Republicans in the U.S. House have reconfigured the House Energy and Power Subcommittee into the House Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee so that power production issues receive more weight when environmental protections are being considered. The panel chair, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), hasn’t been shy in showing his true colors. Yesterday, he urged President Bush to submit the Kyoto treaty on climate change to the Senate for ratification — so that the treaty would be voted down and rejected by the U.S. once and for all. Meanwhile, a scientific report published today in the U.K. warns that global warming could increase gales and floods and even bring about the return of malaria as the country heats up this century.
