The cold, hard truth on climate change

3 Republican Lies About Keystone XL

http://samuel-warde.com/2014/11/3-republican-lies-keystone-xl/
"No matter who you are, no matter what your political persuasion, it is important that you understand the ramifications of the Keystone XL. It will not produce any lasting jobs. It will not make us more energy independent. It will not lower fuel prices. It will put our environment, our economy and our security at risk."

Here are Some Facts About the Keystone XL Pipeline Republicans Really Don’t Want Americans to See

Here are Some Facts About the Keystone XL Pipeline Republicans Really Don’t Want Americans to See

"when all is said and done, the Keystone XL pipeline will only sustain about 50 full-time jobs. That’s it. And let’s just look at a glaring reality that millions of Americans seem to not understand: This is not American oil nor is the Keystone XL an American pipeline. This pipeline will take Canadian oil down to the Gulf of Mexico to be shipped out and sold on the global market at whatever price oil is going for at that particular time.

Let me reiterate this again: The Keystone XL pipeline has nothing to do with American oil, helping America’s energy independence or anything at all to do with anything remotely related to the United States as it relates to satisfying our energy needs and demands. This is a pipeline that will cut straight through the heart of the United States so that TransCanada can sell their oil at the going global market rate… with most of it probably ending up in China. And what will the United States ultimately end up with? About 50 jobs and a massive pipeline over 1,000 miles long that will almost assuredly be responsible for some kind of catastrophic oil spill sometime in the future."

House Republicans just passed a bill forbidding scientists from advising the EPA on their own research

House Republicans just passed a bill forbidding scientists from advising the EPA <em>on their own research</em>

"The "reform" measure makes room for industry-funded experts on the EPA's advisory board"

Keystone CEO "Keystone Will Create 50 Jobs"

GOPers Wrong Again: Solyndra-Type Loans Made Billions

GOPers Wrong Again: Solyndra-Type Loans Made Billions

"The much-maligned government program that funded the failed solar tech company Solyndra is expected to make taxpayers a $5 to $6 billion return, Bloomberg Businessweek reported on Wednesday.The loan program is run out of the Department of Energy (DOE), and covers a large umbrella of investments to encourage green energy and low-carbon technologies.

According to Businessweek, the expected positive returns on those investments are detailed in a new report DOE will be releasing, perhaps as early as Thursday, on the loan program’s performance — the first such estimate the agency has made of the fruits of its efforts."

CEO of Coal Mine Where 29 Workers Died Is Indicted

http://www.alternet.org/ceo-coal-mine-where-29-workers-died-indicted
"Don Blankenship, the CEO of the Massey Energy coal mine that exploded and killed 29 workers in 2010 has been indicted on charges that he conspired to violate federal mine safety and health standards.
The indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury in Charleston, West Virginia, says that Blankenship hid safety violations at the West Virginia mine between January 2008 and April 2010, when the disaster took place. The suppressing of the safety violations impeded a federal mine safety investigation following the blast, the indictment alleges.
Blankenship can face 31 years in prison if convicted."

Thanks To ALEC, Arizona To Roll Back Efficiency Standards

Thanks To ALEC, Arizona To Roll Back Efficiency Standards

"The Koch brothers strike again! Model legislation written by ALEC is calling a halt to the remarkable progress in energy efficiency made by the state of Arizona and replacing it with "free market principles" -- i.e. Kochs buying legislators in order to increase their personal fortunes."

Republican Admits She Doesn’t Care About Democracy, Plans to Ignore Fracking Ban Approved by Voters

Republican Admits She Doesn’t Care About Democracy, Plans to Ignore Fracking Ban Approved by Voters

"the Republican love for big government is now playing out in Denton, Texas where citizens recently voted 59-41 percent to ban fracking, yet Texas Railroad Commission Chairwoman Christi Craddick (a Republican) has pretty much said she doesn’t care what voters want, she’s going to continue to issue permits for fracking anyway."

Finally a Member of the Oligarchy Is Indicted for Culpability in Worker Deaths: 29 Coal Miners Killed

http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/finally-a-member-of-the-oligarchy-is-indicted-for-culpability-in-the-death-of-workers-29-coal-miners-killed
"Blankenship is a nasty piece of work, even in the pitiless exploitative business of coal mining, but his outlook on profits before lives is not uncommon in the extraction industry and in corporations in general."

Massey Energy CEO Indicted In Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

Massey Energy CEO Indicted In Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

"Don Blankenship, the longtime chief executive of Massey Energy, was indicted today on charges that he violated federal mine safety laws at the company’s Upper Big Branch Mine prior to an April 2010 explosion that killed 29 miners."

Deadly mine explosion leads to indictment of Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship

Fox News Host Embarrassed After Blatant Lie About Keystone XL Pipeline Gets Debunked

Fox News Host Embarrassed After Blatant Lie About Keystone XL Pipeline Gets Debunked

"The reality of the Keystone XL pipeline and job creation is that when all is said and done, it’ll create somewhere between 35-50 permanent jobs. Yeah, that’s the “big job creator” Republicans have been harping on about for years. Heck, you could create more permanent jobs than that by just opening one Applebees. As we all know, this isn’t about creating jobs, it’s about the GOP kissing up to big oil just like they always do. But being that Republicans are masters at propaganda, they’ve somehow convinced tens of millions of conservatives that Canadian oil will help America become more energy independent and a single pipeline will somehow magically create tens of thousands of jobs – even though the reason why oil companies build these pipelines is because they don’t require many people to operate them. It’s a good thing for Republicans that conservatives are often so gullible, because it takes a truly naive person to believe the total nonsense they’ve been pushing about this pipeline these last few years."

Texas Oil Regulator Says It Will Not Honor Town’s Vote To Ban Fracking

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/11/10/3590690/texas-fracking-ban-denton/
"On Tuesday, the town of Denton, Texas, voted by a wide margin to ban fracking within the city limits. Two days later, the chairwoman of Texas’ oil and gas regulator said she would not honor the ban."

Koch Party Wins Big, Planet in Peril

Koch Party Wins Big, Planet in Peril

"The Koch's Americans for Prosperity, a nonprofit dark money group that does not disclose its donors, is reported to have spent some $77 million on competitive Senate and House races, says a spokesman. The Koch's new Freedom Partners Action Fund, a super PAC that discloses some of its donors, spent some $25 million. Not all Koch candidates won their races, but the Koch were ranked big winners in the Sunlight Foundations post-election "return on investment" analysis.

This $100 million does not count all the Koch-tied groups, their personal contributions or all contributions of the Koch network of funders which may top the $300 million Washington Post estimate. As a point of comparison, the DNC and the RNC combined spent $300 million this election cycle."

Mitch McConnell feels a “deep responsibility” to block climate action

Mitch McConnell feels a “deep responsibility” to block climate action

"Mitch McConnell is drawing his battle lines, and as feared, it’s bad news for the planet."

Here Comes the Sun: America's Solar Boom, in Charts

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/11/solar-energy-power-boom-charts
"Last week, an energy analyst at Deutsche Bank came to a startling conclusion: By 2016, solar power will be as cheap or cheaper than electricity from the conventional grid in every state except three. That's without any changes to existing policy."

The top Republican climate change denier just got a whole lot more powerful

GOP’s frightening plan to melt the planet: Koch $, burning fossil fuel, and junk science

GOP’s frightening plan to melt the planet: Koch $, burning fossil fuel, and junk science

"The voters in Tuesday’s election were – as midterm races usually are — comparatively old, with 37% of voters older than 60, according to an NBC exit poll. Those voters won’t be around when the full effect of the policies the Republicans are about to implement will be felt.

But make no mistake. This Republican congressional majority will kill our planet."

The MidTerms Were all About the Keystone Pipeline

The Koch brothers’ underhanded attack on wind energy

The Koch brothers’ underhanded attack on wind energy

"Well that took absolutely no time at all. A coalition of conservative groups lead by the Koch-affiliated American Energy Alliance (and including the Koch-affiliated Americans for Prosperity, the Koch-affiliated Competitive Enterprise Institute, among others) are showing up in force against renewable energy, urging congressional Republicans to allow a key wind energy tax credit to expire."

Americans Are Voting For Fracking Bans Because They Don’t Trust The Oil And Gas Industry

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/11/05/3589429/fracking-bans-trust-oil-industry/
"In California, Ohio, and Texas, citizens in four localities voted to ban hydraulic fracturing and other activities associated with unconventional oil and gas drilling, challenging the balance of power between state officials in charge of regulating drilling and local communities concerned about the potential risks. The bans in California and Texas, in particular, could have ripple effects in neighboring counties and portend future battles between localities skeptical of oil and gas drilling and state governments that support new development."

Election Divides GOP On Whether To Seize And Sell America’s Public Lands

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/11/07/3590195/election-divides-gop-public-lands/
"In the run-up to Tuesday’s elections, each week seemed to bring a new Republican candidate for federal and state office advocating for America’s national forests, wildlife areas and other public lands to be seized by the states or auctioned off to the highest bidder. Even the Republican National Committee (RNC) passed a resolution endorsing these extreme proposals earlier this year."

Payback: A First Look at the Fossil-Fuel and Anti-Environment Agenda of the Next Congress

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2014/11/05/100549/payback-a-first-look-at-the-fossil-fuel-and-anti-environment-agenda-of-the-next-congress/
"the new Republican-led Congress is expected to aggressively pursue a number of other individual special-interest giveaways. With control of both chambers, Republican leaders will likely push, for example, to mandate the construction of a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, which taxpayer advocates say is a massive waste of government money; clear the way for the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona and the Pebble Mine in Alaska; and allow logging of old growth forest in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska."

This man is about to become one of America’s most powerful climate villains

This man is about to become one of America’s most powerful climate villains

"Be afraid: James Inhofe, one of the Senate's most fervent climate deniers, is set to lead its environment committee"

Anti-Science Republicans To Run The Science Committee & Even Grimmer Results

Direct Democracy Tackles Fracking, GMOs, Pesticides on Election Day

Direct Democracy Tackles Fracking, GMOs, Pesticides on Election Day

"Voters in cities and states across the United States will vote on a number of ballot propositions affecting the environment on Tuesday, November 4."