Congress is heading back home for the August recess this week. Apparently our Senators need to rest after they failed to take up both a clean energy and climate bill and an oil spill bill. Legislative inaction must be more tiring than I … [Read more...]
Coal Barons Meeting Today in Hopes of Ending All Climate Debate for a Generation
Today, a bunch of coal executives are congregating for the West Virginia Coal Association annual meeting at the luxurious Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV. One of the primary things they will discuss is the formation of a 527 … [Read more...]
My Kids Are Losers: Commentary on the Climate Debate
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 … [Read more...]
Lessons from the “Enlightened Eight”: Republicans Can Vote Pro-Environment and Not Get “Tea Partied
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 … [Read more...]
Edward James Olmos on the Definition of “Insanity”
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 - … [Read more...]
We failed the people who cleaned up 9/11. Will we fail the people cleaning up the Gulf?
In the aftermath of 9/11, we saw thousands of workers develop devastating respiratory conditions and other illnesses as a result of exposure to toxic dust that filled the air in the days and weeks after the twin towers fell. To this day, … [Read more...]
Oily Apologies vs. Clean Energy Momentum
It is yet another big week for clean energy. The President is having a group of bipartisan senators over to discuss how to get a clean energy bill moving that addresses the source of the gulf spill. One guy who won't be attending is … [Read more...]
Our Senators, the Climate Bill, and Tying Your Shoes with One Hand
Senator Rockefeller, for instance, said: "I am not here to deny or bicker fruitlessly about the science... In fact, I would suggest that I think the science is correct. Greenhouse gas emissions are not healthy for the Earth or her people, … [Read more...]
Who is the Worst Offender: The Climate Denier or The Complacent Staller?
This is a pivotal week in the clean energy debate. The Senate will vote on Murkowski's short-sighted resolution to take away the EPA's authority to regulate pollution. As we head into this critical time, it's not the … [Read more...]
Five Reasons Clean Energy Trumps Tea Party Slogans
Sometimes I think America is the proverbial child-star-gone-bad of nations: we have a crippling addiction, but we still won't go to rehab. We are hooked on burning dirty fossil fuels like cavemen, and no matter how many times we … [Read more...]