United States - Feb 1

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Global warring redux
New report compares military and climate spending
David Roberts, Gristmill
The Institute for Policy Studies has a new Foreign Policy in Focus report out: "The Budget Compared: Military vs. Climate Security." As you'd expect from the name, it's a close look at how federal dollars are allocated for military vs. climate protection, and as you'd expect from, you know, being awake, there's an enormous disparity. It's pretty astonishing nonetheless. Here are the reports major findings:

• FINDING: For every dollar allocated for stabilizing the climate, the government will spend $88 on achieving security by military force.

• FINDING: The government is allocating 99% of combined federal spending on military and climate security to military security.

• FINDING: During the last five years the ratio of military security to climate security spending has averaged 97 to 1.

• FINDING: In FY 2008, as well as during the past five years, the government has allocated for climate security only one percent of what it has devoted to military security.

• FINDING: The U.S. government budgeted $20 to develop new weapons systems for every dollar it requested to develop new technologies to stabilize the climate.

• FINDING: We will devote 50 times as much to arming the rest of the world as to helping it prepare for and avoid global climate catastrophe.

• FINDING: The government allocates just 2% of the international assistance budget for both military and climate security to stabilizing climate.

(31 January 2008)

E&E Daily reporters preview climate, energy legislation on heels of State of the Union speech (video)
E&E TV
In his final State of the Union address, President George W. Bush urged the expansion of clean energy technologies, both internationally and domestically. He also pushed for an international agreement on climate change, urging all major economies to sign on to a post-2012 treaty.

What implications will the speech have on congressional action on climate and energy this year?

During today's OnPoint, E&E Daily senior reporters Ben Geman, Dan Berman, and Darren Samuelsohn preview the year ahead for cap-and-trade legislation, the fiscal 2009 budget and renewable energy tax incentives.
(30 January 2008)
President Bush's pronouncements no longer seem to arouse much emotions one way or the other these days. -BA

Call For Additional Energy Assistance Funding (video)
Energy Policy TV
State Energy Assistance Directors call for increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). They describe the struggles of low-income residents of their states facing sharply rising energy prices. Press conference.
(28 January 2008)