A firefighter pauses at the $2013 Rim Fire in Yosemite National Park, August-September 2013 (Calfire photo on facebook). President Obama released the federal budget for 2015 last week. Overall, it involves the lowest deficit ($514 billion) of his five-year tenure in office and restores some funding cut in last year’s sequester. Parts of the new
Republicans don’t want taxes at all, whereas Democrats want to tax everything. It might be an oversimple explanation but it’s definitely going to be right more than it’s wrong. It’s also a good indicator of your allegiance when you hear that US Senators Barbara Boxer and Bernie Sanders have proposed a tax on carbon emissions. The
Wrapping up my short series on 4 Senate candidates you should support and vote for (if you can), Chris Murphy of Connecticut is last but not least. Murphy has one of the best intro statements I’ve ever seen, maybe the best: “Chris has a real record of fighting for Connecticut’s working families and middle class. His
If you’re voting in the Massachusetts election today or tomorrow, you should be voting for Elizabeth Warren without any hesitation — she’s one of the best politicians I’m aware of. Here’s a quick rundown of how her and her opponent, Scott Brown, differ: Not many politicians are so dedicated to the people as Elizabeth
At the 11th hour here, I’m highlighting a handful of Senate candidates who I think are really outstanding potential congresspeople who I think deserve your support (your vote, and your help spreading the word and getting others to vote). #3 in this series is Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Mr Brown is a standout public
If you live in Wisconsin, I’d highly recommend that you do your best to get your friends, family members, and strangers on the street to go to the polls and vote for Tammy Baldwin. Tammy has a repertoire of great qualities and policies that should earn her a seat in the Senate, but for
This Tea-Party-led Congress (well, all of the Republican party) has attacked our water, air, and climate protections more than any in history. It is out of this world how little care they have for the necessities of life. One of the most recent attacks, from one of the leading culprits, Senator Rand Paul, continues
“You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear: you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn’t have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did.
“Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea? God bless. Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.”
A controversial piece of “forest reform” legislation was passed by the Brazilian senate this past Tuesday that would ostensibly give amnesty to landowners and give more autonomy to Brazilian states over setting their own conservation standards. Environmental groups largely view this as a major mistake and a give-away to ranchers and farmers.
Some top global warming and environmental news from the last day or so: Global Warming & Environmental Politics Time to Put People Ahead of Polluters Over on ecopolitology, Sierra Club’s Michael Brune had a good piece on why it’s time to put people ahead of polluters. Senate 2012 Race & Tea Partiers The conservative right
Here’s some of the biggest global warming and environmental politics news and commentary from the last week or so, along with some fun cartoons. Rocket Fuel in Our Water? The inspiration for the cartoon above, among other things: information that there is rocket fuel (or a component of it) in water supplies across the U.S.
This is a difficult list to come up with when you cover these topics every day. There are so many big stories, many of which never even hit the mainstream media. Well, I know these are popular (I’m drawn in to them, too) and it’s always useful to reflect a little… So, here’s my Top
We’ve got some good news this week regarding sharks. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives just passed the Shark Conservation Act (apt timing considering our last 10 Friday Photos post was on sharks… and the fact that the lame duck session is drawing to a close soon in Congress). The Act will bring an end to shark
Did you hear about the big BP oil spill in the Gulf that happened this summer? Of course you did, but how much have you heard about the Gulf coast restoration efforts? Probably not a lot. One big issue concerning this matter is whether or not to use Clean Water Act fines BP has to
This is a special guest post by EatDrinkBetter editor Becky Striepe. Food Democracy Now sent out an urgent alert yesterday regarding protecting family farms from catastrophic federal legislation: The Senate just voted 74 Yes to 25 No in favor of the cloture vote. This means that S.510, aka The Food Modernization Act, will move forward
In the wake of large ground gained by Republicans in the United States Congress, hundreds of scientists are mobilizing to speak out on climate change in an effort to provide the facts about an issue that is a hot topic in the country. “I think it is important for scientists to assure that the public
In a quick response to the newest oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, some environmental organizations have reiterated what they’ve been saying for a long time, and have sent out more opportunities to take action on the issue of dirty, unsafe energy now. One I received earlier today from the Defenders of Wildlife urges
Nuclear energy experts warning that proposed deregulation of the nuclear energy industry could result in a nuclear-style BP oil spill disaster. [social_buttons] Just as deregulation of the oil industry was a key factor leading to the BP oil spill, energy experts are warning that we may be setting ourselves up for a disaster in the
Senate rejects “Dirty Air Act”, votes “no”. Reportedly, the Senate has just made one of the biggest environmental or climate change decisions of the year and voted against Senator Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) infamous “Dirty Air Act” (53-47).
Take action below and tell your Senators that you don’t want to pay for BP’s oil spill. [social_buttons] This is hard to believe, to be honest, even considering who it is coming from. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska wants taxpayers to foot the bill for BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill. She has proposed that
Much has been said in opposition to the cap and trade climate legislation that is currently on the Senate’s plate. Opponents have argued repeatedly that the legislation will do nothing but increase the cost of energy, which will force companies send jobs over seas, where labor is cheaper, in order to keep up with production demands. Senator Kit Bond (R-Missouri) even went as far as to call the Waxman-Markey Bill “a pig in a poke.”
The climate bill that was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month is getting wide support and attention. However, activist groups who have taken a closer look at the bill are wondering if it’s a climate bill addressing global climate change or a climate bill addressing the concerns of the coal and oil
According to Missouri Senator Kit Bond (R) the cap and trade Waxman-Markey Bill “is really a pig in a poke.” That’s what he told the committee on Tuesday, anyway. Given the opportunity to speak in front of a committee on the financial impacts that the climate bill would have on farmers, Senator Bond wasted no time calling the bill a hoax.
With the historic passage of climate legislation through the House of Representatives, many concerns have trickled forth. Does the climate legislation do enough? Will it even work? Does it have the right aim? With the issuance of similar concerns have come proposed solutions and substitutions. The republicans have proposed that 100 nuclear power plants be built by 2030 in place of the proposed cap-and-trade climate bill. I’ve recently written two articles on the republican “solution” to both the climate and economic crises. And today I’m writing more.
I was reading some recent headlines about Yucca Mountain, claiming the federal government will face heavy penalties and judgments if the project isn’t finished. Read beyond the headlines my friends, “we” fund the government, the money comes from our pockets, and it isn’t chicken feed. The latest estimates are, that if Yucca Mountain isn’t finished
