James Inhofe

Paging a Mr. Lomborg

Who's the object of James Inhofe's latest literary crush?

Why, none other than our old friend Bjorn Lomborg!

A proposed bill would double fines on certain businesses in the state

Yesterday I got a press release from the Sen. James Inhofe (R-Mongo) Senate Environment Committee Crap Factory© (SJISECCF) touting a new bill Inhofe is pushing that would amend the Clean Air Act "to strengthen penalties on major emission sources in the most polluted areas of the country that fail to meet clean air standards by the attainment deadlines under the current Clean Air Act."

"Hm," I thought, "that actually sounds worthwhile."

"Hm," I then thought, "what am I missing?"

The latest transmission from Mongo

Yesterday, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Mongo) reiterated his skepticism about climate change. He claimed that the purported concern over global warming is a front for international economic movements (I'm assuming of the socialist variety). Relatedly, Inhofe said that the U.N. is trying to impose a "global tax" and that the U.S. should cut off its funding.

And then there's this:

U.S. involvement in Iraq has been incredibly successful and developments there have been "nothing short of a miracle," Sen. James Inhofe said Monday.

Dirty words

Want a laugh on this Friday afternoon? Check out this interview between Pat Robertson and Sen. James Inhofe about "far-left environmentalists." A real meeting of the minds.

I love the bits about environmentalists worshiping beasts and seeking World Government, but this from Inhofe actually made me giggle out loud:

I recommend, except for the dirty words, a great book written by Michael Crichton.

(via desmog)

Inhofe chides EPA investigators for investigating

Smog is bad in Denver in these dog days of summer -- not an unusual situation for the city.

Recently, EPA investigators took a tour of oil and gas facilities northeast of Denver armed with infrared cameras, which can record smog-forming emissions that are invisible to the naked eye.

Aiming the camera at pipelines, valves and hatches atop storage tanks, the EPA regulators found numerous sources of "fugitive emissions" -- those leaking from various areas of the facility -- during a two-hour drive-by of the region last week.

Nice job, EPA investigators! I mean, right? Seeking out sources of pollution? Enforcing laws? Yippee?

Turns out not everyone approves:

Why is Inhofe so virulent about global warming?

Much has been made in recent weeks of Sen. James Inhofe's increasingly unhinged statements on global warming. He's hired a long-time movement hack, Marc Morano, to attack journalists and scientists that attempt to tell the truth about global warming (without falsehoods as "balance"). Now Inhofe's out calling Al Gore "full of crap," claiming the IPCC was based on "one scientist," and saying recent science has shown global warming to be a "hoax."

Why would a prominent U.S. Senator be out telling such flagrant lies -- lies even the White House and most far-right commentators have distanced themselves from?

Is he just a loon?

No, Inhofe's affliction is much more pedestrian. Here's all you need to know about why he says what he says:

A chat with Andy Revkin about Inhofe’s attack

Andrew Revkin has been reporting on climate and science for The New York Times for over 10 years. He recently completed a book about his experiences in the Arctic: The North Pole Was Here, a straightforward but appealing you-are-here account of visiting the top of our home planet, where the air is thin, the "ground" is ice floating on the ocean, and everything is changing. The story is intended to be accessible to anyone over the age of ten. (The first chapter is available for free on the NYT site.)

You might think it unlikely that a children's book would warrant the attention or ire of a U.S. senator -- but then, you may not know Marc Morano. Morano is a communications director for Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), a former staffer at The Rush Limbaugh Show, and the first in the media to publicize the smears of the Swift Boat veterans. Since joining Inhofe's staff, Morano has issued communiques from the office of the Senate Environment Committee, which Inhofe chairs, blasting reporters that fail to give equal time to climate skeptics. (Read about Morano's attacks on AP reporter Seth Borenstein and ex-NBC anchor Tom Brokaw.)

Neither the senator nor his attack dog appear to have read Revkin's book, but it has drawn their fire nonetheless -- not because of what it says, but because it was written by a reporter.

According to a story broken by Greenwire (paid subscription required) on Wednesday, Morano called into doubt the 20 years of Revkin's reporting on climate change issues because "sales of Revkin's book ... would be enhanced by his paper's coverage of climate." Morano said: "We're not just shooting arrows."

I contacted Revkin to hear his point of view on the strange situation.

Chemical-safety bill moving oh-so-slowly through Congress

An attack on one of the many toxic chemical plants in the U.S. could endanger more than a million people. Environmentalists, security experts, and even the Army surgeon general have been raising the alarm about this threat since Sept. 11, 2001, but Congress has yet to do anything about it. Its latest efforts are being […]

Inhofe responds to AP with flurry of BS

Look, I know that politicians aren't anything like they were portrayed on The West Wing (see Ezra Klein and Gene Healy on the matter). I know they're not all dignified and statesmanlike. But c'mon.

Mere hours after the appearance of an Associated Press story about scientists verifying the accuracy of Al Gore's movie, the office of Sen. James Inhofe has cranked out a press release that reads like a parody of a frothing rightwing blogger (if that's even possible any more).

Have a look: