Sarah Lee

In order to enjoy Cool It, Ondi Timoner’s docu-bio on Bjorn Lomborg’s environmental skepticism, one must be prepared to suspend one’s disbelief that the Earth is warming and that it is doing so because mankind has had a deleterious effect on the environment. If a viewer sees Timoner’s film and accepts that Danish environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg is not tackling the question of whether global warming is real but, rather, attempting to find better ways to address a serious manmade problem, then that viewer may find an engaging and exciting documentary. (more)

To be fair, Ray Griggs’ “I Want Your Money,” a self-financed documentary on out-of-control spending in Washington, is not an unbiased examination of government spendiing. The relief is it’s not trying to be; viewers are therefore never left with that mendacious feeling of manipulation that comes from watching politically-loaded “neutral” examinations of hot-button topics. Griggs’ film is, in fact, unapologetically conservative in tone. It also happens to be fair, honest, and compelling, proving that politics and ethics do not have to be mutually exclusive. (more)

Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu will travel to West Virginia next month to discuss the future of coal. He will be peddling compelling ideas; compelling because those opposed to carbon taxation may recognize the arguments. In fact, those arguments will be used to promote placing a price on carbon emissions -- essentially levying yet another tax on businesses and individuals who rely on coal-generated power. (more)

Last week, as the Senate all-but confirmed passage of this administration’s newest “stimulating” legislation – specifically, $26 billion allocated to states to prop up Medicaid and education – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the somewhat ridiculous statement that the US Senate had done the work it was designed to do. “We saved people’s jobs,” he gushed. (more)

There appears to be an odd trend in policymaking over the last two years: many of the unintended consequences of proposed legislation or crisis regulation coming from the White House – whether in practice or extrapolated in theory – seem to run counter to the stated goals or original intent. In other words, these policies tend to exacerbate the problems they’re supposed to be fixing. (more)

News broke recently that, despite Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s efforts to protect his coastline from potential oil encroachment resulting from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf, the federal government has reached out an absurd hand and halted the building of sand berms off the coast of the state. Absurd because the halt is the result of a concern by the federal government that the dredging process might – ahem – negatively affect the environment. (more)

The surprising thing about the recent revealing of the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act (DISCLOSE Act) is how very unsurprising it is. From the acronym that suggests one thing (while the legislation, in fact, does just the opposite) and the timing in preparation for November elections, to the aggressive push to have it in place as quickly as possible, this latest piece of legislation is exactly in line with everything else this administration has done to date. In fact, this newest legislation is so mundane in the context of what this administration has attempted to do from the beginning that it’s incredibly frustrating to even talk about because the specter of redundancy, a nasty bug most writers and political analysts fear might infect their work, is an ever present reality. And that is perhaps what makes this legislation most frightening of all. (more)

The Washington D.C. City Council is set to vote May 25 on its 2011 budget and, included in the list of potential line items, is the contentious “soda tax,” a 1 cent per-ounce tax on bottled and canned soda intended to pay for a healthy schools initiative designed to address childhood obesity. (more)

It takes a back seat to larger, sexier stories, but Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s statements about splitting the agency that handles components of offshore drilling in response to the Gulf Coast oil spill presents an interesting study in potential versus pattern. (more)

General Motors’ willingness to publicly display their penchant for image over sound business practices should surprise no one. This is, after all, a company who was cozy enough with the White House to avoid bankruptcy by performing their part in the play perfectly: as the embattled company saved and redeemed by government bailout. (more)

Republicans in the Senate agreeing to allow debate over a financial reform bill is an interesting development in what could amount to a reform of the financial sector not see in this county in roughly 80 years. (more)

As the nation continues to face record unemployment, it seems the newest public relations effort emanating from the halls of Washington is to paint all new legislation as the answer to rising joblessness. Most recently, the push for a federal energy bill has included the idea that passing cap-and-trade legislation—or some version of a comprehensive energy bill—will create much needed “green jobs,” meant to employ many of those who, because of the recent move to extend unemployment benefits, are depleting their states’ unemployment benefit funds. (more)