“I want to remove all doubt,” she said in an interview with CNN from Copenhagen. “This bill will get through the United States Senate and it will pass the congress and it will be signed by the president in this congres, which means during the year 2010.”
World leaders, scientists and activists have gathered in Copenhagen this week to discuss global efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change. Hopes are high that these decision-makers will leave the conference with concrete ideas that will encourage substantive debate back in their respective countries.Here in America, however, the public debate could be trumped by the behind-the-scenes maneuvering of the energy industry. These powerful oil, gas and mining companies have hired well-connected lobbyists to try to derail climate change legislation. According to a new CREW report, Smoke Screen: How Bush Insiders Distorted – And Still Influence – America’s Debate Over Climate Change, many of these lobbyists are former Bush administration staffers and political appointees.
Here is the report:
And you wouldn’t know by looking at the ad itself, but ‘Voices for Energy’ campaign is paid for by Valero. The site itself is a simple ’send a letter to Congress’ tool, which includes this default language (emphasis mine):
These are challenging economic times for everyone and I am deeply concerned that federal climate change legislation titled the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act recently introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer of California and Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts will place undue hardships on my family, my community, the oil and gas industry, and the United States of America.
Simply stated, I believe the climate change legislation being considered will cost Americans billions of dollars in higher fuel and energy prices, kill jobs, reduce America’s competitiveness, and will not deliver the environmental benefits promised. We are counting on you and your colleagues in Washington to vote against the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act as it will raise energy prices for Americans, jeopardize jobs, and make America less competitive.
Excuse me for a moment while I drop a tear for the oil and gas industry. In addition to making up 7 of 9 largest companies in the world, the six most profitable companies are all in the oil business. Valero, the company behind this misleading astroturf operation, is the 33rd largest in the world.
The panel discussion will be moderated Howard Fineman, Newsweek National-Affairs Columnist and Senior Washington Correspondent with special guest panelist Jack Gerard, President & Chief Executive Officer of American Petroleum Institute (API). Newsweek is also honored to have forum invitations currently pending confirmation with notable members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. These additional program announcements will be made in the coming days and you will be apprised of these updates.
Greenpeace’s Executive Director Phil Radford took issue with this, and fired off the following letter to Jon Meachem, Editor of Newsweek.
Some offices on Capitol Hill are abuzz this week about an invitation they received from Newsweek magazine to participate in an “Executive Forum” on “Climate and Energy Policy” that is being “co-hosted” with the American Petroleum Institute — the oil industry lobby that is fighting an all-out war against climate change legislation on Capitol Hill.
They really couldn’t find someone better than the President of big oil’s front group to sit on this panel? Not cool, Newsweek.
The email sent to offices on Capitol Hill, also via Clean Air Watch can be read in full below.
“I see the calendar, I see the unfolding of events, and I feel certain he will go,” Gore told SPIEGEL in an interview. Gore expressed optimism that the US Congress will agree on the outline of climate change legislation before the conference. “Therefore, I think there is a very real prospect that the legislation will pass, and that as a result, Obama will have the ability to go to Copenhagen with a more substantive position.”
Spiegel promises to publish the full interview on Monday.
A mile-long sheen of bunker fuel oil drifted from a tanker anchored in the still waters of the San Francisco Bay Friday, triggering an emergency response by the U.S. Coast Guard, authorities said.A Coast Guard spokesman said the agency got a report at around 8 a.m. reporting the sheen of drifting oil and tarballs streaming from the rear of Panamanian registered tanker Dubai Star that was anchored 2 1/1 miles south of the Bay Bridge.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Melissa Lee said a massive response was under way.
“The leak occurred when they were transferring bunker fuel (from a barge to the tanker),” she said. “We are evaluating the situation and have resources responding. “
Friends of the Earth has a petition calling for the use of bunker fuel to be discontinued:
Bunker fuel is a toxic, asphalt-like substance that is causing air pollution and global warming, harming marine life, and damaging human health and the environment. I join with Friends of the Earth in calling on Congress to require the cruise and shipping industries to end their use of this dirty fuel and transition to cleaner alternatives.
Friends of the Earth and Clean Air Task Force submit the following written testimony to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee last year:
With China– as well as several other countries– pulling way ahead of the U.S. in alternative energy development, you would think supporting this kind of legislation would be a no brainer. And, indeed every Democrat and 63 Republicans voted yes. It passed 310-106. The Republicans with no brains… well, generally speaking the Republicans sticking with their obstructionist leadership on this– John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Mike Pence and Paul Ryan all urged no votes– were the dimmest lights in the House, knee-jerk anti-everything fanatics like Michelle Bachmann (MN), Paul Broun (R-GA), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), John Culberson (R-TX), Mary Fallin (R-OK), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Steve King (R-IA), Tom McClintock (R-NC), Patty McHenry (R-NC), Mean Jean Schmidt (R-OH), and John Shadegg (R-AZ), the real knuckle-dragging bottom of the barrel community; Limbaugh’s crowd.
Full text of the bill is embedded below.
(Via David Dayen)
Joseph Romm summarizes at Grist.
In a letter sent today, a slew of scientific organizations, including the American Meteorological Society, American Geophysical Union, Crop Science Society of America, and American Chemical Society, informed the U.S. Senate that there is a strong scientific consensus that manmade greenhouse gases are changing the climate and that claims to the contrary are scientifically indefensible.
Here is the letter:
