Wednesday, April 04, 2007

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

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Daily Briefing - 3/20/07: Censorship and Climate Change Politics... Oh how we love the Bush Administration

This is an uber-late post, but it's a good one and will have to last you until Wednesday ebcause the briefing will be off tomorrow. You can try and cope by following the two hearings Vice President Gore will be testifying at here and here.

Enjoy!

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/20/07
594 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Material shows weakening of climate reports by Bush Administration
o Congressional hearing heats up over changes to reports
o Chris Mooney sounds off on this and the vindication of James Hansen
o David Robert from Grist liveblogged the hearing
- Global warming panel makeup questioned
- Utility and Sierra Club deal aims to cut carbon dioxide
- The Independent Review of the Year: Global Warming
- Climate change concerns everyone, Jerome Ringo tells students
- Lightning and climate change
- Politico: The new climate change politics
o Politico now has a focus site all on global warming, yay!
- Grist: Al Gore to testify tomorrow
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- White House voices support for Gonzalez
o Senate limits Gonzales’ hiring authority
- Prominent conservatives launch effort to restore civil liberties under assault by executive branch
- Christian right at a crossroads
Potential ‘08ers…
- Clinton v. Obama (oh baby, it’s getting heated), Romney (pandering gone bad: commie phrase sparks rage), McCain (may be changing his tune on immigration), Obama (unofficially smacking Hillary down via YouTube), Edwards (I’m a frontrunner!!!!!!!), Obama again (record shows caution, nuance on Iraq), Brownback (welcome back), Gore (can he let it rip?), Thompson, Fred (got some support in Iowa),
Other News from the Media
- Bush Administration reinterprets endangered species law
- Environmental injustice in Tennessee
- Scientists find the beginnings of morality in primates
- Mine blast kills over 100 in Russia
…and the Blogosphere
- MYDD: Gore nears half a million signees
- Grist:
o The venerable David Tucker asks about organic alcohol
o Outside magazine sure likes Grist
o Answering Drudge
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Millions of Americans may have been overcharged on student loans
- Washington, D.C…. war zone for a day
- Frisbee sized snowflakes?
- Fox News, fair and… not relevant
- Leo takes on peace in the Middle East
Quotes O’ the Day
“There is always more misery among the lower classes than there is humanity in the higher.” ~ Victor Hugo

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Thursday, March 15, 2007

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

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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Daily Briefing - 3/13/07: Charlie Crist, Jeffrey Sachs, Evangelicals, and Global Warming!

An interesting piece in the New York Times outlining concern over An Inconvenient Truth. Interesting perhaps because it is misleading, so says David Roberts of Grist. I pretty much agree.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/13/07
601 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Florida Governor Crist (R-FL) joins the ranks in the fight against global warming
- Hey, if Jeffrey Sachs says so…
- Some scientists still aren’t sold
o Grist’s David Roberts and Sierra Club’s Carl Pope aren’t overly impressed with this piece of journalism… Roberts hammers it.
- Evangelicals slam U.S. on torture and take a stand on global warming
- Ontario’s boreal forecast critical in fight
- The Southern Illinois: Only a Carbon Tax Can Stop Global Warming
- Xinhua: 1987 pact slowed warming
- An Inconvenient Truth hits the small screen
- BBC’s climate challenge
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Prosecutor firings had genesis in the White House
o Democrats want an explanation
- GOP voters voice anxiety
- Sen. Coleman leads Franken in early poll
- House republicans protest use of room in Capitol by Muslim group
- Meehan to leave House in July
Potential ‘08ers…
- Obama (the moment for this messenger), Hagel (the waiting game), Obama v. Hagel (William Arkin’s dream), McCain (won’t attend Club for Growth), Clinton (nabs some lobbyists), Obama again (Sharpton didn’t like his support of Lieberman), Richardson (bans cockfighting in NM), Obama again again (wife Michelle steps up role), Giuliani (he likes firefighters), McCain again (the people from Club for Growth aren’t too happy with him), Gingrich (will a confession help?), Edwards (takes Manhattan), Romney (so does Mitt), Giuliani again (how pure does he have to be?)
- New York loads up February 5th
Other News from the Media
- Where wilderness meets wildlife in Florida
- Rainforests need the dry season
- Judge stops sale of genetically manufactured alfalfa
- Chemicals may play role in rise of obesity
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix: Why Drudge matters
- The Caucus: Politics and YouTube
- MYDD straw poll results
- Media Matters: Sunday talk shows lean conservative
- Politico: How the netroots killed the Fox debate
- Grist:
o Let’s Call the Coal Thing Off
o Sustainable development in today’s job market
o A new way to think about ethanol
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Viacom sues YouTube over copyrights
- No e-mail Fridays?! Gasp, the horror!!!!
- Rachel McAdams, an environmentalist I’m a fan of
Quotes O’ the Day
"I am persuaded that global climate change is one of the most important issues that we will face in this century," ~Gov. Crist (R-FL)

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