It could never happen now, but could it happen again two years from now? It was ten years ago today that then-NASA scientist James Hansen testified in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding the George W. Bush administration’s assault on climate science. In his written testimony, Hansen observed: There is […]
climate change
Posted inPolitical Animal
What Do You Do When the Press Offends You?
Analyzing a new study on the pernicious power of right-wing media in terms of driving political polarization in the United States, Northeastern University professor Dan Kennedy observes: Though the report, published by the Columbia Journalism Review, does an excellent job of laying out the challenge posed by Breitbart and its ilk, it is less than […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
No Network Found: What Bernie and Bill Didn’t Discuss
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has long been one of the strongest voices for aggressive action on climate change on Capitol Hill, and Bill Nye has long been one of the strongest advocates for pro-science policy in the United States, so it was quite disappointing that their recent Facebook Live discussion about the need to take […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Marching is Good. Voting is Better.
I bow to no one in my respect for former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, but she missed the mark somewhat in her analysis of the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed evisceration of the Environmental Protection Agency: This budget is a fantasy if the administration believes it will preserve EPA’s mission to protect public health,” […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Why Mitch McConnell Could Decide the Future of the Paris Climate Accord
Donald Trump doesn’t want to deal with it.
Posted inPolitical Animal
Nothing in Moderation: Anti-Trump Backlash Will Shrink the GOP
It’s hard to understand the thought process of Republicans, running in parts of the country that are not reliably red, who think they can put just enough distance between themselves and Donald Trump and still hope to survive. Granted, it’s hard to understand the thought process of Republicans generally, but the idea of presenting oneself […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Extreme Makeover: Senate Edition
Last week, I noted that the old-school GOP operatives urging the Republican Party to support a federal carbon tax as a “market-based” way to address climate change might be better off supporting state-level efforts to put a price on carbon. After all, despite some evidence of bipartisanship on climate on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Paul […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
The Camera Never Denies
Good on Mark Phillips of CBS News for his series this past week on the impact that human-caused climate change is having on our world. After years of US broadcast and cable entities downplaying and dismissing the importance of this issue, it was quite impressive to see Phillips and CBS report on the climate crisis […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Think Globally, Act Statewide
With climate denier Scott Pruitt poised to take over the Environmental Protection Agency, the states are going to play an important role in determining whether America continues to take bold steps to both reduce carbon pollution and hold the fossil-fuel industry accountable–and the industry and its elected lackeys know it: Concerned about what he calls […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Angels in America
Blessed are the protesters. And the attorneys. And the mayors and governors… Remember when the right-wing malcontents went after Michelle Obama in 2008 when she declared, “[F]or the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country”? Well, for the first time since January 20, 2017, Americans of conscience and compassion […]
