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Regulate to Innovate?
After the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act last week, President Obama appeared Monday with White House Climate 'Czar' Carol Browner and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. Although the climate and energy bill invests just a fraction of what President Obama has repeatedly promised for clean energy R&D, neither the President nor staunch energy innovation advocate Chu spoke a word about the lack of funding for innovation. Instead, both of the President's top energy advisors were content to recycle the well-worn myth that past regulations have been a major driver of energy innovation. Breakthrough looks at the myth and the reality here.

Brookings Institution: Senate Must Strengthen Clean Energy Funding in ACES
The American Clean Energy and Security Act needs a major makeover in the Senate to redress its critically insufficient provisions for funding clean energy R&D, according to Mark Muro, policy director at the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program. "While a $20 to $30 billion a year R&D outlay would be optimal, Waxman-Markey would invest just 1.5 percent of the 40-year revenue stream of the cap-and-trade system in the R&D efforts of ARPA-E and the innovation hubs--which comes to just $1.4 billion a year or so at accepted permit price forecasts..."

See also: Leading energy experts from across the country sent a letter to President Obama and members of Congress on Thursday calling for a massive increase in clean energy investments included in the American Clean Energy & Security Act.


Critics Across the Political Spectrum Find Serious Fault with ACES
On Friday, June 26 the House passed The American Clean Energy and Security Act. Politicians and lobbyists inside the beltway immediately hailed the bill as a progressive, "market opportunity" approach to solving the problems of climate change, but harsh critique from all sides has been swift. From columnists at the Financial Times to staunch Democrat Dennis Kucinich, many see ACES as a step backward rather than the forward.

Kucinich, who voted in opposition to the bill, had this to say: "The reason is simple. It won't address the problem. In fact, it might make the problem worse."

Breakthough Fellow Johanna Peace has catalogued the critical response here. Also, links to the Democratic voices of opposition can be found here.

For a full collection of Breakthrough Institute's analysis on the American Clean Energy & Security Act, see here.


Obama Energy Promises Not Matched by House Energy Bill
President Barack Obama has consistently promised legislation that would deliver more clean energy jobs through the creation of new and larger clean energy industries. Unfortunately, analyses by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Breakthrough Institute, and others show that the Waxman Markey climate legislation will not significantly grow the number of clean energy jobs or industries.


Rep. Waxman Responds to Breakthrough Institute, Criticizing Public Investment and Praising Offsets
On Monday morning, Congressman Henry Waxman was asked to directly respond to the Breakthrough Institute's analysis of the American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES) during an interview on the Montel Williams Across America radio show. His segment came after an interview with Breakthrough's Teryn Norris, who highlighted Breakthrough's analysis and spoke about some of our concerns with the bill.

Breakthrough Institute Featured on NPR's Morning Edition
NPR's Morning Edition ran a segment on the Breakthrough Institute this morning, featuring our work to re-frame global warming as an economic opportunity and advance a fundamental shift in policy capable of seizing that tremendous opportunity. You can listen to the segment online here.

If you're visiting The Breakthrough Institute's web site for the first time -- welcome! Many folks who heard us on NPR this morning have emailed to say hello and read about our work. Click here for a few recommendations of things to read and get famiar with Breakthrough's work. We love your comments, so please don't hesitate to opine.


Featured Media
Commonwealth Club Talk

Breakthrough Institute Featured on NPR's Morning Edition
EcoHeroes

Time Magazine names Ted and Michael "Heroes of the Environment 2008
Michael Shellenberger on Planet Forward TV
Shellenberger says "time to make clean energy cheap"on Planet Forward TV
Michael on Fox
Shellenberger Appears on Fox News' "Hannity and Colmes"
Jesse Jenkins
Jesse Jenkins on KPFA: Is the Climate Change Bill in Danger of Being Ineffective?
NEEA Interview
Teryn Norris Interviewed about National Energy Education Act
Breakthrough Blog
Recent Blog Posts

Quote of the Day, July 2nd 2009

07.02.09 | 4:51 PM
News

Special Coverage:

>>Waxman-Markey ACES Climate Bill: Full Breakthrough Institute Analysis

>>More coverage on Waxman-Markey Bill

>>National Energy Education Act

>>Debate with Joe Romm of Climate Progress

>>Report: Case Studies in American Innovation

>>Recession and Stimulus

>>Special Innovation Issue

>>Reinvent Detroit

>>Financial Crisis

>>New Energy Politics

>>Al Gore

>>New Energy Sources

>>Electrifying Transportation

>>Lieberman Warner Climate Security Act

>>Fear & Politics

>>Tax Policy

>>Expert Interviews

>>Europe and Kyoto

>>Brazil

>>India

>>China


Features:

>> National Energy Education Act Concept Proposal (PDF)

>> "Scrap Kyoto," Democracy Journal (PDF)

>> Global Warming Policy in a Nutshell (PDF)

>> "Fast, Clean, & Cheap," Harvard Law and Policy Review (PDF)

>> "Introduction" to Break Through (PDF)

>> Focus Groups on New Social Contract (PDF)


Upcoming Events
Breakthrough Lecture Series 2009: All three lectures will be held at UC Berkeley. Please RSVP here.

Dr. Marty Hoffert, "The Scientific Case for Breakthroughs: Why Efficiency, Conservation, and Incremental Technology Improvement Won't Be Enough to Avert Climate Disaster"
June 17th, 6:00-7:30PM, Giannini Hall Room 141 (campus map)

Dr. William Chaloupka, "Beyond Environmental Ethics: How Green Moralizing Gets in the Way of Green Politics"
Wed, June 24, 6:00-7:30PM
Mulford Hall Room 240 (campus map)

Dr. Roger Pielke, Jr, "The Efficiency Illusion and other Energy Myths: Why Cap & Trade Won't Work -- and What Can"
Wed, July 1st, 6:00-7:30PM
Giannini Hall Room 141 (campus map)

Futures of Modernity -- International Symposium in Honour of Ulrich Bech (July 24, Munich, Germany, FREE / REGISTRATION REQ'D)

Beyond the Pollution Paradigm: The Failure of Emissions Trading and the Need to Make Clean Energy Cheap (July 29, 6pm, London, England)

Land Trust Alliance: Rally 2009 (October 13, Portland, OR, Register before Aug 18 and get an early bird discount)

Also, don't forget to order your copy of Break Through, now in paperback.

 
 
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