What They Said About Climate Last Night
It was late in the debate and hard to follow. But the exchange about climate change was important.
There was actually a substantive discussion of climate change at the debate last night. Many people had literally tuned out by then. Others were too distracted by Trump’s interruptions. Here are the key things that were actually said, culled from a transcript of the debate. Wallace: . . . Mr. President, you said, I don’t think the science knows. Over your four years, you have pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Accord. You have rolled back a number of Obama...
CONTINUE READINGA Responsible Investment Roadmap for California
New report highlights recommendations for ESG investment integration
As the systemic risks facing the global economy due to climate change become increasingly clear, leaders in the investment community have begun to emphasize the links between consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and investment decisions that minimize financial risk for individuals, governments, and markets. CLEE’s Climate Risk Initiative, working with the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)—an international network of invest...
CONTINUE READINGDouble Trouble in Georgia
Both Senate seats are on the ballot in November, with big environmental stakes.
Georgia has two Senate contests due to a fluke of timing — one a regular election, the other a special election. The regular election pits David Perdue (R) against Jonathan Ossoff (D). The special election pits Kelley Loeffler (R) against an open field, where her principal Democratic opponent is probably Rev. Raphael Warnock, the African-American pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King was once pastor. The Republican candidates are fav...
CONTINUE READINGNewsom’s Gas Car Phaseout is a Big Step Forward for California
A long road ahead, but undoubtedly moving in the right direction
On Wednesday, Governor Newsom issued an executive order that, among other things, directed the California Air Resources Board to develop regulations moving the state to 100 percent zero-emission passenger vehicles by 2035. The order is a long way from taking effect--at a minimum, ARB's rulemaking process will take many months, any regulations would involve a decade-long phaseout, and an adverse outcome in the November election would leave a hostile EPA standing in the wa...
CONTINUE READINGChina’s New 2060 Carbon Neutrality Target
New climate pledges from China and the EU make the U.S. the only jurisdiction among the top three emitters without a carbon neutrality target
The biggest climate policy announcement of the week was not California Gov. Newsom’s Executive Order to ban the in-state sale of gas-powered passenger cars and trucks by 2035, although this move is a major advance for climate policy. Rather, the most important climate news was China’s announcement of an “aim” of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 and to peak carbon emissions before 2030. Here is the passage on the environment from President Xi Jinping’s speech...
CONTINUE READINGBig Environmental Stakes in the Big Sky State
Their records put the two Senate candidates far apart on environmental issues.
The current Supreme Court vacancy is a reminder of just how crucial the Senate is. If there were two more Democratic Senators there today, Trump would not be able to fill Ginsburg's seat before the election. Of course, the Senate matters for other reasons, too. An example of the importance of the Senate in policy terms is Montana. The candidates there have starkly different views of environmental issues. This race could be called the Battle of the Steves. Steve...
CONTINUE READINGShould a New Congress Use a Deeply Flawed Law to Cancel Trump’s Regulations?
The Congressional Review Act was Newt Gingrich’s brainchild. It should be repealed.
The Congressional Review Act (CRA), part of Newt Gingrich’s “Contract With America”, slumbered for many years in obscurity. Then, in 2017, Congress dusted it off and used it to kill fifteen Obama administration regulations. I’m not the first to ask whether there should be payback if the White House and Senate change hands. There are legitimate reasons for using the CRA. Doing so would allow for reversal of some of the Trump administration’s regulatory rollba...
CONTINUE READINGFighting Global Warming in a Chilly Judicial Climate
A 6-3 conservative court is bad news for climate action. Here's a threat assessment.
With Romney's announcement this morning that he would support consideration of a nominee before the election, it now seems virtually certain that Trump will be able to appoint a sixth conservative Justice. How will that affect future climate policy? Here is a preliminary threat assessment. The answer varies, depending on what policies we’re talking about. Overall, the implications of a 6-3 Court are bad. But they’re probably not as dire for environmental law a...
CONTINUE READINGThe Kavanaugh Court and the Environment
A new appointment would make Justice Kavanaugh the swing voter. Here’s what that would mean for environmental law.
A new appointment by Trump would shift the Supreme Court well to the right, making Brett Kavanaugh the swing voter in many cases. Kavanaugh has clear views about the powers of agencies like EPA. With him as the swing voter, the main strategy used by Obama to make environmental progress would be off limits for future Presidents. When Obama was stymied by congressional deadlock, he turned to the administrative process. Through broad interpretation of the authority of ...
CONTINUE READINGBattle for the Senate: Alabama
Losing this seat would make it much harder to build a pro-environmental majority.
By all accounts, Doug Jones is the most endangered incumbent Democratic Senators. He won in something of a fluke in a special election, after reports surfaced that his opponent had stalked teenage girls. Now he faces a tough reelection battle. If he loses, it becomes that much more difficult to slip enough seats for a pro-environmental Senate majority. His opponent is Tommy Tuberville, a popular football coach. Doug Jones. Jones has an 82% lifetime score from the Leag...
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