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Entries from June 2009

Acting on Climate = Benefits, not costs

June 30th, 2009 · 6 Comments

Amid many frustrations re the American Climate Energy & Security (ACES) Act (climate legislation), it is like listening to fingernails on a chalkboard when people say “it will only cost X” (“just a postage stamp a day”). There is celebratory discussion of CBO and EPA numbers showing very low costs, seemingly useful to counter R […]

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Tags: climate change · climate legislation · environmental · Global Warming · political symbols · politics

Twitting Claire

June 30th, 2009 · 7 Comments

Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) loves Twitter. And, on more than one occasion, her off-the-cuff comments have caused some uproar. Not the excited notes from a sports fan (shared her same sentiments at that one), but off-hand comments about major policy issues that suggest potentially recklessly shallow understanding of critical issues. After the House voted to […]

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Tags: climate change · climate legislation · Congress · democrats · Global Warming · waxman-markey

On the Public Dime, A Very Public Whine … on a very false note

June 29th, 2009 · 3 Comments

From the industry global-warming denial mouthpiece Competitive Enterprise Institute to CBS News to Faux News (with a guest ranting by James Inhofe (R-Exxon calling for a criminal investigation), the Global Warming denial “news of the day” is about supposed suppression of a “report” ‘proving’ that global warming isn’t real by EPA economist Alan Carlin. Carlin’s […]

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Tags: climate change · climate delayers · Global Warming · global warming deniers

Milbank’s “Goracle” …

June 28th, 2009 · 4 Comments

Five months ago, today, the Washington Post‘s Dana Milbank went to town on Al Gore in With Al due respect, we’re doomed with 18 references to the “Goracle”, a right-wing term dismissive of Gore, trying to undermine his strong, science-backed discussion of Global Warming with ridicule suggesting that his substantive work somehow relates to the […]

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Tags: Al Gore · climate change · climate delayers · Congress · Washington Post

Conservation + Efficiency …. not either/or …

June 28th, 2009 · 2 Comments

In a recent discussion about showers and water use, someone commented that they take (in essence) Navy showers (wet themselves, turn off water, soap, then rinse) so why would it make sense to have an efficient system. I don’t have low flow shower heads, but I rinse up, turn off the water, lather up, then […]

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Tags: energy efficiency

Carl Pope on Progressives and ACES final days in the House

June 27th, 2009 · 2 Comments

Friday, Sam Stein and Ryan Grim wrote on Huffington Post about the politics of the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act. They quoted Sierra Club head Carl Pope stating that progressives had helped drive the bill to the right by forcing more compromises with members like likely Global Warming-denier Collin Peterson. “If Waxman-Markey […]

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Tags: cap and trade · Congress

ACES Opposition based on Deception … the Putnam example

June 27th, 2009 · 2 Comments

While there are quite serious issues to consider in how ACES was weakened leading to its passage yesterday and serious issues about whether this is the bill that is required, the vast majority of the opposition to the bill relied on deceit and deception.  In part, Representative Lloyd Doggett’s decision to flip his vote from […]

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Tags: Congress · truthiness

LCV won’t endorse XXXX DeFazio because they are too green!

June 26th, 2009 · 1 Comment

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has made the unprecedented decision that a vote against the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act would make a member of Congress ineligible for an LCV endorsement . In light of the tremendous importance of this legislation, LCV has made the unprecedented decision that the organization will […]

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Tags: Energy

President Obama makes a strong, public call for a yes vote on ACES

June 25th, 2009 · 1 Comment

President Obama made quite favorable comments about the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act at the opening of his press conference. (And, of course, no journalist thought this issue meriting a question …) Today, the President made a strong statement calling on all members of the House to vote for this legislation. In his […]

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Tags: barack obama

“Sources say”: … Are there “greens” seeking to stop strengthening climate bill?

June 24th, 2009 · 2 Comments

At times one needs to make decisions about how to rate confidences and how to maintain relationships. While not a “journalist”, this blogger can develop relationships that are built up in a variety of reasons and a variety of pathways. Many conversations are ‘off the record’, are part of discussions that don’t necessarily lend themselves […]

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Tags: cap and trade · waxman-markey