Politics
Romney Endorses Keynesian Stimulus Spending — But Calls It an Energy Plan
I posted last week about the Romney energy plan and the super-optimistic projections of energy production it borrows from a Citigroup report. (here and here). The Romney plan touts enormous economic benefits in terms of job creation, also derived from the same Citigroup report. Of course, Romney doesn’t mention the report’s warning that its analysis …
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CONTINUE READINGGive states control over energy leasing on federal lands?
Another element of the Romney energy plan that was announced this week is a proposal to turn over to the states the process of leasing of federal lands for oil and gas development. The Romney campaign argues that this will result in quicker and cheaper leasing development than under current federal management. This seems to me …
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CONTINUE READINGIs Romney Building Sand Castles Based on Fantasy Oil and Gas Production?
Romney plan relies heavily on a report from Citigroup. Even the Wall Street Journal was unsure about that report and said, “Whether the report proves prescient or just another starry-eyed fantasy remains to be seen.”
CONTINUE READINGRomney Calls for a Fossil Fuel Feeding Frenzy
The Washington Post reports that Mitt Romney will announce a new energy plan centering on explosive increases in oil and gas development, combined with greater use of coal. I’ve read the staff briefing paper, and the Post’s account is an accurate summary: Mitt Romney on Thursday will outline a plan that he projects would achieve …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Irony of Todd Akin
Todd Akin’s views about rape and pregnancy are crazy, and he deserves his current political plight. The irony is that Akin is by no means the most extreme of the current crop of Senate candidates. In fact, in a recent blog post, I decided not to lump him with the other tea party candidates because …
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CONTINUE READINGGenetically Modified Foods & California’s Proposition 37: What’s All the Fuss About?
Largely lost in the shuffle of the current presidential election campaign and several more heavily-publicized state ballot measures, California’s Secretary of State recently announced that the “California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act” has qualified for the state’s November 2012 election ballot, where it will appear as Proposition 37. (The text of Proposition 37 …
CONTINUE READINGThe Ryan Consumption Tax and the Environment
One of the interesting elements of Paul Ryan’s budget plan is the proposal for an 8.5% consumption tax to replace the corporate income tax. Consumption taxes, like the European VAT, have well-known pluses and minuses, described in a Brookings discussion. They are appealing to economists because they encourage saving. As the European example shows, they …
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CONTINUE READINGIf Obama’s Done Nothing for the Environment Why Do the Coal Barons Hate Him?
I’ve had more than one conversation with Republican friends (yes, I have some) who are Romney supporters but also environmentalists. One of the arguments they trump out about why they support Romney despite their environmental interests is that “Obama’s been weak on the environment anyway.” They make this argument especially about climate change. While I …
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CONTINUE READINGDrive a Stake Through Ethanol’s Heart!
Okay, that’s even worse than a mixed metaphor: that’s a Friedmanism. But it still applies today. Reuters reports: Two U.S. governors asked the United States government on Tuesday to waive this year’s mandate for making ethanol from corn, adding pressure on it to relieve meat producers from high corn prices spurred by the worst drought …
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CONTINUE READINGInterior, Defense and Energy Departments Team Up to Advance Renewable Energy on Public Lands
The renewable energy side of President Obama’s “all-of-the-above” energy strategy received a significant boost in the past two weeks, with a veritable relay of Department of Energy, Interior and Defense actions on clean energy. On July 24, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of the Interior (DOI) released the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement …
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