Waitaminnit… Cold Weather can Kill Stuff? « Digital Diatribes

In the big scheme of things, are we just too thick-headed to realize that we may actually be blessed by a warmer climate? If, in fact, that’s even the case?

Scott Brown wins, but all is not lost for Dems - Martin Kady II - POLITICO.com

3. Cap and trade: A cap-and-trade bill has a shot in the Senate – as long as the cap-and- trade part is removed. If Democrats dump that toxic measure and pursue a more modest climate and energy bill, they’ve actually got a shot at getting something done – and getting a few Republican votes to push them past 60.

SCENARIOS-Political turmoil shakes U.S. climate bill | Markets | Reuters

The political turmoil in Washington over passing a climate change bill is not expected to help international efforts to tackle global warming. In December, the Copenhagen Accord, barely hammered out under U.N. auspices, set a Jan. 31 deadline for nations to submit new goals for reducing carbon emissions.

That becomes more dicey if confidence is shaken by the inability of the United States, the developed world's largest carbon emitter, to take concrete action.

Brown's Senate win could hinder climate [scam] bill push - The Hill's E2-Wire

...more broadly, the rare election of a Republican senator in Massachusetts, which comes amid high unemployment, could fuel Democratic reluctance to take up climate legislation that opponents call harmful to the economy.

BBC News - Q&A: What now for Obama's agenda?

Perhaps the most important globally are moves on climate change. The Senate has yet to pass a bill to establish a "cap and trade" scheme to cut greenhouse emissions. The House passed its version last year.

The Democrats were already struggling to get legislation through the Senate and the loss of a seat makes this all the harder. In addition, some Democrats from traditional manufacturing states are increasingly reluctant to vote for legislation seen as threatening US jobs.

So there will either be no bill or one that is watered down. That may then provoke a backlash from other big polluting countries that are considering their own emissions cuts.