In The News
WATCH: Inhofe Appears on OETA's Oklahoma Forum
Monday January 25, 2010
Posted by: David Lungren David_Lungren@epw.senate.gov
Senator Inhofe appears on OETA's Oklahoma Forum with host Dick Pryor to discuss his trip to Copenhagen, current climate legislation, and Climategate.
Glaciergate: More Scientific Fraud: "Botched" - "Riddled with Errors" - "Panel got it wrong"
Thursday January 21, 2010
USA Today : U.N. apologizes for botched climate prediction - United Nations climate panel chiefs apologized Wednesday for a botched projection of all Himalayan glaciers disappearing by 2035. In an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change statement, group chairman Rajendra Pachauri and other officials acknowledged "poorly substantiated rates of recession and date for the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers. In drafting the paragraph in question, the clear and well-established standards of evidence, required by the IPCC procedures, were not applied properly."
AP: Riddled with Errors WASHINGTON - Five glaring errors were discovered in one paragraph of the world's most authoritative report on global warming, forcing the Nobel Prize-winning panel of climate scientists who wrote it to apologize and promise to be more careful. The errors are in a 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N.-affiliated body. All the mistakes appear in a subsection that suggests glaciers in the Himalayas could melt away by the year 2035 - hundreds of years earlier than the data actually indicates. The year 2350 apparently was transposed as 2035.
AP: Riddled with Errors WASHINGTON - Five glaring errors were discovered in one paragraph of the world's most authoritative report on global warming, forcing the Nobel Prize-winning panel of climate scientists who wrote it to apologize and promise to be more careful. The errors are in a 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N.-affiliated body. All the mistakes appear in a subsection that suggests glaciers in the Himalayas could melt away by the year 2035 - hundreds of years earlier than the data actually indicates. The year 2350 apparently was transposed as 2035.
Why is Reid Blaming Republicans for Delay in Highway Bill?
Thursday January 21, 2010
We found these comments by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in E&E; News this morning extremely puzzling:
"Chairman [Barbara] Boxer [D-Calif.] is trying to get a highway bill. We can't get that past Republicans. Talk about jobs creation. For every billion dollars we spend, it creates 50,000 high paying jobs."
Fact: Senator Inhofe and Republicans on the Senate EPW Committee support passing a highway bill as soon as possible. We expect that if asked again, Senator Reid would likely have a different answer. If not, he should be sure to check in with Senator Boxer to see about this so-called Republican opposition.
Further, as the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Senator Inhofe has been extremely upset with Congressional inaction on highway issues. For months, Senator Inhofe has been working to ensure States get the necessary money to proceed with highway projects while Congress gets to work on a long term reauthorization of the highway bill.
"Chairman [Barbara] Boxer [D-Calif.] is trying to get a highway bill. We can't get that past Republicans. Talk about jobs creation. For every billion dollars we spend, it creates 50,000 high paying jobs."
Fact: Senator Inhofe and Republicans on the Senate EPW Committee support passing a highway bill as soon as possible. We expect that if asked again, Senator Reid would likely have a different answer. If not, he should be sure to check in with Senator Boxer to see about this so-called Republican opposition.
Further, as the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Senator Inhofe has been extremely upset with Congressional inaction on highway issues. For months, Senator Inhofe has been working to ensure States get the necessary money to proceed with highway projects while Congress gets to work on a long term reauthorization of the highway bill.
E&E; News: Senate Dems urge short-term focus on jobs, cap-and-trade delay
Thursday January 21, 2010
Several influential Senate Democrats from around the country yesterday questioned the political wisdom of diving headfirst into a sweeping climate change and energy package when voters are more concerned about jobs and the state of the economy.
From Pennsylvania to California, the senators urged President Obama to focus Congress' attention on tackling the nation's double-digit unemployment rate, otherwise they would face the same voter angst that Republican Scott Brown used to ride to victory Tuesday in the Massachusetts special election to succeed the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.
"There's only so much time in a day that people can digest or get a sense what's happening in Washington," said Sen. Robert Casey (D-Pa). "And if they hear, 'Big, big bill, lots of debate and controversy' and they don't hear 'jobs' and they don't hear 'short term,' we're making a mistake."
From Pennsylvania to California, the senators urged President Obama to focus Congress' attention on tackling the nation's double-digit unemployment rate, otherwise they would face the same voter angst that Republican Scott Brown used to ride to victory Tuesday in the Massachusetts special election to succeed the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.
"There's only so much time in a day that people can digest or get a sense what's happening in Washington," said Sen. Robert Casey (D-Pa). "And if they hear, 'Big, big bill, lots of debate and controversy' and they don't hear 'jobs' and they don't hear 'short term,' we're making a mistake."
LA Times: Climate change camp experiencing a cooling-off period
Thursday January 21, 2010
Climate change just isn't what it used to be. Case in point: The number of otherwise intelligent people who are saying that all the cold weather (in the East) and rain (here at home) are causing them to lose faith in the gospel of global warming.
To their way of thinking, it's fine and good to be bellyaching about rising sea levels when it's 100 degrees outside. It's easy to remember to carry around your reusable tote bag when drought begets parched hillsides, which beget wildfires, which beget air that smells like rotisserie chicken minus the chicken.
But guess what? It's been pouring all week. In Florida, the oranges are perishing under frost. The temperature bottomed out at minus 52 in North Dakota earlier this month, and Beijing recently had its biggest snowfall since 1951.
To their way of thinking, it's fine and good to be bellyaching about rising sea levels when it's 100 degrees outside. It's easy to remember to carry around your reusable tote bag when drought begets parched hillsides, which beget wildfires, which beget air that smells like rotisserie chicken minus the chicken.
But guess what? It's been pouring all week. In Florida, the oranges are perishing under frost. The temperature bottomed out at minus 52 in North Dakota earlier this month, and Beijing recently had its biggest snowfall since 1951.
State Journal: Coal Can Use Oklahoma Senator's Help
Thursday January 21, 2010
The ranking member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee criticized how the U.S. EPA handles coal mining permits.
Oklahoma produced 1.4 million tons of coal in 2008 -- less than 1 percent of the total that West Virginia produced that same year. But Sen. James M. Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, has become a good friend of West Virginia coal.
Inhofe is ranking member of the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, which issued a report last week criticizing how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has handled coal mining permits in Appalachia since President Barack Obama took office early last year. The Senate committee oversees the EPA and other agencies that regulate mining.
Inhofe's committee focused on Arch Coal's Mingo Logan Spruce No. 1 Mine and relied heavily on the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for information about mining in the state.
The report said DEP chief Randy Huffman reported that EPA failed to make its decision in a transparent manner, moved forward without input or consultation from state officials and presented no new information or analysis to justify its change in position.
Oklahoma produced 1.4 million tons of coal in 2008 -- less than 1 percent of the total that West Virginia produced that same year. But Sen. James M. Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, has become a good friend of West Virginia coal.
Inhofe is ranking member of the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, which issued a report last week criticizing how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has handled coal mining permits in Appalachia since President Barack Obama took office early last year. The Senate committee oversees the EPA and other agencies that regulate mining.
Inhofe's committee focused on Arch Coal's Mingo Logan Spruce No. 1 Mine and relied heavily on the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for information about mining in the state.
The report said DEP chief Randy Huffman reported that EPA failed to make its decision in a transparent manner, moved forward without input or consultation from state officials and presented no new information or analysis to justify its change in position.
CNN: U.N. climate chiefs apologize for glacier error
Wednesday January 20, 2010
(CNN) -- The U.N.'s leading panel on climate change has apologized for misleading data published in a 2007 report that warned Himalayan glaciers could melt by 2035.
In a statement released, Wednesday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said estimates relating to the rate of recession of the Himalayan glaciers in its Fourth Assessment Report were "poorly substantiated" adding that "well-established standards of evidence were not applied properly."
Despite the admission, the IPCC reiterated its concern about the dangers melting glaciers present in a region that is home to more than one-sixth of the world's population.
"Widespread mass losses from glaciers and reductions in snow cover over recent decades are projected to accelerate throughout the 21st century, reducing water availability, hydropower potential, and changing seasonality of flows in regions supplied by meltwater from major mountain ranges (e.g. Hindu-Kush, Himalaya, Andes)..."
In a statement released, Wednesday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said estimates relating to the rate of recession of the Himalayan glaciers in its Fourth Assessment Report were "poorly substantiated" adding that "well-established standards of evidence were not applied properly."
Despite the admission, the IPCC reiterated its concern about the dangers melting glaciers present in a region that is home to more than one-sixth of the world's population.
"Widespread mass losses from glaciers and reductions in snow cover over recent decades are projected to accelerate throughout the 21st century, reducing water availability, hydropower potential, and changing seasonality of flows in regions supplied by meltwater from major mountain ranges (e.g. Hindu-Kush, Himalaya, Andes)..."
What Brown Means For Cap and Tax: "Cap-and-trade for carbon emissions? Gone." - "Looks Even Further Away" - "Is climate change legislation still a priority for Team Obama"
Wednesday January 20, 2010
ChristianScienceMonitor: Cap-and-trade for carbon emissions? Gone. - Obama's ambitious proposal for cap-and-trade carbon-emission regulation, meant to combat global climate change, now is not going anywhere this year. Cap-and-trade always faced a steep uphill climb. It would constitute as big a change in national policy as healthcare reform, maybe bigger. But lawmakers were never going to get around to considering it until after the healthcare fight was over. Retiring Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) of North Dakota indicated Tuesday that the Senate is not likely to take up cap-and-trade at all in 2010. "In the aftermath of a very, very heavy lift on healthcare, it's unlikely that the Senate will turn to a very complicated and controversial subject of cap-and-trade," Senator Dorgan told reporters.
FinancialTimes: US cap-and-trade bill looks even further away - Most of the commentariat are so far focusing on what it means for the healthcare bill, but the election is not much better for the chances of climate change legislation, either. Support in the Senate for a House cap-and-trade was already rather dicey. A Senate bill, supported by Republican Lindsey Graham and independent Joe Lieberman, doesn't necessarily look much more secure as criticism of cap-and-trade grows, and some have suggested a climate bill needn't put a price on carbon at all, but could merely create more renewable energy (which would be quite a blow to emissions reductions efforts, as we pointed out at the previous link).
FinancialTimes: US cap-and-trade bill looks even further away - Most of the commentariat are so far focusing on what it means for the healthcare bill, but the election is not much better for the chances of climate change legislation, either. Support in the Senate for a House cap-and-trade was already rather dicey. A Senate bill, supported by Republican Lindsey Graham and independent Joe Lieberman, doesn't necessarily look much more secure as criticism of cap-and-trade grows, and some have suggested a climate bill needn't put a price on carbon at all, but could merely create more renewable energy (which would be quite a blow to emissions reductions efforts, as we pointed out at the previous link).
Dallas Morning News: Axelrod drops global warming bill from priority list
Tuesday January 19, 2010
Climate change legislation was at the top of President Barack Obama's priority list when he entered office. Since then, he and the Congress have kept it on the radar: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act poured billions of dollars into technology and resource investments that will help cut emissions, and Obama went to Copenhagen to press big polluters such as China and India to agree to new emissions limits.
But the clock is running out on the legislative year, and the economy remains the biggest issue during an election year when many incumbents are nervous about their reelection chances. There probably isn't enough time to pass a climate change bill through both chambers, even if lawmakers could find a way to surmount the obvious political hurdles to such a bill. At a briefing this morning with reporters from The Dallas Morning Newsand other outlets, White House senior advisor David Axelrod didn't list climate change as a top priority for 2010. (The list basically consisted of finding ways to create jobs and passing a major financial regulation bill.)
But the clock is running out on the legislative year, and the economy remains the biggest issue during an election year when many incumbents are nervous about their reelection chances. There probably isn't enough time to pass a climate change bill through both chambers, even if lawmakers could find a way to surmount the obvious political hurdles to such a bill. At a briefing this morning with reporters from The Dallas Morning Newsand other outlets, White House senior advisor David Axelrod didn't list climate change as a top priority for 2010. (The list basically consisted of finding ways to create jobs and passing a major financial regulation bill.)
WSJ: Climate-Change Claim Under Fire
Tuesday January 19, 2010
An influential United Nations panel is facing growing criticism about its practices after acknowledging doubts about a 2007 statement that Himalayan glaciers were retreating faster than those anywhere else and would entirely disappear by 2035, if not sooner.
Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, said Monday that the U.N. body was studying how the 2007 report "derived" the information about glacier retreat, according to a spokesman at the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, where Dr. Pachauri is the director. Dr. Pachauri said glaciers were melting, but the 2035 date was in question, the spokesman said.
It was unlikely that these revelations about the IPCC report would overturn the scientific consensus on glacial retreat, but they raised questions for the IPCC about how the data on Himalayan glaciers were collected and reviewed.
Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, said Monday that the U.N. body was studying how the 2007 report "derived" the information about glacier retreat, according to a spokesman at the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, where Dr. Pachauri is the director. Dr. Pachauri said glaciers were melting, but the 2035 date was in question, the spokesman said.
It was unlikely that these revelations about the IPCC report would overturn the scientific consensus on glacial retreat, but they raised questions for the IPCC about how the data on Himalayan glaciers were collected and reviewed.
