The conservative blogosphere, led by up and coming right wing-nut Michelle Malkin have been frantically pushing to label the stimulus package the “Generational Theft Bill,” and impressionable republican’s on the hill are echoing this ill-conceived branding quip. Generational Theft? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
Campaign politics dominated the headlines in 2008, making it a banner year for the armchair pundit. 2008 was also a year that issues like energy use, climate change and carbon footprints came to the forefront of popular culture and political reality. Put all of that together and you have 2008’s top environmental politics stories.
Haven’t had enough of the 2008 presidential election? Well, you’re in luck. The folks over at Talking Points Memo have compiled the highs and the lows, the soundbites, and, of course, the Joe the Plumber references and condensed them into one six-minute video.
Being a member of the President’s White House staff is no easy task. President Andrew Jackson actually had two cabinets to hold the union together. One was the formal cabinet which met in the White House and the other was known as his “Kitchen Cabinet” which met after hours across the street.
The Secretary of Energy will not be an easy role to assume. The price of gas may have fallen recently, but that does not make us immune to future shortages and overseas skirmishes over resources. President-elect Obama has been a symbol of American progress. I sincerely hope his choice for the head of the DOE will share his vision and make sure we are on the right path to energy independence.
No matter which presidential candidate walks away today with a key to the oval office, I’ll be a happy man. It’s not at all that I don’t care who sits in the hot seat on Pennsylvania Avenue - rather I’m just happy that I don’t need to be worried about a military coup or massive riots whether Obama or McCain wins the election.Beyond the rhetoric, the mud-slinging, the polls, and even the “issues” is the fact that this “American Experiment” of democracy is greater than any candidate running for office, or political party. Like Thomas M. DeFrank at nydailynews says
“After 931 days of campaigning, 109 primaries and caucuses, 47 debates and $5 billion spent, this marathon election nears its historic finish. Whatever Tuesday’s verdict, America will demolish political barriers that have stood through 55 quadrennial contests by choosing its first African-American President or its first female vice president.”
The previous 2 presidential elections (2000, 2004) also generated record levels of interest and voters from both sides of the political fence, much like today’s election. Following those elections, the country seemed to become very politically divided and the whole thing created a new breed of partisan-based patriotism. No matter who wins today, the next president will have the challenge of uniting the country and bringing opinions together to reach consensus. So when it comes to eco-policy, just how different are democrats & republicans?
If you think you’ve heard words like change, climate change, and gasoline a lot from our presidential candidates, you’re right. The Global Language Monitor, which has been tracking the entire Obama/McCain showdown, puts them as the top three “buzzwords” in this election.
According to the New York Times, Exxon has exceeded $10 billion in profit in nine of the last 12 quarters. Earlier this year, in the second quarter, the company posted a then-record profit. In the third quarter, Exxon reaped an increase of nearly 60 percent beyond that, setting yet another record while dropping its production by 8 percent for the quarter.
Yes, it seems the Republicans will do almost anything to keep voters away from the polls. Of course, they aren’t the only ones.
We’ll see…
Low Impact Living: Who’s the Greenest? Obama vs. McCain
My Bottom Line is Green: McCain v. Obama on Renewable Energy
My family and I awoke, greeted by a spectacular show of autumn colors while our Capitol Limited Amtrak train coasted alongside a meandering river somewhere outside Martinsburg, West Virginia. We headed to the glass enclosed lounge car to join a convivial community of train travelers, snapping photos of quaint mountain towns and even a wind farm perched atop a ridge.
Our destination was Washington D.C. and after careful consideration, we concluded that getting to the nation’s capitol by train was both the most energy efficient way (when compared to flying or driving) and a most enjoyable one. We stretched out on comfortable and spacious seats, had plenty of room to stretch our legs in the lounge or cafe car, avoided the hassles of airline check-in and security, and had ample free time to play games with our son, read a book, watch the world passing by out the windows, even sip a cup of Fair Trade Certified Green Mountain Coffee purchased at their cafe.
Hardly our first train trip on Amtrak (and no stranger to the European intercity rail system), we, as ecotravelers, found riding with Amtrak far more than an ecologically sound and more fuel efficient way to travel. We joined a community of fellow travelers eager to slow down more to enjoy the scenery, rather than flying thousands of feet overhead or speeding down boring Interstate Highways in a car.
Americans are riding the rails in a big way these days. From October 2006 to September 2007, about 25.8 million Americans took a trip on Amtrak. An average of more than 70,000 passengers ride on up to 300 Amtrak trains per day. Amtrak, officially called the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, was created by the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970. After a 150 years of passenger rail service by private freight companies largely disappeared due to the rapid growth (and, in hindsight, disasterous ecological and social impacts) of automobile and airline travel, the U.S. government stepped in to set up a public service passenger rail service so that intercity passenger train travel could still be continued. Fortunately for us.
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