Happy Monday! Take a break from the GoT recaps to check out what we’re reading today.
Oil giants BP and Shell pledge $1 million each to Republican-backed carbon tax (Washington Examiner) “The two companies are providing money to Americans for Carbon Dividends, the advocacy arm of the Climate Leadership Council, a group led by former Republican Secretaries of State James Baker III and George Shultz that is promoting a carbon tax plan that would return all of the revenue to taxpayers.” Response from the EcoRight: “‘Any and all industry support for pricing carbon is a welcome development,’ [Rep. Francis] Rooney told the Washington Examiner. ‘These major oil companies have important voices in the future of energy. I would also like to see these companies engage in direct advocacy for pricing carbon.'”
It’s time for Republicans to lead (again) on climate change (The Hill) Emil Frankel, former official from the George W. Bush administration, writes in this op-ed: “Climate change may represent the greatest threat to public health and safety humanity has ever faced. But, at this critical moment, the Trump administration and Republican congressional leadership have turned away from regulatory and statutory leadership on climate ceding the issue to Democrats. It’s time for new leaders to restore the tradition of environmental stewardship that is so central to Republican principles.”
And to mix things up, one must listen:
The Political Climate podcast episode, Curbelo’s canceled testimony and the ‘middle ground.’ You’ll want to fast forward to 15:15 to hit the interview with former Rep. Carlos Curbelo, which lasts about 20 minutes. “Clearly, the founding father wanted strong consensus if we were going to get anything done in this country,” he says in the interview. “Whatever cause you want to advance, you are going to have to get bipartisan support.”
Later this week: The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis holds its 3rd hearing on Thursday, May 23rd. The focus of the hearing is Creating a Climate Resilient America. The following witnesses have been invited to testify: Rachel Cleetus, policy director, climate and energy program, Union of Concerned Scientists; Noah Diffenbaugh, senior fellow, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment; and Matt Russell, executive director, Iowa Interfaith Power and Light.
Stay tuned for more!