Showing posts with label climate bill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label climate bill. Show all posts

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Karl Rove tells the truth: "Climate is gone"

by DWG

In a rare instance of honesty for one of the reprehensible political operatives in our nation's history, Karl Rove told a shale gas drilling association that "climate is gone."

"Climate is gone," said Rove, the keynote speaker on the opening day of a two-day shale-gas conference sponsored by Hart Energy Publishing L.L.P. And Rove told the trade show, "I don't think you need to worry" the new Congress will consider proposed legislation to put the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing under federal rather than state regulation. The procedure, known as "fracking," is responsible for the dramatic growth of shale-gas drilling in formations such as Pennsylvania's vast Marcellus Shale.

He meant that the climate bill is dead, but the unfortunate reality is that livable climate for future generations is likely to be equally dead thanks to climate zombies elected in 2010.



continued at Daily Kos....

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Stop the Senate from Gutting the Clean Air Act!

by Lowell Feld NRDC Action Fund

Just when you thought the U.S. Senate couldn't do any less for clean energy and the environment than it's (not) done so far, we now face the real possibility of what would amount to a "stop-work order" on the 40-year-old, wildly successful (e.g., studies finding benefits outweighing costs at a 40:1 ratio), Clean Air Act.



continued at Daily Kos...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The climate bill is dead. Long live the climate bill!

by lipowg

Months after the Waxman-Markey/Kerry-Lieberman bill died Harry Reid and environmentalists have finally admitted it is dead, and may even be ready to remove its rotting corpse from the living room and give it a decent burial.

Though the death was clearly murder by Republicans and "centrist" Democrats, malpractice from mainstream environmental groups helped kill a chance for the climate that a different treatment might have saved. The fundamental error was to try and pass a bill via deal-making rather than grass-roots pressure, partially on the  assumption that the Obama administration shared environmentalist priorities, and would spend political capital to pressure reluctant Senators and Congress members to support the bill. This fundamental error led to pre-compromising the legislation, making concession after concession in hopes of attracting support.

The rest below the fold, x-posted from Grist .

continued at Daily Kos...

Friday, July 23, 2010

My Kids Are Losers: Commentary on the Climate Debate

by Heather TaylorMiesle NRDC Action Fund

The climate bill blame game has begun.  When I first started writing this post about the so-called death of the climate bill, I literally pointed the finger at just about everyone, including myself. The anger poured out, and I was frank in my assessment as well as unforgiving in the motives behind this latest setback.

After I was done with my self-loathing tantrum, the kids ran in the door from camp and I was swept up in the lovely reality of my family's banter. It is summer, so the pace in our home is a bit more relaxed in the evening.  We aren't quite as quick to rush through dinner, toss the kids in a bath, and then march them off to bed.  Ice cream and extra cuddles are relished, and I am reminded each year at this time why I do this job.

Later, after progeny were tucked in, I went back to my draft blog post to spruce it up.  I reread my rage, disappointment, and irrational ramblings and was embarrassed.  And I asked myself "What good is all this blame going to do?"



continued at Daily Kos...

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Congressional Candidates’ Views on Clean Energy, Climate Change: VA-05

by Lowell Feld NRDC Action Fund

This is the first in what will be a continuing series by the NRDC Action Fund on the environmental stances of candidates in key races around the country.   Today, we examine Virginia’s 5th Congressional district, a district - stretching south from Charlottesville to the North Carolina border. Currently, the 5th CD is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Tom Perriello (D).



continued at Daily Kos...

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Lessons from the "Enlightened Eight": Republicans Can Vote Pro-Environment and Not Get "Tea Partied"

by Heather TaylorMiesle NRDC Action Fund

On June 26, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 219-212 in favor of HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). Only eight Republicans - we'll call them the "Enlightened Eight" - voted "aye." These Republicans were Mary Bono-Mack (CA-45), Mike Castle (DE-AL), John McHugh (NY-23), Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2), Leonard Lance (NJ-7), Mark Kirk (IL-10), Dave Reichert (WA-8), and Christopher Smith (NJ-4).

Republicans voting for cap and trade in the year of the Tea Party? You'd think that they'd be dumped in the harbor by now. Instead, they're all doing fine. In fact, to date, not a single one of these Republicans has been successfully primaried by the "tea party" (or otherwise). Instead, we have two - Castle and Kirk - running for U.S. Senate, one (McHugh) who was appointed Secretary of the Army by President Obama, and five others - Bono-Mack, LoBiondo, Lance, Reichert, Smith - running for reelection.



continued at Daily Kos....

Friday, July 9, 2010

Edward James Olmos on the Definition of "Insanity"

by Heather TaylorMiesle NRDC Action Fund

Yesterday, the NRDC Action Fund launched a campaign featuring a powerful new ad by renowned environmental activist and celebrated actor, Edward James Olmos.  In the video, which you can view here, Olmos explains what makes people - himself included - "locos" when it comes to U.S. energy and environmental policy. Now, as the Senate moves towards a possible debate on energy and climate legislation, we need to let everyone hear Olmos' message.



continued at Daily Kos....

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

A Bipartisan Strategy for Energy Leadership

by Teryn Norris

By Teryn Norris and Clifton Yin
Published by The Huffington Post

When President Obama and key Senate leaders meet today to reach a compromise on energy and climate legislation, they should strongly consider increasing federal investment in clean energy technology to at least $15 billion annually.   This is a comprehensive third way strategy to improve U.S. energy independence, economic competitiveness, and climate security, and it deserves bipartisan support.

We are a Democrat and Republican.  One of us campaigned for Barack Obama in 2008, the other as a delegate for John McCain.  One of us worked on energy and climate policy for the progressive Breakthrough Institute, while the other worked on similar issues for the conservative American Enterprise Institute.  We disagree on a wide range of issues, and we hold different economic philosophies.



continued at Daily Kos....

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Why a comprehensive climate bill will pass this year

by Ask 4 Questions

For many weeks I've been wondering where the passion is from Kossacks, from the President, and from myself is with regard to pushing for a comprehensive climate bill to be passed this year.  The intensity around this issue stands in stark contrast to the energy around healthcare reform.  I, and many Kossacks, followed intently the twists and turns of the healthcare debate, and many of us made many angry and supportive phone calls when different congressional players suggested different avenues of going about (or squashing) HCR.  Also, there were huge and violent debates about the issue (remember last summer?), and as usual, lots of lies from industry and conservatives.  

Below the fold I have listed a few guesses as to why things are quieter on the climate bill side of things, and why that's not necessarily a bad thing.  I've also detailed the reasons why we will pass a damned climate bill this year!



continued at Daily Kos....

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Greenroots Candidates Selection Thread, eKos Saturday

by eKos

We have a special (and brief) eKos Earthship tonight. I want to introduce an exciting Greenroots/eKos project that is just getting off the ground. I present to you the newly created DK Greenroots ActBlue page! Keep in mind it is still very much a work in progress, but we already have two candidates, and one of them has even thanked us! ecojustice is proud to host Andrew Romanoff Monday. He will be guest blogging and we have changed our time to 6PM EST (3PM PST) ... Former Speaker and Senate Candidate Andrew Romanoff takes no corporate PAC money and is truly a Grassroots and people powered candidate.

continued at Daily Kos....