Bushco and Energy

Here is two stories I think that are related, that came out today.

US official edited warming, emission link

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A White House official, who previously worked for the American Petroleum Institute, has repeatedly edited government climate reports in a way that downplays links between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Philip Cooney, chief of staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, made changes to descriptions of climate research that had already been approved by government scientists and their supervisors, the newspaper said, citing internal documents.

The White House declined comment on the report.

And then this:

Revealed: how oil giant influenced Bush

White House sought advice from Exxon on Kyoto stance

John Vidal, environment editor
Wednesday June 8, 2005
The Guardian

President's George Bush's decision not to sign the United States up to the Kyoto global warming treaty was partly a result of pressure from ExxonMobil, the world's most powerful oil company, and other industries, according to US State Department papers seen by the Guardian.

The documents, which emerged as Tony Blair visited the White House for discussions on climate change before next month's G8 meeting, reinforce widely-held suspicions of how close the company is to the administration and its role in helping to formulate US policy.

Big Oil fixing White House policies, for they're own good. And don't forget the energy bill.

Senate Committee Advances Energy Bill

The Senate committee chairman, GOP Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico, sought a bill with bipartisan support. He sent the measure to the full Senate without addressing some of the most contentious energy issues facing lawmakers: proposed oil drilling in an Alaskan wildlife refuge and liability protection for makers a gasoline additive that contaminates drinking water.

Bushco rewarding ex-energy execs.

Group claims windfall for ex-Enron execs buried in new energy bill

Buried in the 700-plus page energy bill currently under debate in the U.S. Senate is a provision that provides hundreds of millions of dollars worth of federal loan guarantees for a power project apparently to be built by four former Enron executives, the interest group Public Citizen revealed Monday in a release to RAW STORY.

One of the former executives is Thomas White, who was Enron's head of retail and energy trading in California during the energy crisis. White later served as Secretary of the Army under President Bush.

Title XIV of the Senate energy bill provides federal loan guarantees for "a project to produce energy from coal � mined in the western United States using appropriate advanced integrated gasification combined cycle technology that minimizes and offers the potential to sequester carbon dioxide emissions and � shall be located in a western State at an altitude greater than 4,000 feet."

This morning in Muncie, In., gas was at $1.95. The past two days have been over 90 degrees and it will be that hot today. I have my air conditioning on.

Semper Fi