The week that was: Science & Environmental Policy Project

As you all know, on Nov 3 Bob McDonnell was elected as Governor of VA...in his victory celebration, the first pronouncements were directed against the destructive Cap&Trade scheme being hatched right now in the US Senate. We look forward to Governor Bob McDonnell becoming a national spokesman for a sensible US energy policy that does not demonize CO2, the natural plant fertilizer.
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The Senate C&T bill is in serious trouble. It may get to the Senate floor but it is not likely to pass. This month’s election results have spooked the Congress. All House members are up for re-election in Nov 2010 – and one-third of the Senate -- so there isn’t likely to be a climate bill in 2010 either. Enough senators now recognize the economic penalties of C&T and its utter uselessness for affecting global climate – or even global CO2 levels – as long as China, India, etc continue to emit CO2 without any restraint.

Which brings us to the upcoming COP-15 conference in Copenhagen – about which there is deep gloom among its UN promoters. The negotiations are stalled, mainly between developing and industrialized nations (almost all in OECD) – with the former demanding rather large sums of money for ‘reparations.’ Having preached that CO2 is a pollutant and that future climate ‘catastrophes’ will hurt poor nations most, the OECD nations are now hoist on their own petard – as the saying goes.

In any case, CPH is unlikely to produce a new legal framework -- and even less likely to result in mandatory emission limits. So maybe Kyoto will just expire peacefully in 2012 –as CO2 levels keep on rising and while the climate keeps on its current cooling trend.

Heavy Snow In The Spanish Pyrenees - Fast Track Ski News

Spain’s two largest ski areas of Baqueira Beret and Formigal, both located in the Pyrenees mountains which separate the country from France, with Andorra sandwiched between, have reported heavy snowfall over the past 48 hours and say they will now open ‘shortly’ - hinting at an early opening as a result of all the snow (scheduled opening dates are nearly three weeks away).

It’s the latest of the world’s major mountain ranges to report heavy snow – the Alps, Dolomites and Rockies have all seen up to 1.5m (five feet) of snow blanket them in recent days and weeks, great news for the up coming winter.

Vail Daily letter: Warming's just a media hoax | VailDaily.com

The taxes we are soon to face are going to impact every ounce of your life and the global carbon tax even includes a tax upon your dog, or cat if you've got one. It's time to completely disregard news media and to learn, once and for all for yourself. Global warming is a total fraud being played on the people for taxation purposes. Chicago just had its coldest summer since 1942. By the way, you can look at the petition at www.petitionproject.org.

Boulder shifts carbon-tax brackets for area businesses - Boulder Daily Camera

The city of Boulder plans to change the carbon-tax bracket that 13 large businesses and institutions fall into, reducing the tax revenue that could have been collected for the city's Climate Action Plan next year by about $155,000.

Buddies battle over climate change bill - Lisa Lerer - POLITICO.com

But behind closed doors, the California liberal and the Oklahoma conservative say they prefer exchanging global warming gag gifts more than partisan jabs.

Inhofe brags about a mug he gave Boxer that shows sea levels rising to cover certain regions — including most of California — when heated up.

In return, Boxer gave Inhofe a stuffed polar bear — a toy version of an animal that scientists say is gravely threatened by global warming.

Heat is on Colorado climate-change guru - The Denver Post

The coordinator of Colorado's efforts to combat climate change drew criticism from conservatives Monday after conflict-of-interest disclosures showed she accepts monthly stipends from a liberal think tank.

Climate-change coordinator and former state Rep. Alice Madden has worked for the Washington, D.C.-based Center for American Progress since January 2008, before she accepted the state appointment. The disclosures show she makes $3,000 a month serving as an expert on climate change, energy and health care for the nonprofit.

Conservative political analyst Jessica Corry questioned the propriety of a liberal group paying one of Gov. Bill Ritter's top advisers.