The Briefing - 6/11/07: G8, NASCAR, and Naked Protesters

A big thank you goes out to Bettina, our new intern, for helping compile a good chunk of The Briefing! It's been out of commission for a while, but we're back and back for good. Boo ya.

MW

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The Briefing – 6/11/07
511 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Politics, Politicians, Elections, and Electoral Mayhem
The (supposedly) Presidential ’08 Crowd
- McCain: Bush deserves credit; Defends immigration stance;
- Romney: Has some Mormons wary;
- Thompson, Fred: Heads west; George Will’s thoughts;
- Clinton: The anti-Clinton machine resurfaces; What’s her sport?
- Obama: Launches massive door-to-door effort;
- Bloomberg: Bob Shrum (yikes) offers some analysis;
- Giuliani: Can he win the nomination?;
- Richardson: Would leave no troops in Iraq
Senatorial Shenanigans
- Sen. Johnson (D-SD) expected to return to work
Our Very Own House of Commons
The Environment and Elections
- The Clinton/Obama “energy plan” – pandering like no other!
- ’08 candidates are hot for global warming (I give the credit to Bettina for that line)
o Here’s a similar article from NRP
o They also give us a nice little run-down on their global warming positions
Environmental Issues People Really Should Care about in the News
- NASA leader regrets global warming comments
- G8: US plans to consider European plan. Wow, that’s a strong statement.
o Financial firms do some prodding of their own
o UN Sec-Gen praised the progress
- Will ethanol lead to food shortages?
- Can NASCAR go green?
o Formula One is trying it…
- Bush’s climate plan? Ehh, not so impressive… and the world continues to pass us
o Not to mention US Cities
- Clinton (BILL) promotes green jobs
- Measure global warming from space? Not under the Bush Administration
- New laws poke a hole in the Clean Water Act
- Green U. -- Is that anything like P.C.U., but with a carbon calculator?
- Mayor Bloomberg works with NYC Universities to cut their carbon emissions
- Taskforce created to cut “cyber warming”
- Congress is primed an pumped for a showdown
- Turkey waste? Promising, but that’s gotta stink
- Sea Lions hit by high levels of acid poison in California
…oh that pesky Blogosphere
- The Daily Green: Republican debate outpaces Democrats on the environment… what exactly did they have to show for all that time they used?
- The Fix: Will religion affect your vote?
- MYDD: Dem nomination at a glance
- DailyKos: Republicans losing grip on rural areas?
- Grist:
o Slow food fight
o Green sports stars
o Wind energy hits Alaska
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Nothing like naked protesters to make you turn the other way
- Have you “storm-proofed” your dog?
- Did a comet kill the Wooly Mammoth?
- Oooh boy, I guess it wasn’t that good
- If Larry Flynt is involved, it has to be classy
Quotes O’ the Day
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” ~ E. E. Cummings

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

Daily Briefing - 3/27/07: 83% of Americans, India, Local Climates, and Global Warming

83% OF AMERICANS...

What percentage of our politicians?

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/27/07
587 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Scientific American: 83% of Americans say global warming is a serious problem
- British economists: India must mitigate climate change
- Driving the message
- Heat invades cool nights over Arizona desert
- Top EU energy official comes to Washington
- Local climates at risk… may create novel climates or eliminate some altogether
- U.S. magazines going green
- A rush for riches in the Arctic
- Laurie David and Sheryl Crow hit the road on the Stop Global Warming College Tour
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Tony Snow’s cancer has returned
- Webb aide mistakenly tries to take gun into Senate building
- Republicans soften stance on pullout message
- Poll backs Attorney General investigation
Potential ‘08ers…
- Obama (his back story), Clinton (cultivating the military), Giuliani (wooing anti-Hillary crowd), Clinton again (takes on White House), Edwards (Elizabeth is buoyed by supporters), Edwards again (gains support as he remains in the race), Romney Paying off students), Romney and McCain (touring Texas), Thompson, Fred (gaining support in the House), McCain (traveling through SC)
Other News from the Media
- You, too, can be a banker to the poor
- Taking green up a notch
- Mr. Puck’s good idea
- Global boom in coal power… and emissions
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix: The Case Against Fred Thompson
- The Caucus: Couric criticized for Edwards interview
- Huffington Post: Science for Sale
- MYDD: As Dems’ Senate field expands, GOP admits concern
- The Man in Seat 61: Traveling without flying
- Tell your clean energy story, get in Rep. Jay Inslee’s book!
- Grist:
o Investing in wind
o As farms succumb to chemical factories, bullets fly
o Conservatives and global warming
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Cool, robot worms
- Rudy gets shunned by Mets fans
- A solar powered Wii
Quotes O’ the Day
"The planet has a fever. If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don't say 'Well, I read a science-fiction novel that told me it's not a problem.' If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame-retardant. You take action.” ~ Al Gore, during Congressional testimony