Conflicts Over Climate Issues Derail Senate EPA Budget Hearings

New York Times ^ | March 3, 2011 | DINA FINE MARON of ClimateWire

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The first Senate hearing considering U.S. EPA's proposed 2012 budget quickly veered off course into skirmishes over the status of climate science and language passed in the House continuing resolution two weeks ago which prevented EPA from implementing greenhouse gas regulations, underscoring the challenges in budget discussions ahead.

Republican Sens. James Inhofe (Okla.) and John Barrasso (Wyo.) walked Environment and Public Works Committee members down memory lane yesterday to point out media accounts in the 1970s that emphasized beliefs in so-called "global cooling" and to suggest that belief in climate science might be similarly upended.

"If we had committed the same amount of taxpayer resources and government manpower that the administration wants us to commit to prevent global warming to prevent global cooling, we would not be the most prosperous nation on earth," Barrasso said. "Advances in science and health care, diseases cured, children's lives saved would not be the reality we would have over those years. Millions of jobs would have needlessly been lost."

His comments put Democratic senators on the offensive, who said that such media accounts did not reflect the belief of mainstream scientists at the time. Debates on the science of climate change and its potential public health threats dominated a significant portion of yesterday's hearing.

In one of the few comments that did touch on the proposed fiscal 2012 budget, Inhofe called for a red pen to be taken to the budget in order to slash climate funding. As it stands now, the budget request is a "fiscal bait and switch"................

[tobyhill]

DEFUND ‘EM!!!

[Ev Reeman]

Global warming is finally explained

This is a kick. The logic sounds so familiar.

This is fantastic..................

It’s cold here today - it must be global warming

But today, it has finally been all explained in the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdxaxJNs15s

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It’s a great video.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

“.......Inhofe and Barrasso have offered bills that would handcuff EPA’s ability to implement greenhouse gas regulations. Similar legislation is also under consideration in the House......”

[Ev Reeman]

Thank you!

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Agronomist Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology, chemistry, ecology, earth science, and genetics. Agronomists today are involved with many issues including producing food, creating healthier food, managing environmental impact of agriculture, and creating energy from plants.

--- [Trofim] Lysenko himself spent much time denouncing academic scientists and geneticists, claiming that their isolated laboratory work was not helping the Soviet people. By 1929 Lysenko's skeptics were politically censured, accused of offering only criticisms, and for failing to prescribe any new solutions themselves. In December 1929, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin gave a famous speech praising "practice" above "theory", elevating the political bosses above the scientists and technical specialists. Though for a period the Soviet government under Stalin continued its support of agricultural scientists, after 1935 the balance of power abruptly swung towards Lysenko and his followers.

Lysenko was put in charge of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of the Soviet Union and made responsible for ending the propagation of "harmful" ideas among Soviet scientists. Lysenko served this purpose by causing the expulsion, imprisonment, and death of hundreds of scientists and eliminating all study and research involving Mendelian genetics throughout the Soviet Union. This period is known as Lysenkoism. He bears particular responsibility for the persecution of his predecessor and rival, prominent Soviet biologist Nikolai Vavilov, which ended in 1943 with the imprisoned Vavilov's death by starvation. In 1941 Lysenko was awarded the Stalin Prize. [end excerpt]

Lysenkoism is used colloquially to describe the manipulation or distortion of the scientific process as a way to reach a predetermined conclusion as dictated by an ideological bias, often related to social or political objectives.”

[hondact200]

Ronald reagan Voiced it so aptly the most fearful words in America “I’m from the Government and I’m here to help.”

Thanks to Obama that those words are coming to bear fruit.

I think it is so laughable Obama wants to form another Governmental Department to sell excess land. The Founding Fathers achieved that department in 1791 it is called The US Congress - House of representatives. But the constitutional scholar must have missed that day at Harvard University - that is right that was the celebration of Lenin’s revolution in the former country Russia now the USSR, opps now Russia. he takes that day off every year and celebrates as any true communist agitator.

[VeniVidiVici]

His comments put Democratic senators on the offensive, who said that such media accounts did not reflect the belief of mainstream scientists at the time.

Oh what an utter load of crap. Can a Democrat ever tell the truth?

[tbpiper]

"climate science"

As used by liberals, its the first cousin to alchemy.

[arrogantsob]

Let ‘em starve in Africa and Asia, I gotta fill up so I can drive three blocks to the store rather than get off my fat ass and walk.

[pabianice]

[Til I am the last man standing]

I lived in Minnesota in the early ‘70’s. I remember vividly the discussion about the cooling that we were going to experience because of pollution. It was tied to a study we were doing about the formation of Minnesota as a land mass, and how the glaciers had come and eventually retreated. When they retreated it gouged out low spots which became the “10,00 lakes” of Minnesota. A mini ice age they called it. Now if the teachers were teaching it, the media was saying it. As a matter of fact I have a World Book Encyclopedia Science Year from 1971 or 1972 that repeats that fact and blames dust in the air from over development as well.

[MrB]

When asked, the head of the EPA said “she” didn’t know the CO2 content in the earth’s atmosphere.

Now, you could say she’s a real dumbass, incompetent, and not qualified to be in charge of implementing the nation’s greenhouse gas policies,

or, as the IBD editorial stated today, she DOES know the CO2 content, and didn’t want the next question - how could such a miniscule, insignificant amount in our atmosphere be the key component to the greenhouse effect?

[mrsmith]

NYTimes says eliminating spending on an obviously unneccessary boondoggle, ‘global warming, is ‘off course’ for a budget discussion.

Can they really afford to keep insulting their readers like this?

[Sequoyah101]

Another demoratic / bureaucratic COS.

Inhofe and Burasso must not flag. I only hope and pray they are bitter about having been abused by demorats for so long and will slay them.

Global warming is nothing but hand wringing crap.

[TruthConquers]

“DEFUND ‘EM!!!”

Defund the EPA and save 550,000 American lives,
increase American jobs by at least another 500,000
and increase the economy by $10 trillion.

/s, maybe

[preacher]

"While rising food prices have been a factor in recent riots in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere, the United States is continuing to increase its use of corn to make ethanol, pushing up grain and meat prices worldwide."