Energy & Environment: Markey Wants Answers on Rare Earths
• Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., "is pressing the Obama administration for information about alleged Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals used in defense and energy technologies, warning of threats to U.S. interests," The Hill reports.
• "Three months after BP capped its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Louisiana is still building a chain of sand berms off its coast to block and capture oil even as federal officials and many scientists argue that the effort will prove pointless," the New York Times reports.
• An Idaho couple has "sued the state to stop the shipments by Imperial Oil and ConocoPhillips" to an oil sands site in Canada, "arguing that the" truck loads delivered there "would threaten the integrity of Idaho's historic portion of U.S. 12, as well as the safety of communities that depend on it as the main road in and out of the area," the Times also reports. "National environmental groups and climate change activists are supporting their efforts, seeing a broader opportunity to stall development of Canada's oil sands, which they denounce as a dirty source of energy. "
• "Combating climate change has long taken a back seat to coal production in West Virginia, but in the hard-fought House race in this state's 1st district, global warming hasn't even made it onto the bus," The Hill reports. "In interviews on Thursday, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for Congress voiced skepticism of the science behind global warming, and the Republican, David McKinley, flatly called concerns about climate change 'an attack on coal.'"
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Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla
Biography provided by participant
Sen. James Inhofe has served Oklahomans with pride and honor as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, minority leader of the Oklahoma Senate, mayor of Tulsa, congressman from Oklahoma's First Congressional District, and in his present role as Oklahoma's senior U.S. Senator. Simply put, no one consistently represents common sense, conservative Oklahoma values more than Inhofe.
The Senator considers one of his unique qualifications for office to be the 30 years he's spent in the business community being over regulated by the federal bureaucracy. Throughout his political career, Ihofe has been a strong advocate for the principles of limited government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility. He believes that the federal government works best when it returns dollars, decisions, and freedom to our local communities and families.
During his tenure in Congress, Inhofe has forged a distinguished legislative record on a diverse range of issues: surface transportation and highway funding; environmental regulation and land management; strengthening and supporting America's national defense; rural education funding; and improving America's energy independence.
Inhofe served as chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee from 2004 to 2006, playing a key role in passage of the 2005 Highway Bill. He has also been a champion for restoring common sense and sound science to important environmental and regulatory issues like clean air mandates, wetlands, and endangered species.
Inhofe is a lifelong Oklahoman who grew up in Tulsa and graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in economics. He served in the U.S. Army and has been a small businessman working in aviation, real estate, and insurance for over 30 years.
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