There's no doubt that it's new day for climate policy in the United States with Representative Henry Waxman, a leading champion in Congress of laws to protect the environment and fight global warming, beating out Dingell who spent the last two years more interested in boosting the Big Auto lobby and fighting against higher fuel economy standards for cars.

The question for me is whether we will now see a sequel to the "Waxman Hearings" on Big Oil, like the ones he held on Big Tobacco.

Just got word that Rep. Henry Waxman has won the nod to head the Energy and Commerce Committee over Rep. John Dingell 137 to 122 in votes.

This is a new day for climate policy in the United States, Waxman is a leading champion in Congress of laws to protect the environment and fight global warming, while Dingell spent the last two years more interested in boosting the Big Auto lobby and fighting against higher fuel economy standards for cars.

Waxman is also well known the "Waxman Hearings" that took on the tobacco industry over their massive efforts in the 80's and 90's to fight and confuse the science around tobacco use and cancer rates.

A Michigan Democrat wants to slash carbon emissions up to 80 per cent by 2050 by hiking gas taxes and ending mortgage-tax deductions for large houses. The measures are part of a multi-tiered bill that will be introduced September 1 before the Congressional committee that handles legislation around global warming.

... there's a warm spot in Greenland for leaders who play petty political games with the future lives and well-being of our children and grandchildren.

And for this retirement package, the Los Angeles Times is nominating Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a man who makes the Republican dinosaur Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe look almost like a reasonable person.

A spate of bills calling for greenhouse-gas controls have been introduced in the US senate. Ten major corporations have formed a coalition to push President Bush for action. Now a House of Representatives committee is shoving climate change to the top of its agenda.

"The [human] race of which you and I are a part, is great at having consensuses that are in great error. And so I want to get the scientific facts, and find out what the situation is. . ."

These words were uttered by:

(1) Bjorn Lomborg,

(2) Christopher Monckton,

(3) former Exxon CEO Lee Raymond,

(4) Rep. John Dingell, incoming Democratic chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee