Current Events

After a week of grieving over the tragedy in Tucson, members of the House returns to DC and to business as usual this week, beginning with a vote on the GOP's "job-killing health care repeal" legislation. The unfortunate events in Tucson have pushed political leaders to call for civility and bipartisanship, yet the rhetoric on Capitol Hill is as heated as ever. The Clean Air Act is up and running for carbon pollution, but remains a political target for leaders of the GOP-led House.

The numbers are in on 2010's final temperature; the EPA makes a great announcement about MTR; President Obama makes a bold move for solar energy and we're putting the best phone applications for climate on your radar.

I am close to the tragedy in Tucson in several ways. I organized events with Congresswoman Giffords and her staff several times before her election, and lobbied her office for 1Sky last year. Also, my church is a few minutes away from Jared Loughner's home and the shooting site.

Saturday's attack on Tucson, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords (D-AZ) has Capitol Hill on edge. Republican House leadership plans to delay consideration of the hyper-partisan health care repeal bill, and will instead pay tribute to Giffords by dismissing Congress for the week. Discussions of gun control and violent political messages are expected to ensue in the coming week.

Like all of you, I was shocked and angered by what happened this weekend in Arizona. The attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), along with the senseless shooting of 19 other victims -- including the murder a federal judge, a congressional aide, a nine-year-old-girl and three other Arizonians -- is a tragedy that cuts deeply on many levels. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims of this tragedy and their families.

Let's start the New Year off right. While Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has taken a firm stance in keeping the EPA's regulation in place at the start of this year, Kyle Gracey at Grist explains his top resolution is to use his words carefully and correctly, starting with calling carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions exactly what they are: pollution. He calls on everyone to take the neutral word out of deadly substances.

This week marks the first days of greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the beginning of the new Congress. The first phase of Clean Air Act regulation began on Sunday, January 2, a process that creates incentives for cleaner electricity sources such as renewables over older technology such as coal-fired power plants. Stage-managing for the 112th Congress will be the primary goal of the coming weeks.

Many of you have already started the trek home to loved ones, but here at 1Sky we still wanted to wish you very happy holiday and a wonderful New Year! Here are a few of the highlights from this week to tide you over until 2011.

Last week, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) made an unsuccessful last-minute attempt to put the Clean Air Act before Congress adjourns. Procedural changes in the appropriations bill stopped the vote, but Rockefeller and his allies in the coal and oil industries are resolved to keep fighting the Clean Air Act when Congress reconvenes January 5th -- three days after the Clean Air Act kicks in for greenhouse gasses.

The other day I was watching a collection of old Schoolhouse Rock songs with my son. On came "Energy," which I probably hadn't seen in 30 years. This video (see embeded at the end of this post) was made in 1978, and I was surprised how timely it is today.