The Climate Action Blog

California's state budget gap was about $40 billion this year. New York's some $50 billion. Every state in the Union is struggling with drastically lower revenues and higher costs for services of every kind, washing state capitals with red ink. At the polls next year, governors who are facing elections - - including Governor David Patterson of New York - - may find themselves politically drowned by such gargantuan deficits.

I had a dream about watching one of those high stakes poker games that you see on TV these days. There were bit players who you knew, from the few colored chips in front of them, would soon fold - - but the two "whales" at the table were Barack Obama and Hu Jintao. They each had so many chips on the table that you could barely see their cowboy shirts, but the purpose in their deadly stares could not be obscured, even by the dark black Ray Bans that shaded their eyes.

As the world beats a path to Copenhagen for the December 2009 UN meeting to craft a new deal on climate change solutions, one of the biggest challenges remains our addiction to oil. About 40% of global greenhouse gases come from oil, when you include exploration, development, refining, transportation, and combusting it.

By Andria Mack, Guest Blogger

Not too long ago, I left my career in hotel management and found myself working for an environmental non-profit organization. I have to admit that the reason I wound up there had less to do with my passion for the environment than my need for a steady gig to support myself. However, when I read the job posting working as the executive assistant to an environmental "power player," I thought that perhaps I might benefit from exposing myself to a little green culture. Boy, did I have a lot to absorb!