By Tony Hake, Denver Weather Examiner
As legislators in Washington D.C. debated a climate change bill that would levy new taxes on businesses and potentially cost consumers, political theatre was in full view Friday at the House of Representatives. The House Energy and Commerce Committee held hearings all last week on the legislation, culminating with the appearance of former Vice President Al Gore and former Speaker of the House and potential 2012 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.
Democrats who support the measure and the ‘cap and trade tax’ it would bring, brought forth the self-appointed head of the global warming movement Al Gore. Mr. Gore of course was full of his usual dire predictions of the Earth’s pending doom from carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere unless immediate action is taken. He likened those who doubted the theory to those who don’t believe man landed on the moon saying, “There are people who still believe that the moon landing was staged on a movie lot in Arizona.”
Perhaps Mr. Gore wasn’t aware but even some of those that have been to the moon and walked on its surface don’t believe all the hype about global warming. It was just recently that a real moonwalker announced his doubts about the theory as well. Dr. Harrison Schmitt, an Apollo 17 astronaut, moonwalker, and PhD holding geologist said, “Contrary to categorical statements by many politicians and unfortunately some scientists, including some colleagues of mine, the science of climate change and its causes is not settled - at least not to this geologist.”
Gore was able to quickly settle back into the role of politician being unable to answer a simple question about the cost of the bill, preferring instead to wave a New York Times newspaper in the air. His responses to questions routinely ran over the allotted time, well after the red light came on signaling the end of his time. Displaying his usual hubris, he lectured the panel challenging them to have the “moral courage” to confront the issue and bragged saying, “I gave my slide show to the Indian Parliament.”
One was left wondering if the presentation he gave to India and the House contained the slides that had previously been proven to be inaccurate that he had to remove. Mr. Gore touted that “I have read all 648 pages of this bill” and noted that, “It took me two transcontinental flights on United Airlines to finish it.” Unclear though was how much CO2 has been spewed into the atmosphere and carbon-based fuel burned during the former VP’s frequent jaunts across the country and the globe. It is most likely more than the 9,116 gallons of fuel President Obama burned last week to make a speech in Iowa on Earth Day or the 53 ton carbon footprint of Prince Charles’ forthcoming European environmental advocacy tour will leave.
When questioned by Representative Marsh Blackburn (R-Tennessee) about whether or not Mr. Gore expected to profit from any legislation or if he had profited in the past, Gore chose to not answer the question directly. Rep. Blackburn pressed, pointing out that Mr. Gore serves as member of the board for Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, an investment firm which stands to make billions off of climate change legislation. Gore countered saying, “Every penny I have made, I’ve put in a nonprofit.” Of course that non-profit, as we have written about before, is the Alliance for Climate Protection for which Mr. Gore also serves as chairman.
Those touting the need for immediate action against global warming, including legislators on Capitol Hill, continue to refuse to allow any real debate on the issue. Lord Christopher Monckton who served as science advisor to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was invited to appear head to head with Gore. Monckton is a climate change doubter who has publically challenged the former vice president to debate the issue. Alas, that was not to be on Friday when House Democrats led by Henry Waxman canceled the appearance. Monkton told Climate Depot, “The House Democrats don’t want Gore humiliated, so they slammed the door of the Capitol in my face. They are cowards.”
Instead of Monkton, offering an opposing view to Gore was Newt Gingrich. However, his appearance was not head to head with Gore as Gingrich instead waited outside the chamber for his turn to speak. Once again we heard from another politician in debating energy policy and failed to provide any real debate on the scientific merits - or lack thereof - of the global warming theory. The former Speaker of the House apparently was not as well versed in the proposed legislation and admitted he failed to completely read the tome saying he stopped once it started discussing regulating the energy use of Jacuzzis. He did however present his own plan for America’s energy future.
Like Gore, Gingrich too was challenged by members of the opposing party. Gingrich pointed out that punishing industry could do more harm than good saying, “We didn’t build the trans-continental railroad by punishing stage coaches.” Committee Chairman Henry Waxman replied, “Well I am glad you’re not in charge of foreign policy.” Ensuring he had the last word, Gingrich shot back, “I don’t think of the American people in the same terms as foreign dictators.”
Gingrich continued to remind the committee that a tax on industry would most likely result in a cost to consumers as it stands to reason that businesses will simply pass on any added costs. He cited the study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which showed the plan could cost American families $3,100 per year. Democrats were quick to try to refute those claims and we once again saw how many of these studies can be manipulated for both sides’ advantage.
In the end we saw a microcosm of the debate on manmade climate change and global warming. Politicians have usurped the issue for their own benefit - political and financial - all the while preventing any real discussion of the issue and highlighting their own hypocrisy. Those like Al Gore and James Hansen run around making ‘sky is falling’ predictions sending everyone off the deep end without any real, rational discussion. The polarization and politicization of the issue has both sides ignoring each other and making it impossible to know what the truth really is. Read more here.
By Susan Ferrechio, Washington Times
In exchange for votes to pass a controversial global warming package, Democratic leaders are offering some lawmakers generous emission “allowances” to protect their districts from the economic pain of pollution restrictions. Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, represents a district with several oil refineries, a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions. He also serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which must approve the global warming plan backed by President Barack Obama.
Green says Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who heads the panel, is trying to entice him into voting for the bill by giving some refineries favorable treatment in the administration’s “cap and trade” system, which is expected to generate hundreds of billions of dollars over the coming years. Under the plan, companies would pay for the right to emit carbon dioxide, but Green and other lawmakers are angling to get a free pass for refineries in their districts.
“We’ve been talking,” Green said, referring to a meeting he had with Waxman on Tuesday night. “To put together a bill that passes, they have to get our votes, and I’m not going to vote for a bill without refinery allowances.”
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, the top Republican on the energy panel, said Waxman and others are also dangling allowances for steel and coal-fired power plants to give political cover to Democrats whose districts rely on these companies. Democrats so far have been unable to get enough support from their own members to pass the bill out of a small global warming subcommittee because most Republicans and many Democrats say the plan will raise energy rates, destroy jobs and increase prices on manufactured goods. Republicans said Waxman and subcommittee chairman Ed Markey, D-Mass., are calling Democrats into their offices and offering allowances, also called credits, in exchange for votes. Waxman told The Examiner he was not trading votes for allowances.
“That is what the Republicans are saying, but that is not accurate,” he said. The bill left out specifics on allowances “in order to be able to have discussions on how best to ease the transition for various geographical regions and ratepayers.”
“I will politely disagree,” said energy committee member John Shimkus, R-Ill., who insisted Waxman “is calling members into his office to try to get their vote, and that will be based on the credits they are offering.” While Shimkus acknowledged that closed-door negotiating was “just a way of doing business” in Congress, he said offering emission allowances for votes may take the process beyond ethical boundaries. “We are talking real dollars here, real shareholder wealth,” Shimkus said, “and we are not being given the time to analyze these credits.”
Environmentalists and free-market advocates say the credits will favor struggling, out-of-date operations. “We are going to have electricity that is dirtier because the allowances are going to be misallocated,” said Robert Michaels, an economics professor at California State University and senior fellow for the Institute for Energy Research. See story here.
By Marc Morano, ClimateDepot.com
UK’s Lord Christopher Monckton, a former science advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, claimed House Democrats have refused to allow him to appear alongside former Vice President Al Gore at high profile global warming hearing on Friday April 24, 2009 at 10am in Washington. Monckton told Climate Depot that the Democrats rescinded his scheduled joint appearance at the House Energy and Commerce hearing on Friday. Monckton said he was informed that he would not be allowed to testify alongside Gore when his plane landed from England Thursday afternoon.
“The House Democrats don’t want Gore humiliated, so they slammed the door of the Capitol in my face,” Monckton told Climate Depot in an exclusive interview. “They are cowards.”
According to Monckton, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Energy & Commerce Committee, had invited him to go head to head with Gore and testify at the hearing on Capitol Hill Friday. But Monckton now says that when his airplane from London landed in the U.S. on Thursday, he was informed that the former Vice-President had “chickened out” and there would be no joint appearance. Gore is scheduled to testify on Friday to the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment’s fourth day of hearings on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. The hearing will be held in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.
According to Monckton, House Democrats told the Republican committee staff earlier this week that they would be putting forward an unnamed ‘celebrity’ as their star witness Friday at a multi-panel climate hearing examining the House global warming bill. The ‘celebrity’ witness turned out to be Gore. Monckton said the GOP replied they would respond to the Democrats ‘celebrity’ with an unnamed ‘celebrity’ of their own. But Monckton claims that when the Democrats were told who the GOP witness would be, they refused to allow him to testify alongside Gore.
“The Democrats have a lot to learn about the right of free speech under the US Constitution. Congress Henry Waxman’s (D-CA) refusal to expose Al Gore’s sci-fi comedy-horror testimony to proper, independent scrutiny by the House minority reeks of naked fear,” Monckton said from the airport Thursday evening.
“Waxman knows there has been no ‘global warming’ for at least a decade. Waxman knows there has been seven and a half years’ global cooling. Waxman knows that, in the words of the UK High Court judge who condemned Gore’s mawkish movie as materially, seriously, serially inaccurate, ‘the Armageddon scenario that he depicts is not based on any scientific view,’” Monckton explained. Monckton has previously testified before the House Committee in March. (See: Monckton: Have the courage to do nothing. US Congress told climate change is not real ) Monckton has also publicly challenged Gore to a debate. (See: Al Gore Challenged to International TV Debate on Global Warming By Lord Monckton - March 19, 2007 ). A call to the Democratic office of the House Energy and Commerce Committee seeking comment was not immediately returned Thursday night.
Read post here. See Monckton’s letter to the Committe posted recently here.