Environmental Politics

"Can the administration fight climate change without stressing climate change?"

"Republican strategist Karl Rove, who helped organize the outside groups that spent millions to install Republicans in the midterm elections, spent election day celebrating with Pennsylvania’s growing drilling industry." He told them "Climate is gone," and not to worry about federal rules on fracking.

The upheaval in the House of Representatives will bring new faces to the chairmanships of the key committees relevant to the environment, resources, and energy beat. While a few are undecided, most are already settled. The Senate will see less change.

"Environmental groups and industry seem headed for another battle over regulation of greenhouse gases, as President Barack Obama said he will look for ways to control global warming pollution other than Congress placing a ceiling on it."

"It's worth a lot to the oil and coal lobbies to get the Congress they want and the investment seems to be paying off."

"The Republican takeover of the U.S. House makes Rep. Mike Simpson chairman of Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies and the second-ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development."

"Lynda Lovejoy, a state senator in New Mexico, and her running mate, Earl Tulley, have lost their bid to become the first woman and the first environmental leader to lead the Navajo Nation, the largest American Indian tribe."

"In the wake of Election Day, prepare for a new round of politicized skirmishes in the never-ending climate wars, with the battleground shifting once again to Capitol Hill hearing rooms."

"The coal industry, facing a host of new health and safety regulations, is spending millions of dollars in lobbying and campaign donations this year to influence the makeup of the next Congress in hopes of derailing what one industry official called an Obama administration 'regulatory jihad.'"

"Looks like Proposition 23, the attempt to torpedo California's landmark AB32 climate bill, is going down by a very large margin. According to the most recent tally, 61 percent of state voters said 'No' to the initiative."