Election 2004 update: Kerry tries to separate from the herd by announcing his proposed national energy policy today, which includes raising fuel-efficiency standards (currently at 20.7 and 27.5 miles per gallon for SUVs and cars respectively) to 36mpg by 2015. (Of the other leading candidates, Dean appears to concur with tougher standards, while Edwards – also in Iowa today to call for pension reform – has voted for a truck exemption in the past…the perils of a pickup state.)I like the “Of Big Oil, by Big Oil, for Big Oil” line…hopefully the pack will continue to call out Bush before turning on each other anew.
Category: Environment
Patriot Games.
Among its many, many, MANY faults, apparently Patriot Act II also guts the Clean Air Act. Bizarre. In related news, Attorney-General Ashcroft finds an unlikely ally in NY Senator Chuck Schumer.
Paging Theodore Rex.
The Old World will burn in the fires of Industry…and yet, concerned about GOP vulnerability in the suburbs, Frank Luntz is now advocating a kindler, gentler environmental message for Republican candidates, including Orwellian substitutions of “conservationist” and “climate change” for “environmentalist” and “global warming” respectively. Well, dang, now that they put it like that, I feel much more at ease about the GOP cutting down trees and drilling up Alaska.
When Land Sharks Attack.
In a remarkable confluence of GOP shibboleths, the Bush economic plan will cut taxes on tricked-up SUV‘s. Makes sense – not only does it help out Dubya’s oil buddies, but I presume most SUV drivers (outside of Detroit) are GOP voters, particularly given the findings in this article (sent to me via Dumbmonkey.)
Timberrrrr.
According to Slate writer Douglas Gantenbein, Dubya’s recent forest bill isn’t only bad for the environment – it’s lousy business, even for the timber industry.
The Spoiling.
Joyously relishing in the lack of Democratic resistance, the Dubya administration eases logging rules at the expense of the environment. O Treebeard where art thou?
Bottles and Can’ts.
New York City rolls back its recycling program, meaning not only less recycling (of course) but less cash opportunities for the bottle-collecting homeless. Bad call. Hopefully, most of us will keep the bottle bags going.
Getting Warmer…
The Bush administration gets closer to admitting human agency in global warming, even if Dubya himself had trouble getting through the “report put out by the bureaucracy.”