Wednesday, May 16, 2007

The Briefing - 5/16/07: A Republican Debate, Melting Antarctic Ice, and WRDA

Well, a majority of the Senate voted for the first global warming bill this session. Too bad they needed 60 to pass it, sigh...

MW

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The Briefing – 5/16/07
537 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
- The Republicans Crowd: Debate!... How about the winners and losers?
- Brownback: His Darfur stand
- Giuliani: Saw an opening and took it; walking the pro-choice tightrope; the rise that vexes Republicans
- Clinton: Clash of the politics; widens lead in latest poll
- McCain: Swipes at Romney
- Romney: Nailed by anti-Mormon campaign
- Edwards: Policies offer benefits to women
- Tweezerman: That’s right, Tweezerman
Senatorial Shenanigans
- Oregon: Blumenauer will not challenge Smith
Our Very Own House of Commons
The Environment and Elections

Environmental Issues People Really Should Care about in the News
- Analysis finds large Antarctic ice has melted
- Senate presses to pass WRDA
o But sadly reject an amendment requiring the Corps to consider climate change
- Scientists backing off theory of a cooler Europe
- I’ve always wanted my very own carbon calculator
o Zerofootprint.net
- NYT: A Fresh Start on Energy
- Toyota cutting hybrid costs, says every one of their cars by 2020 will be a hybrid
- Environmental groups join forces
- Defenders likes Chairman Rahall’s Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act
…oh that pesky Blogosphere
- The Fix and The Caucus offer analysis and liveblogging of the debate
- DailyKos: Just no normal weather anymore
- TPM: Why no media coverage of Rudy’s farm gaffe?
- National Review: Bush’s ethanol plan is almost entirely bad
- Grist:
o An interview with Dr. James Hansen
o Solar’s inevitable dominance
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Jerry Falwell passes away
- Hahahaha. Fantastic.
- Hope for bald men everywhere
- Well, I think I’m pretty entertaining, but I guess not entertaining enough… sigh
- Treadmill desks?
- Neato.
- Want to get healthy? Exercise 72 minutes… per week?
Quotes O’ the Day
“Ask yourself whether you are happy and you cease to be so.” ~ John Stuart Mill

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Daily Briefing - 4/18/07: WRDA, UN Security Council, Chimps, and Global Warming

WRDA heads to the floor...

MW

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Daily Briefing – 4/18/07
565 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- UN Security Council hits impasse over debate on global warming
- Read this carefully: The increase in greenhouse gas emissions have slowly begun to decrease
o U.S. greenhouse gases increased over the last 15 years
- The Guardian: There is no doubt that global warming is a security threat to us all
- Side effect of global warming, thanks to wind shears, might weaken hurricanes
- Sen. Bernie Sanders: We Must Act Now
- Sen. Joe Lieberman sets timeline for climate bill
- NJ Senate panel looks at ways to cut emissions
- Bad, bad pun à An Inconvenient Tooth: Food is a major contributor
- Put the market to work
- Africa warned on climate change
Water Resources Development Act
- WRDA heads to the House floor
- Dallas Morning News: Our Future is on the Line
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- U.S. House readies for vote on D.C. seat
- Supreme Court upholds partial birth abortion ban
- Senate ethics Committee is looking into Sen. Domenci’s dealings in the AG kerfuffle
- Barney’s not so radical
Potential ‘08ers…
- Obama (Tom Friedman is impressed by him), Clinton (using some pork in her presidential push), Obama again (big army), Edwards (lots of funding from lawyers), Clinton again (gets endorsement from anti-war Congressman), Tancredo (can’t we wait a little while to split hairs to make political points??? UGH.), Paul (UGH, see previous statement), McCain (GOP ought to be the party of life), Thompson, Tommy (on the SCOTUS abortion decision), Romney (wealth cannot be matched), McCain again (starts throwing some mud at other GOP candidates, discreetly), Giuliani (leads SC fundraising), Thompson, Fred (conservatives boosting him to run)
Other News from the Media
- A day of mourning
- Tips for living environmentally friendly
- Reworked panel adopts a get-tough attitude on New Orleans levee repairs
- E.P.A. going greener
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix: Parsing the polls on gun control
- National Journal: ’08 Race rankings for the Democrats
- TomPaine: Get aggressive on global warming
- Politico: Congress barely flinches
- The Caucus: Labor sets candidate forum dates
- RCP on the Dem Primary: Netroots v. National
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Maybe he came for the pizza…
- Chimps more evolved than humans… As the examples rush through my head, I don’t have any inclination to disagree
- Chappelle pulls record long stand-up
Quotes O’ the Day
“I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

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Friday, April 13, 2007

Daily Briefing - 4/13/07: Army Corps, Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Onion, and Global Warming

Mind your luck today.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 4/13/07
570 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Army Corps has to face global warming
- US faces change
- Canadian Environment Minister comes to US seeking a global effort
- Lloyd’s of London: Prepare for serious climate change
- Fight global warming, use a clothesline
- Australian PM Howard refuses climate change plan
- The Economist on cutting down trees
- Virginia leads DC metro region in growth of greenhouse gas emissions. Local officials say that the removal of George Allen from the public sector should show an immediate decrease…
o U.S. PIRG drops state by state report
- Florida lawmakers move expansive energy plan forward
- Warming is serious, say Californians
o Arnold: From Governor to green giant though some question his credentials
- Holmen Courier: Action Needed
- Mayor Menino (D-Boston) proposes cut in greenhouse gas emissions
- Snow won’t dampen Step It Up rallies in Michigan
- NWF’s Melinda Hughes goes to Clarion
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Things are getting a bit mysterious with all this email deleting
- Saying no to Fox News
- Gov. Corzine (D-NJ) in critical/stable condition after car crash
- Umm, Senator Byrd may have lost it
Potential ‘08ers…
- Romney (showing signs of life in SC), Giuliani (big apple baggage?), McCain (jeez, he can’t be happy about that title), Gilmore (GOP needs a true conservative), Clinton (proposes rebuilding government), Giuliani again (says he can take Hillary), Romney again (plays down role in health law), Huckabee (goes to Utah), Kucinich (yes, he’s still around), Obama (building the money machine), Edwards (McCain is dead wrong), Giuliani again again (scrutiny finds him), Obama again (backed by Rep. Adam Smith),
- Politico’s campaign notebook
- Dems urge Shaheen to challenge Sununu
Other News from the Media
- 16 ideas for the planet, including this one from the venerable Jerome Ringo
- FEMA at it again
- A plan to curb watershed pollution of the Chesapeake Bay
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix’s Friday Senate Line
- Grist:
o An interview with Jay Inslee
o US consumerism through China and Brazil
o US soccer team goes carbon neutral
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Farewell, Kurt Vonnegut
- THE ONION comes to DC
- With regard to the Imus debacle, Jason Whitlock throws it down
- A small gesture grows into a movement to pay respect to Jackie Robinson
- OK so let me get this straight… humans came from monkeys and chickens came from dinosaurs??? I think these scientists are messing with us.
- Senator George Allen, can you explain this for us?
Quotes O’ the Day
"Climate change, other than the war in Iraq ... is the most important thing we can work on," ~ Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

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Monday, April 02, 2007

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

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