Former Vice President Al Gore calls it "the most important environmental vote of this generation." President Obama says it would "open the door to a better future for this nation." Legislation that caps global warming pollution and builds a clean energy future would create millions of new jobs, refuel the U.S. economy and improve the nation's health and security. NRDC experts analyze the action in Congress.
(From the new Arkansas Clean Energy Report, Figure 1: Mean wind density at 100 meters) ". . . Arkansas has the opportunity to build a strong long-term economy on the solid foundation of its bountiful renewable resources." Today we...continued→
On Wednesday, Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, the head of the fourth largest coal company in the nation, said in an interview that "I deny that there is any science that supports global warming." While it baffles me that...continued→
Earlier this week, NRDC's China program director Barbara Finamore was at China's official state guesthouse--the same spot President Nixon stayed when he opened U.S.-China relations in 1972--when U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that the United States and China...continued→
The US Chamber seems to be going to great lengths these days persuade Congress that it really wants to help pass climate legislation. But a very different message is coming through its blogs, tweets and unscripted comments. We think everyone...continued→
We tend to think of climate change as an air pollution problem, or a threat to our atmosphere, but in fact water and especially watery ecosystems (wetlands, mangroves, mountainous cloud forests, and more) will play a major role in...continued→
There are a lot of people in America right now who hear claims on both sides of the climate change debate and aren't sure what to believe. These are some of the people I hope to reach with my...continued→
As President Obama heads to China, it is important to recognize just how much has changed in the past year. For the first time ever, an American president is traveling to Beijing with the issue of climate change at the...continued→
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is hopeful that the December climate conference in Copenhagen will be elevated to the head-of-state level, assuring that the session will receive top-order attention from the world's leaders. He told me that on Tuesday when...continued→
Another Veterans' Day is upon us, a time to reflect on our armed servicemen and women who are stationed around the world to protect us. Many of these brave soldiers, sailors and marines have spent years serving in Afghanistan, Iraq...continued→
The Senate has started debating the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, and in just a few weeks, the United Nations climate meetings in Copenhagen will begin. I have chosen this moment to release my first book, Clean...continued→
Last week, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said, "The green economy is coming. We can either follow or lead." The senator was explaining why he supports the clean energy and climate legislation that is currently before the Senate. His words...continued→
I have been an environmental advocate for more than 35 years. And throughout that time, I have written policy briefs, magazine articles, and blog posts, but never before had I been inspired to write a book. That changed several months...continued→
In a statement released yesterday by its President Keith Bolin, the American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) added its voice to the rapidly growing number of industry groups across the U.S. economy supporting the U.S. Senate's effort to pass comprehensive federal...continued→
Earlier this week, some political theater unfolded during hearings before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. As Chairwoman Boxer prepared to move forward with climate and energy legislation, opponents boycotted the session, claiming they need to do more...continued→
I love the title of Al Gore's new book, Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis. Not only does it broadcast the fact that global warming can be solved, but it also reminds us that the decision to...continued→
Minority members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) followed through on their threat to boycott the scheduled markup of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S.1733) today, demanding more analysis of the bill before they...continued→
In a previous post, I asked why we don't consider the federal transportation bill a major energy bill. Leaving that question aside, on Friday, Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer introduced a bill that couldn't be mistaken for anything else:...continued→
One of the chief talking points of opponents of US clean energy and climate legislation is the claim that the bills working their way through Congress would have little impact on global warming. Taking US action in isolation, they claim...continued→
This is a big week in Washington for clean energy legislation. Marathon hearings are taking place in the U.S. Senate. Yesterday, President Obama announced the largest investment in energy grid technology in U.S. history. And Vice President Biden let us...continued→
Last Friday EPA released its analysis of S.1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (CEJAPA), which will be the subject of marathon legislative hearings this week. EPA found that, like the ACES bill that passed the House in...continued→
Last Friday, Senators Kerry and Boxer released a more detailed draft of the clean energy and climate legislation they introduced last month. This new version brings welcome clarity and offers an excellent starting point for Senate Environment and Public Works...continued→
A group of prominent ecologists and climate scientists have an important article coming out in tomorrow's issue of Science, in which they call for "fixing a critical climate accounting error." The error is ignoring a significant source of global warming pollution...continued→
Yesterday a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss helping the "world's most vulnerable nations" to respond to the droughts, floods and refugees created by climate change. In general, the Senators and witnesses agreed that the US should...continued→
I have read plenty of briefings about the national security risks posed by climate change, but it is far more powerful to hear about them from people who have seen the grave consequences of our oil dependence first hand: veterans...continued→
In testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee yesterday, director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Douglas W. Elmendorf, testified that climate change legislation passed by the House last June (the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES),...continued→
I recently spent two days at MIT talking with students about global warming, and it was one of the most inspiring things I have done in awhile. I loved hearing how fired up these young people are to invent the...continued→
It's Blog Action Day today - an event that brings together more than 6,900 bloggers to take online action on global warming. This is the largest single social action event on the web and NRDC is a partner. As I was...continued→
The game changed on Sunday. The New York Times op-ed written by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator John Kerry calling for clean energy and climate legislation transformed the debate from "maybe some time in the next year or...continued→
Sunday's New York Times Op-Ed by Senators John Kerry (D-Ma) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) begins: CONVENTIONAL wisdom suggests that the prospect of Congress passing a comprehensive climate change bill soon is rapidly approaching zero. ...However, we refuse to accept the...continued→
For the second time in three years, the Nobel Peace Prize has highlighted the importance of U.S. leadership in curbing global climate change. The message is unmistakable: our friends and allies around the world are counting on us to lead,...continued→
On September 30th Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer introduced the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. This important step toward enacting effective and sustainable climate and energy policy will help power our economic recovery by investing in clean...continued→
A surprise headline from NY Times Green Inc. Blog earlier this week: "Florida Solar Group Backs Offshore Drilling" Say what? In a release last week, the Florida branch of the Solar Energy Industries Association [FL SEIA] announced its support for...continued→
Today, NRDC released the report, "A Clean Energy Economy for Indiana: Analysis of the Rural Economic Development Potential of Renewable Resources". The report shows that Indiana is poised for a major clean energy job creation boom, which would be...continued→
I still remember my first visit to a national park. I was nine years old, and my family traveled to the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. For a child from Northern New Jersey, it was a revelation. I was stunned by...continued→
Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer have introduced a "green" price collar on carbon under their draft climate bill that should be applauded by emitters and environmentalists alike. A green price collar that will; 1) maintain the integrity of the...continued→
The typhoon Ketsana is pouring down on Bangkok this morning as I ready myself for day four of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings. Representatives of countries and hundreds of civil society organizations will continue to meet...continued→
In a previous post I argued that the fundamental test for any climate and energy bill is the total reduction in global warming pollution it will achieve. The ACES bill passed by the House in June would reduce emissions by...continued→
Climate Change is the greatest threat our national parks have ever faced. That's the conclusion of a new report we're releasing today, along with the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization. National Parks in Peril highlights the 25 national parks most at...continued→
Senators Boxer and Kerry have just released a strong bill that will help America curb climate change and strengthen our economy. The bill, called the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, is the right step at the right time....continued→
I was on Capitol Hill yesterday, with my dear friend Sigourney Weaver and Senator Lautenberg, to do a screening of NRDC's new film Acid Test, and to talk about how to protect our oceans from carbon pollution. The timing was just right. We knew that on...continued→
On my commute on the NYC subway this morning (which by the way I discovered is decreasing in carbon intensity), I came across this New York Times story, "Alternative Energy Projects Stumble on a Need for Water" by Todd Woody...continued→
Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer kicked off the Senate's effort to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation today by introducing the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. The Environment and Public Works Committee, which Sen. Boxer chairs, is...continued→
Move over healthcare and make room for legislation to tackle the climate crisis. Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer just introduced a comprehensive clean energy and climate plan: the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act. I wholeheartedly agree with President...continued→
I couldn't help wonder what kind of stories the Chamber hoped to generate with the statement it issued earlier today. So I leaned back, closed my eyes, and used my imagination: US Chamber Emerges as Unlikely Hero for Climate Protection;...continued→
As Senators Kerry and Boxer prepare to introduce a comprehensive clean energy and climate protection bill in the Senate, a new analysis by researchers at UC Berkeley confirms that similar legislation can strengthen our economy and create jobs. The new study...continued→
Bjorn Lomborg, a long time climate skeptic, published an article yesterday in the Washington Post, asserting that reducing carbon emissions would cost the world 40 times more than any benefits we could expect to get. He claims his argument is...continued→
Given the link from Andrew Sullivan, I wanted to address a couple additional points in Jim Manzi's recent post on climate change. He and I had exchanged perspectives on the topic a few months back, and it appears we may...continued→
My good friend and narrator of NRDC's new documentary on ocean acidification, actress Sigourney Weaver, joined me to co-write my blog today to discuss our screening of the film on Capitol Hill, as the Senate prepares to take up the...continued→
There has been a lot of attention paid to PG&E, PNM Resources, Nike and Johnson & Johnson for their public condemnation of the US Chamber position on climate change and their support for federal policy to promote clean energy and...continued→
The G-20 meeting will conclude later today here in Pittsburgh, but we can say already that for climate policy, this has not been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon. Here's my highlight reel for the week: Court rings bell on...continued→
The G20 Summit has arrived in Pittsburgh on the heels of the Climate Summit in New York. These back-to-back meetings on the world's climate and the world's economy signify that protecting the planet has economic dimensions. So let's ask the question that's on...continued→
A new report released by Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions adds to a growing body of analysis, including a recent study by USDA, which shows how U.S. farmers are well-positioned to gain from clean energy and climate...continued→
"Unease is no excuse for inaction." These were President Obama's words at the United Nations in his most significant speech on climate change since taking office, setting the tone for a bold vision that will hold the U.S.-- and...continued→
Hot News: PG&E is quitting the US Chamber of Commerce over the business federation's "extreme position on climate change." Coming just days after questions about potential conflicts of interest posed by Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue's service to Union...continued→
Last week I raised questions about US Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue's potential conflict of interest on the subject of climate change because of his ties to giant coal transporter Union Pacific Railroad (UNP), which opposed the American Clean...continued→
Climate Week has begun, and as foreign dignitaries descend on the United Nations and the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting, I think most of the world's nations will be singing a shared refrain: it is time for the United States...continued→
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released an analysis on Sept 17. that confirms a modest short-term cost for comprehensive clean energy legislation - around $160 per household per year - or roughly 43 cents per household per day by 2020....continued→
It really should come as no surprise that clean energy legislation (America's Clean Energy and Security Act, or ACES), which was passed by the House and now is being considered in the Senate, will be good for our economy. The...continued→
NRDC released the results of its year-long economic analysis of clean energy and climate protection legislation today. A summary of our main findings can be found here but I'd like to highlight some specific findings on the role of offsets....continued→
Earlier today NRDC released a Policy Brief summarizing economic analysis of clean energy and climate protection legislation that we have been working on for more than a year. We know that the Senate debate on this legislation will turn largely...continued→
Climate Bill Cost Claims: "Correspondent" Falls Down on Job It seems that more and more opponents to action on clean energy and climate protection are succumbing to a virus more virulent than swine flu: the inability to tell the truth...continued→
Why is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on such a different page from its major members when it comes to climate change legislation? Last spring we raised the question of who the US Chamber of Commerce is really representing when...continued→
Senators returned from their August recess with lots of ideas about how they would like to change the comprehensive clean energy and climate protection bill the House passed in June. This is a normal, and in many respects, healthy part...continued→
Military veterans and former Sen John Warner got a an unwelcome surprise yesterday when they gathered at the White House to discuss their concerns about national security threats related to climate change. It turns more of their fellow veterans have...continued→
America has a historic opportunity to lead the world in an energy transformation, create millions of clean energy jobs, and protect itself from dangerous dependence on foreign oil, all while protecting the planet from the most dangerous impacts of global...continued→
Amidst all the fake opposition to clean energy, some real people have been stepping forward to urge the US Congress to move forward on clean energy. One day after an enthusiastic rally in Gary IN, at which NRDC President Frances...continued→
Congress has returned to work on one of the most ambitious legislative agendas we have seen in years. What does this mean for people who support clean energy and climate legislation? It means the urgency has never been greater. Three...continued→
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) are at it again, this time running full throttle scare ads across the country (click here for an example) against the American Clean Energy and Security...continued→
Well, my comments in a New York Times piece about natural gas have certainly provoked a lot of reaction, including some who thought I was arguing that coal is a better fuel from a climate standpoint than natural gas. Not...continued→
Congress has returned to work on one of the most ambitious legislative agendas we have seen in years. What does this mean for people who support clean energy and climate legislation? It means the urgency has never been greater. Three...continued→
On Tuesday afternoon, I traveled through the ailing industrial parks of Gary, Indiana to talk with steelworkers in a large union hall. I had come to attend the Made in America rally and to hear union leaders and EPA Administrator...continued→
For the more than two decades I have been working to clean up our nation's beaches and waterways, the Clean Water Act has been the primary tool of my trade. But this year, I have a new solution to turn...continued→
This week, the Made in America tour heads to Gary, Indiana, where workers will rally in support of green jobs and climate legislation. These men and women recognize that Gary's ailing steel plants can be revived by producing parts for...continued→
The Washington Post is reporting this morning that according to joint poll conducted with ABC News, a majority of Americans support Obama's and Congress' efforts to overhaul US energy policy, and that support includes passage of comprehensive climate and energy...continued→
Having recently returned from the extensive tar sands oil fields of Alberta, I was alarmed to learn that our State Department just approved a new pipeline for funneling tar sands fuel straight into the U.S. Midwest. This decision locks us...continued→
In the past few weeks, we have heard a great deal about the naysayers who hijack town hall meetings, offering fear mongering and intimidation but no real solutions for our nation's problems. Starting today, we will begin to hear about...continued→
Somehow it's fitting that Houston -- home to the Astrodome, where the Astros used to play baseball -- would be the latest place that we'd find Astroturf. We had a double-header today with two more revelations about phony acts designed to spread fear around...continued→
President Obama heads Saturday to Yellowstone National Park, where he and his family join the millions of Americans who thrill each year to the sulfureous steam of Old Faithful, the wild domains of bison and elk and the summer splendor...continued→
I had been looking forward to the August Congressional recess as a time to engage with lawmakers about the upcoming clean energy legislation and the economic opportunities it would unleash. After all, when representatives are in their home states, they...continued→
A new report to be released later this month by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is expected to reveal that contrary to their previous findings, speculators were in fact to blame for generating a "significant" amount of the...continued→
Today the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) released a "new" economic analysis claiming disastrous economic impacts of climate protection legislation. It's a story they've repeated over and over, against virtually every piece...continued→
Last summer, when I traveled through the Arctic Ocean as part of the Aspen Commission on Arctic Climate Change, I was moved by the beauty of the sea, from its steel gray waters to its haunting blue sea ice. As...continued→
Vegas is an ironic place to have a clean energy summit. There is nothing green about this concrete oasis in the desert. No vegetation, no water, no way to get here other than burning copious amounts of fossil fuel. (On...continued→
I recently presented at the 2009 Florida Farm to Fuel® Summit (airing on the Florida Channel this Thu, Aug 13 at 8 AM) with the message that bio-energy development - including biofuels and biomass, which is potentially very abundant...continued→
The U.S. military, intelligence and diplomatic communities are to be commended for their forward-leaning approach to viewing global warming as a national security threat, as documented in Sunday's New York Times. These dedicated professionals have clearly grasped the ways climate...continued→
As you know by now, the coal trade group that paid lobbyists who forged letters in opposition to the clean energy bill now before Congress have blamed the whole mess on an unnamed (and very convenient!) temporary worker. It's the...continued→
Last week, climate bill opponents were caught red handed forging letters in order to whip up public opposition to green-jobs legislation now in Congress. This week, we were reminded that there is more than one kind of forgery when it...continued→
Last week the New York Times ran a story in which the headline said it all: "New Energy Injects Hope in a Colorado Steel Town." It described how, in a time of record unemployment, steelworkers in Pueblo are finding new...continued→
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) released today an analysis of the economic impact of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA). Once again, the news is good, confirming what we've learned from recent studies by the Environmental Protection Agency...continued→
Rachel Maddow covered the ACCCE letter forgery last night in a segment that also featured an interview with Virginia Rep. Tom Periello, one of the targets of the coal-industry funded letter scandal, notes Appalachian Voices. Worth watching for the recap of...continued→
I blogged last month on the deliberate misinformation campaign that the enemies of energy efficiency used to weaken several key policies in ACES, costing us all money. In the last couple weeks several news stories have continued to shine a...continued→
The NAACP has issued a statement condemning the sleaze-tactics of Bonner and Associates. Excerpt: "The NAACP is appalled that an organization like Bonner and Associates would stoop to these depths to deceive Congress. In this case Bonner and Associates are...continued→
Remember that you heard it here first: We warned you in mid July about the right-wing nut groups trying to phony up a backlash against climate legislation pending in Congress. Now, Bonner & Associates - an Astroturf group that manufacturers...continued→
The evidence that opponents of clean energy are using sleazy tactics, fueled by dirty money, is becoming more and more clear each day. Today's big news is reported by the Charlottesville Daily Progress, which reports that opponents of the ACES climate bill hired a...continued→
E&E News is reporting on lobbying and the climate bill, noting that Oil and Gas companies spent $37.7 in lobbying in the 2nd quarter Exxon Mobil spent $13.6 million alone. Environmental groups spent $5.3 million total. Now $37.7 to $5.3...continued→
Last week, the USDA's Office of the Chief Economist published its preliminary analysis of the effect of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) on the U.S. agricultural sector. The conclusion was clear: ACES will help, not hurt, American...continued→
Recycling their flawed May 13th analysis, the Heritage Foundation just released a new memo criticizing the precedent-setting Waxman-Markey Bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES, HR. 2454). Par for the course, the Foundation gets it all wrong: an...continued→
A year ago, I traveled by ship through the Arctic Ocean, seeing the effects of global warming first hand. Now I have come to Winnipeg for a meeting of the Aspen Commission on Arctic Climate Change. As I listen to...continued→
What do Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Grocery Manufacturers Association, the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, and NRDC and nearly 42 other odd bedfellows have in common? We all want sound science rather than sloppy politics to dictate...continued→
So how much did opponents of the federal climate bill really spend in the run-up to the House vote last month? It is usually hard to tell, since the predominant reporting system is meant to capture only expenses incurred to directly...continued→
America is faced with two failing systems: the economy is in turmoil and our climate is in disruption. Each one is critical to our survival, and each one needs to be fixed urgently. The fastest, most cost-effective way to do...continued→
As I've previously blogged, the wing-nuts of the right have been throwing eggs at the climate bill. Then Soon-to-be-Former-Governor Sarah Palin remixed a number of tired talking points about the climate bill. The combination of which prompted an amusing little...continued→
The President and CEO of General Electric, John Krenicki, made a stern set of remarks yesterday before the Senate Energy and Public Works Committee on the need for a clear and strong Renewable Energy Standard in the Climate & Energy...continued→
ACESA will provide billions of dollars to American farmers who, among other things, can lease land for wind turbines, sell biomass waste for bio-energy production, and sell offset credits to help emitting firms comply with the carbon cap. But in...continued→
This blog is structured from: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ljohnson/seven_questions_to_ask_of_any.html 1. Top Line Question: How much larger (than 2008) does this model predict GDP will be in 2030 under an emissions cap (do not accept "how much less GDP is relative to no policy"...continued→
Yesterday's Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee hearing entitled "Economic Opportunities for Agriculture, Forestry Communities, and Others in Reducing Global Warming Pollution" provided another opportunity to take an honest look at the full picture of what ACESA, the House...continued→
It was a surprise when Sarah Palin announced that she would step down as Governor of Alaska. But it isn't so surprising that America's biggest quitter doesn't think Americans are up to the challenge of creating a clean energy economy...continued→
Right now, we are the closest the United States has ever come to confronting the crisis of global warming. The House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, and now the Senate will consider similar legislation. It...continued→
If you feel the ground shaking under your feet that is because the United States is about to be swallowed up into the bowels of Hell as the U.S. Senate takes up climate legislation. Or so Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh,...continued→
The enemies of energy efficiency have unveiled their new tactic to keep you from saving money and energy: they're just going to tell you ridiculous lies and hope you believe them. It seems that because they have had a hard...continued→
The American Clean Energy and Security Act, now before the Senate, is poised to transform the way America produces and uses energy, and in the face of such major changes, Americans are asking what this new law might cost them....continued→
It is vital to enact comprehensive energy and climate legislation this year - to help deliver economic, energy, and climate security. As President Obama has said, the choice is "between a slow decline and renewed prosperity; between the past and...continued→
As the Senate begins to weigh in on the climate debate with its own version of climate bill, the issue of carbon market oversight still remains a major concern to many members. The final bill that passed through the House...continued→
NRDC's David Hawkins is among the experts -- along with Energy Secretary Steven Chu, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack -- scheduled to testify on Tuesday, July 7 before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee....continued→
Today NRDC released, A Clean Energy Economy for Missouri: Analysis of the Rural Economic Development Potential of Renewable Resources, authored by Martin R. Cohen. This forward-looking report highlights the numerous economic and environmental benefits available to all Missourians by...continued→
By passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), or H.R. 2454, the U.S. House of Representatives set the U.S. on a course to create millions of new clean energy jobs and save consumers money on their electric and...continued→
As I savor last Friday's historic House vote to pass clean energy and climate legislation, I can't help but think about last June, when leaders in the Senate tried to pass a groundbreaking climate bill. What has changed since then? ...continued→
Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed a landmark climate and energy bill that would finally begin to address the climate crises and move us towards a rational energy policy in this country. There are many key efficiency provisions in...continued→
On Friday, the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act passed in the House signifying a major step forward for the United States in tackling climate change and building a clean energy economy. The ACES bill provides the funding to...continued→
The House has just passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a bill that would start America down a path toward prosperity, job creation, sustainable energy, and enhanced climate security. This is a historic moment. But work still lies...continued→
Duke University just released an analysis of the impact that ACES will have on global temperature, factoring in the impact that US leadership will have on the rest of the world. As many recognize, the only way to get serious...continued→
The House just passed its first-ever bill designed to unleash clean energy opportunities, create millions of jobs, and combat global warming. This historic vote defied expectations. Back in January, few people believed that six months into a new session and...continued→
Using publicly available data from various agencies, we estimate the number of jobs created, as well as monetary savings from increased energy efficiency in our buildings and automobile fleet, that climate protection brings us. On all fronts, the news is...continued→
The American Clean Energy and Security Act will help spur $150 billion in clean energy investments, which will create 1.7 million good-paying jobs throughout the United States. Clean energy jobs are labor intensive, and clean energy investments create more jobs...continued→
The American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act allocates funding to produce the next generation of clean, fuel-efficient vehicles in the United States, and when combined with clean vehicle performance standards adopted by the Obama administration, the American on-road fleet...continued→
With the energy and climate legislation coming to a head in the House this week, things are definitely heating up in Washington. Latest reports are saying that the House will vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES)...continued→
This week, the Heritage Foundation once again used its highly inflated estimates of carbon allowance prices under the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) to make this statement about costs to farmers: "The Heritage Foundation's Center for Data Analysis...continued→
Yesterday, Representatives Waxman and Peterson announced that they have reached a deal that secures Peterson's support for the climate bill. Outlines of the deal are still coming out, but it clearly implements a five year delay in accounting for emissions...continued→
This Friday the House of Representatives will consider one of the most important pieces of legislation of our time: a bill that would simultaneously jumpstart our economy, create millions of jobs, lay the groundwork for a clean energy future, and...continued→
As the U.S. House nears a vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, reportedly on Friday, former Vice President Al Gore is calling it "the most important environmental vote of this generation." President Obama said this week that...continued→
There's a lot of talk about the costs of the proposed climate bill for American consumers. As we've documented repeatedly, opponents of climate policy have cranked out lots of "studies" to prove the bill will crater the economy. The latest garbage...continued→
With the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) poised for an historic vote in the House of Representatives on Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency released a new analysis of the costs of implementing the legislation. This analysis finds that...continued→
You have to hand it to the coal industry. They are not content to just spend millions of dollars on "wild and crazy" advertising claims about "clean coal." Now, they are bringing those same mad skills of deception to mapmaking. ...continued→
I have received many briefings from climate scientists over the past 10 years. At first, most were based on modeling and projections, but more recently, they have included an alarming element: empirical evidence that global warming is interfering with America's...continued→
U.S. per capita greenhouse emissions show tremendous differences between states, prompting concern that some states would bear much heavier burdens from a cap on global warming emissions than others. For example, while national per capita emissions are 20.6 metric tons...continued→
Over three decades of experience with environmental regulation show that investments in environmental protection, coupled with GDP growth, led to an increase in jobs that were orders of magnitude larger than any job losses caused by environmental requirements. The dire...continued→
Memo TO: U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, Heritage Foundation and other industry groups predicting the end of life as we know if America takes action on climate change FROM: Natural Resources Defense Council, Political Economic Research Institute/University of...continued→
Recently, there has been a good deal of media attention given to building energy codes generally and specifically the codes provision of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), both good and bad. A couple of these articles piqued...continued→
Last week President Obama called for a national ocean policy to protect critical marine ecosystems. At the same time, climate negotiators wrapped up a major international meeting in Bonn. These may seem like two unrelated events--one is about water, after...continued→
The House of Representatives will soon vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454). This will be the most important clean energy and climate protection vote that Congress has ever cast. The ACES bill passed the Energy...continued→
Last week I had the honor of speaking at the famous City Club in Cleveland, Ohio. In its more than 100 year history, the City Club has hosted every candidate who has run for president. I am not running for...continued→
I've been spending a lot of my time recently trying to get a strong structure for addressing the loss of the world's tropical rainforests as a part of the US climate bill. This took two parallel tracks -- developing a...continued→
The EIA has just released its forecast for global carbon emissions through the year 2030 and it's not pretty. Without meaningful efforts to reduce the path of our carbon emissions, global carbon dioxide pollution is expected to increase 39% over...continued→
Rob Stavins of Harvard has posted a very useful analysis of the way allowance value is distributed in the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee last week. Rob adds theoretical rigor and...continued→
Last night I had the pleasure of watching Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) shepherd the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) through the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The motion to "favorably report" the bill passed 33-25 after four grueling...continued→
I felt like celebrating last night. After more than 10 years working to stop climate change, I welcomed this historic development: the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a bill that will make...continued→
The Problem Once an inefficient "energy hog" appliance is purchased and plugged into the wall, it's already too late. The said appliance will likely run for ten or more years becoming even less efficient (as nearly all mechanical systems do...continued→
The Heritage Foundation's May 13, 2009 Web Memo "analysis" of the precedent-setting Waxman-Markey Bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES, HR. 2454), not surprisingly gets it all backwards. An engine of economic growth, job creation, energy security, and...continued→
It has been a good week in the Countdown to Copenhagen. We have seen a remarkable amount of climate action in the past few days, and if this pace keeps up, the United States might actually arrive at the international...continued→
The Waxman-Markey "American Clean Energy and Security Act" (HR 2454) is now out (see here for the full bill and here for NRDC's top line summary of the entire bill). The House Energy and Commerce Committee is focused this week...continued→
As the urgency of global warming increases, old divides are breaking down and old adversaries are starting to cooperate. Fortune 100 companies have come together with leading environmental organizations in the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which produced a Blueprint for...continued→
The editorial by David Sokol titled "Let's Have Cap and No Trade" suggests that the US can achieve the same 83% cut in our greenhouse gas emissions by allowing companies either to participate in a program that caps dangerous carbon...continued→
Support for the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 is coming in from a broad and diverse range of constituencies, including businesses, unions, elected officials, environmental groups, organizations representing low-income Americans and people of faith and coalitions combining...continued→
The transition to clean energy, reducing our dependence on dangerous foreign oil and protecting our environment will cost less than some would have you think. In April, the EPA estimated that the American Clean Energy and Security Act would cost...continued→
The US Chamber of Commerce is famous for punishing officeholders and other political candidates who have the temerity to disagree with the Chamber's views. But what happens when the US Chamber's own members and affiliates reject its "predictably stalwart" opposition...continued→
On Monday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will begin a week-long marathon to pass long-overdue clean energy and climate legislation. After more than a month of extensive negotiations among members of the committee, Chairmen Henry Waxman and Ed Markey...continued→
In addition to providing meaningful guidelines for the carbon trading markets, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) should be commended for looking to close many of the regulatory loopholes used by speculators to manipulate energy prices...continued→
The comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation, which is expected to move through the House Energy and Commerce Committee next week, establishes a limited number of carbon emission permits (aka "allowances") as the means to enforce a declining cap on...continued→
Despite attempts by oil companies and Canada to say otherwise, the movement in the United States to reduce carbon pollution leaves no room for expansion of high carbon dirty fuels like tar sands oil from Canada. Just a few...continued→
The huge Congressional climate bill has been formally introduced, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454). Over a month of discussion and heavy dealmaking has finally come to an end, recalling the famous Otto Von Bismarck quote "Laws are...continued→
New polls (here, here, and here) show that Americans are eager for Washington to tackle clean energy and global warming. And next Monday, both the Executive and Legislative Branches will swing into action. On Capitol Hill, the House Energy and...continued→
Desperation must be the message of the day over at the US Chamber, which has just revealed (spoiler alert!) that it opposes the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Which is interesting because only this morning the Chamber's Bruce Josten...continued→
As the U.S. is drafting new rules to reduce carbon pollution, the Canadian government is once again letting its opinion be known. Is Canada pledging to work alongside the U.S. to curb carbon pollution? No - our neighbor to the...continued→
Nouriel Roubini, one of the earliest voices to speak out on the shaky economic underpinnings of our financial system and resulting economic crisis in which we now find ourselves entangled, today opined in the New York Times that within the...continued→
We've all been there: You're at a party, and it starts to get a little late. Suddenly, someone stumbles into the room ranting and raving. Everyone was having fun, but now the music stops. Well, that's what we're seeing today...continued→
The ever quotable climate change skeptic Rep. Joe Barton has dismissed cap and trade legislation as "dead" before arrival and has instead decided to launch his own version of climate change legislation. The Barton plan, with an additional 200+ amendments waiting...continued→
Opponents of climate legislation are living in a parallel universe where the value of pollution allowances disappears into a black hole, energy markets are currently perfect, and the impacts of global warming are costless. On this side of the worm...continued→
A new coalition of U.S. Representatives, faith and military leaders unveiled a new push to secure strong global warming policy and ensure that the most vulnerable throughout the world are supported in efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate...continued→
America's vets are raising their collective voices in support of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Pointing to the national security benefits of reducing America's reliance on dangerous foreign oil, VoteVets has been mobilizing its members in support of...continued→
When it comes to climate change policy, staff at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have reliably been the go-to voice for doomsayer and naysayers. But things got interesting today when it became clear that U.S. Chamber staff may not be...continued→
There's a new front-group running around DC, backed by some old gunslingers who've been packing heat for polluters for years. Yesterday the American Energy Alliance announced it is running radio ads in the districts of some of the members of...continued→
This blog is a sequel to my "Seven Questions to Ask of Any Economic Model of Climate Legislation" blog. Stay tuned as more studies come out... 1. Top Line Question: How much larger (than 2008) does this model predict GDP...continued→
This post written with Dan Lashof In Olympic diving, the judges score each dive based on a mutually-agreed "degree of difficulty." So too in evaluating proposed carbon emission reduction targets for 2020, the judges - in this case the...continued→
Former U.S. House Speaker and supposed 2012 president candidate Newt Gingrich was up on Capitol Hill last week regaling elected officials with the supposed horrors of cap-and-trade carbon emissions controls. One particularly colorful anecdote didn't make his written statement, but it...continued→
Earlier this week, Senator Kit Bond of Missouri issued a "report" on green jobs, essentially an exercise in taking statements from various reports on green jobs out of context and ignoring what those reports actually have to say. The Senator's report...continued→
This week, energy and the environment took central stage from the fields of Iowa to the halls of Congress. Between Earth Day celebrations and Capitol Hill marathon briefings, it was all a bit dizzying. And, while not all of the...continued→
Despite growing momentum by the new administration and Congress to take bold action that will bring us into a new clean energy future, opponents of comprehensive energy and climate legislation repeatedly predict rising costs, citing studies that appear to provide...continued→
When you've got a week packed full of intense hearings on climate policy its important to make sure to schedule in some comic relief. That seems a logical explanation for the appearance of three of the more prominent members of...continued→
Today EPA released an analysis of what the economy might look like if the proposed Waxman Markey bill were enacted. This legislation would finally put a cap on dangerous global warming pollution, driving investments that will create millions of clean...continued→
Join David Doniger, NRDC's chief global warming attorney, at 1 p.m. Eastern today, April 20, for a special online chat. Doniger will take questions on Friday's official determination by the EPA that global warming pollution endangers public health, and the...continued→
At long last, the Environmental Protection Agency today officially recognized that the carbon pollution from our cars and power plants leads to killer heat waves, stronger hurricanes, higher smog levels, and many other direct and indirect threats to human health. ...continued→
The US Chamber of Commerce has been drinking its own Kool-Aid again, and trying this time to get members of Congress to think it's green tea. The Chamber is attempting to convince policymakers that burdensome regulations are blocking clean energy...continued→
Spain is a country known for its romance, wine and bullfighting. But when it comes to economics and green jobs, it seems we're getting more bull than much else. Our good friends at Media Matters jumped right on the case yesterday when Fox News cited a...continued→
NRDC has been interviewing workers earning green paychecks in the new clean energy economy to help increase understanding of and support for clean energy investments and the policies we need to support them. This work builds on previous research showing that...continued→
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman's recent article "Show Us the Ball" claims that a carbon tax would not only be simpler and more transparent, but have fewer special provisions, accommodations, or loopholes than a cap and trade system. The...continued→
Better late than never. As promised in my last entry on the buildings sections of the Waxman Markey draft, here is a review of the appliance section. Subtitle B - Lighting and Appliance Energy Efficiency Programs Sec 211 - Lighting...continued→
I've blogged before about the dog and pony shows that some groups have been involved in to forecast economic disaster in the event Congress passes climate legislation. One study used to prop this point of view up was commissioned by...continued→
"A wise [nation] will make more opportunities than [it] finds." Francis Bacon The Waxman-Markey renewable electricity standard (RES) will put us on a path to achieve 25% renewable energy by 2025 in our nationwide electricity supply. It offers an ambitious challenge to guide...continued→
It has been a very busy couple of weeks here in Washington. It seems that folks in Congress have gotten the message that building efficiency is a great idea, no matter what the context. This is illustrated by the Waxman-Markey...continued→
The Waxman-Markey discussion draft entitled, “The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009”, places energy efficiency as title two, second to clean energy. Within this section is the promotion of energy efficiency in buildings, manufactured homes, appliances, transportation and...continued→
The much-anticipated ''American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009'' (a.k.a., Waxman-Markey) was finally released this past Tuesday (full draft is available here). Here's a quick look at one of the potentially thornier elements of the proposal: the role of...continued→
This week, Congressmen Waxman and Markey released a new plan to repower America with clean energy and clean jobs. And, what did we hear from the climate deniers: the same old scare tactics they roll out every time a good...continued→
The recently released draft of the Waxman Markey draft climate bill sets the 111th Congress off to a great start, but more importantly, has put together a set of tools that will help our climate negotiators on their way to...continued→
The press seems to cover Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) as a matter of routine these days - local, national and international. For someone who hasn't looked at the technology in detail, it can be hard to decipher its potential...continued→
People always ask me: how do we get a strong international commitment to solve global warming pollution? What "tools" do U.S. negotiators (and others) have to secure an equitable commitment from all major emitters to reduce global warming pollution? How...continued→
The Heritage Foundation is fooling itself again. In its latest insipid 'analysis' , author Nick Loris contends that cap and trade revenues are a "tax" that will force Americans to give up essentials like food, shoes or property taxes. (Psst....continued→
Yesterday Congressmen Henry Waxman and Ed Markey released a "discussion draft" of the American Clean Energy and Security Act - a comprehensive energy and climate proposal that would create good jobs, protect our security, and save our planet from the...continued→
While Newt Gingrich is expected to continue his war against climate legislation in favor of "drilling here, drilling now", this is a fight he is going to lose. In fact, climate change legislation, like the draft bill submitted by Representatives...continued→
This is an exciting week in DC. House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman circulated his and Congressman Markey's draft climate bill. And you know what? It is an uplifting, inspiring proposal that challenges us to stop talking about a...continued→
Climate change legislation remains on schedule to be out of Committee by Memorial Day and brought before the House for a floor vote this summer. The 648 page discussion draft sponsored by Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee...continued→
It sure ain't the "death tax," but you have to give Rep. John Boehner points for using the phrase "light switch tax" in attacking cap-and-trade legislation. Of course, it would be nice if Boehner and Sen. Mitch McConnell weren't insisting...continued→
Yesterday marked the long-awaited release of the Waxman-Markey "discussion draft" of a clean energy and climate bill. I welcomed this development. After all, I have worked for more than a decade to prepare for the moment we find ourselves in:...continued→
Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee proposed essential policies for cleaning up our fuel supply and reducing our dependence on oil. The proposal includes transportation fuels under an economy-wide cap and establishes a complementary, performance-based low carbon fuel standard....continued→
corrected copy, posted April 1 Congressmen Henry Waxman and Ed Markey today released their long-awaited "discussion draft" of the American Clean Energy and Security Act - a bold starting point for passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation through Congress...continued→
Today Congressmen Henry Waxman and Ed Markey released draft legislative language that could propel America into a clean energy future, cut global warming pollution, and create millions of jobs in the process. This is a welcome development, because even though President Obama has...continued→
Every meeting I have with the Obama administration or members of Congress these days focuses on the economic crisis. But that doesn't mean we aren't also talking about environmental solutions as well. The two are closely linked. A recent Washington...continued→
How to generate millions of jobs, break our dependence on oil and reduce the pollution that causes global warming.
