I share many of Green Party Presidential Nominee Jill Stein's values. On climate and energy, I absolutely agree that our world is in crisis and that we need some form of a "Green New Deal," though whether that would be her plan, or some other approach, is, for me, still a point of debate. On her view that an energy transition would have multiple cost-saving and health … [Read more...]
Why, nine years later, Keystone XL’s fate is still in limbo
It’s nine years and counting since the Keystone pipeline was first proposed and TransCanada is still waiting for presidential approval to build the line. An environmental assessment report from the US State Department that landed in January would seem to move TransCanada’s hopes forward, but the pipeline’s ultimate fate is still very much in limbo. The State Department … [Read more...]
Business leaders urge Obama to act for clean energy
When it comes to climate and energy, some business leaders are catching on, even in the United States. On January 21, a report authored, in part, by over 100 academics, energy experts, government officials, and business leaders called upon the president to address climate change by taking measures that do not require congressional approval. Spearheaded by the Center for … [Read more...]
Disobedience the true foundation of liberty
As if he could peer into the future, Henry David Thoreau is credited with the expression: "Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves." Herein I present a few recent examples of obedience at home. This essay is hardly comprehensive, and the hits keep coming, so this essay represents a minor start to a major issue. I'm certain many more … [Read more...]
The climate speech he should have given
At the end of June, President Obama gave his first major address on climate change to the nation. While many environmentalists jumped for joy, I found myself singularly unimpressed — the speech lacked any real sense of urgency, and it was mired in the same plodding, informative language that convinces few people of the seriousness of the problem, much less compels them to … [Read more...]