In The News
Star Tribune: Peterson flips on climate change
Monday January 11, 2010
Tulsa World Editorial: We appreciate Inhofe sounding the alarm on the pending standards, and urge him to fight for rational, balanced clean air standards
Monday January 11, 2010
Federal air quality laws were designed to protect human health from pollution, and they are a good thing. But it's puzzling to imagine how anyone could go from that to the conclusion that Oklahoma's essentially rural Sequoyah and Caddo counties have air pollution problems.
Yet, Inhofe says the ozone standards about to come out of the Environmental Protection Agency would do just that: classifying 15 Oklahoma counties as violating new tougher air standards. That would mean federal mandates that would slow economic growth and increase the cost of living in those areas.
TULSA WORLD: EPA plan a concern in state: proposed air standards could lead to development restrictions in 15 counties.
Friday January 8, 2010
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe warned that those counties not in attainment would face restrictions on economic growth and development.
"This is not the time to do that sort of thing," the Oklahoma Republican said, pointing to the economic woes that are worse in other areas of the country. "The Obama administration's proposal, if finalized, will keep unemployment high and put another Washington-based regulation in the way of economic recovery."
Bingaman: Cap and trade bill unlikely this year
Wednesday January 6, 2010
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said there's no consensus on what form a cap-and-trade system would take, but strong desire exists in both the Senate and House to pass other energy-related bills that would curb pollution blamed for global warming.
Dems to W.H.: Drop cap-and-trade
Sunday December 27, 2009
"I am communicating that in every way I know how," says Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of at least half a dozen Democrats who've told the White House or their own leaders that it's time to jettison the centerpiece of their party's plan to curb global warming.
The creation of an economy-wide market for greenhouse gas emissions is as the heart of the climate bill that cleared the House earlier this year. But with the health care fight still raging and the economy still hurting, moderate Democrats have little appetite for another sweeping initiative - especially another one likely to pass with little or no Republican support.
"We need to deal with the phenomena of global warming, but I think it's very difficult in the kind of economic circumstances we have right now," said Indiana Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, who called passage of any economy-wide cap and trade "unlikely."
Inhofe USA Today Op-Ed: Conference ends in failure
Tuesday December 22, 2009
Tulsa World: Copenhagen appearance worth the 18-hours in flight, Inhofe says
Saturday December 19, 2009
"There's nothing worse than 18 hours on a commercial plane,'' the 75-year-old Oklahoma Republican conceded Friday.
Still, Inhofe declared his fly-by - about four hours on the ground - a success.
"We didn't give a speech, but all the ingredients were there,'' Inhofe said, expressing confidence that he was able not only to deliver his own climate change message to reporters but also to dispute the one coming from others, including President Barack Obama. "It was worth the trip,'' he said.
And, he said, the trip is still paying dividends with more appearances on news shows that allow him to spread his word even more.
THE GOLD STANDARD
Friday December 18, 2009
One salient clue to the IPCC's central involvement is the scientists who wrote the troubling emails. They are not of the basement-and-garage variety: they stand on the summit of climate research. Moreover, they are the key contributors to, and lead authors of, the IPCC's major science assessment reports-making them, for better or worse, the architects of the climate change "consensus."
Consider Phil Jones, heretofore director of the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU), who resigned temporarily pending an internal investigation of his role in Climategate. Jones was a "Coordinating Lead Author" of the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report issued in 2007, specifically Chapter 3, "Observations: Surface and Atmospheric Climate Change." Remember it was Jones who wrote Climategate's iconic email, in which he explained a "trick" he used to "hide the decline" of temperatures after 1960.
Inhofe In Copenhagen: "In the Lion's Den" - "Republicans Launch Counter Offensive" - Copenhagen "Has Failed"
Friday December 18, 2009
Posted by: Matt Dempsey matt_dempsey@epw.senate.gov
Inhofe In Copenhagen: "In the Lion's Den - "Republicans Launch Counter Offensive" - Copenhagen "Has Failed"
LISTEN: Inhofe Reports on his Trip to Copenhagen
Read Senator Inhofe's Speech: "It Has Failed ... It's Déjà Vu All Over Again."
WATCH: Senator Inhofe Holds Press Conference in Copenhagen
FoxNews: Sen. Inhofe (R) In Lion's Den in Copenhagen - The leading global warming skeptic in the U.S. Senate shocked reporters in Copenhagen with a dose of American reality with his prediction Thursday morning that the U.S. Senate will not pass a carbon ‘cap and trade' bill, regardless of the commitment President Obama is expected to make here tomorrow. "I am here to make sure the 190 countries here don't go home with the false impression," said sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. "The United States is not going to pass cap and trade. It just isn't going to happen. Its chances are zero." Inhofe said just 25 Senators would support the type of carbon reduction bill already passed in the House. Democratic leaders, including Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., disagree, and predict the Senate will pass such a bill this spring. Surrounded by reporters from around the world, including many who believe global warming is real, Inhofe often looked like a lamb on his way to slaughter. One reporter asked Inhofe "What do you tell the children who have to live in a nightmare world. What should we tell them about your country being a heroin addict on fossil fuel? Answer the question!" "Most of you are on the far left side, so listen closely. I contend the consensus is not there, and it wasn't there prior to Climate-gate." "Nothing binding will come out of here in my opinion, and if it does it will be rejected by the American people."
Boston Globe: Inhofe arrives in Copenhagen to say US will not pass climate bill - COPENHAGEN -- The parade of US politicians to the climate change talks continued this morning when Republican Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma arrived for a two-hour visit to the Danish capital. His message for negotiators was that Congress will never pass a cap-and-trade bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and he reiterated his stance that man-made global warming is not occurring. Inhofe, who held an impromptu press conference in the Bella Center, said the chances of passage of pending climate and energy legislation were "zero" and would remain so if such a bill was financially harmful to Americans in any way." I figure you are going to hear from the other side," he said, "so I wanted you to hear" this side. Inhofe has been one of the most ardent detractors of man-made climate change, and this morning was no exception. He said the recent hacking, and publishing, of e-mails from a prominent climate change research group at East Anglia University in England showed that "the science has been debunked."
New York Times: "Republicans Launch Counter Offensive" - Republicans mounted a counteroffensive. Senator James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma and Congress's most vocal climate change skeptic, showed up in the press area of the Bella Center early on Thursday to deliver what he called a reality check to the proceedings here. "There is going to be no cap and trade or binding legislation in the United States," he said. "It's dead. It's not going to happen."
CNN: Inhofe: Copenhagen conference 'has failed' (WATCH) - Washington (CNN) - Republican Sen. James Inhofe, a well-known skeptic of global warming, said Thursday in Copenhagen that "there will be no agreement" at the conference and said, "It has failed." The Oklahoma senator is the top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee and said a cap-and-trade bill has no chance of passing the Senate. "My stated reason for attending Copenhagen was to make certain the 191 countries attending COP-15 would not be deceived into thinking the US would pass cap-and-trade legislation," Inhofe said, according to prepared remarks. "That won't happen. And for the sake of the American people, and the economic well-being of America, that's a good thing." President Obama pledged $1 billion on Wednesday to help protect rainforests around the world. Inhofe said it's "too much" and that "taxpayers won't be pleased" with how their money is being spent.
NewYorkPost: There Will Be No Agreement - Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who has led the call for probing the leaked British academic e-mails raising doubts about the science behind global warming, said yesterday in Copenhagen that "there will be no agreement." "It has failed," he said. Inhofe insisted it also spelled doom for the congressional cap-and-trade bill aimed at curbing emissions, which has been criticized as a hidden tax on industry.
Congress Daily: Inhofe Arrives To Crash Party - COPENHAGEN -- Leading Senate climate skeptic James Inhofe, R-Okla., crashed the party here for just a couple of hours this morning before heading back to Capitol Hill for health care votes later today. He used his time at the conference to hold court with reporters in the media center, where he blamed "Hollywood elites" and the United Nations for perpetrating what he considers a climate change hoax. The Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member said he had come to spread his message to the 192 other assembled nations and warn them, "Don't go back home with the false impression as to what we're going to do" in the U.S. He said Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., "misled" people here on Wednesday in pledging that Congress will pass climate legislation next year. "We are not going to pass something like a cap-and-trade" next spring, Inhofe said, "because the votes just simply aren't there."
Tulsa World: Copenhagen appearance worth the 18-hours in flight, Inhofe says - Still, Inhofe declared his fly-by — about four hours on the ground — a success. “We didn’t give a speech, but all the ingredients were there,’’ Inhofe said, expressing confidence that he was able not only to deliver his own climate change message to reporters but also to dispute the one coming from others, including President Barack Obama. “It was worth the trip,’’ he said. And, he said, the trip is still paying dividends with more appearances on news shows that allow him to spread his word even more. His message is that, despite what top Democrats say in the United States, the rest of the world should know that the U.S. Senate is not going to follow the lead of the House and pass legislation to address climate change. “It is not going to happen,’’ said Inhofe, perhaps the most vocal skeptic of global warming in Congress.
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Bennett: Yea, please, what happened?
Inhofe: It's just fortunate. I really felt compelled to go to the trouble to fly nine hours over and nine hours back to make a two hour speech in Copenhagen, and I got back last night. Luckily, and it's not the brilliance of our planning, it was just fortunate that it happened this way, that I was there after Gore had talked, John Kerry had talked, and he'd come back, and right before Pelosi and Obama got there. And so, I could hog the whole thing, and I had them all. You probably saw this in some of the...I know Fox covered it, so did CNN. So, I was able to tell the people there the reality. I said, "You're going to be lied to by all these people coming over and saying that America's going to commit itself to enforceable reductions in CO2, and we're going to put billions of dollars into other countries to get them to do it." And I said, "That is a lie, it's not going to happen, we have two bills on the Senate floor now that will never see the light of day. People are not going to vote for that and go home and tell their constituents, ‘Aren't you proud of me? I voted for the largest tax increase in the history of America.' It's not going to happen." And, of course, they got really hostile over there. And we had probably a hundred of them, you know, up there with their microphones at the same time. One was screaming at me, saying, "John Holdren says you're, you're wrong. John Holdren..."