Five Takeaways from the Spanish Election
The 2016 vote may have been a disappointment to Spain’s insurgent progressives. But they’ve proven they’re here to stay.
IPS Statement on Donald Trump’s Energy Advisor Pick
Trump’s choice of energy advisor signals environmental policies that will lead to climate catastrophe.
Sierra Leone: From Swords into Ploughshares
Sierra Leone may be slowly transcending its ethnic-based politics, but poverty remains an omnipresent threat to its development and democracy.
Italy’s Election: Lighting the Lamp
After years of brutal austerity, collapsing economies, widespread unemployment, and shredding of the social safety net, Italians said “basta!” Enough!
Election Night Party with IPS – LIVESTREAM
The Institute for Policy Studies hosts a livestream on Election Night, 8 PM – 11 PM ET, aims to address topics often overlooked in public discourse.
Is Obama Taking Climate Voters for Granted?
I’m not going to let Obama hold my hand in public until he starts acting like the man who courted the climate community before the last election.
Why Elections Matter, and Why We’re Still Arguing About It
Anyone who thinks that choosing a “better” leader for the U.S. empire will somehow bring about “radical transformations” has been watching too many campaign infomercials. Only powerful social movements can do that.
Business as Usual in the Congo
The West suddenly seems less concerned with democracy in the DRC than it professed to be last year.
The Steely Mitt Blues: A Mitt Romney and Bain Capital Song
Now I’ve got the Steely Mitt blues.
Seen him on TV.
But I’ll never forget
what Mitt did to me.
Supporting Peace – Not War – in Kenya
Should the United States choose to support long-term peace and stability over its short-term counterterrorism interests, there is much that it can do to help ensure a peaceful Kenyan election.
The Majority’s Choice: No One
In this year’s primaries, 41 percent voted Republican or Democrat. Fifty-nine percent didn’t vote; the equivalent of voting for no one.
IPS Mandate for Change Election Series: The Election and Climate Action
U.S. action on energy and climate change has been a hot topic in this election season. Join us for an in-depth analysis of how the results of the 2008 presidential election will impact national climate and energy policy, and the implications for international climate action.
Panelists:
Janet Redman, Researcher, Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, IPS
Brent Blackwelder, President, Friends of the Earth US
James Barrett, Executive Director, Redefining Progress
Arjun Makhijani, President, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
Moderator: Daphne Wysham, Fellow, IPS
This event is part of the Institute for Policy Studies series of provocative brown-bag luncheon discussions of the various issues in the platforms of the Democratic, Republican, Green, and Independent presidential candidates. IPS and Chester Hartman have a new book coming out at the culmination of this brown-bag series, Mandate for Change, which will put forth what we feel are the best and most creative policy solutions for these and other pressing local, national and international issues.
About the Panelists:
Janet Redman is a researcher for the Sustainable Energy and Economy Network at the Institute for Policy Studies, where she provides analysis of the international financial institutions’ energy investment and carbon finance activities. Redman has been active in establishing Climate Justice Now!, a global network of organizations and movements committed to the fight for social, ecological, and gender justice.
Brent Blackwelder, President of Friends of the Earth U.S., is one of the nation’s leading environmental advocates. An architect of significant legislation to protect natural resources and clean up pollution, Blackwelder has presented more than 100 testimonies before Congress on environmental matters and is currently the most senior environmental lobbyist in Washington.
James Barrett is the Executive Director of Redefining Progress, a public policy think tank dedicated to smart economics. Barrett has worked on a variety of issues concerning energy and environmental economics, including the impacts of carbon reduction programs on the U.S. economy, the economic implications of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration, and the technical and economic feasibility of hydrogen production.
Arjun Makhijani, President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, has produced many studies and articles on nuclear fuel cycle related issues, including weapons production, testing, and nuclear waste, over the past 20 years. Most recently, Dr. Makhijani has authored "Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy," the first thorough attempt to show how the U.S. could transition to an energy economy based completely on renewable energy by 2050, without any use of fossil fuels, nuclear power, or carbon offsets.
Moderator Daphne Wysham is a fellow and board member of the Institute for Policy Studies, founder and director of the Sustainable Energy & Economy Network, and co-host of Earthbeat Radio. Her research and writings have appeared in local, national and international media.
This event is free and open to the public.
For more information, please contact Janet Redman at janet@ips-dc.org or (202) 234-9382.
Obamas Victory
Four experts discuss the significance of Obama’s presidential win and some of the challenges that lie ahead for U.S. progressive movements.
Notes from Election Night
A tongue-in-cheek account of that historic evening.
A New Day
With sweeping Democratic victories in the House, Senate, and presidential races, a new day has dawned for American politics.