United States – Apr 3

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Group Seeks E.P.A. Rules on Emissions From Vehicles
Felicity Barringer, New York Times
In a new push to get the federal government to act on global warming, a coalition of states, cities and environmental groups took its fight to federal court on Wednesday.

The coalition, led by Massachusetts, is seeking to force the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate emissions of heat-trapping gases from new cars and trucks or show that such regulation is unnecessary.

The states and the federal government have long been at odds over regulation. In 2003, the environmental agency refused to set emission levels for heat-trapping gases because of what it called “substantial scientific uncertainty” about their effects and the best way to deal with them.
(3 April 2008)

Obama: I’d Hire Gore
Devlin Barrett, Associated Press
Democrat Barack Obama said Wednesday he talks regularly with former vice president Al Gore and would consider putting him in a Cabinet-level position or higher.
(2 April 2008)

Clinton, Obama take on big oil
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN
The Democratic presidential candidates are criss-crossing Pennsylvania this week, dropping in at gas stations and truck stops to convince voters they’ve got the best plan to tackle soaring gas prices and big oil profits.

… Clinton has taken to lashing out at the Bush administration’s oil policy.

“The president is too busy holding hands with the Saudis to care about American truck drivers who can’t afford to fill up their tank any longer,” she said.

Obama, meanwhile, said Monday a crackdown is needed on oil companies.

“[We] need a president who can stand up to big oil and big energy companies and say enough is enough,” Obama said Monday.
(1 April 2008)
Although it’s hard to feel too sorry for Big Oil, in this case I think they are being unfairly scapegoated. Americans are accustomed to the oil companies as being all-powerful, but nowadays Big Oil has been checkmated by geology and geopolitics. This scapegoating doesn’t bode well for a realistic energy policy under a new Democratic administration. -BA