Byrd Blasts ‘Cap and Trade’

Senior W.Va. senator stands firmly behind coal

By JOSELYN KING

POSTED: July 8, 2009

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WHEELING - He is not yet back to work in the Senate chamber, but U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd is opposing "cap and trade" legislation pushed by the Obama administration.

The 91-year-old Byrd, D-W.Va., was released from an unidentified Washington, D.C. hospital last week after a month-long stay for a staph infection. He expects to return to the chamber before the Senate begins debate on "cap and trade" - which is tentatively set for this fall, according to Byrd's office.

"I cannot support the House bill in its present form," Byrd said in a statement. "I continue to believe that clean coal can be a 'green' energy. Those of us who understand coal's great potential in our quest for energy independence must continue to work diligently in shaping a climate bill that will ensure access to affordable energy for West Virginians. I remain bullish about the future of coal, and am so very proud of the miners who labor and toil in the coalfields of West Virginia."

Byrd grew up in the coalfields of Stotesbury, W.Va., in Raleigh County. Jesse Jacobs, spokesman for Byrd, said the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will begin marking up the "cap and trade" bill later this month, with floor debate scheduled for September or October.

"So it is our hope that yes, Sen. Byrd will be here to vote on the legislation," Jacobs continued. "His return will be determined by his doctors and family members."

"Cap and trade" legislation - also known as House Resolution 2454 - is intended to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants over the next 40 years. It establishes a program that allows pollution permits to be bought and sold. The measure narrowly passed the U.S. House on June 26 by a vote of 219-212.

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texasredneck
07-14-09 12:38 AM »Report Abuse	Frazier: Thanks for all the input. I started out by reading/learning from SteveCarolina and then you all's dialogue. Now I feel more confident in that I am understanding this stuff.
NoFear
07-10-09 9:51 AM »Report Abuse	surfacestations dot org “Class 2 (CRN2) - Same as Class 1 with the following differences. Surrounding Vegetation <25 centimeters. No artificial heating sources within 30m. No shading for a sun elevation >5deg. Class 3 (CRN3) (error >=1C) - Same as Class 2, except no artificial heating sources within 10 meters. Class 4 (CRN4) (error >= 2C) - Artificial heating sources <10 meters. Class 5 (CRN5) (error >= 5C) - Temperature sensor located next to/above an artificial heating source, such a building, roof top, parking lot, or concrete surface."
NoFear
07-10-09 9:49 AM »Report Abuse	surfacestations dot org “Climate Reference Network Rating Guide - adopted from NCDC Climate Reference Network Handbook, 2002, specifications for siting (section 2.2.1) of NOAA's new Climate Reference Network: Class 1 (CRN1)- Flat and horizontal ground surrounded by a clear surface with a slope below 1/3 (<19deg). Grass/low vegetation ground cover <10 centimeters high. Sensors located at least 100 meters from artificial heating or reflecting surfaces, such as buildings, concrete surfaces, and parking lots. Far from large bodies of water, except if it is representative of the area, and then located at least 100 meters away. No shading when the sun elevation >3 degrees.”
NoFear
07-10-09 9:40 AM »Report Abuse	“Project: surfacestations dot org, is designed for the express purpose of photographically surveying every one of the 1221 USHCN weather stations in the USA which are used as a 'high quality network' to determine near surface temperature trends in the USA. USHCN is a subset of the larger COOP network of stations in the USA, of which there are about 9000. The USHCN subset has been hand picked by the National Climatic Data Center to be more regionally representative due to their placement, length of service and minimum station moves. Unfortunately, the network has fallen into neglect, and the temperature data produced by it is suspect due to microsite biases. You can help in this project by signing up and doing site survey in your area. It's free, and open to anyone with basic observational skills, a digital camera, GPS, and ability to follow written directions. Check the Master List of Surveys to see locations and what is available.”
PCGS70
07-10-09 9:02 AM »Report Abuse	I want some of whatever that blonde is selling
Reactionary
07-09-09 7:21 PM »Report Abuse	A thought just came to me, maybe they will BURN a hated republican politician in effigy!Or maybe they'll burn a dummy of Smokie Bear, or Captain Kangaroo or the Energizer Bunnie!! And roast marshmallows and drink the Kool-Ade! Nah! That would go against their beliefs in global warming!! Maybe they will just awe the world with their collective ,unbridled wisdom.
Reactionary
07-09-09 7:14 PM »Report Abuse	I'm STILL looking for an answer to the question--What will be the degree of wild, rabidly insane,hissie fits on the left IF CAP & KILL doesn't pass in the senate? It is very doubtful at this point BUT it could STILL crash and burn. I just want to know what the lefties are going to do in demonstration, so I can stay out of harms way!
Fraizer
07-09-09 7:13 PM »Report Abuse	Meanwhile, in the Real world: Temperatures dropped to a record low in Prince Edward Island overnight Tuesday, with reports of frost throughout the province. An official record low of 3.8 C was set early Wednesday morning at Charlottetown airport. The previous record for that date was 5.1 C, set in 2005. Bob Robichaud, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said that to his knowledge, frost has never been reported before in July in P.E.I.
Fraizer
07-09-09 6:56 PM »Report Abuse	So Ellis Wyatt: Who is John Gault? See you in the Gulch.
EllisWyatt
07-09-09 6:52 PM »Report Abuse	Should have said "pithy". Sorry.
EllisWyatt
07-09-09 6:52 PM »Report Abuse	Donald A pity comment from an unexpected source! I wonder how many people in this valley have read "1984". I have always believed that all high school seniors should have to read Webster's Dictionary, "Atlas Shrugged", "1984", "Brave New World", "How To Win Friends And Influence People", "The Wealth Of Nations", "Democracy In America" and a few other great works. To add to your quote: "In the 1970's, the US was at war with Global Cooling. In 2007, the US was at war with Global Warming, and had never been at war with Global Cooling. In 2009, the US is at war with Global Climate Change and has NEVER been at war with Global Warming!"
Chainsawtom
07-09-09 5:58 PM »Report Abuse	The only reason why we are in a cooling is from all of the hard work Al Gore and his associates. It's all of the carbon credit he has been buying when he travels, etc. ;^) I see a tyrany in this country and most of our politicians have been working against us for far to long. We need to arrest and hang all of the traitors. Frazier, I thought just because the pedophile neighbor comment was sarcastis, does not mean it doesn't make sense in it's insanity. Don't change, because somebody wants to enforce political correctness. With the eugenics of our masters, the human population will be brought down to 500,00. Check out the Georgia Guidestones at- *********thegeorgiaguidestones**/Message.htm
MikefromMinnesota
07-09-09 5:36 PM »Report Abuse	Franken will vote to put coal miners and iron ore miners out of business to answer budmans questions. And as far as American steel plants...they still exist in PA, OH, IND, MI and other parts of US. Iron Ore is still taken from the ground and along with coal are turned into steel at least until the Cap and Trade bill is passed then at that time the coal and iron ore industries can just pass from the American scene which strikes me as a huge wate since we have huge coal and iron ore reserves we can still tap into and we can still make high quality american steel. Seems like a waste to me to make the steel in China and then ship it here....just because the Democrats want to kill off american industry totally so they can live in neverland and eat tofu and be happy.
Fraizer
07-09-09 5:35 PM »Report Abuse	"...Putting in data with a 50% accuracy rating will give an output that is 50% correct, ..." Except you won't know which half is correct.
steelercrazy
07-09-09 5:00 PM »Report Abuse	The Wheeling News-Register get a link on the Drudge Report!!! GymJones and the rest of the lib lurkers on this site are being displayed for what they are to the whole world!!!
robojock
07-09-09 3:57 PM »Report Abuse	I am glad to see that some people actually understand the science behind this garbage. I have had 4 classes in data modeling, 2 at a graduate level, and one could NEVER create a model with .00002% accurate data. It is logic people. Putting in data with a 50% accuracy rating will give an output that is 50% correct, period. a model is only as good as the data put in, and an extraordinary amount of data is needed to identify patterns that can be detected and predicted, period.
DonaldFromFolsom
07-09-09 2:50 PM »Report Abuse	Global warming is analogous to Oceana’s Perpetual War. A fabricated crisis used in controlling its citizens.
maceng
07-09-09 2:25 PM »Report Abuse	If you are a little worried about your carbon foot print, don't work out; you will increase your CO2 output. If you are really worried about your carbon foot print, try to stop exhailing!
NoFear
07-09-09 2:23 PM »Report Abuse	GymJones’ quoted info was as follows: “In 2003, 62 percent of the ocean's ice cover was older, thicker ice, with 38 percent in seasonal layers...". Climate Fear Profiteer scientists get paid taxpayer money to produce the junk science data that there is “new ice that has replaced old ice”. ---The sea ice that replaced sea ice that was lost in 1815 and 1816 would have been new seasonal ice. "It will without doubt have come to your Lordship's knowledge that a considerable change of climate, inexplicable at present to us, must have taken place in the Circumpolar Regions, by which the severity of the cold that has for centuries past enclosed the seas in the high northern latitudes in an impenetrable barrier of ice has been during the last two years, greatly abated..." President of the Royal Society, London, to the Admiralty, 20th November, 1817, Minutes of Council, Volume 8. pp.149-153, Royal Society, London. 20th November, 1817.
Fraizer
07-09-09 2:23 PM »Report Abuse	Interesting: Sarcastic, yes. Sorry, I did not mean to offend. My point was that the precautionary principle can be taken to absurdium. In my opinion, Tax and Charade takes climate hysteria to absurd levels; and when it is all said and done it will do nothing for the environment. It will in fact do harm to the environment by misdirecting huge amounts of money that could be used to do some real good. Tax and Charade is nothing but a government power and money grab. It deserves a quick and brutal death. Hopefully it will never make it out of conference.
cory1978
07-09-09 2:13 PM »Report Abuse	Interesting: I am an avid outdoors man. I love to hunt, fish and be "one" with nature. I try to get out at least once a week. I obviously am all for cleaning up the environment but not at a cost such as this...our national security depends on it. No one in the world has to abide by this mandate except us and no one will. Ever wonder why the greenest country is Switzerland? Because they are neutral when it comes to war and can afford to spend money on "green" projects. We are too busy nation building to ever afford Cap and Trade.....The first step in creating a cleaner environment.....creating a Independent America that relies on no one.
Interesting
07-09-09 2:02 PM »Report Abuse	I am for (cleaning) up the enviroment on all levels. Please excuse my typo.
Interesting
07-09-09 2:00 PM »Report Abuse	Frazier- Your response is nothing but sarcastic. pediphiles???? Since you brought it up, please make sure that you don't live near a Catholic priest. Debating the issue is one thing. Making up sarcastic remarks is an entirely different agenda. I would venture to guess that most of the posters are not our senators and legislators, so it would be wise to contact them with your comments. For or against Cap and Trade. I am for claning up the enviroment on all levels.
Fraizer
07-09-09 1:45 PM »Report Abuse	"...We have to start somewhere..." The fallacy known as the precautionary principle. Start somewhere? Where to start? Start solving a non-problem like AGW with a non-solution like Tax and Charade? Why not start by building an asteroid defense system? After all, the probability of getting hit by one is 100%. Why not start by building a global alien defense system? You know, just in case. We have to start somewhere. Why not start by imprisoning my next door neighbor? There are pedophiles. Pedophiles have to live next door to someone, therefore maybe my next door neighbor is a pedophile. Definitely lock him up, you know, just in case. The saddest thing about Tax and Charade is that it takes our eye off the ball and instead of doing something about REAL problems that could be SOLVED we will throw wild sums of money at an ineffectual solution for a non-problem. We could eradicate malaria worldwide for 10% of the cost of Tax and Charade and save hundreds of million
Thebudman
07-09-09 1:41 PM »Report Abuse	The wise investors should look to T. Boone, he has 687 turbines that he's selling cheap.

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