That's the most charitable explanation we can muster for the other week's "revenue neutral" gas tax hike proposal by three prominent conservatives. It's a Rube Goldberg-like social engineering scheme of the kind that most conservatives rejected in the 1970s, along with comparable worth, the ERA, and mood rings.
2008 was a bad year for global warming alarmists. Their credibility has been entirely destroyed by none other than Mother Nature. As George W. Bush leaves office, the world is actually cooler than it was when he came in.
Through excessive regulation, Congress has placed Detroit at a competitive disadvantage with foreign automakers, since many rules are aimed at eliminating the sort of vehicles that Detroit has proved adept at designing and marketing.
Two great blogs—Climate Audit and Watt’s Up With That—are in the running for the Best Science Blog category of the 2009 Weblog Awards.
If you’ll remember, Climate Audit was on the precipice of winning this award last year when a cabal of alarmist bloggers mounted a sketchy, last minute campaign to stuff the ballot box in favor of an evolution blog. As a result, Climate Audit only shared the title.
Let’s make sure there is no controversy this year by putting one of these two great blogs over the top!
Click here to make your vote heard.
In December 2008, President-elect Barack Obama nominated Dr. John P. Holdren to be White House Science Adviser. The White House Science Adviser heads the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), which “serves as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans and programs of the Federal Government,” according to the OSTP web site.
John Holdren’s 40-year record of outlandish scientific assertions, consistently wrong predictions, and dangerous public policy choices makes him unfit to serve as White House Science Adviser. The Senate should not confirm his nomination.
Click here to learn why John Holdren is unfit to serve as White House Science Adviser.
Iowa
Iowa Governor Chet Culver (D) and leading legislators from both political parties have indicated that they are unlikely to consider seriously the 56 greenhouse gas reduction recommendations made by the state’s Climate Change Advisory Council because of the $4.8 billion price tag.
Kansas
Leaders in the Kansas legislature promise to continue trying to overturn the controversial decision by Governor Kathleen Sebelieus (D) to block coal-fired power plants in the State because of greenhouse gas emissions. Rep. Carl Holmes (R-Liberal), chairman of the House Energy and Utilities Committee, told the Topeka Constitution Journal that it is unfair to deny a coal plant in western Kansas when more than a dozen coal-burning units dot the eastern side of the State. The Governor said she would unveil an energy program “with some clear detail” in her State of the State speech Monday night.
Texas
In Texas, Sen. Rodney Ellis (D, District 13) introduced Senate Bill 136, the Texas Global Warming Solutions Act, which would create a cap-and-trade system for the State's carbon emissions. The bill calls for the state's environmental commission to develop a plan to reduce Texas greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.
Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) has re-introduced the gigantic omnibus land grab bill from last year. It’s now S. 22 in the 111th Congress. It’s a terrible bill with dozens of awful titles, but the worst is the one that’s relevant to energy and global warming policies. A provision in Title III would withdraw 1.2 million acres of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming from oil and gas production. This is an area with high gas potential. Natural gas is in tight supply, production continues to decline in many fields, and it’s the only alternative to coal that produces much electricity. So naturally the first item of business for Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in the 111th Congress is to pass a bill that will constrict gas production. Curiously, one of Wyoming’s Senators, John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), was supportive of the bill in the last Congress.
The government is to close a key support programme for renewable energies almost a year before it launches a new regime, creating a funding black hole that the industry has warned could lead to thousands of green job losses.
Confronted by the worst financial crisis in generations, President-elect Barack Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress are preparing to delay some of the promises he made on the campaign trail to avoid political distractions and focus on reversing the economic slide.
Until last week, Carol M. Browner, President-elect Barack Obama's pick as global warming czar, was listed as one of 14 leaders of a socialist group's Commission for a Sustainable World Society, which calls for "global governance" and says rich countries must shrink their economies to address climate change.
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