The warming of the planet is the overriding environmental issue of our time , with former vice-president Al Gore playing a crucial role in raising public awareness. Although the appetite for decisive action is growing – except at the White House -- the U.S. is still a long way from a comprehensive response to the challenge. Several Democratic hopefuls in this year’s presidential campaign are stepping up to the plate, but most Republicans are still dithering.

James Inhofe, former chair of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works and the leading Republican climate change denier recieved more in donations from the oil and gas sector than any other Senator, in the 2002 election cycle. According to the latest available election financing data, in the last five years Inhofe has received just over $3.4 million in donations from 20 industry sectors - almost $1 million (29%) is from the Energy/Natural Resources Sector and their respective PACS.

As coal-state officials struggle over growing demand for lower carbon emissions, California lawmakers told a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C. their legislation to cut carbon-dioxide output to 1990 levels by 2020 is predicted to bring $60 billion and 80,000 new jobs to the state economy.

Tomorrow morning, the Committee for Public Works and the Environment will hear testimony on the media's reporting on the issue of climate change. Thanks to DeSmog's vast information network and army of DeSmog Detectives, we have received advanced copies of the all of the testimony, but I think we'll just give you a teaser today.

Attached is the testimony of Dan Gainor who has absolutely no background in climate change and boasts a Master's Degree in Production Design. Mr. Gainor is a staffer at the Business and Media Institute, a subsidiary mouthpiece of the ExxonMobil funded Media Research Centre.

Here's one we haven't seen before: the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works (James Inhofe, chair), is releasing a periodic "Majority Fact of the Day," the Aug. 4 edition featuring an attack on New York Times columnist Bob Herbert.

Until now, I always thought a fact was ... well, a fact, and I can only assume that Senator Inhofe calls his outburst a "majority fact" to distinguish it from ... well, from an actual fact.