Climate Change

Shifting the Regulatory Status Quo: The Case of Climate Change

A basic insight of positive political theory is that the existence of veto points makes it possible for an agenda setter to substantially influence political outcomes.  Essentially, an outcome is viable so long as it satisfies a basic condition: it must be closer than the status quoto to the optimum outcome  for at least one …

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Gorbachev Goes Green

Matt Peterson’s blog reports: President Gorbachev, the founder of Green Cross International (Global Green USA is the American affiliate) . . .  said, “It’s not just a matter of rescuing the world’s economy — there is more at stake. We must not expect the outcome of this crisis will be the replicating of the same …

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Waxman bill on state cap-and-trade efforts

I’ve been reading the Waxman-Markey energy and climate discussion draft released earlier in the week (and blogged about by Rick here).  One thing I’m puzzling over is the draft’s treatment of state cap and trade regulations.  As many have noted, the question of which state climate efforts are saved and which are preempted is an …

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The NY Times’ New Climate Skeptic

Last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine story about climate skeptic Freeman Dyson has me worried. For those readers who missed it, the profile is a largely favorable piece about Institute for Advanced Study scholar Dyson, best known for helping unite qunatum and electrodynamic theory and for his belief that nuclear weapons are the world’s greatest evil.   Dyson …

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When Will Congress Act? Our Poll Results

During Obama’s second year in office 43% During Obama’s third or fouth year  29% During Obama’s first year in office 20% Never 6% After the 2012 elections 1 3%

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They’rrreee Off and Running!!!

Today, U.S. House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman released a discussion draft of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES). See http://energycommerce.house.gov/. This is a major development, for several reasons. First, ACES represents the 111th Congress’ first foray into the details of proposed climate change legislation–though the newly-released …

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When Will Congress Act on Climate Change?

I hear a lot of different answers to that question, ranging from “soon” to “never.”  I thought it would be interesting to see what our readers think about this. [polldaddy poll=1457402]

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Another one bites the dust (RIP Cannon nomination)

Ann touted the nomination of Jon Cannon to be EPA Deputy Administrator here as “a great appointment,” but last week he became the most recent Obama nominee to fall.  Here’s the WSJ coverage.  His withdrawal is being met with real sadness in many quarters.  At a conference of public and private bar environmental lawyers in Los Angeles on Friday, Cecilia Estolano, CEO of the LA Community …

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Carlson to Nat’l Academy of Sciences panel on mitigating climate change

Contributor Ann Carlson’s too modest to post this herself, but she’s recently been named as one of two lawyers to the National Academy of Sciences’ expert panel on “limiting the magnitude of future climate change.”   (The other is CARB chair Mary Nichols.)  As called for by Congress, NAS is convening experts from across disciplines to produce …

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The US Chamber of Commerce on Carbon Regulation: Sub-zero stupid

Holly referenced the Chamber of Commerce’s hysterical claim that regulating carbon dioxide would stop all the infrastructure projects in the stimulus.  Not only is that not true, but it might in fact be exactly the opposite. The reason is pretty straightforward: to the extent that the government places caps on carbon dioxide, such a policy …

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