climate legislation
Yes, Virginia, There ARE Federal Climate Laws.
Contrary to myth, Congress has actually passed laws relating directly to climate change.
It’s a common misconception that Congress has never passed any climate change legislation. But Congresshas passed at least laws regulating two powerful greenhouse gases, as well as a series of other laws stretching back almost forty years. The story begins under President Nixon and extends into the Biden years with the multi-billion dollar Inflation Reduction Act.
CONTINUE READINGCalifornia Passes Landmark Corporate Climate Transparency Bills
SB 253 and SB 261 would be first-in-the-nation laws meant to pull back the curtain on emissions and climate risks.
After a hard-fought battle, the California Legislature passed the second of two nation-leading corporate climate accountability bills yesterday afternoon. The bills, SB 253 and SB 261, are important transparency measures that would, for the first time, allow Californians to meaningfully assess the carbon footprint of thousands of companies—and what those companies plan to do about …
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CONTINUE READINGOn the Frustrations of Climate Politics
It’s not just the shortcomings of Joe Manchin. Climate legislation is an inherently tough political challenge.
Yesterday, Joe Manchin announced that he couldn’t support the Build Back Better reconciliation bill. Unless Biden can somehow coax him back to the negotiating table, that dooms what would have been a major breakthrough in climate policy. Manchin bears responsibility for this deeply regrettable decision. But climate legislation is hard, even in more favorable political …
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CONTINUE READINGOn the Frustrations of Climate Politics
It’s not just the shortcomings of Joe Manchin. Climate legislation is a tough challenge at all levels.
Yesterday, Joe Manchin announced that he couldn’t support the Build Back Better reconciliation bill. Unless Biden can somehow coax him back to the negotiating table, that dooms what would have been a major breakthrough in climate policy. Manchin bears responsibility for this deerply regrettable decision. But climate legislation is hard, even in more favorable political …
Continue reading “On the Frustrations of Climate Politics”
CONTINUE READINGThe Georgia Elections, the Republican Schism, and the Environment
The prospects for a green stimulus bill have improved
Although the word is overused, last week really did see a seismic shift in the political world. Actually, there were two earthquakes — the victories of Democrats Warnock and Ossoff in Georgia, and the violent invasion of the U.S. capitol incited by Trump. While the significance of these events is much broader, their relevance to …
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CONTINUE READINGBlame and the BP Oil Spill
Like most observers, I suspect, I find myself so enraged by the BP oil spill I don’t even know where to direct my anger. Obviously, BP should be at the top — Dan was appropriately eloquent in his word choice by calling the company’s series of errors and negligent acts a cluster%#@*. And the …
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CONTINUE READINGClimate Bill 2.0 on Hold
Senator Graham has announced that he’s withdrawing from the effort to pass the bill that he helped to draft, because he’s irked that the Administration is pressing forward on immigration reform. I’m struggling a bit to understand this. The charitable explanation is that he’s trying to pressure the administration into giving the climate bill priority. …
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CONTINUE READINGBusiness Gets Ready for Emission Cuts
Today’s NY Times reports: Much of corporate America has already been thinking about how to comply. Many businesses concluded years ago that such limits were inevitable, and they have been calling on Congress to define the exact rules they will need to follow. Already, many companies are recording their emissions and analyzing the results. Some …
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