United States – Apr 21

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New thinking on the climate crisis
Al Gore, TED
In Al Gore’s brand-new slideshow (premiering exclusively on TED.com), he presents evidence that the pace of climate change may be even worse than scientists were recently predicting, and challenges us to act with a sense of “generational mission” — the kind of feeling that brought forth the civil rights movement — to set it right. Gore’s stirring presentation is followed by a brief Q&A in which he is asked for his verdict on the current political candidates’ climate policies and on what role he himself might play in future.

Quote: As important as it is to change our light bulbs, it’s more important to change our laws.”
(April 2008)
Contributor Jason Bradford writes:
Al Gore has a brand new presentation that goes beyond his Inconvenient Truth show. Good to see him move more towards the position expressed in Climate Code Red

Obama, Clinton woo coal vote in upcoming primaries
H. Josef Hebert, Associated Press
Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are walking a delicate line as they promise to aggressively tackle global warming while trying to assure voters that they continue to believe in the future of coal.

In states like Pennsylvania, where voters will cast ballots this Tuesday, and in West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Montana – upcoming primary states – coal sways voters.
(19 April 2008)

Obama’s Response on Oil Money
Julie Bosman, New York Times u
… ACCURACY Mr. Obama did oppose tax breaks for oil companies, and complained that the 2005 energy bill did not redirect tax breaks for oil and gas companies to renewable energy. At a speech in Detroit, he urged mandatory requirements on gasoline mileage.

SCORECARD The advertisement is a direct answer to Mrs. Clinton’s commercial raising the issue of oil company contributions. It does not address the original statement that he does not take money from oil companies, but instead it makes the stronger point that Mr. Obama does not accept money from oil-company lobbyists. And while it attacks the Clinton campaign as running negative advertisements, the spot starts with a negative tone of its own in taking on Mrs. Clinton.
(17 April 2008)

Mary Wood on Government as the Trustee of Common Assets (audio)
Jason Bradford, The Reality Report via Global Public Media
Law professor Mary Wood will explain how the government, acting as trustee of the atmospheric commons, is obligated to deal realistically with climate change science.

As a trustee, the government has no political discretion to permit the destruction of the atmosphere, and is therefore obliged to take account of scientific information about climate change and formulate policies that protect our life support system. She is authoring a forthcoming book, The Dawn of Planetary Patriotism: A Citizens’ Call to Climate Defense.
(14 April 2008)