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Politico
Senior policy reporter for Politico; former senior reporter for Environment & Energy Daily
PROFILE
Darren Samuelsohn
Guest
FROM Darren Samuelsohn
To the Point
Climate Change, Renewable Energy and the Environment After a lengthy buildup, the EPA issued final rules last Friday for President Obama's Clean Power Plan . He calls it, "the single most important step America has ever taken...against climate change." But even before the sun went down, 24 states and a host of powerful private interests filed lawsuits against the plan. The stage is set for a historic battle about changing the way we generate electricity and the consequences of switching from fossil fuels to renewables. Public health and the health of the planet will be part of the action, along with America's utility bills.
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EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Resigns The head of the Environmental Protection Agency has announced she'll be leaving after four years on the job. Lisa Jackson's departure comes as many in the environmental movement continue to question President Obama's commitment to dealing with climate change, but she also managed to pull off some notable firsts during her time running the EPA, as we hear from Darren Samuelsohn, senior policy reporter for Politico .
To the Point
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Resigns The head of the Environmental Protection Agency has announced she'll be leaving after four years on the job. Lisa Jackson's departure comes as many in the environmental movement continue to question President Obama's commitment to dealing with climate change, but she also managed to pull off some notable firsts during her time running the EPA, as we hear from Darren Samuelsohn, senior policy reporter for Politico .
To the Point
Obama Talks Energy, Jobs in North Carolina After upstaging Super Tuesday with a news conference on foreign affairs , President Obama today went to a crucial state in November's election and the site of the Democratic National convention. In North Carolina, he pushed for incentives to promote development of fuel efficient cars. Today's visit was to a Daimler truck plant in Mount Holly, North Carolina, his first to a foreign auto maker. Darren Samuelsohn is energy and environment for Politico .
To the Point
Gleick Admits to Acquiring Heartland Institute Docs under False Name Yesterday on To the Point , we heard about internal documents revealing that a nonprofit group was pushing a K-12 curriculum that cast doubt on the science of climate change. Heartland Institute claimed the material was stolen and threatened legal action. In today's Huffington Post , Peter Gleick, president and co-founder of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California, admits he used someone else's name to get the documents and calls it "a serious lapse of my own and professional judgment and ethics." Darren Samuelsohn is following the story for Politico .
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The Heartland Institute, Global Warming and Public Schools Documents leaked last week reveal efforts to cast doubt on climate change with a new curriculum for public schools. Some call it similar to challenging Evolution by pushing Creationism. The Heartland Institute , a libertarian nonprofit group in Chicago, says at least one document supposedly "leaked" last week is a complete fake. But Heartland concedes that others accurately reveal the names of its funders. Is it really about science or public policy?
To the Point
Global Warming and the Culture Wars Leaked documents show that the nonprofit Heartland Institute is trying to shake the confidence of public school teachers in human-caused climate change. Its proposed K-12 curriculum says there is "scientific controversy," when a broad consensus of scientists says the case is all too clear. It's evidence of how so-called "merchants of doubt" are challenging efforts to limit the burning of fossil fuels and emissions of greenhouse gases. How does the effort to contradict climate science compare to the push to teach Creationism as the "other side" of Evolution?
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California Takes the Lead against Global Warming California's Air Resources Board has unanimously adopted a so-called " Cap and Trade " scheme to implement Assembly Bill 32 , signed by former Governor Schwarzenegger in 2006. Governor Brown supports it enthusiastically, and last November, voters defeated Proposition 23 , an oil-company sponsored initiative to kill it once and for all. The New York Times said last week's Board meeting "was such a well-oiled exercise in democracy and administrative procedures that the momentousness of the occasion was almost lost in the footnotes."
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Solyndra and the Future of Clean and Green Technology Congressional investigators have revealed details of how $535 million in federal dollars went down the drain on guaranteed loans for high-tech solar panels. The Bush Administration put the deal in motion, but Solyndra went bankrupt on President Obama's watch, and Republicans are circulating embarrassing emails. Is the scandal really as bad as it sounds? If the US wants a "Green Economy" to create jobs here at home, are loan guarantees needed, despite the risk? Are there other ways to compete with China, which subsidizes all manufacturing costs so it can undersell the competition?
To the Point
Solyndra and the Future of Clean and Green Technology Congressional investigators have revealed details of how $535 million in federal dollars went down the drain on guaranteed loans for high-tech solar panels. The Bush Administration put the deal in motion, but Solyndra went bankrupt on President Obama's watch, and Republicans are circulating embarrassing emails. Is the scandal really as bad as it sounds? If the US wants a "Green Economy" to create jobs here at home, are loan guarantees needed, despite the risk? Are there other ways to compete with China, which subsidizes all manufacturing costs so it can undersell the competition?
Which Way, L.A.?
Weird Weather and Climate Change This year — and the past decade — have seen an increase in human catastrophes caused by unusually "extreme weather" of different kinds. Arizona's wildfires are the result of a drought, while late snow in the western mountains has led to predictions of massive flooding. This is the kind of thing climate-change scientists have predicted, but public skepticism that it's caused by human activity is on the increase and efforts in Washington to take any action are on the decline. We look at the science and the politics.
To the Point
Weird Weather and Climate Change For years, scientists have predicted that global warming would lead to extreme weather. Sure enough, extremes have become what some call the "new normal." The past decade has seen an increase in human catastrophes caused by unusual weather of different kinds. Arizona's wildfires are the result of a drought, while late snow in the western mountains has led to predictions of massive flooding. But scientists have a hard time saying that a given weather event is evidence of climate change. What's overlooked is that they also have trouble saying it's not. In any case, special interests seize on scientific uncertainty to avoid regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and the public is very confused. Is the real "hoax" climate change or the denial of climate change? We look at an issue that's become as political as it is scientific.
To the Point
President Obama Pushes for Lower Oil Imports President Obama is trying to kick off a major effort at "energy security" with a speech to students at Georgetown University. He said he's the latest president since Richard Nixon to raise the danger of US dependence on oil. He cautioned against continuing "to rush to propose action when gas prices are high, and then hit the snooze button when they fall again." Darren Samuelsohn is senior energy and environment reporter for Politico .
To the Point
Global Warming, the EPA and Republicans in Congress Whatever the President says tonight about global warming, the Environmental Protection Agency is the next House-Republican target after healthcare reform . The GOP is determined to stop, or delay for years, new regulations of greenhouse emissions being promulgated by the EPA. Last year was the warmest on Earth since 1850, but Congress wasn't alarmed enough to take action, so the EPA began regulating greenhouse emissions. The US Supreme Court said the EPA had no choice if public health was at risk. Republicans say the regulations are job killers that aren't worth the cost. Are they a long-term requirement for coping with global warming or "an unconstitutional power grab" based on scientific uncertainties?
To the Point
Europe to Assist Poor Countries Hit by Climate Change In Brussels today, the European Union pledged $3 billion for the so-called "fast-start fund" to help poor nations threatened by global warming. The hope was to improve chances for an agreement at the climate-change conference in Copenhagen. Darren Samuelsohn is there for Environment & Energy Daily.
To the Point
Copenhagen, Climate Change and Stolen E-Mails The UN's global warming summit in Copenhagen opened today amidst new attacks on the basic science of Climate Change. Differences over economics, politics and technology already led some 200 nations to abandon hopes for a binding treaty this year. Now, stolen e-mails between climate researchers are being used to cast doubt on the urgency of taking steps to curtail greenhouse gases. Have scientists manipulated information? Are dissenters being silenced? Instead of debating over reducing emissions, would a crash program for alternative sources of energy be a cheaper, faster way to slow global warming?
Recommended
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.