Republican Congressman Ed Whitfield from Kentucky, who serves as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power, has made it clear that he will do everything in his power to push several bills that will strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its ability to protect the public from pollution spewing from utility plants. Whitfield joins the chorus of Republicans and industry leaders who claim that emission standards are too costly for businesses and, as a result, will cost the economy desperately needed jobs.
The specific rule that Whitfield is working to repeal involves standards that would require utilities to install devices to capture as much CO2 as possible from industrial boilers and waste incinerators, a move the EPA estimates would prevent thousands of premature deaths from heart attacks and respiratory illnesses every year. The American Petroleum Institute successfully lobbied the EPA in April to postpone the rule until the public and industry leaders had a chance to air their concerns, which the EPA will be receiving until July 15th. Whitfield is hoping that new legislation will kill the proposal once and for all.
It should come as no surprise that Whitfield is working so diligently to protect the energy industry from paying to reduce their pollution. Over the course of his 13-year career in the House of Representatives, Whitfield has received a total of $305,115 from electric utilities, $238,247 from oil and gas companies, and another $161,177 from mining interests - $704,539 in polluter money. His position as Chair of the Energy and Power subcommittee allows his dirty energy benefactors to reap untold rewards for their industries.
His record before being Chair of the Energy and Power Subcommittee shows a clear preference towards the energy industry. He voted in favor of creating more oil refineries and speeding up the permit approval process for facilities. He voted against the offshore oil drilling moratorium, and against repealing oil industry subsidies. He’s also voted against raising vehicle fuel economy standards, and against providing tax incentives and subsidies for renewable energy projects.
Whitfield is planning to fast track his disastrous plans when Congress returns from a summer break in July.
Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
Teddy Roosevelt must be rolling over in his grave. Elkhorn Ranch, where the great Republican conservationist sat on his porch overlooking the Little Missouri River and conceived his then-progressive theories of conservation, is at risk of being despoiled by fracking.
Now sitting in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you’d assume that Roosevelt's "home ranch" (as he called it) was protected from fossil fuel development. But the view from Elkhorn could...
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Are you sure thats an accurate characterization of the rule?
"The specific rule that Whitfield is working to repeal involves standards that would require utilities to install devices to capture as much CO2 as possible from industrial boilers and waste incinerators,..."
Following the links in the article suggests the rule is designed to control other pollutants with more direct effects on human health than CO2.
Yea... They pretty much lost
Yea... They pretty much lost all credibility as soon as they made claims about CO2 causing problems with heart and respretory tract.
Trapping CO2 will not help in any way with anything and will simply cost a lot.
Total waste of money.
He is very justified in fighting it.
Now if EPA were trying to cut REAL polution rather than harmless plant food, it would be different.
"Now if EPA were trying to
"Now if EPA were trying to cut REAL polution rather than harmless plant food, it would be different."
Clearly, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Yes some plants benefit, but not all of our staple grains benefit. One of the biggest winners are weeds.
Extra CO2 overall isnt so bad for plants, but its not good for our atmosphere & its not good for our oceans, did you consider that?
You have been listening to Christopher Monckton too much, whos expertise on the matter is?
Can you provide a reference for where you got the statement "harmless plant food"?
Just sayin' ...
Congressman Ed Whitfield was elected by constituents. On the other hand, the EPA is an unelected body, seemingly accountable to no one.
Oh no!
"Congressman Ed Whitfield was elected by constituents. On the other hand, the EPA is an unelected body, seemingly accountable to no one."
Oh no! You have just made me realize how wide spread this issue is!
I mean, there is the IRS, the FBI, CIA, NSA, police, firemen, paramedics, just to name a few all acting independently with their own agendas! No one elected them! This is an outrage!
Pass that coal tax yet?
You don’t have a clue how popular Whitfield’s position is in America. Despite the complete fabrications of leftist sites like this one, this will gain him votes in the next election.
Let the message go out: You pay too much for gas because of Democrats. You pay too much for electricity because of Democrats. There are no jobs being created because of Democrats.
"Let the message go out: You
"Let the message go out: You pay too much for gas because of Democrats. You pay too much for electricity because of Democrats. There are no jobs being created because of Democrats."
Who was president when the GFC happened & what party did they represent? The world including the USA still hasn't recovered from that one. Lucky you removed all those regulations eh?
Duh!
The EPA is part of the administrative branch of government which is headed by an elected President. By law, the head of the EPA is appointed by the President.
The fact that Cong. Whitfield was elected by constituents does not make him all-knowing and infallible.
How much money has the fossil fuel industry contributed to Whitfield's campaign coffers?
Whitfield + Barton
Whitfield was Joe Barton's partner in setting up the Wegman report, see Strange Scholarship in the Wegman Report.
He is not new to this.
Wegman was right
John, what new imaginary conspiracies will you uncover now? Have you created a world yet where Michael Mann’s hockey stick isn’t a complete fraud? BTW, how does the propaganda work? Skeptics are crazy because they think there is a conspiracy amongst activist scientists, government bureaucrats, left wing environmental organizations, and rent-seeking politicians but Alarmist jihadis like yourself are not when they find fossil fuel money every where they turn.
what a waste of resources
what a waste of resources
Congressman Ed Whitfield was elected by constituents...
...elected by his constituents indeed, but Ed "$426,447 bought and paid for by dirty energy money" Whitfield is not working for said constituents he is working for those who gave him the money (otherwise why give it to him) and their interests are not the same as those of his constituents.
"You do not know the power of the dark side, I must obey my master!"
http://dirtyenergymoney.com/view.php?searchvalue=Ed+Whitfield&search=1&type=search
MM now sounding totally unhinged.
That is Mike Mangan BTW not Michael Mann.
In one short post you manganed, sorry managed, to utter these:
'where Michael Mann’s hockey stick isn’t a complete fraud'
'activist scientists'
'Alarmist jihadis'
Wow! Way to go. I can almost see the froth.
'Skeptics are crazy because they think there is a conspiracy amongst activist scientists, government bureaucrats, left wing environmental organizations, and rent-seeking politicians'
I would totally agree about your paranoia here but you are not a true skeptic being rather more of a septic - a poisonous denier so twisted by ideology that he cannot see the rank stupidity of his arguments.
Crack a can of 'Duff' Homer, sorry Mangan, and calm down.