Daily Briefing - 4/2/07: Supreme Court, John Dingell, Loads of Campaign Cash, and Global Warming

Aaaaaand we're back!

After a lengthy absence thanks to NWF's annual meeting, which was a rousing success the Daily Briefing is back with the Wildlife Action blog on life support, I'm sure. Nontheless, our return is met with great news.

The Supreme Court this morning announced that it has ruled against the Bush Administration on regulating carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act. Justices Stevens (who wrote the majority opinion), Breyer, Ginsburg, Souter, and Kennedy voted in favor of allowing the Federal government to regulate carbon dioxide clearing states such as California of any potential legal action and opening the door for future Administrations, or dare I say this Administration, of regulating carbon dioxide emissions.

As expected Justices Scalia, Thomas, Alito, and Roberts dissented. My colleague Derek wrote about the argument way back in November. You can read his analysis here, but here's a quick quote that summarizes his guess,

So, to my calculation that brings us down to 4-4, with Kennedy on the fence
(just like the wetlands case). My gut hunch is that Kennedy will think
Massachusetts doesn't have standing, thus leaving a 5-4 decision against us.
However, I'm notoriously bad at predictions and tend to be pessimistic, and upon
leaving the court there seemed to be full agreement that the case went as well
for us as it possibly could have.

Well, you came close, but thankfully Justice Kennedy did not live up to your pessimism.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 4/2/07
581 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Supreme Court rules against Bush Administration in global warming case. Feds can now regulate car emissions.
- Chairman Dingell, speaking at NWF’s annual meeting, says climate change bill is the most difficult task he’s faced, but one he will not rush.
o David Roberts at Grist is unimpressed
- Time: The Global Warming Survival Guide
- Fearing a refugee crisis like we’ve never seen
- EU official pushes U.S. on emissions
- Himalayas could melt by 2030
- Catholic Online: Former VP makes impassioned plea
- NWF’s (a “conservative green group,” so says the author of the article) An Inconvenient Truth film party spurs discussion
- State coalitions curbing global warming
- Judge OKs global warming suit
- Sydney blacks out for global warming
- CA legislature flooded with bills on climate change
- Who says India isn’t doing anything about global warming? Bollywood!
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Democrats to widen conflict with Bush
- President Bush declines to throw out first pitch
- The Governator sure likes his cronies
- Republicans targeting McNerney but fearing a 2008 meltdown
- Bush pushing three pro-industry nominees
Potential ‘08ers…
- Clinton (shatters record for fundraising), Thompson, Tommy (if he enters race and no one notices, does it make a sound?), Thompson, Fred (Bob Novak sure likes him, maybe he’ll leak some of his secrets), Edwards (the media’s most personal debate), McCain (sees progress in Iraq, after visit), Obama (Congress will fund war if Bushes uses veto), Giuliani (a Rudy awakening… ugh, why do people have to use such bad puns?), Obama again (getting chewed up?), Huckabee and Brownback (fighting for attention), Giuliani again (ties to Kerik may hurt him), Tancredo (platform: immigration), Obama again again (Dems must listen to faithful), Romney (raises $23 mil, tops GOP field),
Other News from the Media
- WRDA bill passes out of committee
- NWF partners with Sonopia, kick starting the mobile revolution
- National Landscape Architecture month kicks off
- San Antonio sets water conservation example
- Seeking a car that gets 100 miles a gallon
- U.S. won’t override state rules on chemical plants
- San Francisco takes aim at plastic bags
- U.S. churches go green for Palm Sunday
- Federal judge strikes down Bush Administration forest management rules, you know because trees are kinda useful
- Interior official rode roughshod over agency scientists, violating federal rules
- LA suffers longest dry spell in 130 years
- MA offshore wind farm wins state approval
…and the Blogosphere
- Michael Barone on parties, polls, and predictions
- DailyKos has the Democrat’s first quarter fundraising numbers
- Pajama Media has a straw poll with very odd results
- TomPaine: The inspiration budget
- Grist:
o On green weddings
o Helpful hints for deniers
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Wahoo! It’s baseball season! (I will refrain from mentioning anything about a certain team with 26 glorious championships for fear of retribution from half my office, specifically Chelsea)
- When people with square pants go bad…
- French architect claims to know the secret of the great pyramid
- My question is, are the Dippin’ Dots sustainable?
o Gap rocking the organic
- BRILLIANT. JibJab on the news
Quotes O’ the Day
“The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it always to be kept alive.” ~ Thomas Jefferson