Wednesday, January 29, 2014

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 1/29/14

<> President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address - Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans: Today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift America's graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades. An entrepreneur flipped on the lights in her tech startup, and did her part to add to the more than eight million new jobs our. . .

·  President Obama's 2014 State of the Union Address - President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 28, 2014 (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) Tonight, President Obama delivered the 2014 State of the Union Address to Congress and the nation. If you missed it, be sure to watch the enhanced broadcast of his address, featuring charts, 

·  The State of the Union Fact Sheet: Opportunity for All - The State of the Union Fact Sheet: Opportunity for All can be found here and below. Opportunity for All: Key Executive Actions the President Will Take in 2014 The President's top priority remains ensuring middle class 

<> Upton Responds to State of the Union Address - WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) issued the following statement this evening following President Obama's State of the Union address: "We face great challenges. . .

<> McConnell Comments on State of the Union Address - "If the President really wants a 'Year of Action,' there are plenty of good ideas that the two parties can agree on: passing House-approved jobs bills in the Senate designed to get Americans back to work, revenue-neutral tax reform, trade promotion legislation, and the Keystone pipeline. "The President also tried to put a positive spin on the disaster that is Obamacare, but the American. . .

<> Boehner Statement on the State of the Union Address - WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement in response to the president's State of the Union Address and the Republican Address to the Nation. "In one of the great traditions of our. . .

<> Earthjustice Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address - "We are encouraged that President Obama made climate change a centerpiece of his speech tonight. We applaud his commitment to facing this challenge, for the benefit of our children and grandchildren. . . While the President touted natural gas, we shouldn't be committing ourselves to a future fueled by gas. . .

<> Manufacturers: A Year for Action Must Translate to a Year for Growth -

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons issued this statement in response to President Obama's State of the Union address. . .

<> ACC Comments on the President's 2014 State of the Union Address -

As President Obama embarks on his 'year of action,' we hope he will remember that promoting innovation is one of the most effective ways to grow our economy, create opportunity and transform society.

<> U.S. Chamber's Donohue Comments on State of the Union - U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue issued the following statement ahead of President Obama's State of the Union Address

<> T. Boone Pickens' Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address and The Call for Expanded Use of Natural Gas in U.S. Transportation

<> Pathways to Near-Zero-Emission Natural Gas Heavy Duty Vehicles - report examining the critical role that ultra-low-emission heavy-duty (HD) natural gas engines can play in helping California achieve its air quality, climate protection and petroleum-displacement goals.

<> Obama on Energy and Climate Policy in 2014 State of the Union -

(InsideClimate News) Here are the parts of President Obama's 2014 State of the Union address that were about energy and climate change issues, taken from the delivered text. In his remarks, Obama defended his "all-of-the above" energy strategy—pursuing all power sources, fossil and clean fuels—crediting the policy with bringing the nation closer to energy independence. 

<> New Video on Abrupt Climate Change - Watch a new 4+ minute video on the findings of the recent National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council report Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change: Anticipating Surprises.

·  The Report

<> New Farm Bill Contains Massive Taxpayer Handouts To Big Ag, Last Minute Deal Removed Even Modest Taxpayer Savings - this bill would put taxpayers on the hook for another five years of billion-dollar handouts to huge, profitable agribusinesses.

·  Final Farm Bill: A mixed bag - Eleventh-hour changes — behind closed doors — stripped the bill of some real reforms that had already been agreed upon by both the House and Senate. 

·  Farm Bill To Amend Clean Water Act - a rider in the compromise Farm Bill that significantly weakens the Clean Water Act by exempting certain silvicultural activities from permitting under the Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. 

<> Is the Senate Energy Committee being handed to Big Oil? - A game of political musical chairs has set off a transition that will hand Big Oil the keys to the influential Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. What's worse, the whole thing is being orchestrated by democratic leadership in an attempt to help Senator Landrieu (D-LA) with her upcoming re-election campaign. As with most things these days, it all comes down to. . .

<> Development of Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources in the Appalachian Basin: Workshop Summary – A summary of a workshop convened by the National Research Council to examine the geology and unconventional hydrocarbon resources of the Appalachian Basin; technical methods for producing unconventional hydrocarbons and disposing of wastewater; the potential effects of production on the environment; relevant policies and regulations; and priorities for future scientific and engineering research.

<> Entrepreneurs Looking For 'Windfall' Cash In On Climate Change - Journalist McKenzie Funk looks into how some entrepreneurs and even some nations stand to benefit from a changing climate.