Welcome to my new kittens, Penelope Featherington Henderson and Mr. Darcy Henderson of the Lake Avenue Hendersons, whom you’ll be hearing about in newsletters to come. The house has felt empty without furry heartbeats these last 7 months and I’m so excited to finally have new bundles of joy in my life. They already excel in sitting on my keyboard and snoozing on my lap while I work.
(They are very hard to photograph at this very wiggly age. They also woke me up at 4:45 so I guess my workday is starting earlier now that I’m mom to newborns again.)
And now, on to the serious matters…
This week’s must read: Part of Lindsey Graham’s Legacy: Climate Negotiator (Politico)
Last weekend, Senator Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly.
Those who worked with him and his office started to go down climate action memory lane a bit. I recall being in a high-level meeting with him back when I was with the National Wildlife Federation, which was courting him to take the climate mantle from Senator John McCain. Later, on staff for Senator John Warner, we had hoped to get his vote on the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. He eventually joined Senator Joe Lieberman’s decade-long quest for comprehensive climate legislation (which failed) and in more recent years, teamed up with Senator Bill Cassidy on the Foreign Pollution Fee Act.
“Climate change is real,” Graham wrote in a 2009 op-ed that kicked off his direct engagement in climate solutions.
Reflections from others who knew and worked with him, as recounted in the article:
“Senator Graham understood early that addressing climate change didn’t have to come at the expense of other national priorities. To the contrary, he saw that climate policy could be designed to strengthen American industry, position the U.S. to lead in emerging technologies, and enhance our national security.” — Greg Bertelsen, CEO of the Climate Leadership Council
“His advocacy for nuclear energy and innovation, paired with his strong record of support for pragmatic bipartisan energy policies, will be missed in the Senate.” — James Dozier, board chair and founding president of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions
Of course, Bob Inglis reflected on the life and loss of his former delegation mate:
Coming next week… Lucky Season 13
The wait is over! The EcoRight Speaks podcast will be back in your ears next week, on July 21st, with C2ES’s Nat Keohane kicking us off with a discussion on permitting reform, the advanced enery economy in the Southeast, and the vital role of the free market in clean energy use and growth.
Mark your calendars for our first batch of special guests!
July 21: Nat Keohane
July 28: Shuting Pomerleau from American Action Forum on Virginia’s re-entry to RGGI
August 4: Greg Bertelsen from the Climate Leadership Council on the optimist’s case on AI and climate change
August 11: Pat Wood on a recent Pew report on Distributed Energy Resources
August 18: Kimberly Johnson, founder of NextGen Energy
Until then, this week’s must listen
You know I love a bipartisan conversation. The show We’ve Got To Talk is just that. Long-time friends and hosts Nicole Fonarow and Jolene Conway make a point of “diving headfirst into those hot-button topics that dominate today’s headlines—political issues, social dilemmas, and ever-evolving events.” But they do so with genuine compassion and understanding, offering insights into perspectives not encountered every day.
In their most recent episode, they invite Bob into the conversation. The hosts are engaging and gracious and, not gonna lie, I want to be friends with them!
