In the Pipeline: 3/26/13

It’s not enough to help us sleep at night, but at least 53 Senators disagree with His Majesty’s newest court jester. Washington Examiner (3/25/13) reports: “President Obama’s Energy secretary nominee regards a carbon tax as one of the simplest ways to move the energy industry towards clean technologies, though he notes that government would have to come up with a plan to mitigate the burden this tax places on poor people, who would pay the most.”

It would be great if the House Republicans could follow up on Senator Blunt’s – and Downey Palmer’s – good showing. Politico(3/25/13) reports: “More than a dozen Senate Democrats have a message for President Barack Obama: If he wants to take dramatic action on climate change, he’s on his own… The latest evidence came from this weekend’s marathon series of budget votes, in which moderate and conservative Democrats sided with the GOP on the Keystone XL oil pipeline and against any prospects for a tax on carbon.”

Why can’t this Kessler dude just be happy that the pipeline will provide net benefits to the environment? It seems like the entire “environmental” movement is just well-branded masochism.Bloomberg (3/25/13) reports: “‘The Senate spoke with a clear voice on the Keystone XL pipeline,’ Benjamin Cole, a spokesman for American for Energy Alliance, a Washington-based group that supports fossil fuel development, said in an e-mailed statement. ‘It is telling that the amendment garnered such overwhelming and new support from across the political spectrum.’… Environmental groups urged senators to reject the amendment, sponsored by North Dakota Republican John Hoeven. Representatives from 350.org met with aides for Democratic Senators Michael Bennet of Colorado and Mark Warner of Virginia, among others, prior to the vote, Kessler said. Both men backed the amendment… ‘It’s impossible for a U.S. senator to say they’re for action on climate change and support the pipeline,’ Kessler said. ‘It’s like saying you’re against obesity and then putting soft drinks in every school.’”

Maybe we’ll get a fresh start with energy policy over here in the original colonies if a bunch of Brits get wise and decide to go their own way. The Telegraph (3/23/13) reports: “With the worst snow conditions in the country since 1981, it’s worrying, to say the least, that gas supplies are running low. A month ago, The Sunday Telegraph warned in this column of the problems of an energy policy that puts expensive, inefficient green power before coal-fired and nuclear power. There have been a few signs that the Coalition is at last turning its attentions to the issue but, still, not nearly enough has been done. Now we are reaping the consequences. Because of a misguided faith in green energy, we have left ourselves far too dependent on foreign gas supplies, largely provided by Russian and Middle Eastern producers. Only 45 per cent of our gas consumption comes from domestic sources. All it takes is a spell of bad weather, and the closure of a gas pipeline from Belgium, to leave us dangerously exposed, and to send gas prices soaring. Talk of rationing may be exaggerated, but our energy policy is failing to deal with Britain’s fundamental incapacity to produce our own power.”

Apparently the food critic was overqualified. Huffington Post (3/20/13) reports: “But in addition to Eilperin covering climate and environmental policy issues as part of her White House reporting job, the Post’s Lenny Bernstein is moving from the Sports desk to the National staff to take over as environmental reporter. Bernstein has covered several beats at the paper over the years and most recently edited “one of the Post’s most important franchises” — the Redskins.”