Blog

22Feb

One Down, Two to Go

February 22, 2017 With the ceremonial removal of the stream rule in the Oval Office last week, a major burden on coal communities and threat to our diverse energy mix was lifted. But the danger from President Obama’s “keep it in the ground” regulatory tear lives on in two key policies: the moratorium on federal […]
15Feb

A Rollback, or a Reset?

February 15, 2017 This week the Senate will send a belated Valentine to blue-collar Americans. It’s likely the upper house will confirm either Mr. Zinke as Secretary of the Interior or Mr. Pruitt as the new EPA administrator before adjourning for President’s Day. Both men will be greeted warmly by the many whose jobs are […]
10Feb

Lifting the Moratorium on Federal Coal Use

February 9, 2017 What a week for improbable, heroic, logic-defying efforts. First the astonishing comeback by the Patriots, persuading the most hardened doubters of their greatness after overcoming a late 25-point deficit. Then the equally daunting challenge faced by those GOP wise men who sought to persuade us that a carbon tax isn’t really an […]
01Feb

The Club on the Head of American Workers

February 1, 2017 Today in Congress, the Sierra Club will twice be reminded of former President Obama’s boast: that “elections have consequences.”  The Environment and Public Works Committee will endorse Mr. Pruitt’s nomination as EPA administrator. The climate lobby that owned EPA for the last eight years now frets Pruitt will undo their handiwork while […]
25Jan

A Masterpiece of Bad Regulation

January 25, 2017 As congressional Republicans head for Philadelphia today to set goals for the new year, the president announced one of his own: erase 75 percent of government regulations affecting business. This is either hyperbole, intended to grab attention. Or its aspirational, less an expectation than a stretch that will still achieve a lot. […]
18Jan

Don’t Overlook the Biggest Protest

January 18, 2017 As the Capital girds for Friday’s Inauguration, the media is focusing heavy attention on the myriad protests that eagerly vie for its fleeting attention. This is understandable; dissident voices should be heard. But while the protesters parade by, let’s not overlook the biggest protest event – the November election. That was a […]
11Jan

Great Expectations

January 11, 2017 In the political world, as in the real one, we often experience a frustrating disparity between expectation and reality. The incoming administration and the 115th Congress may prove to be the exception. At least with respect to major regulations that have hamstrung the coal industry. Early signs suggest that House and Senate […]
04Jan

A Recipe for Winning Back Working America

January 4, 2017 Congress returned this week just in time for official Washington to digest a famous chef’s recipe for winning back the voters they lost. It’s surprising that this prescient election post mortem should come from the kitchen rather than the green room, but then we’ve all been numbed to surprise by now. Anthony […]
29Dec

New Year, New Hope

December 29, 2016 In old Europe, people ushered in the new year by emptying their chamber pots into the street. Not to put to fine a point on it, but something akin to this exuberant house cleaning is occurring in this town. Men and women with a radically different take on the country’s energy industry […]
20Dec

Stream Rule – Destined for the Dumpster

December 20, 2016 Although bitterly opposed by the mining industry, states and Native American communities among others, the stream rule finalized Monday by the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) serves a very useful purpose.  It shows what’s wrong with this administration’s regulatory policies and the malign motivation behind them. The stream rule achieves a rare […]