Climate science, policy, politics, and action
Since early 2006, Robert Cobb, the inspector general of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has been under investigation for allegations of misconduct. After a review of 79 allegations, in early 2007, the Integrity Committee of the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE), an organization of agency inspectors general, issued a report finding that Mr. Cobb had abused his authority and demonstrated the appearance of a lack of independence from the agency’s top officials, particularly Sean O’Keefe, NASA’s former administrator. Most of the allegations came from current and former employees of NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).
Witnesses
Panel 1
Panel 2
The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water and Power, led by Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills: H.R. 31 (Issa, R-CA): The Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District Wastewater and Recycled Water Facilities Act of 2007 H.R. 1526 (Miller, D-CA): The Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Authorization Act of 2007
Witnesses: Robert Quint, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, D.C. Ronald Young (H.R. 31), General Manager, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, Lake Elsinore, CA Gary Darling (H.R. 1526), General Manager, Delta Diablo Sanitation District, Antioch, CA Nancy Parent (H.R. 1526), Councilmember, City of Pittsburg, CA Larry Wilson (H.R. 1526), Board of Directors, Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Jose, CA
The hearing will be webcast live on the Committee’s web site at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.
On Wednesday, May 23, 2007, the Committee held an oversight hearing on achievements and opportunities for climate protection under the Montreal Protocol. This international environmental treaty established legally binding controls on the production and consumption of substances that deplete the stratospheric ozone layer. Witnesses at the hearing included the lead author of a scientific paper quantifying the climate benefits of the Montreal Protocol, the Executive Director of an international nongovernmental organization with expertise on the Montreal Protocol, and the Global Environmental Manager of DuPont’s fluorochemicals business. At the hearing, the Committee received testimony about cost-effective measures that can be taken under the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global warming.
Witnesses
Transcript
The Bush Administration has allowed an increase in oil refinery mergers to go unchecked, even as reduced refining supply seems to be pushing up gas prices. The rise in gasoline prices is helping refiners generate the highest margins from refining since at least 1990, allowing them to report record profits. Meanwhile, consumers are facing harmful price spikes and lack of cheaper alternatives, such as E85, at the pumps.
The JEC will examine the impacts of consolidation in the oil and gas industry on competition, gasoline prices, and consumers’ energy choices. Specifically, the Committee will investigate whether oil industry mergers and increased market concentration have enabled firms to raise their prices above competitive levels and strategically withhold capacity to keep prices high; and investigate whether firms are preventing the entry of cheaper fuel alternatives for consumers at the pump.
Witnesses:
Panel I:
Panel II:
The House Natural Resources Committee, led by Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), will hold a legislative hearing on H.R. 2337, the “Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007.” Witnesses: Panel 1 Walter Cruickshank, Deputy Director, Mineral Management Service, Department of the Interior Henri Bisson, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior Melissa M. Simpson, Deputy Undersecretary, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture Vickie VanZandt, Senior Vice President, Transmission Business Line, Bonneville Power Administration, Department of Energy Timothy R. E. Keeney, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
Panel 2 The Honorable John Engler (Former Governor of Michigan), President and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers Jim Martin, President, 60 Plus Association
The hearing will be webcast live on the Committee’s web site at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.
Full committee hearing
Witnesses:
S.645, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to provide an alternate sulfur dioxide removal measurement for certain coal gasification project goals, S.838, to authorize funding for eligible joint ventures between United States and Israeli businesses and academic persons, to establish the International Energy Advisory Board, S.1089, to amend the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act to allow the Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects to hire employees more efficiently, S.1203, to enhance the management of electricity programs at the Department of Energy, H.R.85, to provide for the establishment of centers to encourage demonstration and commercial application of advanced energy methods and technologies, and H.R.1126, to reauthorize the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation andTechnology Competitiveness Act of 1988