Opposition to Nuclear Power Losing Steam in Germany - TIME

The Social Democrats struck a deal in 2001 with then-coalition partners the Greens to phase out the last of Germany's 17 reactors, which currently provide one-quarter of the country's electricity, by 2021. The Atomic-Exit Law was a big victory for the demonstrators who had been turning out in their tens of thousands since the '70s to protest the depositing of nuclear waste in old salt mines. (See pictures of the worst nuclear disasters.)

But Merkel, who agreed to leave the deal intact while forming a coalition with the Social Democrats in 2005, now wants to "phase out the phase out." She argues that it is unrealistic in the face of high oil costs, will endanger renewable energy goals, and will leave Germany vulnerable to the whims of its largest gas supplier, Russia.

Twitter / Paul Molinari

Our office is "green" because we eliminated paper cups. I don't have a ceramic mug. Al Gore, go fetch me a Grande Pike.

Doggett's quick flip on cap and trade

[Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin] insisted it was the first time in his Washington career he'd spoken against a proposal the day he voted for it.
...
Doggett said he later came aboard after talking with the climate-focused Al Gore; Sen. Barbara Boxer, the Californian now shepherding the plan; Pelosi; and others.

Also, a carrot of consequence emerged.

"More than once," Doggett revealed, "the prospect of serving on the conference committee came up," a reference to his possibly being named to a House-Senate panel that could be appointed to hunt a compromise.

Oddly, back on June 26, Doggett failed to mention that he may have sold his vote in return for a conference committee seat

They’ll want to take that back. Doggett just took to the House floor to announce that he’s now supporting the bill. The reason? He was tired, he said, of listening to the members of “the flat earth society” across the aisle making “inane” arguments.

FT.com / US & Canada - Senators attack carbon tax proposals on US imports

Senior Democrat senators said on Wednesday they would change a provision that imposes carbon taxes on imports following warnings that the clause in the House’s cap-and-trade bill could spark a global trade war.

The House’s bill contained tough provisions to impose carbon tariffs, aimed at protecting American companies’ competitiveness against imports from countries without equivalent carbon emission controls to those in the US.

Senator John Kerry, who is helping to write the senate’s version of the bill, said in a hearing on the issue on Wednesday: “We have already come to the conclusion in working on the Senate bill that we’re going to try and change that provision . . . we haven’t landed yet completely on where we come out”.