Obama: ‘We Can’t Solve Global Warming Because I F—ing Changed Light Bulbs’

Gotta love this: Newsweek caught several candid Obama moments during their behind-the-scenes Special Election Project, and one of the statements he made was pure gold.

From Newsweek, via The Huffington Post:

The debates unnerved both candidates. When he was preparing for them during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying, “I don’t consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, ‘You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.’ So when Brian Williams is asking me about what’s a personal thing that you’ve done [that's green], and I say, you know, ‘Well, I planted a bunch of trees.’ And he says, ‘I’m talking about personal.’ What I’m thinking in my head is, ‘Well, the truth is, Brian, we can’t solve global warming because I f—ing changed light bulbs in my house. It’s because of something collective’.”

Obama is rad (and right). Sure, changing your light bulbs is an important step, but it’s very small in the scheme of things.  It’s nice to get these snippets of off-the-cuff remarks from Obama since his oration is so carefully scripted.

Link [The Huffington Post]
Photo credit: Jonas Karlsson/Vanity Fair

Who Will Obama Choose for Important Environmental Cabinet Posts?

During these 8 long years of George W. Bush’s presidency, we’ve had little trust in the Environmental Protection Agency to do their job. Since Bush has aggressively pushed his business-first agenda and put undue influence on the EPA in their decision-making process, the agency has become little more than a front, allowing Bush and Co. to trample all over human and environmental health so corporations can pad their bank accounts even more.

In these last few months before he’s forced to vacate the White House, Bush is on the warpath along with his puppet-like EPA chief Stephen Johnson to push through as many business-friendly measures as possible. He has eased pollution restrictions on factory farms, making it easier for factory farm operations to contaminate drinking water supplies with huge amounts of waste. He has rushed to ease endangered species laws so that building projects can go forward despite encroaching upon the habitats of threatened animals.  And, quietly, amidst the excitement and chaos of the election, Bush is doing all he can to allow power plants to operate near national parks and wilderness areas.

In an Obama administration, things will undoubtedly change – in a monumental way. No longer will we shake our heads in anger and frustration over yet another EPA decision that allows businesses to get away with polluting the earth, destroying ecosystems and threatening species. Anyone Obama chooses will automatically be more effective than Jones, simply because Obama actually cares about the environment. But Obama has an opportunity here to choose a true environmental leader – someone who will take the job of protecting the environment seriously.

One prominent name that’s been bandied about as of late is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said to be Obama’s first choice. Kennedy is an environmental lawyer and has long worked toward cleaning up the water supply in New York City. The outdoorsman’s obvious personal dedication makes him a popular choice among environmentalists, especially given his experience fighting anti-environment legislation in Congress in 1995 and 1996.

Lisa Jackson has also been mentioned as a possibility. Jackson, New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner, has been tapped to co-chair Obama’s transition group overseeing the EPA. That puts her on the shortlist to be named administrator, according to anonymous sources.  Jackson was recently appointed Chief of Staff to New Jersey governor Jon Corzine, the first African-American to serve in that position in the state.

For Secretary of the Interior, The Huffington Post has speculated that Democratic congressmen Norm Dicks of Washington and George Miller of California could be in the running. The Interior Department is yet another federal agency that has been plagued by appointees that saw industry profits as more important than conservation.

Rep. Miller is a member of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus as well as the House Natural Resources Committee, and has a long history of supporting America’s wildlife and public land systems. Rep. Dicks is also a member of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus and is chairman of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. He recently won the 2008 Ansel Adams Conservation Award from the Wilderness Society, mostly for his efforts to increase budgets for public land systems.

Though some have mentioned Democrat Tony Knowles – the man who lost the governorship of Alaska to Sarah Palin – as a possibility, his support for drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge makes him less than palatable.

Grist has additional possibilities for both EPA Administrator and Secretary of the Interior as well as top names for Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Agriculture and possible new position ‘Climate Change Czar’. To get the names on their list, Grist spoke to campaign advisors, academics, nonprofit conservation advocates, lobbyists and others who might have the low-down.

Though Obama has been far quicker to begin the process of choosing his staff than previous presidents, don’t expect a definite appointment too soon. Officials are uncertain when Obama will be making a selection.

Whether it’s tomorrow or next month, what a relief it is to know that the environment will once again be in capable, empathetic hands.

Link [The Huffington Post] + [Politico] + [NJ.com] + [Grist]

Greenies Win Some, Lose Some in Historic Election

There was much at stake in Tuesday’s election, and environmentalists were keeping a close eye on certain senate and house races as well as an important ballot measure in California. As they say, you win some and you lose some, and although not every candidate endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters was victorious, quite a few were.

The biggest victory of the night – aside from that of President-elect Obama, of course – was claimed by animals across the country.  California’s Proposition 2 sought to require that egg-laying hens, calves raised for veal, and pregnant pigs be given enough room to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely.

Market Watch has a statement from Farm Sanctuary on the victory:

“The passage of Prop 2 in the country’s largest agricultural state marks a monumental victory for farm animals. This campaign did an amazing job of raising public awareness about the cruel treatment farm animals endure at the hands of an industry that has consistently fought meaningful change for animals. Farm Sanctuary supporters and campaign volunteers have seen California voters respond with reason and compassion agreeing that all animals deserve humane treatment. Today marks a significant change in the way we view and treat farm animals and falls closer in line with public sentiments and values of compassion. We look forward to seeing these confinement systems phased out nationwide.”

Grist has a rundown of the outcomes of environmentally notable races and ballot measures.  Prop 2 was far from the only green measure to pass – others include CA Prop 1A, which will partially fund a high-speed train linking SoCal and the Bay Area, and MO Prop C, which will require 15 percent of the state’s electricity to come from clean energy sources by 2021.

Among the Senate winners were Sierra Club- and LCV-endorsed Mark Udall of Colorado, Jean Shaheen of New Hampshire and Kay Hagan of North Carolina.

Check out the whole list over at Grist!

Link [Market Watch] + [Grist]
Photo credit: Flickr user gemsling

Sarah Palin Prank Called, Agrees Taking Animals’ Lives is Fun

If you haven’t already heard about the hilarious prank call Sarah Palin received last week, you’ve got to check out the audio over at The Huffington Post. A Canadian comedian convinced Palin that he was Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s President, making jokes and saying lewd things as Palin awkwardly laughed. Clearly, most of it went right over her head, but she seemed to perk up when fake Sarkozy mentioned hunting.

From The Huffington Post:

He tells Palin one of his favorite pastimes is hunting, also a passion of the 44-year-old Alaska governor.

“I just love killing those animals. Mmm, mmm, take away life, that is so fun,” the fake Sarkozy says.

He proposes they go hunting together by helicopter, something he says he has never done.

“Well, I think we could have a lot of fun together while we’re getting work done,” Palin counters. “We can kill two birds with one stone that way.”

The comedian jokes that they shouldn’t bring Cheney along on the hunt, referring to the 2006 incident in which the vice-president shot and injured a friend while hunting quail.

“I’ll be a careful shot,” responds Palin.

How her camp didn’t realize this was a prank, I have no idea, especially as they were calling from Canada – not France (hello, caller ID?).  Unsurprisingly, Palin sounds like a complete moron, thanking fake Sarkozy (Marc-Antoine Audette of Montreal comedy duo ‘Masked Avengers’) when he complimented her on the ‘documentary’ about her life, ‘Nailin’ Paylin’.

After learning it was a prank, Palin’s camp said “C’est la vie”, while the Obama campaign commented, “I’m glad we check out our calls before we hand the phone to Barack Obama.”

Perhaps what Palin’s hiding by not releasing her medical records is that she’s had a full frontal lobotomy. I mean, really.

Link [The Huffington Post]

Al Gore says “Go Vote for the Environment!”

Former Vice President Al Gore sat down in a live webcast with PowerVote.org to talk about the importance of getting out the “climate vote” in this election. Power Vote, a national non-partisan effort spearheaded by the Energy Action Coalition, is encouraging voters to go to the polls with energy and the environment on their minds. Sign the pledge to make clean, just energy a top priority in your vote this election.

California’s Proposition 2: Money vs. Animal Rights

Proposition 8 isn’t the only battle raging in California this election season, with the lives of millions hanging in the balance. Farm animals raised for food will either get a big break next Tuesday, seeing better treatment than they’ve ever received in America, or they’ll continue to be treated cruelly, confined to tiny cages so they can’t even stand up or turn around.

From Grist, via The Huffington Post:

It’s not just another one of those far-out Left Coast things. The Prop. 2 campaign is playing on a mainstream, national stage. Oprah Winfrey devoted a show to the issue of food-animal care and Prop. 2 last week, and the New York Times editorial page voiced support for the proposition.

The changes called for in Prop. 2 are small but significant. The ballot wording says simply that Prop. 2 “requires that calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens, and pregnant pigs be confined only in ways that allow these animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely.” It would take effect Jan. 1, 2015.

There’s a lot at stake here, not just for the animals who live such heartbreakingly sad, painful lives before ending up on our plates or producing the eggs we eat, but for the quality of our food in the future. The nation’s big factory farmers will be watching the results of Prop 2 carefully, because if it passes, it’ll be sending them a strong message from voters: that we do care where our food comes from and how it’s raised.

If you’re a California resident, please vote yes on Proposition 2. Learn more about it at the California Voter Guide.

Link [Grist] + [Huffington Post] + [Voter Guide]
Photo credit: LA Times

Once More, With Feeling: Palin’s Abysmal Environmental Record

Just in case we haven’t hammered the point home yet, let’s take some time to go back over GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s environmental record.  Since the decision to include her on the Republican ticket was announced, we’ve reported a few times on various stories about her record, but haven’t included all the facts in one place. Since she may very well have to step in as President for John McCain at some point if they win the election, it’s important for anyone who cares about the environment to know what we’d be getting ourselves into.

MSNBC reports that Gov. Palin’s environmental priorities are ‘crystallized’ in the small town of Wasilla, Alaska, where she served as mayor and still resides with her family:

Palin declared Wasilla “open for business,” and business rushed in: Dozens of strip malls sprung up along the city’s two glacial lakes.

The costs of such fast — and sometimes haphazard — growth can be seen even from Palin’s lakefront home. Once-pristine Lake Lucille is plagued by high levels of phosphorous, which chokes off oxygen from the salmon and trout. Scientists put the blame on nearby development.

Palin refined her pro-business attitudes after becoming governor in 2006. Faced with choosing between development and the environment, she has sided more often than not with business interests.

According to MSNBC, Palin has also occasionally made choices that were good for the environment, such as when she restricted the use of old two-stroke engines in the Kenai River, which reduced oil pollution by 66 percent in one year.  However, examples like these are few and far between.

She likes to trumpet the fact that she started a climate change committee in Alaska, but her committee set no goal for reducing emissions, focusing only on ways to adapt to warmer temperatures (!). Not to mention the fact that her insistence that global warming is probably not caused by man undermines their efforts.  As Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden noted, we’ve got to know the cause of global warming if we’re going to fight it effectively.

“If it’s all just a natural, cyclical thing, maybe we should just all go home and read a book,” said Kathie Wasserman, an adviser to Palin’s climate change committee.

Palin is a vocal supporter of offshore drilling – hence the “drill, baby, drill” chants heard at her rallies.  In fact, she’s such a fan of offshore drilling, she’s willing to let oil and gas companies set up shop anywhere in Alaska, including in the Arctic National Wildlife refuge, which is home to bears, gray wolves, sandhill cranes and a herd of caribou, as well as fish-rich Bristol Bay and Cook Inlet.

Furthermore, Palin has proven to be no friend to animals.  As we’ve learned, she is an avid hunter who routinely kills caribou, moose, bears and other animals for fun. Her office is decorated with dead animals.  And worse yet, she advocates shooting wolves from low-flying airplanes.  Scientists recently revealed that half of all mammals are in decline, and we’re facing an uphill battle to protect and preserve these animals.  With Palin in office, it’s doubtful that conservation would be a top priority.

Here are more details of her record as Governor of Alaska, from Seattle PI:

Endangered species. Earlier this year, Palin approved a $2 million state appropriation for a conference on the “economic impacts” of the Endangered Species Act, designed to persuade the public that ESA listings were too costly and unwarranted. Recently she agreed to use the money instead to fund the state’s lawsuit against the Bush administration over the polar bear listing — a likely violation of the state constitutional provisions on appropriation. She opposes additional species listings and other protections in Alaska, where many species are at risk because of climate change and other threats.

Pebble mine. Palin aggressively opposed the “clean water initiative” on the August ballot in Alaska (which then failed), favoring instead foreign mining company desires for fewer government regulations controlling their toxic effluent into salmon streams. She has supported virtually any and all mining proposals that have come her way, even likely the enormous Pebble gold and copper mine proposed in the Bristol Bay watershed. That plan put at risk the largest runs of sockeye salmon in the world, where this summer fishermen caught more than 27 million salmon.

Predator control. Palin approved and expanded the state’s aerial predator control program, where wolves are shot from aircraft and bears hunted from aircraft and killed upon landing. This year, her state biologists even dragged 14 newborn wolf pups from their den and, having already shot their parents, then shot each of the pups in the head at close range. Last year, her administration offered a $150 bounty for each wolf killed until the bounty was ruled illegal by the courts. Hundreds of wolves are killed each year by this antiquated state program that has no scientific justification whatsoever, but rather is designed to appease Palin’s urban sport hunter supporters.

Exxon Valdez oil spill damages. Palin refuses to push Exxon to pay the government for the unanticipated environmental injuries from the disastrous 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Almost 20 years later, the private case is still unresolved and the governments likewise have yet to collect full payment from Exxon. Shortly before Palin took office in 2006, the governments presented Exxon with a demand to pay $92 million for this additional environmental damage, but her administration has since not pressed the issue nor taken Exxon to court to collect the money. Meanwhile, Exxon reaps record profits from Alaska.

Combine all of the negative things Palin has managed to do during her short time in power with John McCain’s hypocritical performance, and you’ve got a recipe for environmental disaster.  Read all about John McCain’s environmental record in our previous post, ‘9 Reasons a John McCain Presidency Would be a Disaster for the Environment’.

Link [MSNBC] + [Seattle PI]
Photo credit: EarthFirst composite/Wikimedia Commons

McCain and Obama Spar on Energy, Environment During 2nd Presidential Debate

During the second Presidential debate of 2008, candidates Barack Obama and John McCain answered questions relating to the environment and how they believe we should move forward on energy concerns.  McCain, while pointing out that he disagreed with Bush’s record on the environment, offered nuclear power as a solution – never mentioning renewables like solar and wind.  Obama stated that we can help the American economy grow with alternative energy innovation, pointing out that McCain has voted against alternative energy 23 times.

Check out the video:

“Senator McCain talks a lot about drilling, and that’s important. But we have three percent of the world’s oil reserves and we use twenty-five percent of the world’s oil.  So what that means is that we can’t simply drill our way out of the problem.  And we’re not going to be able to deal with the climate crisis if our only solution is to use more fossil fuels that create global warming.  We’re going to have to come up with alternatives and that means that the United States government is working with the private sector to fund the kind of innovation that we can then export to countries like China that also need energy and are setting up one coal-fired power plant a week.”

Once again, while McCain’s solution is to look back to the 20th century for help with solving a 21st century problem, Obama is looking forward toward green tech as a way to solve our energy crisis, boost the economy, battle climate change and help ensure that countries like China don’t undo our efforts with their ever-increasing reliance on dirty fossil fuels.  Whose plan sounds better to you?

Link [YouTube]

9 Reasons a John McCain Presidency Would be a Disaster for the Environment

Republican presidential nominee John McCain may be doing all he can to present himself as a green candidate, but don’t believe the hype. McCain’s efforts to brand himself as a steward of the environment simply don’t mesh with the man’s own life, viewpoints and voting history, and offering a line of eco-friendly merchandise isn’t going to change that.

A McCain presidency would be an utter disaster for the environment, especially in terms of the fight against global warming and the emerging renewable energy industry. If you care about any of these things, here are 9 reasons that should keep you from voting for McCain in November.

9. He’s shown a fundamental lack of understanding about important concepts related to the environment, from energy to conservation. McCain’s campaign ridiculed Barack Obama when the Democratic presidential nominee stated that if everyone kept their vehicles properly maintained, including keeping tires properly inflated, we could save as much energy as offshore drilling would produce. However, Obama was right.

Despite claiming that he’s a conservationist in the vein of Theodore Roosevelt, McCain has shown a staggering lack of understanding about conservation issues. In his haste to display a ‘tough stance’ on earmarks, McCain derided efforts to fund a study on grizzly bear populations in Montana as an example of congressional excess. He oversimplified and mischaracterized the bill as an ‘expensive bear paternity test’ that would cost $3 million dollars to “study the DNA of bears in Montana”. The study, in fact, was needed to protect these endangered animals by surveying their populations. This is far from the only example of McCain’s failure to live up to his carefully crafted ‘environmentalist’ image – he has earned a lifetime League of Conservation Voters score of just 24 out of 100, including a 2007 score of 0.

McCain is also completely out of touch with technology. At a town hall meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on December 6th of last year, McCain stated that “the truly green technologies don’t work”, claiming that “most every expert that I know says that if you maximize [renewables] in every possible way,” the contribution they would make is “very small.” It shows how narrow McCain’s circle of experts really is – even the Bush administration admits that we could get most of our electricity growth over the next couple of decades from wind power alone.

Note also that he said “given the present state of technology”. That brings us to…

8. He’s not going to help green energy get off the ground – he doesn’t believe that solar, wind and other renewables need government assistance. According to him, “I’m not one who believes that we need to subsidize things. The wind industry is doing fine, the solar industry is doing fine.” And yet, his energy plan includes subsidies for getting nuclear power off the ground.

Considering that solar and wind power are cleaner, safer sources of renewable energy, it would make sense to ensure that businesses can afford to move forward with these technologies. Subsidies for wind and solar are critical for projects like the Solana Generating Station, a $1 billion, 280-megawatt plant slated for construction near Gila Bend in Arizona. McCain has instead placed the priority on offshore drilling and nuclear power.

7. He’ll cave to pressure from more conservative Republicans. In the course of his campaign, McCain has moved further and further away from his original, greener, more left-leaning stances. He was once a staunch opponent of offshore drilling, but that stance slowly died an awkward death, finally succumbing completely when running mate Sarah Palin roused a chorus of “drill, baby, drill” at the GOP national convention.

Indeed, the GOP’s death grip on oil as America’s main source of energy – and their many financial and personal ties to the industry – would hardly give McCain the opportunity to accomplish anything substantial in the environmental arena. Despite the fact that he’s often held views on green issues that are unpopular with his fellow Republicans, he has taken his party’s decidedly pro-corporation, anti-environment stance on plenty of others. Whether this is due to pressure from fellow lawmakers, lobbyists or other influences is impossible to tell – McCain’s record on environmental issues is wildly erratic with no clear rhyme or reason (see #2).

As The New Republic mused back in March, “However uneven his record, it would be a real tragedy if the GOP changed McCain’s position on the environment, rather than the other way around.” Given his softening on environmental issues during the course of his campaign, it’s looking more and more likely that that’s exactly what would happen if he became President.

6. McCain’s own life shows how much personal dedication he really has to the environment. It’s the argument that conservatives have tried to use against Al Gore for years, only in this instance, it’s true. John McCain and his wife, Cindy, own 13 vehicles and somewhere between 7-12 homes, depending on who you ask. When asked by a reporter how many homes he owns, McCain wasn’t even able to provide an answer.

Climate Progress estimates that the carbon footprint of McCain’s homes to be around 150 million tons, or about 10 times that of the average American. Mind you, this isn’t counting the trips he makes back and forth between those homes on his wife’s private jet. And, somehow we doubt that McCain is powering his homes with 100% renewable energy, like Al Gore does (and for the record, Obama owns just one home and one car.)

5. He wants to build 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030. McCain claims on his website that “nuclear power is a proven, zero-emission source of energy, and it is time we recommit to advancing our use of nuclear power.” The fact is, nuclear power is unsafe and expensive – and there are better alternatives out there. A single nuclear reactor costs between $6-$8 billion to build, and shipping hazardous materials during the construction process would be extremely dangerous. Mining the uranium required to power the plants would be an environmental disaster. And then there’s the issue of disposing of nuclear waste.

We’re not wild about the fact that Obama backs nuclear power, either, but here’s an important distinction between him and McCain: Obama is cautiously supportive of nuclear energy as a small part of a comprehensive clean energy overhaul, if and only if all safety issues are addressed. Obama has said, “I have not ruled out nuclear… but only [would support it] so far as it is clean and safe.”

McCain’s stubborn insistence that nuclear power must be a major player in the clean energy of the future again affirms the fact that he’s disconnected from modern technology. He’s clinging to the energy sources of the 20th century, not looking toward the cleaner, greener energy tech of the 21st century and beyond.

4. He supports offshore drilling and falsely claims that it’s an important part of America’s short-term energy solution. In fact, offshore drilling is now a key strategy in his energy plan. McCain’s campaign has consistently sought to mislead the public about a tie between current gas prices and offshore drilling, as if offshore drilling is some magical answer. They’ve gone so far as to blame Obama for high gas prices in an attack ad, which states that “some in Washington are saying no to drilling in America… no to independence from foreign oil. Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?” Cut to a photo of Obama. Then, “One man knows that we must now drill more in America and rescue our family budgets.”

It’s just plain not true. FactCheck.org notes of the ad, “The federal government’s estimate is that if the moratorium on offshore drilling were lifted today, it would be 2030 before we’d see a noticeable effect on supply and prices. For the same reason, it’s simply not true that drilling more now will ‘rescue our family budgets.’” But that’s exactly what McCain’s campaign is drilling into the minds of the American public – just so they’ll vote for him. We’ve got to wean ourselves off oil, period – not simply squeeze every drop we can out of America at the expense of the environment.

At least McCain doesn’t want to drill in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, right? Oh, wait – Palin does. And she’s Alaska’s governor. Umm…

3. He has given in to lobbying from the dirty energy industry time and time again. McCain has taken at least $1,069,854 from the oil & gas industry, and at least 22 top McCain advisors and fundraisers have lobbied for Big Oil at one time or another. McCain has also personally advocated for huge tax breaks for oil companies, and has voted against a windfall profit tax on oil companies multiple times. In fact, McCain has a long record of being very cozy with lobbyists. How can we trust this so-called ‘maverick’ to keep our interests in mind, and not those of the corporations he’s in bed with?

2. His record shows that he’s all talk and no action. McCain has missed dozens of important votes on environmental issues, and when he did show up, he often voted against measures that would support renewable energy. In fact, his environmental record in the Senate is aligned with that of James “global warming is a hoax” Inhofe.

McCain claims to have a long history of supporting alternative energy, but his record shows otherwise. He has missed key votes on issues like extending renewable energy tax credits, and voted against renewables at least eight times in the last decade, including the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was the biggest congressional effort to push alternative energy in more than a decade. Even Senator Inhofe voted for it.

He has also voted to weaken requirements for energy-efficiency in appliances, voted to let coal states bypass the Clean Water Act, voted against increased EPA funding to clean up Superfund toxic-waste sites and also against requiring polluters to pay for the cleanup of Superfund sites. All in all, he has voted against clean energy and the environment (or said he would have, for those votes he missed) more than 50 times since the early 1990s. So much for being a ‘green candidate’.

1. Two words: Sarah Palin. It’s not just possible that this woman would have to take over the presidency at some point, it’s highly likely. And in the brief time we’ve known her, Palin has terrified people the world over with her narrow-minded viewpoints on a range of topics from creationism to – gulp – the environment.

Palin is so far to the right on the environment, her inclusion on the GOP ticket for this election effectively cancels out any environmental cred John McCain might have left. She supports offshore drilling anywhere, even if it doesn’t solve our energy problems. She doesn’t believe that global warming is man-made. She has opposed strengthening protection for Beluga whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, where oil and gas development has been proposed. She supports drilling in the ANWR, which is home to bears, gray wolves, sandhill cranes and a herd of caribou – but what does Sarah Palin care for such animals? She’s got a bear carcass in her office, regularly hunts caribou and supports shooting wolves from low-flying planes.

And finally, this about sums it up: she sued the federal government in response to polar bears being listed as endangered, because the classification that aims to protect these animals will interfere with oil drilling in Alaska’s coastal waters. Putting the oil industry before the environment: sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It’s the same old Republican policies, thinly veiled by a fading green cloak.

Let’s Get This Straight: There’s No Such Thing as ‘Clean Coal’

During the Vice Presidential debate last Thursday night, the candidate’s responses to energy and environment issues were fairly predictable: Sarah Palin offered canned, cliché-ridden talking points about nuclear power and offshore drilling, and once again stated that she won’t fully attribute global warming to man.  Joe Biden emphasized that global warming is man-made, and pointed out that “if you don’t understand what the cause is, it’s virtually impossible to come up with a solution”.

While we at EarthFirst believe strongly that the Obama/Biden ticket is the only ticket that will properly protect the environment and address global warming in a meaningful way, let’s be clear on one thing: we cringe every time Obama and Biden utter the words ‘clean coal’.  Here’s why: there’s no such thing.

‘Clean coal’ is a myth perpetuated by – hadn’t you guessed already? – the coal industry.  It’s a contradiction in terms; an oxymoron.  The term isn’t just misleading.  It promotes a perception of this polluting, health-endangering, ecosystem-destroying technology that exists only in Imaginationland.

The talk of ‘clean coal’ really centers on attempts to make coal ‘less dirty’.  At least, marginally less dirty.  It relates to the idea of separating CO2 from the coal-burning process and burying it in liquid form, so it won’t end up in the atmosphere contributing to global warming.  The process is called ‘carbon capture and sequestration’, and it’s still decades away from commercial viability.  Like nuclear power, there are many safety issues involved, like the question of whether stored CO2 could cause leaks or earthquakes.  Plus, capturing and sequestering carbon takes a hell of a lot of energy – doesn’t that sort of negate the whole point?

Attempts to clean up the coal industry aren’t just arduous, they’re incredibly expensive.  And, that money could be going toward truly clean energy technology instead.  The fact is, we need to move away from polluting, environment-destroying energy sources like coal and oil, and we need to do it now.  We need a green energy revolution, which will provide millions of green-collar jobs that can lift these hacking, coal-stained miners out from under the ground and give them a healthier way to provide for their families.

That said, Obama/Biden is still by far a better bet for anyone who cares about the environment in any capacity.  Check back with us on Monday morning, when we’ll be delving into all of the ways a McCain presidency would be a complete disaster for the environment.

Wondering what’s so dirty about coal in the first place? Check out our previous posts, ‘Coal is Clean! Get the Real Facts About the Coal Industry’ and ‘Morgan Spurlock Hits the West Virginia Coal Mines for 30 Days’.

Photo credit: Coal-is-Dirty.com

Sarah Palin Skirts Around Environmental Questions in Interview with Katie Couric

As if it weren’t already obvious, Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin has proven once again that John McCain really didn’t choose her for any reason other than as a gimmicky attempt to invigorate his campaign.  On September 30th, CBS debuted the segment of Palin’s interview with Katie Couric in which they discuss social and environmental issues, including global warming and offshore drilling.

From CBS:

Couric: Gov. Palin, almost every expert says it will take about 10 years for domestic drilling to have an impact on consumers. So isn’t the notion of “drill, baby, drill” a little misleading to people who think this will automatically lower their gas prices, and quickly?

Palin: And it’s why we should have started 10 years ago tapping into domestic supplies that America is so rich in. Alaska has billions of barrels of oil and hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of clean, green natural gas onshore and off-shore. Should have started doing it 10 years ago, but better late than never. It’s gotta be an all-of-the-above approach to energy independence.

Couric: What’s your position on global warming? Do you believe it’s man-made or not?

Palin: Well, we’re the only Arctic state, of course, Alaska. So we feel the impacts more than any other state, up there with the changes in climates. And certainly, it is apparent. We have erosion issues. And we have melting sea ice, of course. So, what I’ve done up there is form a sub-cabinet to focus solely on climate change. Understanding that it is real. And …

Couric: Is it man-made, though in your view?

Palin: You know there are – there are man’s activities that can be contributed to the issues that we’re dealing with now, these impacts. I’m not going to solely blame all of man’s activities on changes in climate. Because the world’s weather patterns are cyclical. And over history we have seen change there. But kind of doesn’t matter at this point, as we debate what caused it. The point is: it’s real; we need to do something about it.

Alaska, Alaska, Alaska.  This woman is obviously out of touch with the rest of the world – in another part of the interview, Palin was unable to name any of the sources from which she gets national or world news. She seems to think (or at least wants the public to think) that being governor of Alaska for two years gives her experience on foreign policy, energy policy and national security – simply due to the state’s proximity to Russia and the fact that it has oil.  And now, we’re expected to believe that she’s going to solve global warming (despite the fact that she won’t cop to it being man-made) by the virtue of being from – all together now – Alaska. Wow, we’re all so impressed.

The fact is, the idea that global warming is caused by cyclical weather patterns has been discredited.  Furthermore, admitting that man is causing many of the alarming weather trends around the world is key to fighting global warming.  If you don’t believe that smokestacks, vehicle emissions and other pollution is a problem for the environment, you won’t put a stop to it.  Is this really the person we want to trust to handle this crisis in the event that McCain dies in office?

What’s really funny is the fact that McCain has run his campaign on the basis of being a ‘straight talker’, and this woman dances around questions without ever giving a real answer.  It will be interesting to see if she has anything of substance to say in the debate against Joe Biden tonight!

Link [CBS]

Vegetarian Matthew Scully Wrote Sarah Palin’s Convention Speech

There are a lot of reasons to fear Sarah Palin.  As Ecorazzi so accurately put it, “she’s like a buffet of really bad ideas”.  Aside from the fact that she’s a global warming denier, anti-environment, homophobic, pro-abstinence education, creationist, and a master at the craft of abusing power, she’s also the antithesis of an animal rights activist.  She shoots wolves from planes, for god’s sake.  Her house reportedly has a giant pile of caribou antlers outside it, her favorite meal is moose stew and her office is decorated with a dead bear.  And ironically, her speech at the Republican National Convention was written by none other than a passionate, dedicated vegetarian.

From Ecorazzi:

In an ironic course of action, Palin’s speech was penned by none other than former Bush speechwriter Matthew Scully. Scully is well known for his vegetarian lifestyle and rather strict views on animal rights. Besides his dietary choice, Scully is also the author of Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy — an acclaimed book written on the subject of animal welfare. Obviously Matthew is quite critical of the hunting community and has even spoken out against some of the more brutal forms of the practice, including aerial hunting — an activity Palin considers “fun.”

So we have to wonder – what happened, Michael Scully? How could you stomach writing such a speech, to be delivered by such a person? What’s it like to have to totally sidestep your own convictions – not to mention truth and reality – when crafting the fountain of lies and bullshit that came out of this woman’s mouth in St. Paul?

Link [Ecorazzi]
Image via Apartment Therapy

What Was Green at the 2008 Democratic Convention

Yoga, condoms, gay tea parties and a pro-choice bowling night: it sounds like a Bill O’Reilly joke about the Democratic Convention, but all of these things actually happened this year, in and around a political event that was strange and new and yet at the same time… recycled.

While all of the sideshow spectacles like Trojan representatives inviting delegates to see how fast they could put a condom on a banana and the Stonewall Democrats’ tea party for gay delegates were not actual parts of the convention proceedings, they did add to the chaos and confusion that took place in Denver this week.

It may have been hard to see amongst the crazed, hysterical Hillary supporters holding ‘Rise, Hillary, Rise’ posters and protests by a ragtag group of pro-lifers, Libertarians and neo-nazis, but we’ve discerned a basic rundown of what the DNC did to be green this time around.

The Democratic Convention of 2008 set out to be the greenest ever, with organic food, biodegradable cutlery, recycling and compost bins, loaner bicycles and energy star Coke machines.  Convention-goers received lanyards that stated ‘I used to be a soda bottle’.  Convention swag was all recycled, from the fabric tote bags to the key chains and pens.  BPA-free reusable water bottles were offered, with filling stations located all around the convention grounds. Bulk-rate carbon credits were offered to offset the travel emissions of the 6,000+ delegates and alternates.

Official cars ran on flex fuels, and all DNC offices went paperless. Motion-sensors in the offices turned lights off automatically when people leave the room. Food handlers wore biodegradable gloves. Vendors were instructed in waste diversion, and 900 volunteers helped sort the garbage. The stage that speakers addressed the crowd from was made mostly of recycled materials.

The Huffington Post reports that not all of the DNC’s green efforts worked out.  The loaner bike thing sounded like a great plan, but it turns out Denver doesn’t have enough bike racks for the 1,000 bikes – and on top of that, bicycles aren’t allowed near the Pepsi Center or Invesco Field.   Over 70 hotel chains provided special room swipe cards made of ‘sustainably harvested wood’ which reportedly didn’t always work and have locked guests out of their rooms.

There were bound to be pitfalls at such a big event, though it seems ludicrous that someone didn’t think of the bike thing ahead of time.  Considering that they essentially planned a party for 70,000 guests – and not all of them are going to care about recycling and energy efficiency – it seems like they did a great job.  It’s been like one big commercial for sustainability and environmental responsibility, and that’s definitely a good thing.  Let’s see the RNC top that.

Link [The Washington Post] + [The Huffington Post]

Obama Responds to McCain’s Backfiring ‘Tire Gauge’ Attacks

When Obama recommended conserving energy through measures like keeping tires inflated as an alternative to offshore drilling, he was ridiculed by the McCain camp, who then distributed tire gauges labeled “Barack Obama’s Energy Plan”. But then it was proven that Obama’s suggestion was right on target, and simple conservation efforts like properly inflated tires and regular tune-ups can save as much oil as offshore drilling would produce. Now, Obama’s got a few things to say to McCain about the episode.

From Yahoo! News:

“It will be interesting to watch this debate between John McCain and John McCain,” Obama said as he campaigned in Indiana with Sen. Evan Bayh, widely considered a top-tier candidate for running mate.

In mocking Obama, McCain told a motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D.: “My opponent doesn’t want to drill, he doesn’t want nuclear power, he wants you to inflate your tires.” The Republican National Committee widely distributed tire pressure gauges labeled “Obama energy plan” and suggested that was the Illinois senator’s only idea for reducing oil imports, although both candidates have offered multifaceted energy proposals.

You can see Obama here:

The RNC’s gift of tire gauges may be the single most helpful thing they’ve done for the country in the past decade. Not that they knew that when they passed them out, of course. Dumbasses.

Link [Yahoo! News]
Photo credit: Flickr user marcn

Obama is Right About the Tire-Gauge Energy Solution

Republicans had a giddy, gleeful field day this week after Barack Obama stated that if all Americans inflated their tires properly and got their vehicles regular tune-ups, we could save as much oil as new offshore drilling could produce. This absolutely ridiculous suggestion really got them fired up, prompting the Republican National Committee to send Washington reporters tire gauges labeled “Barack Obama’s Energy Plan” in an attempt to ridicule the Democratic presidential candidate.

Too bad the joke’s on them – Obama’s statement is true. From TIME Magazine:

The Bush Administration estimates that expanded offshore drilling could increase oil production by 200,000 bbl. per day by 2030. We use about 20 million bbl. per day, so that would meet about 1% of our demand two decades from now. Meanwhile, efficiency experts say that keeping tires inflated can improve gas mileage 3%, and regular maintenance can add another 4%. Many drivers already follow their advice, but if everyone did, we could immediately reduce demand several percentage points. In other words: Obama is right.

As TIME points out, conservation and efficiency are the best approach to dealing with the energy crisis, and we can do it without making huge changes to our lifestyle. There are a million different ways that we could use to seriously reduce our energy use if most of the people in the country gave them a shot: better insulation, unplugging electronics that aren’t in use, carpooling, cutting down on idling and reducing our speed on the road. What Obama has suggested is the obvious front line of defense against the energy crisis: common sense.

It’s a pretty simple concept: if our use of fossil fuels is increasing our reliance on Middle Eastern dictators while destroying the planet, maybe we ought to use less.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Link [TIME Magazine]

The Truth About McCain and Big Oil

McCain, Big Oil. Big Oil, McCain. Where does one stop and the other begin? You’d be hard pressed to figure that out, considering how many of his advisors have lobbied for oil industry interests. And that’s not all. In 2008 alone, McCain has taken $485,526 from Big Oil.

From Brave New Films:

The Center for Responsive Politics finds that McCain has accepted over $1 million from the oil and gas industry. Many of McCain’s top advisers have lobbied for big oil, which is why he now acts in their best interests, opposing environmental legislation and alternative energy plans. And that’s exactly why we want everyone to know The REAL McCain.

McCain is desperate to distance himself from President Bush. But according to the Center for American Progress Action Fund, McCain has received millions in donations from the same oil, coal, nuclear, chemical, utility, and auto companies that helped the Bush administration create its energy plan—a plan that has raised gasoline to $4 a gallon.

If you know anyone who’s on the fence about McCain, forward this on to them!

Link [Brave New Films]

‘Eco-Minded’ McCain Supports Offshore Drilling

Perhaps someone needs to clue John McCain in: calling oneself an environmentalist in one breath and supporting big oil in another = hypocrisy. McCain, in answer to rising public pressure over gas prices, keeps saying we need to “eliminate our dependence on foreign oil”. What he doesn’t seem to get is that we need to eliminate our dependence on oil, period. Not just foreign oil. Drilling for oil here in America is not going to solve the energy crisis, nor is drilling in Brazil, the Arctic or anywhere else.

McCain is calling for the federal government to lift restrictions on offshore drilling in the U.S., insisting that it will help ease the financial burden Americans are facing due to high gas prices. The Washington Post has the details:

McCain’s announcement is a reversal of the position he took in his 2000 presidential campaign and a break with environmental activists, even as he attempts to win the support of independents and moderate Democrats. Since becoming the presumptive GOP nominee in March, McCain has presented himself as a friend of the environment by touting his plans to combat global warming and his opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and in the Everglades.

Representatives of several environmental groups criticized him for backing an idea they said would endanger the nation’s most environmentally sensitive waters.

“It’s disappointing that Senator McCain is clinging to the failed energy policies of the past,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, legislative director for the League of Conservation Voters.

Sierra Club political director Cathy Duvall said McCain “is using the environment as a way to portray himself as being different from George Bush. But the reality is that he isn’t.” The group began running radio commercials yesterday that criticize McCain’s environmental record in the battleground state of Ohio.

It’s clear that McCain is pandering to a nation of ignorant people who have no understanding of the energy crisis and are simply worried about their own finances and energy-sucking way of life. McCain is not thinking about America’s future, or what we’re going to do once oil really runs out. He’s thinking about what the idiots of our nation want to hear, and how he can use that to get elected.

Obama, meanwhile, has this to say about it:

“Our dependence on foreign oil strains family budgets and it saps our economy. Oil money pays for the bombs going off from Baghdad to Beirut, and the bombast of dictators from Caracas to Tehran,” Obama said. “Our nation will not be secure unless we take that leverage away, and our planet will not be safe unless we move decisively toward a clean energy future.”

I hope any of you moderate Republicans and Independents who bought McCain’s environment spiel kept the receipt for all that eco-friendly merchandise.

Link [The Washington Post]
Photo credit: Flickr user TheConcreteJungleBook.com

The Dumbing Down of America Under Bush

America has become a nation of idiots.

I think the point where I really started to worry was when people began using the phrase ‘freedom fries’ as a substitute for ‘french fries’. It spread like syphilis at a Roman orgy after France refused to take part in the invasion of Iraq, when anti-France sentiment grew here in the U.S. and two Republican congressmen decided to officially change the name in the restaurants and snack bars run by the House of Representatives. ‘Dang it all, Jeb, if the Republican gov’ment says it, then we should too! Those fancy French people, they’s all disloyal and anti-American and stuff!’

As if that weren’t enough, frighteningly, we seem to be endlessly entertained by crotch gags, like the ‘Ow My Balls!’ segments on America’s Funniest Videos. Some of the most popular programs on television are those that depict people eating bull testicles, transforming themselves into scary plastic mannequins via dozens of plastic surgery procedures, intentionally trying to hurt themselves in the stupidest ways possible and competing for the dubious affections of a man wearing a giant clock around his neck.

Then there are the email forwards. Christ on a bicycle, people, would you please verify that the information you’re about to send is correct before forwarding it to 98 of your closest friends, relatives, business associates and random acquaintances? I don’t know how many times I’ve had to direct the sender of a ridiculous email to Snopes.com to get the real story. It seems that many people are content to simply believe whatever is convenient for them to believe. If they want to convince themselves that Barack Obama really did go to terrorist training school, refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and was sworn into office using the Koran rather than the Bible, they damn well will. [Read more]

McCain Campaign Advisors Paid to Stop Cape Wind Renewable Energy Project

Some people out there still seem to need evidence that McCain is just Bush 2.0, and luckily for all of us, McCain’s camp keeps on delivering. Surprise, surprise: two high placed advisors in the McCain campaign worked with lobbyists to stop the Cape Wind renewable energy project.

From The Sietch Blog:

Charlie Black, Senior Political Adviser to McCain: Senate lobbying disclosure documents reveal that lobbying firm BKSH & Associates was retained in January 2008 by the Alliance to
Protect Nantucket Sound to “Defeat the proposal for 130 wind turbines” and “promote alternative means to meet energy needs without sacrificing Nantucket Sound.” Charlie Black was the chairman of BKSH until March. [Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act database]

Tom Loeffler, McCain’s Campaign Co-chairman: The Loeffler Group received $380,000 from the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound from 2003 to 2005 to lobby against Cape Wind. The Loeffler Group was founded by former Republican congressman Tom Loeffler, who remains its chairman. [Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act database]…

In addition to these two jokers, McCain also recently had advisors quit after it was revealed that one was actively working for Myanmar and one had ties to the Saudi government. McCain tries to play himself as an honest guy who’s more moderate than the Bush administration and open to new ideas. Too bad “Mr. Straight Talker Reformerman” is thick with lobbyists who have anything but the best interests of the American people in mind. Taking money to help corporations, organizations and foreign governments tighten their grip on American society. What else is new?

Of course, that doesn’t mean that all of the people who plan to vote for McCain have two brain cells to rub together and are therefore able to process this information. For them, there is no hope. However, perhaps those still on the fence will take it into consideration. There has been a haze of corruption over the White House for nearly 8 years, and McCain taking office will only make it more ominous.

Link [The Sietch Blog] + [Cape Wind]
Photo source: Flickr user Hot Rod Homepage

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