The Election Results and National Energy Policy
In trying to read the effect of the 2012 elections on national energy policy, there are at least five places to look: 1. Continuity at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission One of the more dramatic changes that occurred during the first Obama term was a shift in the mission of the Federal Regulatory Commission. FERC fundamentally regulates wholesale power rates and electric power rates in interstate commerce. Since 1992, FERC has seen its primary mission as promoting...
CONTINUE READINGThe Senate Races and the Environment
In a series of posts, I surveyed the key Senate races -- meaning those that didn't seem to be "locks" for either candidate. (i didn't include the McCaskill-Akin race, which McCaskill won.) The candidates differed greatly in their positions on the environment and on energy policy. Here is a quick summary of what was at stake on those issues in each of these seven key elections and how they came out: State Democratic Candidate Republican Candidate Comments Connectic...
CONTINUE READINGMeanwhile, On Planet Moron….
The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012 ...
CONTINUE READINGEnvironmental Values and Political Polarization
While we all wait for tonight's election returns, it's worth taking a look at some of the trends that driving the votes. We're been seeing a lot of polls lately about candidates, but in some ways issues polls are more interesting. Many people have noted the decline in support for environmental values among the public. A Pew poll in June revealed the most important reason: a dramatic decline in concern about the environment among Republicans. There's some reason t...
CONTINUE READINGEvaluating Prop 37
Rick Frank posted about a UC Davis white paper on Prop 37, which provides detailed background on the ballot measure. For those who want something that just lays out the issues concisely, I'd recommend Ezra Klein's post on the subject. It's brief and fair-minded to a fault -- I'm sure partisans on the issue would emphasize the "to a fault" part. Maybe it's a reflection of the fact that I'm not a native Californian, but I'm skeptical about the use of popular initiatives...
CONTINUE READINGCalifornia’s Proposition 30 and the Environment
With so much attention paid to the presidential race, it's easy to overlook the fact that California's fiscal future is on the ballot tomorrow, with consequences for the environment. Proposition 30 represents Governor Jerry Brown's attempt to stave off harsh cuts to the state budget, a situation brought on by declining tax revenues in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and a legacy of annual budget deficits inherited from his predecessor. Brown's solution is...
CONTINUE READINGWhat Would Romney Do? How Reelection Strategy Could Shape a Romney Presidency
If Romney is elected president tomorrow, the sun will still rise in the east and sea will still be salty. Beyond that, predictions about a Romney presidency become more difficult, given his exceptionally inconsistent history on the issues. As I showed in an earlier post, Romney's views about environmental and energy issues flipped 180° between his term as governor and his positions as a candidate. Late in the campaign, he seemed to shift toward more moderate views ...
CONTINUE READINGClimate Denial and the Republicans: The Poor Man’s Anticommunism
Why is the Republican Party so wedded to climate denial? As Dan has noted, not a single Republican candidate in the 2010 Senate elections could acknowledge the reality of climate change. Shortly after taking the majority in the House, the House Energy and Commerce Committee declared climate change to be a hoax. But this seems to be at odds with both the facts and with conservative ideology. After all, there are policies that good conservatives could support to mi...
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