From The Washington Free Beacon, Lachlan Markay. Press release follows.
Internal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emails show extensive collaboration between top agency officials and leading environmentalist groups, including overt efforts to coordinate messaging and pressure the fossil fuel industry.
The emails, obtained by the Energy and Environment Legal Institute (EELI) through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, could fuel an ongoing controversy over EPA policies that critics say are biased against traditional sources of energy.
Emails show EPA used official events to help environmentalist groups gather signatures for petitions on agency rulemaking, incorporated advance copies of letters drafted by those groups into official statements, and worked with environmentalists to publicly pressure executives of at least one energy company.
Nancy Grantham, director of public affairs for EPA Region 1, which covers New England, asked an organizer for the Sierra Club’s New Hampshire chapter to share the group’s agenda so EPA could adjust its messaging accordingly in an email dated March 12, 2012.
“If you could, it would great [sic] if you can send me an email describing what you would like to do in early April in NH–that way I can coordinate messaging with our air offices here and at HQ,” Grantham wrote.
Critics of the agency and its nonprofit allies were surprised by the cooperation.
“The level of coordination in these documents is shocking,” EELI said in a statement.
http://freebeacon.com/emails-show-extensive-collaboration-between-epa-environmentalist-orgs/
=============================================================
For Immediate Release:
January 14, 2014
Contact:
Craig Richardson
703-981-5553
Plans by EPA and Sierra Club to cripple coal industry exposed by FOIA Documents Obtained as a Result of E&E Legal FOIA Request
Washington, D.C. — A 2012 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by the Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal), under its former name, the American Tradition Institute, has produced several hundred documents affirming the uncomfortably close working relationship between the current U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) and activist left-wing environmental groups in their effort to make abundant energy resources, particularly coal, much more scarce in America.
These records come in a series of productions in litigation spawned by two specific FOIA requests — a lawsuit filed after an EPA FOIA specialist admitted she and her colleague were instructed to do no work on the requests, as EELI counsel Chris Horner attested in a sworn affidavit. Mostly e-mails between EPA top officials and the Sierra Club, the records illustrate how certain EPA employees with backgrounds working for green pressure groups serve as liaisons to those groups in advancing a shared agenda. Other documents affirm the close advisory role the pressure groups play in key EPA actions, like EPA’s recently published New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for new coal-fired plants.
This collaboration takes place in many forms: emails providing, e.g., a list of coal plants the green groups insist any EPA standards block from coming or staying on-line, meetings at EPA and at the green groups’ offices where EPA comes to brief them, frequent conference calls, and at the Starbucks at Washington’s J.W. Marriott, across the street from EPA.
The latter is reminiscent of the Caribou Coffee revelations about this most transparent, White House, in history arranging off-site meetings with other lobbyists to avoid signing them in to the building (see, e.g., New York Times reportage of this subterfuge, here.)
The level of coordination in these documents is shocking, showing, for example, Sierra Club strategizing with EPA’s former green group activists, and other senior Obama appointees, about killing the coal and coal-fired electricity industries, even sharing a joke in one particular email saying EPA administrator Gina McCarthy had her “pants on fire” when assuring those parties they would remain viable under EPA’s regulations.
The e-mails show the central players to be two EPA officials who worked in the agency’s policy office at the time of the e-mails, Michael Goo (former legislative director of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) who left EPA for a senior Department of Energy post), Alex Baron, and EPA senior counsel Joe Goffman (a former EDF lawyer). They all work closely with John Coequyt, who heads the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign.
In one e-mail Coequyt sent to Goo and Barron, he said,
“Attached is a list of plants that companies said were shelved because of uncertainty around GHG [greenhouse gas] regulations. If a standard is set that these plants could meet, there is a small chance that they [sic] company could decide to revive the proposal.”
Coequyt is clearly signaling that that if the EPA sets achievable standards, proposed power plants on hold as the new standards are developed could ultimately be built, which is contrary to his group’s agenda.
Last week, the EPA finally released their New Source Performance Standards, four months after first announcing them.. The American Coalition for Clean Coal Energy (ACCCE), which plans to take the EPA to court over the new regulations, questioned what EPA was up to during those four months that it took the agency to post its NSPS.
Numerous other emails show close collaboration on EPA public hearings to generate support for the rule.
“ACCCE asks a very relevant question, if one that EPA’s own mail answers,” added Horner, the lawyer handling the lawsuit. “After reviewing the e-mails between one of the chief outside organizations in the war on coal, and their allies in the EPA, it’s clear that this process was one of trying to develop standards to kill the future of coal in America. And being less than honest about it, even according to their own allies in candid moments.”
Released documents as a result of E&E Legal’s FOIA request include:
· CCS PERMIT NEED, SO2 ROLLOUT.pdf
· COLLABORATION ON PUBLIC HEARINGS.pdf
· DOING EACH OTHERS HOMEWORK.pdf
· EPA COMING TO GREENS TO BRIEF.pdf
· GENERAL RE CLOSENESS: ALIGNMENT.pdf
· GREEN GROUPS AS PRIORITY PARTNERS.pdf
· MUST KILL COAL PRODUCTIONS.pdf
· PARTNERS ON CAIR: TRANSPORT.pdf
The Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal) is a 501(c)(3) organization engaged in strategic litigation, policy research, and public education on important energy and environmental issues. Primarily through its petition litigation and transparency practice areas, E&E Legal seeks to correct onerous federal and state policies that hinder the economy, increase the cost of energy, eliminate jobs, and do little or nothing to improve the environment.
-30-
Coal Gate!!
Greenpeace rules!
As far as US climate policy is concerned, there can now be little doubt the ecoloons are running the asylum.
The law that was passed is the “Freedom of information act”. Yet, under this administration, every time someone makes a request under that law they end up having to go to court to obtain the information. Does this make sense to anyone except to those who choose to violate the law.
It goes without saying it is no surprise this administration resists these citizens requests and then forces us taxpayers to contribute to their stonewalling efforts.
Wow. Think this will run and run – best get the ‘sticky’ tape out
The end justifies the Greens.
Why am I not surprised and this was supposed to be the transparent administration? Why am I reminded of the wizard in the Wizard of Oz? “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” What is frustrating is how many are following that advice and ignoring the man behind the screen. At least this leader isn’t doing as bad of things as Adolf Hitler. Even if people are following him as blindly. Have we all become brainwashed robots?
On lighter news it has been another beautiful day.
The problem is the real big & true environmental problems have been addressed. When the EPA was formed there were real problems – like the Cuyahoga river catching fire. Now that those real problems are addressed, they have to come up with all sorts of pseudo-problems, like AGW, to justify their existence.
Alternate idea – lets downscale the EPA to a size proportional the real new environmental issues that need to be addressed – I am guessing that will be something like a 95% reduction.
It is a deeper relationship than these docs indicate. Out of court deals are struck. Apparently prior to filing law suits, that permit big green companies to later make faux suits agaisnt the collaborating EPA, with prearranged settlement terms. This permits imposing judgements instead of bothering with writing new laws or regs. And the judgements appear to offer fat ‘reimbursements’ of legal fees by the big green plaintiffs.
The best news since the Ship Of Fools! It’s time to take back our energy policy from these idiot
liars.
We [no] longer have a government that is by and for the people.
We have individuals who have abused their positions to usurp the will of the people.
The republic has been murdered.
Here are 2 sources of information regarding CO2 that completely contradict each other.
The first one is a study that finds this about carbon dioxide: ” they teased out the carbon dioxide fertilization effect from all other influences and calculated that this could account for an 11 percent increase in global foliage since 1982.”
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/study-finds-plant-growth-surges-as-co2-levels-rise-16094
The other states this:
EPA FACT SHEET:
Reducing Carbon Pollution From Power Plants
Moving Forward On the Climate Action Plan
POWER PLANT CARBON POLLUTION IMPACTS PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
•
Carbon pollution stays in the atmosphere and contributes to climate change, which is
one of the most significant public health challenges of our time.
•
Unchecked carbon pollution leads to long lasting changes in our climate, such as rising
global temperatures; rising sea level,changes in weather and precipitation patterns ; and changes in ecosystems, habitats and species diversity .
•
Public health risks include more heat waves and drought ; worsening smog (also called ground level ozone pollution)
;
increasing the intensity of extreme events, like hurricanes,
extreme precipitation and flooding ; and increasing the range of ticks and mosquitoes, which
can spread disease such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus
.
•
Our most vulnerable citizens, including children, older adults, people with heart or lung
disease and people living in poverty are most at risk from the impacts of climate change
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2013-09/documents/20130920factsheet.pdf
Source number one used satellite observations of actual vegetation around the world over a 20 year period and looked at variations in foliage, while considering effects from other factors, to make its assessment.
How could source number 2, the EPA come to the conclusion that CO2 is pollution when it’s massively increasing crop yields and world food production. They must have some legit data to base this conclusion and the regulations on. Oh yeah, global climate models.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/06/06/climate-modeling-epic-fail-spencer-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/
As Dr. Spencer has noted, global climate models are an EPIC failure but the EPA has its mission and has no intention of letting anything get in the way………..especially empirical data/facts, science, rationality, ethics or good judgement.
No JeffL the problem is that we people in our own government who abuse the government to further their own political agenda.
Private Wealth Council, Davos, Switzerland, founded 2004
People include:
Al Gore, Generation Investment Management, LLP, London,U.K.
Fritz Kaiser, Ex. Chair, & Kaiser Ritter Partner
Nicholas Parker, Toronto, Cleantech Network, LLC and former asset manager for Maurice Strong
http://www.privatewealthcouncil.org/people
One can just about go around in circles following major players in the Climate Change “Industry”.
Generation Investment Management, LLP
http://investing.businessweek.com/search/stocks/private/people.asp?privcapId=32584452
Includes:
David Wayland Blood
Al Gore
L. John Doerr, lll
What’s really farcical is when one of the “green” outfits sues the EPA so that the EPA is “forced” to do what the “greens” want by the courts while generating $millions for their mutual lawyer pals and/or spouses.
I agree with Jeff L. wholeheartedly. And to take his “alternate idea” one step further, we could use some of the money saved to restore the retirement pay we promised our veterans.
Eisenhower was right. Government can commit no greater crime than to work in secret with select groups to suborn the will and wishes of the people. Regardless of the case for or against anthropoheinous climate refudiation, this is wrong and all parties should agree it is wrong. The outcome does not justify the means.
If you like your dishonest government, you can keep your dishonest government.
Justa Joe says:
January 15, 2014 at 4:46 pm
What’s really farcical is when one of the “green” outfits sues the EPA so that the EPA is “forced” to do what the “greens” want by the courts while generating $millions for their mutual lawyer pals and/or spouses.
Sound like the greens are defrauding the american people.
Does Sen. Inhofe know about this? Wouldn’t this be against the law?
That FOIA disclosure is going to leave a major scar.
Now it’s time for prosecution to clean out the wound.
Interesting.
Txomin at 4:05 pm
The end justifies the Greens.
+2
Nothing but comprehensive policing and public reporting of bureaucratic activities and a massive purge of these agencies will root out the absolutely catastrophic corruption we’re seeing.
And that certainly won’t happen under the crooks running this particular show, as this and the IRS whitewash show.
It’s the most transparently criminal administration in American history. They finally even beat out Wilson.
Mainstream media will ignore this, and this scandal like the others, will fade away despite this Administration’s wanton lawlessness. The House led by the less-than-useless Boener does not have the character, strength nor integrity to impeach this President who has abrogated his oath of office more times than can be counted
If by collusion the greens are defrauding the american tax payer with fraudulent pre-arranged out comes with friends in the EPA, does RICCO mean anything?
Sorry meant RICO
From Wikipedia –
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The RICO Act focuses specifically on racketeering, and it allows the leaders of a syndicate to be tried for the crimes which they ordered others to do or assisted them, closing a perceived loophole that allowed someone who told a man to, for example, murder, to be exempt from the trial because he did not actually commit the crime personally.
That’s good news especially now this “special relationship” between EPA and the Environmentalist groups is so well documented.
We will use this information at the American version of the upcoming “Neurenburg Trials” which will take place before we hang the bastards (LOL)
I’m sure the major news media will be VERY silent about this.
i believe this first of two programs, which conflates carbon & carbon dioxide from start to finish, needs a thread of its own and maximum exposure:
on BBC’s CAGW Central these days: BUSINESS, i repeat, BUSINESS Daily – with Justin Rowlatt. excerpts below begin about half-way through, with Chris Mottershead, Vice Principal for Research, Kings College, London, oil man, former head of Energy Security at BP:
Rowlatt: can we successfully deal with climate change & CLOSE DOWN these OLD, DIRTY coal-fired power stations & find clean ways of producing energy?
Mottershead: yes, there are more than enough solutions available. we could make serious inroads if we chose to: energy efficiency, renewables, nuclear, & of course you can use carbon capture, put the carbon back underground in a safe way… Kyoto tried, not the way to do it. China/US responsible for 42% of emissions, simple process, the two should sit down, agree & the world would follow their leadership.
Rowlatt: it would be sensible, but there’s no sign of them wanting to do it, is there?
Mottershead:i think there’s LOT OF SIGNS IN CHINA. China is going to build out an energy infrastructure. the cost of building one that’s a LOWER-CARBON infrastructure is a MARGINAL increase on what they were going to do…
Rowlatt: additional cost on consumers, tough sell for politicians.
Mottershead: yes, but if we don’t price the carbon emissions, we won’t make the necessary changes.
Rowlatt: so, are democracies capable of getting to grip to the challenge? I spoke to another oil man, John Hofmeister, former chairman of Shell Oil Company until 2008. is the world ready to make the leap to a CARBON-FREE ECONOMY.
Hofmeister: we’re going to use hydrocarbons into the future as far as we can see.
Rowlatt: but if u look at the science, we’re going to suffer very serious climate effects, harder to for humans to live on the planet &, by the time people realise that, & they DEMAND CHANGE from their leaders, it will be too late.
Hofmeister: and i agree with u. concern for the environment is now 22 out of 25 among priorities for the US public.
Rowlatt: are you saying, this is a failure of democracy
Hofmeister: it’s not the form, it’s the performance of govt that matters. democracy’s performance is TERRIBLE. largely because money influences the democratic outcomes.
Rowlatt: inherently politicans think short-term.
Hofmeister: i use the expression “political-time” meaning the time between elections trumps energy times or environmental time, all the time, ABSENT A CRISIS THAT PUSHES THE POPULAR WILL to do something very differently.
Rowlatt: is your argument that, until the climate gets really bad, there’ll be no political leadership.
Hofmeister: most of us alive today will be dead, but our children will suffer – we will have placed on our children & grandchildren a burden we were not willing to bear…
if govt doesn’t lead, we will really COOK OURSELVES, ALMOST LITERALLY, before we deal with this issue. it’s sad, but it is the case today.
education matters, information matters, grassroot conversation matters, but even that is hard to do sometimes because you have “THE DENIERS” ((LAUGHTER) & the deniers make the case every time there is a snowstorm in the United States.
Rowlatt: i have to say, this analysis of yours is very depressing.
Hofmeister: life’s hard & choices have to be made. the more people are aware of…the better choices can be made. any responsible person, parent, owes it to be children, owes it to employees to say what they think.
22.20: R: if this week’s Element program has left you depressed, fear not. tune in next week, for PART TWO of CARBON, in which we explore the many amazing properties of CARBON MATERIAL, some of which could help us overcome our addiction to fossil fuels.
(this is a longer version than at iPlayer)
23 mins: 15 Jan: BBC Business Daily: Elemental Business – Carbon
with Justin Rowlatt
Wed, 15 Jan 14
Carbon, the fundamental building block of life, source of virtually all our energy and a source of incredible world-wide wealth; but what happens when we hit a carbon crunch?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/bizdaily
15 Jan: BBC iPlayer Version 17 mins: Elemental Business – Carbon
In our series examining the world economy from the perspective of the chemical elements, we look at how the industrial revolution was really an energy revolution driven by carbon-based fossil fuels. Chemistry professor Andrea Sella of University College London and his geology colleague professor Mark Maslin explain the chemical wizardry that makes carbon the ultimate fuel. We hear from Dr Paul Warde an industrial historian at the University of East Anglia, about how the ‘C’ element has powered the longest and most sustained economic boom in the history of humanity. But how long can it last? Can we expect the mother of all crashes when the carbon crunch finally comes? Two former oil men, Chris Mottershead, former head of energy security at BP and now vice principal for research at King’s College in London and John Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil, give us their perspectives on the whether the world is ready to tackle its addiction to fossil fuels, before the fuel runs out and in time to avert a looming climate change disaster.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01pgpz3/Business_Daily_Elemental_Business_Carbon/
Justin Rowlatt’s two guests above:
CAMAC ENERGY: John Hofmeister, Director
The former president of Shell Oil Company and veteran of multiple industries for over 35 years, Mr. Hofmeister has held key leadership positions at General Electric, Nortel and AlliedSignal (now Honeywell International).
He currently serves as Chairman of the National Urban League and is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee.
Upon retirement from Shell Oil, Mr. Hoifmeister founded the not-for-profit Citizens for Affordable Energy, a nationwide membership association, which promotes sound U.S. energy security solutions…
OVERVIEW: CAMAC Energy Inc. (NYSE MKT: CAK) operates as an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on energy resources in Africa. Its asset portfolio consists of 8 licenses covering an area of 41,000 square kilometers, including production and other projects offshore Nigeria, as well as exploration licenses offshore and onshore Kenya, and offshore Gambia. CAMAC Energy is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
http://www.camacenergy.com/john-hofmeister.php
Chris Mottershead: King’s College: Vice-Principal (Research and Innovation)
He joined King’s College London in 2009 after retiring from BP, where he worked for 30 years, most recently as their Global Advisor on Energy Security and Climate Change.
Prior to this he was Technology Vice President for the Global Gas, Power and Renewables businesses, and was also the technical manager for its North Sea exploration and production activities…
As well as his College accountabilities, he is a non-Executive Director of the Carbon Trust, Francis Crick Institute and Imanova, a Governor of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the Department of Energy and Climate Change in the UK as well as the Advisory Board of the National Center of Atmospheric Research in the US.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/principal/centralteam/vpri.aspx
This collusion is why progressives always ASSUME their “enemies” are doing the same thing.
They assume everyone is as corrupt (for a cause of course) as they are.
It’s why they believe others can’t be trusted with guns, because they know THEY can’t be trusted.
Do you know how the Chinese solved their drug problem in the 30s? Let’s pass on the Holder’s “justice system”.
The rot is deep in DC. But the revelation that there is no science in the EPA is not a surprise. That has been apparent since they decided CO2 was a pollutant.
Karma? Where are you! Karma?….
Is anyone Shocked? Well is anyone surprised then? or did you at least raise an eyebrow? Me neither.
EPA derives its big size bureaucracy and power from those groups so that is not a surprise.
Under the powers enumerated in Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution, the federal government has absolutely no power or authority to implement environmental policy. Under the 9th and 10th Amendments, the individual States have the right to set pollution standards for their state.
If individual states set their own pollution standards, the people and corporations would vote with their feet and their dollars to determine what environmental policies meet their constituent’s needs. If pollution standards are too severe, the citizens may enjoy cleaner air/water but fewer industrial jobs, if pollution standards are too lax, they’ll live in a cesspool and no one in their right mind would live there.
The States are perfectly capable of determining and enforcing suitable environmental policies that meet the desires of their constituents and product liability/class action suits are capable of keep businesses in check that choose to act irresponsibly.
The EPA is obviously run by leftist eco-warriors that have no have no concept of cost/benefit analysis and has destroyed entire industries. The EPA ha made manufacturing in the US extremely difficult, time consuming, expensive and uncompetitive, and contributed to: the US losing 10’s of millions of good-paying manufacturing jobs, much higher costs of goods and lowered our standards of living.
Well of course they are. They all have the same terrible goal.
Next they’ll be telling us AlGore uses a lot of energy.
There seems to be no repercussions for anything that happens in America.
Where is your justice department? Where is your opposition party? Where is your media?
My deepest condolences.
Do not give up on the MSM before giving them a chance. Go to every news website and search on “epa foi” or something like that a few times over the next few days.
These are only the communications where the EPA folks used their official e-mail addresses – we can only guess as to the content of the messages which were delivered via the alternate (i.e. illegal) e-mail accounts that are used to avoid compliance with legal requirements. Those might be a bit juicier…
As usual nothing will come of this…. The ATI is wasting its time and money. The only thing is to boot him out next election and put a staunch ant AGW person in. This is doubtful too knowing the Republicans…It may take 50 years or more before changes occur…
Dave in Canmore,
Opposition party? Are you kidding me? The sheep do not need an opposition party.. The justice department and the media are in with the rest of the politicians here…Just wrote an article today about this very issue..Sad state I tell you..
Well, for one thing, any politician that tries to attack the EPA will be seen as anti-environment and, thanks to 30 years of green-washing, that is political suicide. Hopefully the media can put their green-bias aside and just focus on the corruption.
OK, what to we do as voters to counteract this??? Write letters, emails? And to who?
Getting and dealing with the truth is hard. I saw this posted on a media climate news story by “alpha2actual” of disqus and liked it, since I am a fan of movies, if not always the messages conveyed. Maybe you will like it too. Kudos to alpha2:
“We live in a republic that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with thermometers. Who’s gonna do it? You, TouristTurkey? You, Dr Mann? You, Dr Hansen? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for those Polar Bears and you curse the temperature takers. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. My existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves useless expenditure of national treasure and retards the genocidal effects of the policies you want to implement.
You don’t want the truth. Deep down, in places you don’t talk about when your are sleeping alone late at night after those Georgetown cocktail parties after chowing down on limp quiche and swilling a third rate California Chardonnay devoid of pretension, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like Little Ice Age, Medieval Warming Period, and The Pause …we use these words as the backbone to a life devoted to taking temperature. We don’t use terms like grant chasing, scientific tourism, transnational progressivism, or Crony Socialism. You use them as punch lines. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the electric blanket powered by the very electricity I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it. I’d prefer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a thermometer and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you’re entitled to.”
This is nothing new. Back at the dawn of the solid-state electronics industry in the bay area, Ecoloon lawyers and the brand new EPA got a Court order to strangle the baby in its’ crib. The first commercial silicon wafer plant at Healdsburg could not be permitted if its’ NOx output exceeded the exhaust of 2-1970 cars on the street in front of the plant, by court order! Everyone at the EPA knew that the NOx exhaust from the crystal growing chambers could not be scrubbed to this level. The owners of the plant asked a self educated plumber G.P.Savko, that had solved several other problems in this new industry, if he could solve this problem. After a crash course in fume scrubbing he created a fume scrubber system that cleaned the exhaust to a NOx level less then 1 car, as tested by the EPA! and the plant was permitted, by court order.
Some International Oligarchs were not pleased. They had planned to make Singapore the heart of the new silicon industry. pg
EPAGate.
“of the people, by the people, for the people, ” – whether the people like it or not.
Pay attention,,,,,,,
This is important stuff that directly impacts your future!
No matter who you are!
The who, where and when of government employee contacts and outsiders trying to influence events has to be identified first.
A federal grandjury could also be used.
J. Philip Peterson says:
January 15, 2014 at 7:14 pm
OK, what to we do as voters to counteract this??? Write letters, emails? And to who?
===========
Just spread the word to anyone you can.
Put a link on your website ?, tell your friends, inform the voters ?
Let them read for themselves.
Strangely enough, the same Greek civilization, that brought us the word Democracy also coined the descriptor; Kleptocracy.
What the bureaus are doing here is classic government by thieves.
They steal the authority of the people.they steal public wealth,they destroy private wealth to benefit their chosen few.
“From The Washington Free Beacon”
Ok, off topic, but every time I see that title, I misread it as ‘Free Bacon’
There needs to be some punitive damages for taxpayer funded organizations, like the EPA, that fight FOIA requests and lose in court — something like treble the plaintiffs legal fees for the initial offense, doubling with each additional ruling against them, and a poison pill (permanent loss of funding) for any organization that loses three lawsuits during a four year period.
BTW does anyone know If Lisa Jackson, AKA Richard Windsor, ever released all of her secret emails?
United States Climate Action Partnership
This is an umbrella organization whose members include:
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
Environmental [Defense] Fund
[Natural] Resources [Defense] Council
The Nature Conservancy
World Resources Institute
http://www.us-cap.org
World Resources Institute
Board includes:
Frances Beinecke
Al Gore
Kathleen McGinty
Michael Polsky
Bill Richardson
http://www.wri.org/about/board
take less than 2 minutes time- out to get a laugh when bbc talks to two typical Melbourne women at the Aussie Open Tennis, looking for a CAGW angle (the preamble to this included several days over 40 degress has raised questions as to how climate change has impacted Australia):
two Melbournians put the BBC straight (under two minutes):
15 Jan: BBC: Australia heatwave prompts fire alerts
(SCROLL DOWN) VIDEO: The BBC’s Russell Fuller discusses the high temperatures with tennis fans in Melbourne Park
paraphrasing:
Margaret: Melbourne’s like that in January, it can be extremely hot. but last week it was cool; next week it will be cooler.
Russell: Eleanor, have u had problems with electricity running short, or fires?
Eleanor: No, i live in the City. there have been some fires out further. i know there’s some people without aircon, which makes it hard.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25723867
The phrase “carbon pollution” is an abomination, to any one, with any intellectual integrity. If I filled a leaf-blower with graphite powder and tuned it on, I would be guilty of carbon pollution. If they are not refering to that activity, (which I am tempted to do outside the EPA headquarters) than we are not talking about a compound that needs regulation.
Show me one person harmed by a miniscule increase in a life-sustaining molecule. That should be required, to prove standing. An actual injury, that can be linked to the substance in question.
I fear our nation, that was “conceived in liberty”, is now dedicated to the destruction of that liberty.
Ah, corruption and malfeasance in the Obama administration – why am I not surprised (again)
Dave in Canmore,
Take a look at what’s happening in Ontario with the wind turbines.
Cronyism, possible corruption, rural people fighting the government. It’s just as bad as in the States. Even have some of the same parties as are involved in the States.But you would never know this from reading the papers or watching TV.
Rural Ontario could be on the verge of revolt.
Google/Bing: Ontario Wind Resistance. org
The EPA’s internal slogan:
Two score and three years ago, our father “Tricky Dick” Nixon brought forth on this nation, a new bureaucratic agency, conceived in cronyism, and dedicated to the proposition that we know what is best for you. So give us your money and shut up, while we take care of a little “green business”.
RS says:
January 15, 2014 at 5:42 pm
This collusion is why progressives always ASSUME their “enemies” are doing the same thing.
They assume everyone is as corrupt (for a cause of course) as they are.
It’s why they believe others can’t be trusted with guns, because they know THEY can’t be trusted.
——————————————————-
Bang on.
I would add that their enemies are usually caught by surprise since they assume that environmental groups operate under the same ethical and legal constraints as business usually does. Not so.
A resort in Cuba has some empty beds!
It’s like EPA government employees just sit around all day plotting ways to steal money from the American taxpayer. With friends like that, who needs enemies?
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Anybody surprised ?
Never think that Nazi germany lost the war. The complete Gestapo moved to the US. We all know that metastasis kill .
In the year 2100, when economic historians look back, the EPA, green groups along with other factors will be seen as instrumental in the genteel decline of the United States of America. The US economy will probably resemble Mexico’s today. There could also be massive emigration on an unprecedented scale as impoverished Americans head off to Cambodia, India, Vietnam, etc.
*Net migration between the USA and Mexico is now ZERO and may have reversed. Fertility rates in Mexico are in a nosedive as well as in many other Latin American countries. These kinds of changes can take place slowly and largely unnoticed.
http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21566781-worlds-biggest-migration-has-gone-reverse-ebbing-mexican-wave
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/26/opinion/passel-cohn-mexican-immigration/
I hope I’m wrong.
JeffL says:
“Alternate idea – lets downscale the EPA to a size proportional the real new environmental issues that need to be addressed”
Better: let’s get back to the original Constitution, which left such matters to the States.
People forget that we are the United States. As defined by the 10th Amendment:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Robertvd says:
January 16, 2014 at 12:04 am
Never think that Nazi germany lost the war. The complete Gestapo moved to the US. We all know that metastasis kill .
———————————————-
Not quite as OT as it at first might appear:
It seems that contrary to the cliche that there was an evil Gestapo officer on every corner which kept everyone in line: a) compared to the population their numbers were very small and many large areas had a relative handful. b) most Gestapo were former police officers who just needed a job after the purge of the regular police and not fanatical Nazis.
The main reason they were able to stifle dissent was because of neighbours informing on neighbours, often for the most trivial and despicable reasons (such as just thinking someone was odd). The Gestapo spent most of their time sorting and acting on denunciations and almost none lingering on street corners. The average German had far more to fear from randomly upsetting a neighbour than carelessly attracting the attention of a leather-coated Himmler clone.
And back to the topic at hand: I’d expect that if environmental legislation ever becomes draconian there will be more to fear from the fanatical, or merely vindictive, neighbour or indoctrinated child who might denounce you rather than uniformed enforcement goons patrolling the streets. I think that’s a much more depressing thought.
F.A.H. Says
“You don’t want the truth. Deep down, in places you don’t talk about when your are sleeping alone late at night after those Georgetown cocktail parties after chowing down on limp quiche and swilling a third rate California Chardonnay devoid of pretension, ”
Individuals and organizations alike are mostly looking for the easiest ways to satisfy human needs and instincts, both conscious or unconscious.
Truth that is not conform is not welcome and labelled denier, etc..
Who cares about prevention as long as you get drunk at the cheapest rates?
There is more here about EPA and CRU, funding for IPCC climate models etc, endangerment finding and the EPA “experts”.
The United (Nations) States Environmental Protection Agency
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/the_un_states_epa.html
Also how Lisa Jackson continued the long term UN agenda:
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/lisa_p_jackson_epa_administrator_fulfilling_the_un_mission.html
The administration of President Obama and President Obama himself appear to be the most corrupt in all American history. This distortion of science and history in pursuit of a political agenda is frightening and there appears to be no will to remove it, amongst the general population.
Keith @ January 15, 2014 at 3:57 pm “Wow. Think this will run and run – best get the ‘sticky’ tape out”
It’s what’s repeated. Outside blogs and such, Search the internet for this report over the next week of so. It’s likely not even to be reported – as in not newsworthy.
Tim Walker says:
January 15, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Why am I not surprised and this was supposed to be the transparent administration? Why am I reminded of the wizard in the Wizard of Oz? “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” What is frustrating is how many are following that advice and ignoring the man behind the screen….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Not really. That same paper, The Washington Free Beacon, has another article Poll: Government Itself is Top U.S. Problem This is a Jan. 5-8 Gallup poll. where Americans are pointing at D.C. as the cause of US problems.
The Rasmussen poll is even more blunt: 37% Say Zombies Would Do Better Job Than Federal Gov’t
Talk about a vote of no confidence!
A third article from The Washington Free Beacon had information on a Report Criticizes Hillary Clinton’s State Dept. Over Benghazi with lots of nasty points detailed.
dp says: @ January 15, 2014 at 4:49 pm
….If you like your dishonest government, you can keep your dishonest government.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
“He who casts a vote decides nothing. He who counts the vote decides everything .” -Joseph Stalin
From Dr. Paul Craig Roberts who was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy under Reagan.
He goes on to detail various rigged elections. This one is especially interesting.
Time to kick out all the voting machines and volunteer to count votes at public elections.
So, now we have confirmatory evidence that the EPA and enviro’s are bending the system. Do we plan to sue to overturn regulations based on this collusion, or do we plan to just get the vapors? Without direct legal action, this will not stop the collusion and it is impossible to get the Administration to change.
Dave in Canmore says:
January 15, 2014 at 6:29 pm
….Where is your justice department?….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You mean Attorney General Eric Holder who Is Protecting JPMorgan Chase NYC From Criminal Investigation? The same guy whose Justice Department Organized the Trayvon Martin Protests and after they didn’t hang a “white” in the trial … is investigating whether to file civil rights charges against Zimmerman? And this entire media circus orchestrated by the Justice Department was all because Obama decided to make the “White” Zimmerman an example of White Racism to win himself votes just before the last election (Another OOPs since Zimmerman isn’t white but of mixed race, his mother is from Peru with a grandfather who is black. You would think that Obama’s handlers would do a bit of investigation wouldn’t you? But no matter the MSM will dig a hole and bury the facts.)
robinhood21067 says: @ January 15, 2014 at 6:57 pm
Dave in Canmore, Opposition party? Are you kidding me? …
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
An excellent article is America’s Ruling Class with a similar article by Jo Nova’s hsband, Dr Evans Climate Coup – The Politics Dr. Evans calls them the Regulating Class. Scott Rasmussen calls them the Political Class Biggest Loser of 2013: the Political Class (I sure hope he is correct.) Now we just have to come up with some “Honest Politicians” we can vote FOR. I am getting really sick of voting for “the lesser of two evils” who actually as different as Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber.
Reg Nelson says: @ January 15, 2014 at 8:19 pm
There needs to be some punitive damages for taxpayer funded organizations, like the EPA, that fight FOIA requests and lose in court….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Unfortunately the government is a protected species. It has to give YOU permission to sue it.
Knowing that think about those Green Lawsuits….
Russ R. says: @ January 15, 2014 at 9:34 pm
… Show me one person harmed by a miniscule increase in a life-sustaining molecule. That should be required, to prove standing. An actual injury, that can be linked to the substance in question….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
How about the 65 deaths a day in the UK?…
OH, that is because “people die during winter because they can’t afford to heat their homes properly.” but I am sure the US EPA can manage to say that is because of Climate Change. After all Obama’s Science Czar managed to say the cold temperatures here in the USA were caused by Climate Change. The White House gets into the ‘polar vortex’ climate change blame business
(I really shouldn’t give the EPA ideas.)
Say goodbye to your 501(c)(3) status …
Jimbo says: @ January 16, 2014 at 12:25 am
…I hope I’m wrong.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
If I could figure out what country to flee to I would be gone in a flash, however the rot is world wide so instead I will stay here and fight.
So, what’s with all the redactions, already? Is this the EPA or the CIA?
Alan Watt, Climate Denialist Level 7 says:
January 16, 2014 at 5:25 am
The Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal) is a 501(c)(3) organization engaged in strategic litigation, policy research, and public education on important energy and environmental issues.
Say goodbye to your 501(c)(3) status …
***************************************************************************************************************************
What is your bet on soon the goons come knocking?
Does, the parliament in the USA have something equivalent to a royal commission, a judicial enquiry with the power to compel answers. If so I think those readers that are US citizens should be demanding their government conduct a “Royal Commission” into the activities of their EPA and possibly the FDA as well to root out corruption, and prosecute the wrongdoers.
No surprise. It will also be no surprise when the MSM ignores the story (and they have so far been ignoring it).
dbstealey says: @ January 16, 2014 at 12:40 am
….People forget that we are the United States. As defined by the 10th Amendment….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That was “Fixed” in two different ways.
First the Senate was supposed to represent the interest of the states. Under the original provisions of the Constitution, senators were elected by state legislatures. The Seventeenth Amendment established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote. It was ratified in 1913 along with the Sixteenth Amendment allowing the Congress to levy an income tax and the Federal Reserve Act that set-up a Central Bank with Fractional Reserve Banking practices. 1913 was definitely an unlucky year for the American people since it consolidated power in the Federal Government and gave a handful of bankers the purse strings with the ability to print money out of thin air that they then loaned to the government.
The second fix follows from the changes made in the US government in 1913.
Another source shows states getting about 1/2 their revenue from the Federal government. State gets close to half of revenue from feds
Can you say BRIBES?
Giselle documents the USDA’s bribes to states in the matter of the National Animal Identification System that the UN and WTO want. These are called “Cooperative Agreements” link (See sidebar for individual agreements by state)
Interesting graph: Type of Tax as a Share of Federal Revenues, 1934 – 2011
No doubt it was low level EPA employees who transferred over from low level jobs at IRS or NSA. I won’t use the word gate here but I will use the word impeach.
Gail you hit the nail on the head. Time for you to head for high ground–I’ll see you there!
bobl says: @ January 16, 2014 at 6:05 am
Does, the parliament in the USA have something equivalent to a royal commission….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We have Congressional Investigations but they do not do much good. (Note this all happened under Bush so the party in control does not matter)
First let me make it clear that the USDA is on board the UN Agenda 21/Sustainability and CAGW train. SEE – USDA: sustainable partnerships this website includes pointers to things like Green Infrastructure Community of Practice
This is from an old investigation so the links may be dead. However it is the example that made me a cynic, contemptuous of the US government and ultimately lead me to WUWT.
THE PROBLEM
So we have a problem with both the FDA and the USDA not doing their jobs. Unfortunately these are just two of many “incidents” handle in such a way that transnational corporations are not “inconvenienced”. Stanley Painter, Chairman of the National Food Inspection Unions, stated in his testimony at the congressional hearing on the Hallmark Dower Cows:
SRM removal regulations concern brain and spine removal to prevent BSE. The USDA has refused to allow a small private processing plant to do 100% BSE testing
Source: http://www.r-calfusa.com/News%20Releases/Archives/032406-r-calf.htm
Source: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/29/america/NA-GEN-US-Mad-Cow.php
The USDA “Investigated” Stan Painters “Allegations” and found them basesless. The USDA kiss-off:
GEE, this public hearing in which the USDA dis-invited Stan Painter and his Inspectors seems to show there WAS a problem swept under the rug. Imagine that.
Here is the follow up. Glad to see there was some justice. (NOTE: Painter is the head of a union which helps.)
A bit more on the USDA’s total disregard for the safety of the American consumer.
So our borders are wide open to diseased cattle. From the Texas government report of 2009.
The USA exports 700,000 tons of quality beef while importing 1,500,000 tons from countries with: Naegleria fowler, Encephalitis, Vesicular Stomatitis viruses, Leptospirosis, Trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), and foot and mouth disease. The US imports 2.5 million live cattle from Canada with BSE (now found in USA) and from Mexico with tuberculosis (now found in USA), brucellosis (now found in USA) cattle tick fever, (now found in USA) Trypanosoma cruz,, (now found in USA), Bluetongue (now found in USA), and Vesicular stomatitis. (I will spare you the investigation into that information)
This is the response of the USDA – closing down testing labs.
The USDA is now depending on “Traceability’ instead of testing for disease or quarantine at the borders. The three years after the FDA/USDA changed the food safety regs to the international HACCP regs compared to the three years before showed a doubling of the food borne illness in the USA.
Anthony, your site did a nice job keeping people up to speed on Climategate, providing hundreds of useful links in the process.
It strikes me that WUWT might serve a similar purpose here, spreading the news of EPA corruption that the mainstream media is likely to ignore, while linking to valuable sources that provide additional, possibly incriminating, details. You might even attract some whistleblowers in the process.
I hope you stay on this one. The EPA is a rat’s nest that’s needed cleaning out for a long time now.
Not on subject but: Per the EIA (Energy Info Agency) the 2nd week of Jan. Natural Gas net draw from storage was 287 Billion cu. ft. This is a record draw for any week of the heating season for the past 21 seasons. The second highest record 285 B cu ft was the second week of Dec 2013 also this season. The previous record draw was 266 billion cu ft the 2nd week of Jan 2010. Any time the draw exceeds 200 B Cu Ft It usually correlates with a negative temperature anomaly in the US for that week.
The following link provides access to a XL storage history spread sheet link.
http://ir.eia.gov/ngs/ngs.html
nicholas tesdorf says:
The administration of President Obama and President Obama himself appear to be the most corrupt in all American history. This distortion of science and history in pursuit of a political agenda is frightening and there appears to be no will to remove it, amongst the general population.
Repeated for effect.
All – Left the following at Tips and Notes, bears repeating in this thread. Link to Gina McCarthy’s (EPA Top Administrator) presentation today 16 JAN 14 to Congress:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/fe40a46647a6007f85257c6200564c15!OpenDocument
And the driving statement excerpted for your reading pleasure:
“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Based on the evidence, more than 97% of climate scientists are convinced that human-caused climate change is occurring. If our changing climate goes unchecked, it will have devastating impacts on the United States and the planet. Reducing carbon pollution is critically important to the protection of Americans’ health and the environment upon which our economy depends.”
Take away: The fight is not over, by a long shot. For all we hope and all we want for truth to prevail, the Big Lie continues – at the highest posts of the current administration. We must be ever vigilant unbtil truth prevails.
Michael C. Roberts
It’s also rather obvious that the same advocacy groups supply the President’s speeches and press releases.
The U.S. is now the only country that still has the grand jury system whose function is to root out government corruption and protect the public from corruption.
Maybe a grand jury investigation is needed in this situation and perhaps only minor figures can be caught but this will bring things out in the open for public exposure.
I hope you are in favor of (and working to support) Levin’s proposal (which is based on Article 5 of the Constitution) vis-a-vis “States Should Call Convention to Propose Amending Constitution”
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/mark-levin-states-should-call-convention-propose-amending-constitution
Some of the constitutional amendments Levin would like to see include:
– imposing a 12-year limit on serving in Congress,
– returning the election of U.S. senators to state legislatures,
– requiring Congress to balance the budget and
– limiting federal spending to 17.5 percent of GDP,
– limiting federal taxation to 15 percent of an individual’s or a corporation’s earnings,
– empowering a special congressional committee to veto regulations issued by federal bureaucracies,
– prohibiting Congress from compelling anyone to participate in commerce (such as forcing them to buy health insurance),
– requiring Congress to publish the final text of any proposed legislation at least 30 days before holding a final vote on it, and
– requiring individuals to present a state-issued photo ID that establishes their identity and citizenship before they are allowed to register or vote.
.
The very same thing is happening in Canada, with our Ministry of Environment. This scam is world wide. It all leads back, to Agenda 21.
Dipchip-
I agree with the main thrust of your nat. gas v. tempurature point, however, the effects of the recent large increases in gas-fired electric generation have to be considered.
Russ R. says:
January 15, 2014 at 10:13 pm
==========================================================================
Russ, the EPA was not always like this. When I began doing contract work in mobile source pollution for them in 1971, they were a small group with a big job to control real air pollution – lead, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. The engineering solutions were what mattered.
Then in mid-1980’s I started noticing a change: the political implications started to become as important as the engineering. By the end of 1990’s politics was all that mattered. The EPA broke its own rules for issuing regulations, and made up data to justify those regulations.
They had become a mature government agency.
_Jim says: @ January 16, 2014 at 10:46 am
I hope you are in favor of (and working to support) Levin’s proposal (which is based on Article 5 of the Constitution) vis-a-vis “States Should Call Convention to Propose Amending Constitution”…
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yes _Jim, I am. I would also love to see ten or more years of local, state and federal legislatures going through all the laws and regulations and tossing 80% of them on the dung heap.
Do we really need another 8000 plus pages of new federal regulations? ( Photo 213 Federal Register) Caption: “”Behold my display of the 2013 Federal Register. It contains over 80,000 pages of new rules, regulations, and notices all written and passed by unelected bureaucrats. The small stack of papers on top of the display are the laws passed by elected members of Congress and signed into law by the president.” ~ Sen. Mike Lee
That is really sad.
Heck I would be happy to just start with a READ the BILL law and the making of laws via the Federal Register completely illegal.
The watermelons have usurped democracy everywhere. They believe they know what’s best for all us poor ignorant serfs and proceed to act accordingly.
Barbara January 16, 2014 at 10:36 am
It is difficult to think of what crime the EPA officers would be charged. We see their dirty ideological game and assistance they give to their bretheren, but what crime have they actually committed?
Influence peddling is one thing.
Environmental groups often get large court setlements from companies so governmnent contacts can lead to direct financial benefits.
Maybe government contacts useful to extort money from companies.
Government employess accepting money, gifts, vacations in exchange for contacts.
Favors granted to companies that could be worth millions of dollars.
These are the kinds of issues that grand juries have the authority to investigate.
Too much politics involved for Congress to deal with?
What crime has the epa committed? FRAUD
Fraud? Could be.
It would be the employees of the EPA that would be investigated and not the Agency itself along with any ouside contacts.
Most of the time the big boys in companies and environmental groups would use lower level people in their dealings as this puts distance between them and any contacts and avoids any trouble for them that might occur.
Grand juries have the authority to investigate and issue indictments which then go through the court system.
..