Barack Obama applied the brakes to the most critical component of his climate change plan on Tuesday, slowing the process of setting new rules cutting carbon pollution from power plants, and casting a shadow over a landmark United Nations’ summit on global warming. In a conference call with reporters, the Environmental Protection Agency said it was extending the public comment period on the power plant rules for an additional 45 days, until 1 December. The delay follows heavy lobby by Republicans and industry lobby groups to delay the rule – or withdraw it outright. --Suzanne Goldenberg,
The Guardian, 16 September 2014
Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal on Tuesday bashed liberals who he says are using climate change to further their own agenda. “For some on the left, climate change is simply a Trojan horse. It’s a way for them to come in and make changes to our economy that they would otherwise want to make,” he said during a speech hosted by the Heritage Foundation. While the Louisiana governor did not dispute that man-made climate change is happening, he urged “no regrets” climate policies that do not harm the United States’ economic standing around the world. He repeatedly bashed Obama’s policies, calling him and the Democrats “science deniers” for what they use to justify their rules. --Timothy Cama,
The Hill, 16 September 2014
By referring to the Obama administration as “science deniers” Gov. Bobby Jindal has sought to turn the language, and the relative positions of the two parties, around. If other Republicans begin to use this language too, it will blur the message and policy discussion, making it harder for the Democrats to present themselves as the party of science. This, in turn, will help the Republicans shake off the image as the anti-science party. Additionally, if the Republicans are able to argue that the president’s energy policy is the result of shoddy science, rather than different policy views, it will be much easier to win popular support for Republican energy policies. --Lincoln Mitchell,
New York Observer, 16 September 2014
Forcing the Democrats to defend their scientific credentials by asserting, as Gov. Jindal’s plan does, that Democratic policies are really the product of an administration “full of ‘energy deniers’ who pursue radical environmental ideology that flies in the face of the science and the facts, and they do so with religious fervor,” would be a huge political advantage for the Republicans, regardless of the actual science involved. --Lincoln Mitchell,
New York Observer, 16 September 2014
India is expected to stick to its tough stand on climate negotiation and make no new announcement at the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s climate summit in New York this month, which UN officials said would be a major turning point in the global approach to the issue. Officials said Modi’s decision not to participate reflects the environment ministry’s advice to the Prime Minister’s Office on the desirability of an Indian participation at the highest levels of government. It was felt that Prime Minister Modi’s presence at what would be his first high profile UN engagement would put the pressure on India to make some new announcement on its efforts to deal with climate change. --Urmi Goswami,
Economic Times of India, 16 September 2014
