Al Gore calls on Barack Obama to ‘act boldly’ on climate change
Former vice-president and climate champion urges re-elected U.S. President Obama to immediately begin pushing for a carbon tax. The president has faced rising public pressure in the wake of superstorm Sandy to deliver on his promise to act on global warming. But none of those calling on Obama to act carries the moral authority of Gore, who has devoted his post-political career to building a climate movement.
Electric Cars: California Leads Nation In Green Vehicle Consumption
According to the classic stereotype, there are two things Californians love: the environment and their cars. So it’s no surprise that the state leads the nation at the point where those two interests intersect. According to a report by automotive website Edmunds.com, California drivers accounted for just under one-third of all electric vehicles purchased in the United States last year and about a quarter of all hybrids. Florida registered a distant second in both categories, with Sunshine State drivers purchasing 6.6 percent of all hybrids and plug-in electrics.
U.S. Carbon Tax Gains Attention As Climate Change Resurfaces
Climate change is suddenly a hot topic again. The issue is resurfacing in talks about a once radical idea: a possible carbon tax. On November 12, a conservative think tank held discussions about it while a more liberal think tank released a paper on it. And the Congressional Budget Office issued a 19-page report on the different ways to make a carbon tax less burdensome on lower income people. A carbon tax works by making people pay more for using fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas that produce heat-trapping carbon dioxide.
