Politics
The future of climate politics (Pt. 1)
I’m a little late to the game here, but I’ve finally had a chance to read Harvard Prof. Skocpol’s post mortem of why she thinks cap-and-trade legislation failed in the U.S. Congress in 2009-10, and what she thinks the best way forward in the future is. (Dan blogged about this already here and here; Matt …
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CONTINUE READINGConfessions of a Regulatory Czar
The official title of the White House’s regulatory czar is deceptively abstruse, the Director of the the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). But OIRA plays a crucial role in government policy by reviewing all major proposed regulations. Environmentalists have long decried OIRA as a place …
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CONTINUE READINGWhy is Each Sequel Worse Than the Last?
Some movie franchises last way too long: Friday the 13th, Rocky, Nightmare on Elm Street. Each new film is worse than the last, and they’re all worse than the original, which wasn’t so great itself. The GOP war on energy=efficient light bulbs has the same characteristic — you wish someone would just drive a stake through …
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CONTINUE READINGThe State of the Union — Energy and Climate Change
A very lengthy discussion of energy– some good language on energy efficiency and renewables, some not-so-good language about oil, but with an overall emphasis on technological innovation. Here’s what the President said about climate change: And over the last four years, our emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet have actually fallen. …
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CONTINUE READINGTonight’s State of the Union (Plus “2013 SOTU Climate Change Bingo”)
Environmental policy wonks around the country: it’s time to order your vegan hot wings, purchase some organic beers, and don the uniform of your favorite political party (red or blue tie, of course)! Tonight is the (second) biggest television event of February: President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union. Obama is set to score major …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Death of Climate Legislation Revisited
Why did the push for climate legislation fail even though Democrats controlled Congress and the White House in 2008-2010 ? Theda Skocpol, a Harvard political scientist, addressed this issue in a controversial recent paper.. Matt Kahn and I have both blogged before about her paper (here and here). Now that I’ve had a chance to read the 150-page article more …
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CONTINUE READINGFalse Equivalence Watch: Michael Shermer
Faced with the inconvenient truth that Republican Party has declared war on science, some conservatives have decided to retreat to false equivalence: yes, the GOP is the home of modern Luddism, but the Democrats are just as bad. This is a move perfected by many mainstream columnists, who condemn both parties for failing to adopt …
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CONTINUE READINGJudging the Environment
It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. Covering the Senate Republicans’ continuing obstruction of judicial nominees is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but the good folks at Defenders of Wildlife, one of the nation’s most venerable environmental organizations, have decided to invest in doing it, with their vital blog, Judging …
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CONTINUE READINGCan Anyone Stop the Filibuster?
The DC Circuit’s outrageous opinion on Friday essentially banning recess appointments has brought further chaos to the Age of Dysfunction. Now, President Obama will confront potentially dozens of new filibusters without recourse; it didn’t help that less than 24 hours beforehand, the Senate scotched the efforts at meaningful filibuster reform. So what to do now? …
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