Climate Politics
Climate Politics and Policy in Nebraska
In a divided nation, could the Cornhusker State turn out to hold the balance of power?
In what has turned out to be an interesting Senate race, Republican incumbent Deb Fischer is facing Independent Dan Osborn (I). Fischer has a lifetime score of 8% from the League of Conservation voters and hates EVs. Osborn seem pro-renewables. The outcome could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
CONTINUE READINGEvolving Energy Positions, 2016-2024
The national debate over climate and energy has shifted since Trump’s first run in 2016.
Coal, once a political flash point, has almost disappeared as an issue, with oil and gas production in unchallenged first place for Republicans. Clean energy subsidies, a side-issue in 2016,, have now taken center stage, while EPA regulations get much less attention. The one thing that remains unchanged is the gulf between the parties.
CONTINUE READINGThe Battle for Congress: Key U.S. House Races in California
These elections could prove critically important to how much the next President can reshape energy and environmental policy.
These are key races for control of the House: if they did all flip and Democrats held their remaining seats, Hakeem Jeffries would be the next Speaker. The battle for control of the U.S. House is going to be very tight. Democrats need to pick up only four seats to flip control – something that will be especially important for them if Trump wins and Republicans win the Senate as expected. Especially in that scenario, control of the House will have a big impact on climate and energy policy, one way or the other. It doesn’t look like climate or energy are major issues in the key U.S. House races in California. Only one candidate (Dave Min) devotes significant attention to them. To avoid unintentionally distorting anyone’s views, these descriptions are taken straight from their campaign websites.
CONTINUE READINGThe State of the Race
Who will shape federal climate and energy policies? The answer remains too close to call.
Republicans are favored to take control of the Senate, but who will control the House and the Presidency remains too close to call. The implications for climate policy and the future of the planet could be profound.
CONTINUE READINGWhy the 2024 House Races Matter So Much for Energy and Climate Policy
Those races get a lot less attention than elections for the Senate, but they’re equally important.
Unified government would give Trump a much freer hand. Republicans are likely to win the Senate. If they also win the House, he wouldn’t have to worry about annoying congressional investigations and could use the Senate reconciliation procedure to gut environmental agencies and federal support for clean energy.
CONTINUE READINGShould We Be Upset If Candidates Don’t Provide Concrete Policy Plans?
Policy specifics give me something to write blog posts about. But how much should they matter to voters?
After all, you don’t need specifics to know that Trump and Harris have very different views about climate and energy. Should voters care about their failure to go into detail?
CONTINUE READINGRightwing Authoritarianism vs the Environment
In the U.S. and elsewhere, rightwing authoritarians oppose climate action. That’s not a coincidence.
Project 2025 favors authoritarian presidential rule. It also wants to destroy environmental regulation, especially climate law. That’s not a coincidence. The combination of authoritarianism, extreme conservative ideology, and anti-environmentalism is common globally, not just in U.S. politics. There’s no logical connection between a belief in authoritarian government, upholding traditional hierarchies, and views about protecting the …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Zombie Myth of Job-Killing Regulations
Some ideas never die, no matter how much evidence piles up against them.
With the Labor Day weekend coming up, let’s talk about jobs. Some myths are like zombies in two ways. They refuse to lie down and die, not matter what you do. And if you aren’t careful, they can eat your brain. An example is the idea that environmental regulation kills jobs. Tragically, this brain worm …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Tragedy of Indifference
This election will have huge consequences for climate change. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to matter that much at the polls.
The partisan divide is real: Democrats are three times more likely than Republicans to view climate change as a major threat. Even so, a quarter of Republicans agreed with Democrats on this. The problem is that only 37% (almost all Democrats) view climate change as their top priority.
CONTINUE READINGThe Ins and Outs of Kennedy’s Environmental Positions
His campaign website is a mashup of very different perspectives, from “back to the earth” to tech bro.
Working through his website seemed to reveal a broad effort to combine distrust of government and big business), belief in free markets, and valuing nature and the land for their own sakes. Kennedy offers an unusual blend of Sixties “back to the land” environmentalism with Tech Bro libertarianism.
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