Climate Bill Spurs Concern

Jun. 22--As House Democrats prep for a possible vote on a climate change bill this week, they risk losing the votes of party members from rural districts, like U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-17, as they begin to disagree with the Obama administration's stance.

"I have grave concerns about where the administration is going on climate change," Holden said in a telephone interview Saturday.

U.S. Rep Dennis Cardoza, D-18, California, has said the Obama administration's Environmental Protection Agency "(doesn't) get rural America," and when it comes to climate change, Holden said he agrees.
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John W. Rich Jr., president of Waste Management & Processors Inc., Gilberton, said he supports Holden's position.
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"The whole concept behind the cap and trade is minimum climate change," Rich said. "I just can't imagine how carbon dioxide, which makes up less than one-third of one percent of the atmosphere, could be the culprit."

Figures on the NASA Web site put carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere between .01 and .1 percent.

"No one seems to know that, by the way. It seems to be a deep dark secret," Rich said.

Australian Senate poised to defeat carbon laws | Reuters

CANBERRA, June 22 (Reuters) - The Australian parliament's upper-house Senate began debating plans for the government's carbon trading scheme on Monday with little sign the package of 11 bills will pass.

The emissions trading system (ETS) is a key element of the government's plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions, blamed for global warming, and was a major promise in the election that swept Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd into office in late 2007.
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National Party Senate leader Barnaby Joyce, a strong opponent of the carbon trade scheme, said he would use any tactic to prevent a vote on the laws this week.

"I want this debate to go for as long as possible. Call that a filibuster, call it what you want, call it you're aunt Mary, I will debate this thing until there is not a breath left in me," he said.

Cleantech Blog: Just Say No: Climate Skeptics and Deniers - [Stunningly stupid analogy from Peter Adams]

I particularly appreciated the way he carefully and non-disparagingly handled the issue of climate skeptics and deniers. [Peter Adams, Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University] noted that some of the skeptics have seemingly impressive credentials, but illustrated how nefarious their tactics can be by using a powerful analogy involving the statue of Venus de Milo:

"The scientist would say that the Venus de Milo is a statue of a woman, whereas the skeptic would say 'A woman has arms, and this statue has no arms; therefore, it's not certain that this is a statue of a woman, and it can't be proven as such until the arms are found.'"