Daily Briefing - 4/3/07: EPA, China, Bush Administration, Columbian White-Tailed Deer, and Global Warming

The buzz grows over the impending release of the IPCC's second report, due out this Friday. It's been called "bleak," "a tearjerker," and references a "highway to extinction." As America's foremost conservation organization, we wait with baited breath.

MW

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

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Administration thinks they’re doing enough
- EPA revives California’s request to set tough emission standards
- Reports from the four fronts on warming
- Linfen, China: The frontline in the war on global warming
- IPCC: It’s been called a tearjerker
o The elimination of up to 30% of life forms
- Global warming happens, is it catastrophic?
- Christian Today: Climate change could be biggest disaster in human history, says WWF
- Gore urges engineers during San Jose visit
- Florida leaders hear of insurance, global warming woes
o Conversation urges conservation
- Australian fish being driven south
- Idaho: Valley residents challenged to stop global warming
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- President Bush fighting Democrats and doubts
- Speaker Pelosi goes to Syria
Potential ‘08ers…
- Romney (Mormon base a mixed blessing), Obama (reports $25 million in fundraising), McCain (revamps fundraising), Edwards (returns to Iowa), Obama again (facing a battle over Iraq war opposition), Obama again again (knows his way around a ballot), McCain (evangelicals bracing his immigration stance), Giuliani (tells Iowa voters to evaluate his record), Giuliani again (won’t commit to Iowa straw poll), Romney again (money in the bag, now works on name rec), Clinton (Iraq funding plan a thorny issue), Edwards again (crowd zeroes in on issues), Biden (Bush could be impeached, but that would be impractical), Richardson (goes to North Korea at the behest of the President), Giuliani again again (surmounts expectations in NH), Thompson, Fred (evangelical leader likes him)
- GOP protégés aim shots at each other
Other News from the Media
- Brother, can you spare a cup of coffee for Columbian white-tailed deer? Do note the quote from NWF’s very own Corry Westbrook.
- British captives to be freed
- An arid west no longer waits for rain
- Loss of coral may cause food supply crisis
- Court overturns Duke clean air law ruling
- Electranet could see the light of day
…and the Blogosphere
- RCP: New polls from CA, IA, and NH
- MYDD: New Hampshire poll
- TPM: “Moderate” GOP senators will bail on Iraq if progress isn’t obvious by late summer
- PeakEnergy: Bright green building and dark green buildings
- TomPaine: Overwhelmed by climate
- Grist:
o Automaker suit against California may be dismissed by tomorrow
o Is coal running out too?
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Labor union v. Starbucks. Over what you ask? Piercings.
- Mayor Rocky Anderson v. Chain stores
- Umm, is that why he looks the way he does?
- MySpace to hold presidential primary… It better not be on February 5th or I will, like, totally be angry.
Quotes O’ the Day
“There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking.” ~ Thomas A. Edison

Daily Briefing - 4/3/07: More Supreme Court, IPCC, Spies, Campaign Money and Global Warming

The media is focused on the Supreme Court decision dropped yesterday with roughly EVERY major outlet publishing a story about it. As a whole the reaction is quite positive, most legal analysis seems to see the decision as solid, if not a change in course of the Court's view of standing in the environmental cases. Don't take my word for it, check out the plethora of articles below.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 4/3/07
580 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Lots more on the Supreme Court decision
o From NYT, WSJ, Canada National Post, LA Times, NPR, SF Chronicle, KC Star, WashPost, Legal Times, USA Today
o Emissions law could still face hurdles
o A simple explanation of the ruling from Grist
o White House response
§ Grist: Bush v. Everyone Else
- The second IPCC report cometh…
o Tropical losers, northern winners?
o They’re even talking about it in Turkey
- U.S. spies urged to assess global warming
- Citing Al Gore, federal judge allows global warming lawsuit to advance
- U.S. and Australia holdouts… it doesn’t work in the NFL, why would it work with this?
o U.S. hampering efforts
- The FACE of global warming (GO BU!)
- Bangladesh warns region must act
- Impact on Florida discussed today
- Gore wins praise from head of Nobel committee
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Reid may move to cut war funding
- Gonzalez prepares to face down the Senate
Potential ‘08ers…
- Romney (big time money numbers), Obama (on global warming and cap and trade), McCain (hmm, some dissenting views on the Senators visit to Iraq), Tancredo (as immigrants tremble everywhere, he’s in), Clinton (backs public campaign funding), Clinton again (gets endorsement from Gov. Corzine), Clinton again again (heads to Iowa), Edwards (Elizabeth: This is what I wanted to do), Giuliani (big money month), Giuliani again (heads to Iowa), McCain again (money troubles), Obama again (anticipated most of the problems in Iraq… so he says), Obama again again (built donor network from roots up), Biden (surprisingly still around)
- Nine candidates agree to GOP debate
Other News from the Media
- Busy hurricane season forecast
- Solar power going mainstream?
- Nationalism may weaken big oil
…and the Blogosphere
- Here’s a nifty little site that tracks news coming out of each campaigns headquarters
- The Fix: Wowed by Mitt
- National Review: Hot Times in the High Court
- RedState: On the Fred Thompson boomlet
- DailyKos: A few lessons for the traditional media
- SCOTUSblog: On the global warming decision
- Grist:
o Carbon tax catching on?
o An interview with David James Duncan, author and fly-fisherman
o CO2 low hanging fruit
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Title factory? Jeez, do Florida fans need any more to gloat about? Nonetheless, congrats to my brethren of Gator persuasion.
- Sydney Pollack to direct film about the 2000 recount… I’m guessing it’ll seem like a sequel to Tootsie.
- What do you get when you combine Scary Spice and Eddie Murphy?... Uhh, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
- French train hits 357mph
- Wow, they really are beaming him up!
- Yet another reason why Google is the coolest company around
Quotes O’ the Day
“I never met anybody who said when they were a kid, "I wanna grow up and be a critic."” ~ Richard Pryor

Daily Briefing - 3/26/07: China, John Edwards, Prince Harry and Global Warming

As a conservationist who obviously cares greatly about the environment an how our country tends to it, I am quite glad Sen. John Edwards has stayed in the race. His contributions to bringing global warming to the forefront of the campaign have been fantastic, and I hope he continues to make it a major part of his campaign (which I fully expect -- just notice his expected attendance at a global warming forum), and the other candidates will follow suit!

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/26/07
588 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- China, Norway, and UN ink deal
- John Edwards in S.F. for global warming forum
- Sen. McConnell (R-KY) blocks Live Earth concert from being staged on Capitol grounds
- Why the right goes nuclear over global warming
o Chris Mooney offers some ideas as well
- Investors call for government action
- Becoming an issue in NH
- VT lawmakers are grappling with climate change
- Spurring a race for Northwest Passage
- Birds are having trouble adapting
- Artificial turf causes global warming
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Bob Novak: A President all alone
- Paul Krugman: The emerging Republican minority
- GOP senators lug weight of war into ‘80
- A fresh face vows to revive GOP
- Jim Webb (D-VA) is on the warpath
Potential ‘08ers…
- Gingrich (his reading list), Edwards (rejecting the sympathy vote), Edwards again (candor from the campaign), McCain (says they won’t meet fundraising goals), Romney (says don’t believe the hype about McCain), Romney again (pander, pander, pander), Hagel (still pondering), Clinton (can no longer safely depend on black, female voters), Bloomberg (eyeing ’08), Obama (hits South Florida), Obama again (does he fit with blue collars?), Giuliani (drag story could ruffle right wing)
- Elizabeth Edwards: Political Wife
- Democratic candidates on health care
- SC may move up its primary
Other News from the Media
- Book review: This Moment on Earth, by John and Teresa Heinz Kerry
- Time Magazine changes cover story about Afghanistan only for America
- NYPD spied broadly before GOP convention
…and the Blogosphere
- Huffington Post: GM switches gears on climate change
- MYDD: Interview with Bill Richardson
- Grist:
o An interview with the director of Appalachian Voices
o Carbon trading v. carbon taxes
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Washington D.C.: A hub of knowledge workers attractive to many businesses
- So you picked the final four? Join the club (sadly, I’m not included in this club)
- Prince Harry stumbles spectacularly into the gutter
- Julia Roberts, going green
- Greenpeace is shifting to the music biz
Quotes O’ the Day
“Never answer a critic, unless he's right.” ~ Bernard M. Baruch

Daily Briefing - 3/15/07: Carbon Capture, New Hampshire, Global Warming, and the Ides of March

"Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see,
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From that it is disposed: therefore it is meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
For who so firm that cannot be seduced?"

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/15/07
599 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Capturing carbon, tempering global warming
- Crist can have global reach on global warming
- Push to fix ozone layer, and in the process slow global warming
o Seeking an accelerated ban on refrigerant
- New Hampshire to Presidential candidates: DO SOMETHING
- Global warming panel has the power of the hot seat
- Automakers tell House to lay off fuel economy
- The potential for mitigation is there
- Fairfax County (VA) tackling climate change with an eco-friendly initiative
- Gap among evangelicals widens
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- David Broder: Reports of the GOP death are premature
- Robert Novak: The wrath of Tom Delay
- House passes open government bills
- Capital turns cold for Bush
- Senator Schwarzenegger?... and perhaps Senator Allen redux?
Potential ‘08ers…
- Edwards (goes carbon neutral), McCain (fighting to recapture maverick spirit of 2000), McCain again (standing behind a tough stance), Clinton (some GI’s in Iraq would remain), Giuliani (focusin on energy), Clinton again (angers some over a remark), Obama (crossed a cultural divide as a child), Brownback (is on a roll… according to RedState), Edwards (anthrax scare at his office), Obama again (will not raise personal issues), Giuliani again (loses to Bloomberg in NYC)
- George Will: Why the primary push?
Other News from the Media
- Wholesale inflation surged in February
- Reverb, greening rock all over the country \\m//
- Proposal for offshore LNG terminal forges ahead
- Pennsylvania Governor’s Outdoor Conference starts Sunday
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix: Progressive group goes after Sen. Baucus
- Tompaine: Debating the farm bill
- Grist:
o Texas hearts solar
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Don Cheadle as Miles? Sweet.
- Odd turns in the DC madam case
- Morocco to Spain… by train!
- Hehehe
- I guess terrorists like bananas?
Quotes O’ the Day
“A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.” ~ William Shakespeare