Colleagues cool to Kerry on energy - POLITICO.com Print View

John Kerry has been the most aggressive advocate of climate change legislation in the Senate this year — so aggressive that it’s rubbed some of his colleagues the wrong way.

The Massachusetts Democrat is making his pitch with an almost religious fervor, pushing a message that’s equal parts saving the planet, national security and the economy.
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Kerry’s style, said Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), is akin to being “pursued by a suitor, just as boys pursue girls.”
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[Kerry] “I believe it’s been worth the effort to fight. I feel this issue very intensely. I care about it more than anything I’ve ever worked on in my life..."
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But calls to drop any type of carbon cap are growing among moderate Democrats just weeks before Democratic leaders plan to bring legislation to the floor, and Kerry’s colleagues doubt he can get the votes.

“I’d support it,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). “I don’t see 60 votes for it.”
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Asked if she’s been pursued by Kerry and Lieberman, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said with a grin: “I’m trying to avoid them.”

Asthma patients set for tough winter - Pharmacy News

Early warning signs point to a tough cold and flu season ahead for Australians with asthma, according to leading respiratory experts.

Figures released today by the National Asthma Council Australia (NACA) revealed 58 per cent of adults with the condition have already suffered asthma attacks since the start of the winter.

Flashback: Global warming [allegedly] increases asthma - SciDev.Net

Fossil fuel combustion is partly to blame for increased childhood asthma, according to a report published by Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment. But the resulting air pollution is just part of the problem. Increasing temperatures encourage growth of moulds and fungi, and higher carbon dioxide levels stimulate plants to produce more pollen earlier in the year.