Daily Briefing

A global warming accord with prominent U.S. politicians signed on to it? I dunno... is it as cool as Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream from Ben & Jerry's?

MW

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Daily Briefing – 2/16/07
626 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Global lawmakers sign a new accord
o Also referred to as a post-Kyoto climate pact
- Record for hottest January isn’t broken… it’s smashed
o The Daffodil Delusion: Sensationalizing global warming with the current weather
- Scientists flex political muscles
- Mongabay: Americans believe in global warming but don’t want to make changes
- Democratic Wisconsin legislators offer a bill proposing mandatory emissions cuts
o There are still skeptics, though
- Is it about being green or saving the planet?
- Reigniting a row?
- Bruce Friedrich: Going vegan cuts greenhouse gases
- Consulting group offers employees incentives to fight global warming
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Working on Saturday?!? Goodness gracious!
- New Congress, new lobbyists
- The DCCC releases its Frontline
Potential ‘08ers…
- Obama (on the “blackness” question), Dodd (the banker’s candidate), Vilsack (strong on energy), Clinton (on global warming), Obama again (Lowry on Obama), Giuliani (running the numbers), Gore (still waffling about a run?), Romney (fundraising prowess), Brownback (leading the field… in missed votes)
- Problems with primary front-loading
- Why is it starting so early?
Other News from the Media
- And what about mass transit
- Big lakes under Antarctic ice
- If you have markets, why do you need subsidies?
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix has its Friday Senate Line
- MYDD: Support for McCain and Giuliani dropping?
- Big industry warms up to global warming fight?
- Grist:
o Live Earth!
o Big biz jumping on the bandwagon
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Oh, no! Even Ricky Martin has turned against him!
- Happy Birthday, “dear leader”
- Scarlett Johansson, Harvard Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year
- Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream
Quotes O’ the Day
“No matter what side of the argument you are on, you always find people on your side that you wish were on the other.” ~ Jascha Heifetz

Daily Briefing - 2/15/07

We are welcomed with a glut of global warming articles today. Not the least of which is lead by a group consisting of U.S. Senators, corporate moguls, and others publicly urging the U.S. to take the lead in fighting global warming. This follows the sage advice Sir Nicholas Stern gave the Senate Energy Committee on Tuesday, saying that China and India are moving in the right direction but leadership from the U.S. will push them further.

Other articles include an interesting analysis from the MIT Technology Review on the progress we are making in measuring uncertainty in climate change, Al Gore announcing a concert series of mammoth proportions, and Inuits angry that their way of life has been destroyed thanks to global warming.

All that and more in the briefing...

MW

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Daily Briefing – 2/15/07
627 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Senators, moguls, and policy experts urge U.S. to lead
o Also from The Hindu, MSNBC
- The debate is shifting, as skeptics are finding promoting their skepticism harder
- Climate change’s cold economics
- It’s all about energy
- MIT Technology Review: Measuring the uncertainty of climate change
- Study questions prospects for much lower emissions
- Blair looking to build consensus on climate change
- Canada’s House backs steep emissions cuts
- Gore to announce concert series today
- Inuits accuse US of destroying their way of life
- The left prefers hot air over debate
- Some lovely snark (I sure hope it is snark) from Human Events
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Robert Novak: A Republican Lack of Will
- Democrats sizing up Castle’s seat in ‘08
- Al Franken to take on Senator Coleman
o Here’s his announcement video
- Rep. Davis throws hat in Virginia Senate race
Potential ‘08ers…
- Hunter (George Will says he’s a long shot), Obama (has a backer in Gov. Kaine), Clinton (David Brooks says there’s no need to apologize), Giuliani (removing any lingering doubts), McCain (leading the chase for Senate support), Edwards (would cap troop spending), Romney (claiming outsider status), Giuliani again (his new social conservativism)
- Jonah Goldberg: Maybe a Democrat Should Win
- David Broder: Where candidates start
- GOP hopes to catch a wave in California
Other News from the Media
- Oil lobbyist buys home with Justice Dept. official months before being granted leeway on back fines
- Green changes sweeping the B.C. province
- Understanding the China energy market
…and the Blogosphere
- National Journal’s White House 2008 Rankings
- Mother Jones: What’s with the love affair with cars
- MYDD has a democratic straw poll up and running
- Economist: A Freudian approach to climate change
- Grist:
o Convincing people to turn the lights off
o Handicapping West Coast climate policies
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Barchelle? Are you kidding me?
- Ted Stevens: Ban Wikipedia… I had to put this down here because, well, it fits.
- Think you can fall 12,000 feet, hitting the ground at 80mph and live? Well, this guy did.
- Climate skeptic goes on The Daily Show
- Beware the PB&J
- Four more years of Keith Olbermann
- Rush Limbaugh tells Senator Obama to be white
Quotes O’ the Day
"Senator Joseph Lieberman said Tuesday that Congress should consider war-on-terrorism taxes. Or, as they are currently known...taxes." ~ Seth Meyers

Daily Briefing - 2/14/07

It snowed up and down the east coast. That must mean that global warming is a hoax. That's what Stephen Colbert says, at least.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 2/14/07
630 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- McCain and Lieberman: The Turning Point on Global Warming
- Even aggressive action will not stop near-term climate change
- Energy CEOs encourage emissions caps
- Congress urged to act fast by economists
o Also from Fox News
- NASA: Warmer future brings more droughts
- Subjecting science to politics
- Blair, Merkel call for summit
- Groups sue to protect walrus and polar bears
- Catholic Online: Time to act
- Boston-based group targets firms
o Environmentalist shareholders criticize 10 firms
- Science and religion unite
- Boxer commends U.S. CAP executives
- Gov. Corzine wants big changes in NJ to attack global warming
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA) dies
- Trouble for DC representation?
- Senate Democrats introduce “Restoring the Constitution Act”
Potential ‘08ers…
- Romney (he’s in), Romney again (oh that tricky Mormon question), Edwards (second controversial blogger quits), Clinton (seeing the ghost of Ed Muskie), Obama (in vogue), Clinton again (Rove fears her), Giuliani (assessing his flaws… back in ’93), Giuliani again (stumping in California), Vilsack (hammering out an energy policy), McCain (won’t announce on 3/12), Gingrich (here he comes), McCain again (courting Christian conservatives), Obama again (ideas finally getting some air time)
- The perils of celebrity campaigns
- InTrade; Odds are, they’ll know the winner
- GOP debate at the Reagan library on May 3rd
Other News from the Media
- Agriculture Department violates law in seed case
- Companies pressed to define green policies
- Vaquita porpoise facing extinction
- Popular Mechanic: The best in green design
…and the Blogosphere
- The Caucus: DSCC will start running ads against Sens. Sununu and Smith on Friday
- TomPaine.com: Energy research for all
- A new blog on greening the US economy, Turning the Ship
- Grist:
o The $10,000 question
o Not a fan of 24
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Chrysler cutting 13,000 jobs in North America
- English Springer Spaniel wins Best in Show at Westminster
- .Kansas Board of Education throws out standards that are hostile to evolution
Quotes O’ the Day
“I am not young enough to know everything.” ~Oscar Wilde

Stern Hearing on the Economics of Global Warming

In a genial and business-like setting, the Senate Energy Committee dealt with Sir Nicholas Stern’s, Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change yesterday morning. Much of the controversy over the report stems from Stern’s supposed loose usage of the discount rate, which detractors say inflates the potential cost of inaction. These calculations as well as a few other controversial ones were not a focus of the hearing. In fact the other two panelists, Henry Jacoby, Ph.D from MIT and Gary Yohe, Ph.D of Wesleyan, said that these controversies do not detract from the need to address climate change. Yohe even said that the “economics tell us unambiguously that it is time to act,” and Jacoby, despite openly questioning some of Stern’s calculations in his opening statement, stated that he agrees with the general tenets of Sir Stern’s report.

The Senatorial representation was professional and inquisitive. Senator Domenici (R-NM) pressed Stern with regards to action by China and India, saying that inaction by them makes action by us nearly worthless. Stern noted that they are moving in the right direction, but need guidance from the U.S. as well as the EU. Domenici openly called for worldwide cooperation in R&D on clean technologies (specifically on clean coal, but also mentioning solar and biofuels), saying that billions of dollars from countries around the world should be invested in this. He also brought up the point of adaptation, questioning whether there is anything we can do to stop climate change, or that changes are already inevitable. We should be focusing on adaptation.

Senators Dorgan (D-ND) and Murkowski (R-AK) followed on two of Domenici’s concerns. Dorgan pressed Stern on China and India and how they would handle the market pressures resulting from regulation-induced increasing labor and production costs. Murkowski seconded the call for adaptation discussions. The panelists also agreed to adaptation. Stern referred to it as adaptive risk-management.

Towards the end of questioning the focus shifted to mitigation approaches. Senators Corker (R-TN) and Salazar (D-CO asked the panel their preferred policy methods. All three panelists voiced support for use of taxes, passively decrying the taboo stature of carbon and gas taxes. Yohe called for mostly taxes, worrying about the volatility of prices in a cap-and-trade market. Jacoby also preferred taxes to cap-and-trade, but did not worry as much about volatility as he said safety valves and banking systems can be used to effectively control the volatility. Stern believes in a comprehensive approach, employing both taxes and cap-and-trade to different areas of the market.

All the Senators praised Sir Stern’s report. The only Senator that had any hint of Inhofe-esque talking point skepticism was Senator Thomas (R-WY) who only asked two questions and immediately left.

Daily Briefing - 2/12/07

Let's just say that this briefing involves dinosaur flatulence...

MW

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Daily Briefing – 2/12/07
630 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- An Administration about-face
o Changing their tune?
- Stop arguing and start planning
- The debate continues
- Addressing global warming will require a change on all fronts
- Is the policy climate changing?
- Cosmic Rays could be a cause, so says a Danish researcher
- More certainty
- Follow the money?
- AEI’s retort
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Senator Johnson recovering
- The House anti-surge resolution
Potential ‘08ers…
- Obama (it’s official), Clinton (Hollywood’s not sold), Obama again (Australian PM isn’t a fan), Giuliani (praises Bush), McCain (tapping the cash he once sought to limit), Edwards (is this the real one?), Romney (the flip-side of Kerry?)
- Some pundits think it’s a sure thing
Other News from the Media
- Japanese whaling ship vs. protest boat
- EPA toughens benzene emissions standards
- Green weddings?
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix’s Governor Line
- Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin
- Instapundit: Pelosi is keeping nuclear energy on the table
- MYDD: How Clinton could defuse her weakness on Iraq
- Grist:
o With Kirsten Berry, President of BirdPAC
o Musicians and artists Stepping It Up
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Harvard names first female president
- 11 feet of snow in NY?!?!
- Bear visits New Jersey
- Rep. Rohrabacher: Global warming may have been caused by dinosaur flatulence
Quotes O’ the Day
I have two daughters that are tree huggers and two granddaughters that are worse tree huggers and they're all over their grandfather all the time.” ~Sen. John Warner R-VA, on his increased interest in global warming
“We don’t know what those other cycles were caused by in the past. Could be dinosaur flatulence, you know, or who knows?” ~Rep. Dana Rohrabacher R-CA, on the cause of previous warming cycles