We have days one, two, and three up here if you want to catchup on the whoppers.
LiveBlog Feed here
Webcast On Recess right now
we're using #BrokenRecordon Twitter if you want to participate! - It will feed automatically into the CoverItLive widget up on our website. I'd post it here but unfortunately, it won't allow me to post iframes.
Here's a sad, sad highlight from the ranking Republican on the committee, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) from Day 2. The saddest part? He posted this on YouTube himself, cause he (or his staff) think it's a victory.
LiveBlog Feed here
Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Gore: "Our country cannot afford more of the status quo"
10:41 Twitterpowershift09: Gore -"Stimulus was a downpayment on the new smart grid and the next step is passing this Bill." #powershift09
10:42 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Senator Warner up now.
10:43 Twitterpowershift09: "The USA is the world's leader. Once we find the courage to take act on this issue the world will also act. We need to act" #powershift09
10:43 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Warner: "This is serious business."
10:46 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Warner: "We know [clean coal] is not around the corner."
10:47 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Warner on Revkin's blockbuster article in the NYT on decades of corporate deception on climate: "I hope those days are behind us."
http://www.nytimes.com/...
10:48 Twitterpowershift09: Speaking now John Warner, former Senator and co-author of the last major climate bill - that was struck down http://tinyurl.com/...
10:52 Twitterpowershift09: RT @stern_matt Warner: "they say clean coal technology is right around the corner. We know that it isn't true." #powershift09
10:55 Twitterpowershift09: Warner - "Our duty is to be honest with American people. Tell them that it is going to take time and money, but HAS TO BE DONE"#powershift09
10:59 Twitterpowershift09: Warner is actually asking for a stronger bill than the one that is even on the table. Talk about a gutsy republican. #powershift09
11:02 Twitterpowershift09: Report from #powershift09 leader sitting in the hearing " It's hard to feel like we're not at the center of a world movement right now"
11:16 Twitterpowershift09: Gore - On international issues -" We need to be in charge of our own destiny" #powershift09
11:16 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Gore: I am not anti-nuclear, I am skeptical that it will play much more of a role than it does now.
11:17 Twitterpowershift09: RT @elizasimon: http://twitpic.com/... -
Look at the beautiful, dedicated #Powershift09 crew in line for the hearing this morning
11:17 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: I wish all these folks pushing nukes would realize the implications of mining for uranium. Ask the Navajos.
11:20 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Some more details on uranium mining: http://arizona.sierraclub.org/...
11:26 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Rep. Barton: "I know some people think I have gone over to the Dark Side now."
11:31 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Barton is reading from a book by Dr. Craig Idso about coral reefs, saying the book shows that global warming won't cause mass ocean life die-offs. Idso was a speaker at this year's Heartland Institute sponsored conference "Global Warming: Was It Ever Really a Crisis?"
11:31 Twitterpowershift09: RT @aashleyanderson: 'Barton thinks comparing football losses to global warming is funny. No one laughs.' #powershift09
11:32 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Gore: "Rep. Barton, you have relied on people you've trusted who've given you bad information." Then compares it to Madoff giving people bad information. Snap.
11:33 Twitterpowershift09: Report from the floor-'as Barton reads junk science, the CSPAN cameraman remarks to the #powershift09 youth - don't all fall asleep at once'
11:39 Twitterpowershift09: Barton (R-TX) says "global warming will help sea life." Gore - 'You better check your sources! BOOYA #powershift09
11:46
Twitterpowershift09: RT @joshtulkin: Al Gore: The biggest polluters committed a massive fraud on the American people, and we deserve an apology. #powershift09
11:48
Twitterpowershift09: What is the cost to the people? Gore -"Not taking into account all the new jobs and long run benefits. About 30 cents/day." #powershift09
11:52 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Oh, Inslee smackdown with old quote from Gingrich!
11:57 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Gore: I have read all 648 pages of this bill.
12:02 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Greg Walden: biomass (logging), biomass (logging), biomass (logging)!
12:02 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Phrases being said right now, "Pine and bark beetles on a rampage" and "bug-infested lodge pole pines." Then Walden got mad about Waxman tapping his gavel.
12:16 Twitterpowershift09: Burgess-"noone can prove that climate change is manmade, show us the smoking gun?" Are you fricken serious. http://tinyurl.com/...
12:24 Twitterpowershift09: Gore- I wish I could find the words to unlock this partisan lock. The nxt generation is calling us to work together to fix this#powershift09
12:27 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Gore and Rep. Scalise are debating science behind global warming. Can't we be past this already?
12:28 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Cage match between Gore and Scalise on global warming science!
12:29 Twitterpowershift09: Scalise (R-LA) denying the impact of Climate Change. How can someone from Louisiana not realize what has been happening?! #powershift09
12:43 Twitterpowershift09: International opinion "we look for your leadership, we learn from your leadership, but if you are not going to lead, get out of the way."
12:45 Twitterpowershift09: That is not an option. For the sake of the future. Warner - My children and grandchildren hold me responsible- we must act #powershift09
12:50 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Radanovich is crazy town, as before.
12:59 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Blackburn is up now.
1:00 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Blackburn asks if Gore will personally benefit from climate legislation. "If you're asking if the reason I've been working on this issue for 30 years is corporate greed, you don't know me."
1:00 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Gore: "I've been willing to put my money where my mouth is. I'm proud of it."
1:07 Twitterpowershift09: Blackburn accuses Gore of profiteering - Gore "Do you think I have devoted the past 30 years of my life so I could benefit from this bill?"
1:12 Twitterpowershift09: Gore closing - "This is the most complete and comprehensive bill I have seen and I urge you to to keep it that way." #powershift09
1:16 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Hearing is on break for a few minutes. Next up - Newt Gingrich. Learn more about Gingrich right here: http://action.sierraclub.org/...
1:20 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club:
Markey calls Gingrich "Back to the Future II"
1:22 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club:
Barton says Back to the Future II involved the wild west and said the bill would give us an 1870 carbon footprint.
Note to Barton: it was back to the future III that involved the wild west.
1:23 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Gingrich admits he only read 1/3 of the bill. Guessing he doesn't have the same technical staff as EPA and DoE to read it for him ala Jackson and Chu.
1:24 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: We've read Gingrich's testimony already - here's my take on his attached "RoadMap for More American Energy Now:" it includes 23 detailed bullet points (taking up seven full pages) about expanding off-shore drilling, oil shale, oil refineries, coal and nukes....and then two short bullet points about "Solutions for More Alternative Power" taking up barely 1/4 a page. Same old dirty energy.
1:26 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club:
One look at Newt’s testimony shows that the when this particular broken record scratched, it went all the way back in 2001 and the heady days of Cheney Energy Taskforce. Newt’s so-called "plan" was merely a re-tread of these failed, dirty, and dangerous energy policies: offshore drilling, oil shale, Arctic drilling, tax breaks for Big Oil, bribing states to allow more drilling, eviscerating environmental regulations, "green" coal (he really calls it that!), nukes, and other such nonsense.
Updated 11:37AM PST
Josh Dorner, Sierra Club:
He did borrow one idea from a more recent leader in his party—Senator McCain’s idea to run the energy economy like a game show with various prizes for energy technologies instead of the kind of real investments and real policies that will actually build the clean energy future. We all know how well that one worked out...
1:30 Twitterpowershift09: Newt says we can't do 83% by 2050. What a defeatist. I thought we were American and can do what we set our mind to. #powershift09
1:30 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Gingrich calls EPA "intellectually dishonest" That's rich!
1:38 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: There it is again, "green" coal. Guess the coal industry didn't like the other suggestion of "Black is the new green."
1:42 Twitterpowershift09: RT @alextinker: Gingrich: 'We should follow China and France's lead.' How about AMERICAN leadership? #powershift09
1:44 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Waxman taking it to Gingrich on his numbers, how he cited that same MIT study whose authors said the Reps are using it incorrectly.
1:45 Twitterpowershift09: Waxman cites the author of the paper that Newt quoted in his statement. It reads 'The republicans are misquoting my work' #powershift09
1:47
Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Waxman to Gingrich: "Your ideas are not bold. They are a repeat of the old scare tactics."
1:49 Twitterpowershift09: Waxman -"Stop complaining and using scare tactics. Work with us. If you are scared to work with us what are you doing here?" #powershift09
1:52 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Snip snap Chairman Waxman!
1:52 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Why do the Rs keep quoting the MIT study when its authors are saying the Rs are misquoting it?
1:55 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Yes, Newt, the nuclear industry is OVERregulated!
1:57 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Inslee: What happened to the old Next Gingrich? We've had a sudden attack of pessmism and 'we can't solve this problem.'
1:59 Twitterpowershift09: Inslee -"You were asked in 2007 if you supported a carboncap. You responded 'it is something i would strongly support.' What happened?
2:03 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club:
Newt sure seems to want to talk about jacuzzis!
2:03 Twitterpowershift09: We just overheard from a hill staffer giving a tour outside the hearing room "This is the biggest thing on the hill right now" #powershift09
2:04 Josh Dorner, Sierra Club: Jacuzzis!
2:04 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: How long til one of the committee members writes a book called "Energy Efficiency Hot Tubbin' with Newt Gingrich and Jay Inslee" ?
2:12 Twitterpowershift09: Look how many reps showed up to listen to Newt. About 6. Good reflection on how much he matters. Gore had a full house. #powershift09
2:21 Twitterpowershift09: The Washington Examiner "Student Activists Accuse Newt Gingrich of Flip Flopping on Global Warming" http://tinyurl.com/... #powershift09
2:28 Twitterpowershift09: I'm kinda upset with this Jacuzzi analysis. Let's move on. Document outlining Testimony of Al Gore -bottom of page http://tinyurl.com/...
2:28 Twitterpowershift09: Markey - we only have 4% of the world's oil reserve but we consume 25%. It is up to us to find alternatives #powershift09
2:29 [Comment From Fred Heutte, Sierra Club]
See Joe Romm's coverage of the MIT Riley study: http://tinyurl.com/...
2:32 Twitterpowershift09: Did Markey say 'it's ironic to have newt testify' or 'it's an honor'? Dare I say Freudian slip? #powershift09
2:35 Nithin Coca, Sierra Club: We're taking a break - Check back later this afternoon when we'll continue LiveBlogging from the House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearings!
UPDATE - 1:19pm PST
3:01 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Up now, Dr. Sperling from UC Davis (again see whole list of witnesses http://energycommerce.house.gov/...:
3:02 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Sperling: Last night the California Air Resources Board voted for a Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
3:02 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Sperling: The US should follow California's lead and pass a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).
3:07 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Next up, David Friedman from Union of Concerned Scientists.
3:12 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Friedman: We need our scientists and engineers to step up and deliver on fuel cell, battery, electric vehicle technology.
3:13 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Now up, David Gardiner from Energy Future Coalition.
3:16 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Gardiner: Merging RES with EERS is unwise because it will lead to less energy efficiency and increase consumer cost.
3:19 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Now speaking, Jeff Genzer of the Natl Assoc of State Energy Officials.
3:21 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: This panel is all about energy efficiency, transportation, utilities and building appliances. Wonder if we'll hear more about jacuzzis.
3:23 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: And now, Charles Drevna, pres of Natl Petrochemical and Refiners Assoc.
3:23 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Drevna: "We have some serious concerns with this discussion draft." I know we're all shocked.
3:24 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Drevna doesn't like the LCFS, calls it redundant and overcostly, also punitive.
3:26 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Drevna is now immersed in a PSA for the refining industry and how it affects things from your every day life. All he needs is a green screen behind him and some snazzy background music.
3:28 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Drevna: "This is a marathon, not a sprint, we have to know everything before we go forward."
3:38 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Sonny Richardson, from Natl Assoc of Homebuilders: We've invested millions in a green building program.
3:41 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Richardson wants improvements to the home energy efficiency regulations in the draft.
3:49 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Baldwin and Gardiner discuss the interesting issue of will more electric vehicles make it harder to meet energy efficiency and grid standards?
3:52 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Now Rep. Upton and McGurdy (from Alliance of Auto Manufacturers) discuss the California clean car standards. McGurdy wants one national standard. Learn more about the CA clean car rules here: http://www.sierraclub.org/...
3:55 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Upton: The cash for clunkers bill is important.
4:05 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Markey asks about increasing fuel economy more rapidly than the law requires because of the adoption of new green car technologies manufactured by every company.
4:06 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: McCurdy of Alliance of Auto Manufacturers: To accelerate fuel economy it'll take even more of an investment, it's not easy like UCS says it is.
4:11 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Friedman from UCS: If we invest in the auto industry, it should be tied to performance goals and standards.
4:13 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Ian Bowles, from MA Office of Energy and Env Affairs: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in the northeast can report remarkable success. We learned from the experience of the European Union.
4:14 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Bowles: MA's been through three 100% auctions, we've raised $43 mil that we're putting back into energy efficiency, seeing jobs created by that and people saving money on their bills. An auction system works and it works brilliantly.
4:15 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Learn more about the northeast regional greenhouse gas initiative: http://www.rggi.org/ It's made up of 10 states.
4:18 Heather Moyer, SierraClub: Panel 3 is now giving their closing speeches. Next up is the evening gown competition, followed by the talent portion of today's hearings.
More coming