPA vetoes Spruce Number One mine project in West Virginia because it would pose 'unacceptable' threat to surrounding area
    The Obama administration has vetoed one of the biggest coal projects in the US in a historic decision against the destructive practice of mountaintop removal mining.
    The Environmental Protection Agency said it was revoking the permit granted to the Spruce Number One mine in West Virginia, which would have involved blasting the tops off mountains over more than 2,200 acres, because it would inflict "unacceptable" damage to surrounding valleys and streams.
    The agency said it was the first time it had revoked a previously issued permit in 40 years, but it said the action was warranted because the environmental damage was truly unacceptable.
    The decision was immediately criticised by West Virginia leaders and mining lobby, and sets the stage for a broader confrontation between the EPA and the empowered Republicans in Congress over the limits of government regulation.
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  18. $#*! My Texas AG Says: "It is almost the height of insanity of bureaucracy to have the EPA regulating something that is emitted by all living things."

    19. You can't make this crap up. KERA Dallas reports (with audio!):
    Texas is the only state that has refused to establish a greenhouse gas permit process....
    [Texas AG Greg] Abbott: "Congress did not authorize the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases. One of the key greenhouse gases the EPA is regulating is carbon dioxide. It is almost the height of insanity of bureaucracy to have the EPA regulating something that is emitted by all living things."
    So the EPA shouldn't regulate the discharge from living things. I guess the Texas AG just wants crap all over the place. Literally. [Insert your joke about sewage treatment here.]
    Of course, the carbon dioxide emissions from living things don't throw the carbon-cycle horribly out of balance - industrial emission do (see "Humans boosting CO2 14,000 times faster than nature, overwhelming slow negative feedbacks").
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  19. Bill Koch: The Dirty Money Behind Cape Wind Opposition

    20. Our report, "Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine," exposed Charles and David Koch, the billionaire oilmen who control Koch Industries, as a chief source of funding for the climate denial machine. As it turns out, doing everything possible to delay the clean energy revolution is something of a family business. We've released a dossier on Bill Koch, David's twin brother and the principal funder of opposition to Cape Wind, the project to build the nation's largest wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts.
    Our report, "Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine," exposed Charles and David Koch, the billionaire oilmen who control Koch Industries, as a chief source of funding for the climate denial machine. As it turns out, doing everything possible to delay the clean energy revolution is something of a family business. We've released a dossier on Bill Koch, David's twin brother and the principal funder of opposition to Cape Wind, the project to build the nation's largest wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts.
    Bill Koch made his fortune through his privately-held, carbon-intensive company, Oxbow. (Koch founded Oxbow with the fortune he received from suing his brothers in 1983 after they ousted him from the family business.) Oxbow Corporation, with $3.7 billion in yearly sales and over 1200 employees, sells 10 million metric tons of petroleum coke and 8 million metric tons of steam coal annually.
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