New York Times
Feb. 28, 2019
New efforts by President Trump and his staff to question or undermine the established science of climate change have created a widening rift between the White House on one side, and scientific facts, government agencies, and some leading figures in the president’s own party on the other.
The president’s senior advisers are exploring the idea of creating a panel aimed at questioning the
National Climate Assessment
. According to a White House memo,
the group would include William Happer
, a Princeton physicist who has asserted that carbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas that scientists say is trapping heat and warming the planet — is beneficial to humanity.
More . . .
Washington Post
Feb. 28, 2019
The Senate on Thursday approved former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to head the Environmental Protection Agency by a vote of 52 to 47, elevating a veteran of Washington political and industry circles who has advanced President Trump’s push to rollback Obama-era environmental regulations.
Wheeler, who began his career at EPA during the 1990s but spent years on Capitol Hill before heading to the private sector, has won praise from Republicans for his deregulatory agenda but criticism from Democrats for his refusal to take action on climate change and several public health priorities. He has been running the agency since Trump’s first administrator, Scott Pruitt, stepped down in July amid multiple scandals surrounding his management and spending practices. Trump said in November that he intended to nominate Wheeler for the top job, saying he had done a “fantastic job” in his interim role.
More . . .
Politico
Feb. 28, 2019
House Republicans appointed several deeply conservative lawmakers from fossil fuel dependent states to a select committee Democrats launched this year to address climate change.
The GOP delegation will be led by Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves — who acknowledges the reality of climate change and has confronted sea level rise affecting his home state. But several other minority members of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis have questioned the scientific consensus linking burning fossil fuels to increasing temperatures and sea level rise. The panel will not include the only remaining House Republican actively pushing to tax carbon in order to reduce emissions.
More . . .
NEW IN CONGRESS
Sponsor: Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)
Introduced: Feb. 28, 2019
Sponsor: Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)
Introduced: Feb. 28, 2019
Sponsor: Rep. Harley Rouda (D-CA)
Introduced: Feb. 22, 2019
Sponsor: Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC)
Introduced: Feb. 14, 2019
AGENCY ACTION
DOE
Feb. 26, 2019
The U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) is initiating an effort to determine whether to amend the current energy conservation standards for direct heating equipment. Under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended (“EPCA”), DOE must periodically review these standards and publish either a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NOPR”) to propose new standards for direct heating equipment or a notice of determination that the existing standards do not need to be amended. This request for information (“RFI”) solicits information from the public to help DOE determine whether amended standards for direct heating equipment would result in significant energy savings and whether such standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified. DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this document (including topics not raised in this RFI).
DOE
Feb. 26, 2019
The U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) is initiating a data collection process through this request for information (“RFI”) to consider whether to amend DOE's test procedure for direct heating equipment. To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has gathered data, identifying several issues associated with the currently applicable test procedures on which DOE is interested in receiving comment. The issues outlined in this document mainly concern the evaluation of additional calculations relevant to the unvented direct heating equipment test procedure, updates to applicable industry standards incorporated by reference in the vented direct heating equipment test procedure, and any additional topics that may inform DOE's decisions in a future test procedure rulemaking, including methods to reduce regulatory burden while ensuring the procedure's accuracy. DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this document (including topics not raised in this RFI).
DOE
Feb. 21, 2019
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published two final rules on June 1, 2016 and December 16, 2016 amending the test procedures for portable air conditioners and cooking products, respectfully. This correction republishes amendments from both rulemakings that could not be incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) due to inaccurate amendatory instructions. Neither the errors nor the corrections in this document affect the substance of these rulemakings or any of the conclusions reached in support of those rules.
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