Sigh. Keeping the planet inhabitable seems like such a no-brainer. And yet in spite of heaps, mounds, and mountains of hard scientific data, some still opt for the more "unpredictable" narrative about the environment. A recent New Republic editorial pooh-poohs the green movement's doomsday warnings as the product of a morosely overactive imagination. It then goes on to berate Democrats for a "symbiotic and increasingly pernicious" relationship with environmentalists.

The collapse of Enron generated a flurry of speculation about Texas Senator Phil Gramm's political loyalties, owing to his wife's position on Enron's board and Enron's extensive contributions to Gramm's campaigns. Whatever Gramm's motivations are, shame doesn't seem to be among them.

As Senate Republicans accused Democrats of obstructing the energy bill last week, Gramm quietly blocked an amendment introduced by California Democrat Dianne Feinstein that would have strengthened regulations on energy derivatives trading. Translation: it would have closed the loophole that allowed Enron to hide wholesale prices from buyers and control markets.