Showing posts with label midterms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label midterms. Show all posts
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
In an Iowa Senate Debate, Ernst made it clear that she denies the science of climate change. "I don’t know the science behind climate change," she said.
Ernst attended a conference hosted by the Koch brother this past June where she reportedly thanked here hosts and their "wonderful network" for putting her on the map. “I was not known at that time,” Ernst said. “A little-known state senator from a very rural part of Iowa, known through my National Guard service and some circles in Iowa. But the exposure to this group and to this network and the opportunity to meet so many of you, that really started my trajectory.”
Along with other Republicans opposes Agenda 21. She makes the absurd claim that Agenda 21 will undermine civil liberties. This non-binding U.N. resolution merely encourages nations to use fewer resources and conserve open land by steering development to already dense areas.
Ernst is also on record as having said, “Let’s shut down the EPA. The state knows best how to protect resources.” Her desire to do away with the EPA would be disastrous. The EPA has saved hundreds of thousands of lives and countless billions of dollars in public health and environmental costs.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Both Scott and Southerland are unfriendly towards environmental issues and climate concerns. The very fact that such politicians were vying for office in Florida is rather ironic given that this state will be one of the worst hit by flooding and extreme weather associated with climate change.
Scott was reelected despite his deplorable environmental and climate record. The mayor of Miami was amongst those who did not want to see Scott reelected as his city is directly threatened by sea-level rise. Environmental organizations fought hard to defeat Scott and Southerland.
Scott has championed the rights of polluters and supported resource degradation, he weakened environmental enforcement, cut support for clean water and axed conservation programs. He has also shown an utter lack of leadership his lack of leadership on renewable energy and climate change.
To defeat Scott, NextGen has spent $8.6m on 20 offices and hundreds of staffers and volunteers. The group has also fashioned props to make fun of his climate denial, this includes a wooden ark.
Earlier on, Scott received a lot of negative attention for dismissing climate change by saying "I'm no scientist." Then he claimed he want to work on solving global warming. His tune changed as he read the polls and he rebranded himself in a cynical self serving bid win a second term. It would appear that voters in Florida did not to see through his flagrant pandering.
Southerland did not reach out to the climate vote and he lost his bid to keep his seat in the US House representing the state of Florida. Southerland's dismal record have earned him a spot on represents on the "Dirty Dozen" of anti-environmental lawmakers awarded by the League of Conservation Voters.
Southerland was the lead sponsorship of the so-called Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014, which the LCV calls "a radical attack on clean water safeguards."
In addition to Southerland's efforts opposing clean water, he has voted to protect oil subsidies including up to $53 billion in taxpayer subsidies for oil companies operating offshore. He also opposes efforts to curtail carbon pollution from power plants.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Concerns about the Great Lakes were on top of voter priorities. This concern is driven by a number of environmental calamities including oil spills, most notably the rupture of Enbridge Line No. 6 into the Kalamazoo River (the largest inland oil spill in US history) and the 2014 refinery spill on Lake Michigan. It was also about the Koch brothers three-story high pile of petroleum coke that poisoned the air and the Detroit River.
Koch funded Americans for Prosperity aired adds attacking Peters. Land's spokesman called Steyer a "radical liberal" and Land disagrees with Peters on the extent of the effect of human behavior on our climate.
A number of environmental groups have played an important role in making climate change a top tier issue In Michigan. Most notably, Tom Sayer and NextGen spent $3m on TV, radio, and digital ads attacking Land, for being too close to the Kochs.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Pro-fossil fuel initiatives we can expect from Republicans:
- approval of the Keystone XL pipeline
- reject an end to tax breaks for oil and gas companies
- expand federal leases for fracking
- end to the crude oil export ban
- expand coal development
- restrict the administration's ability to regulate greenhouse gases
- kill any hope for a binding global climate treaty
- oppose a non-binding global climate agreement
- end the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy
- curtail other renewable energy incentives
Democrats can still resist Republican's pro-fossil fuel and anti-climate legislation. Republican Senators do not have a super majority of 60 seats, so Democrats can exert some control through a filibuster. Unlimited discussion and debate is permitted in the Senate and no vote can be held on a bill until all debate is closed or 60 Senators vote for cloture.
The President can always veto any bill coming from the Republican controlled Congress. In addition to his veto powers, the only recourse left to the President are his executive actions.
Optimistically, the President may be able to gain some bipartisan support for legislation related to trade agreements, infrastructure or perhaps even tax reform, but he will not be able to pass a bill on climate, the environment or clean energy.
Republican control over the nation's purse strings gives their obstructionism more teeth. However to shrug off the well earned perception that they are the party of "no" and to try to set up a run for the Presidency in 2016, the GOP may put legislation in front of the President that he will have to veto.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
The Senate race in Louisiana between Rep. Bill Cassidy and Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu will determine who heads the ENR Committee in 2015. Landrieu is the current panel chairman, and while she went into the election in the lead, she will have difficulty winning what will likely be a runoff if neither candidate gets 50 percent of the vote.
At the same time as they decide who will hold the gavel on the ENR committee, Louisiana voters will also decide who heads the state's Public Service Commission (PSC). At stake is whether of not the state will heed growing public demand for clean renewable energy. Louisiana is one of only two states that both directly elects its commissioners and gives the PSC direct legislative authority. The person who gets elected will decide the future of rooftop solar in the state and have a major impact on one of the fastest growing solar markets in the US.
The two frontrunners are both Republicans: The incumbent is chairman Eric Skrmetta, whose leadership has been marred by allegations of graft. Since 2009, more than 75 percent ($311,000 of a total of $401,000) of his campaign fundraising has come from companies he is charged to regulate.
Skrmetta's voting record clearly favors existing energy utilities and he has made it hard for renewables to compete. Under Skrmetta, the PSC limits how much electricity homes with rooftop solar systems can sell back to the grid. Using net metering tactics he has succeeded in reducing the competitiveness of solar.
Skrmetta's principle challenger, Forest Bradley-Wright, is considerably more favorable towards solar energy. He believes that solar, "represents a fundamentally American interest; it represents technological innovation, it represents opening new markets that improve peoples' lives."
Out of fear for Bradley-Wright's support for solar, Skrmetta tried to broker a deal with the solar industry in exchange for their support. However, when the deal went public Skrmetta was forced to distance himself from it.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
1. Climate change has emerged as a more important issue than in previous elections. According to the New York Times, climate and energy issues now rank in the top three issues mentioned in electoral ads. Climate change has been a common question raised in debates across the US and politicians in some vulnerable parts of the country are taking heat for ignoring the issue.
2. Environmental groups are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their approach to campaign finance. Rather than just supporting Democrats with a clean voting record, they are investing in some Republican candidates who are favored to win and who may be able to play a role in brokering bipartisan environment, climate and energy legislation.
3. Tom Steyer has emerged as the counter-force to the Koch brothers. He has given $15 million to his NextGen Climate Action Fund and according to Federal Election Commission filings, that brings his publicly disclosed total donations to nearly $56m. Steyer has succeeded in making climate change a top tier issue in the 2014 midterms races in Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan and gubernatorial elections in Florida, Pennsylvania and Maine.
4. In some states people will not vote for candidates who deny climate change. According to a poll by the League of Conservation Voters, climate change matters to voters on both sides of the aisle in New Hampshire. Even more importantly, almost half (48 percent) of voters in the state indicated that they are less likely to vote for a candidate who denies climate change.
5. Some of the Republican governors that are about to be elected are climate moderates by GOP standards. One of the best examples is Ohio Governor John Kasich. He has been a moderating force and one of very few Republicans who has stood up to attempts to roll back environmental regulations.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
According to survey results, voters in five swing states indicate that energy is a higher priority issue than environmental protection and climate change. The survey by Hart Research Associates for the League of Conservation Voters, NextGen Climate Action and NRDC Action Fund found that 56 percent had heard about candidates’ positions on energy issues. Energy ranked fourth behind abortion, jobs, the economy and healthcare.
Despite efforts to put clean energy on the map, the 2014 media coverage in swing states is largely a reflection of what we saw in 2012. Media coverage in these states favors the agenda of oil and gas companies and people can be expected to do what the TV tells them to do.
Energy is indeed a part of the voting equation in 2014, right alongside local issues like stray chickens, hunting and snowmobiles.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
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