Articles by Kate Sheppard

McCain's adviser on the censorship of climate information under Bush

"I don't think there's anything with the Bush administration's censoring of documents that has helped them make their case for their stance on climate change. It's a disgrace. Have the information out, have the debate, and win on the merits. Don't win on the editing process."

-- Douglas Holtz-Eakin, senior policy adviser to John McCain's failed presidential campaign, at a panel on "Repairing the Republican Brand"

Sierra Club leader discusses plans for his new role as chairman

Last Friday, long-time Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope announced that he is stepping down and moving to a new role as chairman of the group.

The move comes after 17 years at the helm, and just days after a more environment-minded president took office, prompting some to wonder what Pope has up his sleeve. In his new role, he'll be focusing primarily on climate change work, so we dropped him a line to get more details.

Grist: What prompted the change in position now, right after a new president was sworn in who seems likely to be much more sympathetic to green issues?

Carl Pope: The new administration and Congress offer so many opportunities to move our agenda that I wanted to focus more energy on the outside role, and less on management.

Grist: How will your role at the organization change? What will be the relationship between you and the new executive director?

Pope: After the transition, I'll be doing strategy, political, and fund-raising work -- and the new ED will be leading the organization and managing the staff. We'll both report to the board.

Grist: In the new role, you're going to be focusing primarily on climate policy. What are your plans in that area? What do you hope that the new focus will allow you to do?

Pope: We've launched an ambitious Climate Recovery Partnership, with three key goals: cut greenhouse pollution to the level scientists tell us the atmosphere can handle, leverage natural ecosystems to help protect landscapes and human communities during the coming period of unstable climate, and then eventually restore the climate by allowing enhanced forests, soils, grasslands, and oceans to gradually sequester the excess CO2 emitted over the last century. It's the most ambitious, broad-scale program I know of -- and I want to help make very bit of it hum.

All the green policy news I don't have time to write about

• The House is debating the economic stimulus package today, and is likely to vote on it on Wednesday. President Obama was on Capitol Hill on Tuesday lobbying Republican lawmakers to support the bill, though GOP leaders say they are holding out for more tax cuts.

• Meanwhile, mass transit advocates are already miffed that spending for their projects got reduced in favor of more tax cuts. And on the Senate side, the prospects for transit look even bleaker.

• Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) announced on Tuesday that they have formed a Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition caucus in the House of Representatives. In his announcement, Inslee noted that the group recently met with Carol Browner, the new assistant to the president on energy and climate policy, and that the caucus members are working on improving green technology provisions stimulus package. "The melting of the Arctic ice cap is speeding up toward a point of no return and the economy is in turmoil," said Inslee. "We are in need of bold, aggressive action, and that’s exactly what the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition is about."

• Apparently, a pair of Swiss filmmakers is working on a documentary about what happened to Jimmy Carter's White House solar panels.

• The brilliant minds at the Reality Coalition have bought ad space on all misdirected web pages on washingtonpost.com.

• Ed Markey, chair of the House Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming and author of the fuel-economy provision in the 2007 energy bill, sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood on Monday asking him to strengthen the standards.

• The Heartland Institute has scheduled its annual climate change skepticism summit for March 8-10 in New York City, if you'd like to go give yourself an ulcer for a few days.

Obama names clean-energy proponent as acting head of FERC

With so much news in Washington this week, we almost forgot to mention big news at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). On Friday, President Obama appointed Jon Wellinghoff to be the acting chairman of the agency, where he will oversee interstate electric transmission, gas transportation, and opening wholesale markets to renewables.

The 59-year-old Nevadan is considered the front-runner for a nomination to the top spot at the agency. "I thank President Obama for the opportunity to lead FERC at a time when our nation faces the challenge of providing consumers with access to clean, renewable energy and ensuring that our nation can deliver that energy in the most efficient, smart and technologically sophisticated manner possible," said Wellinghoff in a statement.

This is exciting news for greens, who are big fans of Wellinghoff, an energy law specialist who has been with FERC since 2006. In December 2007, the U.S. Senate reconfirmed him for a full five-year term. While at the agency he has helped create a new division -- the Energy Innovations Sector -- to investigate and promote new efficient technologies and practices.

In his first full day on the job as acting chief, Wellinghoff stressed the need for automobile manufacturers and electric utilities to work together to integrate electric vehicles into the national grid, according to a Dow Jones report.

Exiting chairman Joseph T. Kelliher praised Wellinghoff's appointment: "Jon has the intelligence, experience, judgment and independence to lead FERC as the agency discharges its historic responsibilities and confronts new challenges." Kelliher, who drew fire during the Bush administration for his involvement with Vice President Dick Cheney's secret energy task force, stepped down earlier this month.