Gristmill (Free subscription) | yesterday
By Kate Sheppard New regulations proposed by the Bush administration are aimed at tapping the country's huge reserves of oil shale, steps Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said are intended to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil in the short term. But one man's short term might feel like eternity to consumers paying $4.50 a gallon, as it would be seven to eight years before production...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/22/2008
By Kate Sheppard Oregon Senate candidate Jeff Merkley was in Austin for Netroots Nation, where he appeared on a panel about energy issues. Merkley is attempting to unseat Gordon Smith, the sole GOP senator on the West Coast, this November, and he's put climate and environment issues at the top of his campaign agenda. His plans include calling for a 25 percent renewable energy national...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/22/2008
By Kate Sheppard Anchorage's Democratic mayor, Mark Begich , is challenging Republican incumbent Ted Stevens for his Senate seat this November. Begich, 46, is in his fifth year as mayor, and is the city's first mayor born actually born in Anchorage. In a state that's already feeling the effects of a warming planet, Begich lists climate change as a top issue in his campaign, calling for...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/22/2008
By Kate Sheppard Obama loves coal! No, he's a flip-flopper who's ready to embrace policies that would hurt America's coal industry and its many employees across the country. So which one is it? USA Today is the latest major media outlet to explore the Democratic presidential candidate and his views on coal , with a piece last Friday looking at how he has changed some of his talking points...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/21/2008
By Kate Sheppard Our partners at ReGeneration.org were able to snag a few quick interviews with notable Netroots Nation attendees Al Gore and former Texas Agriculture Commissioner, author, radio host, and activist Jim Hightower . Here's what Gore had to say about why climate and environment action should be a bipartisan effort: And here's Hightower on what should be done about rising...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/19/2008
By Kate Sheppard Jim Slattery, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Kansas, dropped by Netroots Nation this morning to talk about how progressives can make inroads in the heartland. His panel, "Rural America and the Progressive Movement," took a look at some of the reasons rural voters shouldn't be written off as red. Energy and environment were two key issues the panel discussed, noting that...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/18/2008
By Kate Sheppard Today, GOP presidential contender John McCain visited the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Mich., where GM is developing the Chevy Volt, and used the visit to talk up his plan for the automotive sector. In the same speech, he argued that states should be able to determine their own fuel efficiency standards. California and 16 other states have been pushing...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 21 hours ago
By Kate Sheppard Enviros rally against House Republicans' new energy bill and drilling plans. Photos: Kate Sheppard House Republicans hosted a press conference on the west steps of the Capitol Building today to tout their new energy legislation, the " American Energy Act " [PDF]. But the 50 caucus members at the gathering were outnumbered by at least 100 protesters, who...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | yesterday
By Kate Sheppard Jason Burnett , the former associate deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency who resigned last month over the Bush administration's unwillingness to address greenhouse-gas emissions, provided more details Tuesday to a Senate panel Tuesday about how top White House officials worked to quash new regulations on greenhouse gases. Appearing before the...
Progressives for Obama (Free subscription) | 07/22/2008
A McCain Vote Is Insanity For Feminists By Kate Sheppard July 21, 2008 - Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) campaign and the media would have us believe that herds of disaffected women voters will be stampeding to the Republicans this year because a woman candidate won't be on the presidential ballot in November. McCain's campaign has been making a clear play for women voters in recent weeks,...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/21/2008
By Kate Sheppard Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) came to Netroots for an "Ask the Speaker" session on Saturday, where attendees got a chance to pick her brain about what's going on in Congress. It was during this event that Al Gore made a special guest appearance . Since Gore recently made an ambitious call to move to 100 percent renewable electricity in 10 years, Pelosi...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/21/2008
By Kate Sheppard GOP presidential candidate John McCain released a new television ad today, "Pump," which puts the blame for rising gas prices on Democrat Barack Obama. "Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?" the ad asks, as a photo of Obama appears on screen, and a crowd shouts, "Obama, Obama!" "One man knows we must now drill more in America and rescue our family budgets,"...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/21/2008
By Kate Sheppard Near the end of this year's Netroots Nation, event planners announced that next year's gathering will be held in Pittsburgh, Pa., a spot selected for its green merits. One of the main reasons is that Pittsburgh has the first and largest LEED gold-certified convention center in the country. "We have a goal of making 2009 the most environmentally-friendly gathering ever,"...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/21/2008
By Kate Sheppard San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom stopped by Netroots Nation on Sunday to introduce Van Jones , and he also talked to the crowd about some of the green accomplishments his city has been able to make so far. Newsom has proposed the toughest building standards in the country, and in November 2008 he will submit a carbon tax to voters for their approval. In March he signed...
Gristmill (Free subscription) | 07/20/2008
By Kate Sheppard Van Jones. Van Jones delivered the final keynote address at Networks Nation today, stopping in Austin to talk about green jobs and the political prospects for addressing both the energy and climate woes of the country. The message from the netroots, he said, should be clear: "We cannot drill and burn our way out of this problem. If we do, we will burn this planet." "We...
