In The News
Newsweek's Climate Editorial Screed Violates Basic Standards of Journalism
Sunday August 5, 2007
The one-sided editorial, masquerading as a “news article,” was written by Sharon Begley with Eve Conant, Sam Stein and Eleanor Clift and Matthew Philips and purports to examine the “well-coordinated, well-funded campaign by contrarian scientists, free-market think tanks and industry has created a paralyzing fog of doubt around climate change.”
The only problem is -- Newsweek knew better. Reporter Eve Conant, who interviewed Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the Ranking Member of the Environment & Public Works Committee, was given all the latest data proving conclusively that it is the proponents of man-made global warming fears that enjoy a monumental funding advantage over the skeptics. (A whopping $50 BILLION to a paltry $19 MILLION and some change for skeptics – see below )
This week’s “news article” in Newsweek follows the Magazine’s October 23, 2006 article which admitted the error of their ways in the 1970’s when they predicted dire vision global cooling. (See: Senator Inhofe Credited For Prompting Newsweek Admission of Error on 70's Predictions of Coming Ice Age – LINK )
Senate Committee Makes Blogging History
Friday August 3, 2007
For the past seven months, we here at the Inhofe EPW Press Blog have eagerly awaited our friends on the other side of the aisle joining us in the blogosphere. As the Senate’s first Committee blog, launched on December 22, 2006, the Inhofe EPW Press blog has enjoyed quite a bit of attention, ( See The HIll: Drudge, global warming shut down Senate site) and See: ( Wall Street Journal Praises New Inhofe EPW Blog for "Making Waves") We knew they wouldn’t let us have the blogosphere all to ourselves for too long.
RE: The Hill’s Article on “Going Green”
Friday August 3, 2007
LIEBERMAN-WARNER CLIMATE BILL FAILS SENATE TEST
Thursday August 2, 2007
“The principles of Lieberman-Warner climate bill, as outlined today, fail to meet the two requirements established by the Senate to pass climate legislation,” Senator Inhofe said. “The Lieberman-Warner bill will significantly harm the United States economy and fail to mandate reductions from the developing world. With China now the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, it’s even more important that the developing nations' CO2 emissions be taken into consideration. As a result, I have long supported efforts that build off of the President’s Asia-Pacific Partnership that seeks to promote technology sharing among developing nations as the way forward.”
PRESS RELEASE: INHOFE VOWS TO WORK TO OVERRIDE POTENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL VETO OF WRDA BILL
Wednesday August 1, 2007
“As the most fiscally conservative member of the United States Senate, as ranked by the American Conservative Union, I have long argued that the two most important functions of the federal government are to provide for the national defense and to develop and improve public infrastructure. That means I am not shy about voting for increased authorization and spending on national defense needs or public infrastructure. At the same time, we must spend limited taxpayer dollars wisely. The way to ensure wise use of taxpayer dollars is to follow the full authorization-appropriations process. The issue here is not about the WRDA bill, it’s about the authorization process. Authorization is the only way to keep discipline over the annual appropriations process. In enacting a WRDA bill we will take the first step of authorization.
Opening Statement: EPW Business Meeting
Tuesday July 31, 2007
First and foremost, I am deeply troubled that you did not include the NRC nominee Kristine Svenicki on today’s agenda. Her hearing and the follow up questions raised no issues, major or minor, about her qualifications. I understand there is some interest on the part of the majority in waiting for the re-nomination of Greg Jaczko. However, his current term does not expire until next June. During Ms. Svenicki’s hearing you said there was some precedent for re-nominating a sitting NRC Commissioner early, you promised to get us some examples which to date we haven’t seen.
I am most concerned because this Committee has a long bipartisan history of moving nominees through the Committee in a timely basis. If members have concerns, political or otherwise, they have waited until the floor to hold up nominees. I think politicizing the Committee process for the first time is a dangerous precedent to set, particularly as we look to a whole host of new Presidential nominees in the next Congress.
Latest Scientific Studies Refute Fears of Greenland Melt
Monday July 30, 2007
A recent study concluded Greenland was as warm or warmer in the 1930’s and 40’s and the rate of warming from 1920-1930 was about 50% higher than the warming from 1995-2005. One 2005 study found Greenland gaining ice in the interior higher elevations and thinning ice at the lower elevations. In addition, the often media promoted fears of Greenland’s ice completely melting and a subsequent catastrophic sea level rise are directly at odds with the latest scientific studies. These studies suggest that the biggest perceived threat to Greenland’s glaciers may be contained in unproven computer models predicting a future catastrophic melt.
As a representative of Environment & Public Works Committee Ranking Member, Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), I made the trek to the Arctic Circle with the Senate delegation (LINK) to the land the Vikings once farmed during the Medieval Warm Period.
Senators and their staff viewed majestic giant glaciers and icebergs in the Kangia Ice Fjord and in Disko Bay via helicopter, boat and on foot, during the three day 24 hours of daylight trip which began in the Arctic city of Kangerlussuaq, Greenland.
PRESS RELEASE: INHOFE HAILS WRDA CONFERENCE AGREEMENT
Friday July 27, 2007
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...GETTING HOTTER (JOHN MCCASLIN, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, July 27, 2007)
Friday July 27, 2007
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
GETTING HOTTER
JOHN MCCASLINJuly 27, 2007
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency says he will investigate a threatening letter sent by the leader of an EPA-member group, vowing to "destroy" the career of a climate skeptic.
During a Capitol Hill hearing yesterday, Sen. James M. Inhofe, Oklahoma Republican and ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, confronted EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson about the strongly-worded letter written July 13 by Michael T. Eckhart, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) that was sent to Marlo Lewis, senior fellow of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI).
"It is my intention to destroy your career as a liar," Mr. Eckhart wrote.
"If you produce one more editorial against climate change, I will launch a campaign against your professional integrity. I will call you a liar and charlatan to the Harvard community of which you and I are members. I will call you out as a man who has been bought by Corporate America. Go ahead, guy. Take me on."
CEI does not dispute climate change, however it differs with certain environmental groups, including ACORE, on the causes. After Mr. Inhofe read Mr. Eckhart's comments, which were first reported by Inside the Beltway two weeks ago, the EPA chief promised to probe the matter.
"Statements like this are of concern to me. I am a believer in cooperation and collaboration across all sectors," Mr. Johnson assured. "This is an area I will look into for the record."
When Mr. Johnson confirmed that EPA is a member of ACORE, Mr. Inhofe asked if "it is appropriate to be a part of an organization that is headed up by a person who makes this statement."
Late yesterday, Mr. Inhofe announced he will send letters to the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, and EPA, urging them to "reconsider their membership of ACORE."
Based in Washington, ACORE's mission is to increase the use of renewable energy. Its 400-plus "paying" organizational members come from government, financial institutions, trade associations, academia, and other professional services.
Besides ACORE, Mr. Eckhart is co-chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy and a member of the Clinton Global Initiative.
Previously, he was CEO of United Power Systems; vice president of the venture capital firm Arete Ventures; a General Electric manager; and a principal of Booz Allen Hamilton's energy practice.
In a written response sent to Inside the Beltway last week, Mr.
Eckhart apologized to "all the public who were offended" by his choice of words. He said he intended his letter to be a "private communication" in the context of "personal combat and jousting."
However, this column earlier this week published another letter Mr.
Eckhart sent in September to CEI President Fred Smith, saying "my children will have a lesser life because you are being paid by oil companies to spread a false story."
He said he would give CEI, which advocates "sound science," 90 days to reverse its "position" on global warming, "or I will take every action I can think of to shut you down," including filing complaints with the Internal Revenue Service "on the basis that CEI is really a lobbyist for the energy industry."
EPA Chief Vows to Probe E-mail Threatening to ‘Destroy’ Career of Climate Skeptic
Thursday July 26, 2007
“It is my intention to destroy your career as a liar. If you produce one more editorial against climate change, I will launch a campaign against your professional integrity. I will call you a liar and charlatan to the Harvard community of which you and I are members. I will call you out as a man who has been bought by Corporate America. Go ahead, guy. Take me on."
