Extreme Weather: U.S. Gripped by Massive Winter Storm
Extreme weather is the story of the day across much of the United States. A massive winter storm has affected 100 million people from New Mexico to New England. Thousands of flights have been canceled. The National Weather Service issued storm watches, warnings and advisories in more than 30 states and blizzard warnings for eight. States of emergency were declared in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma. Many scientists have linked the extreme winter weather patterns to climate change. A recent study by the U.S. Global Change Research Program found the amount of very heavy precipitation on the eastern seaboard from Washington, D.C., to Maine rose by 67 percent between 1958 and 2007.
Bill Introduced to Ban EPA from Regulating Greenhouse Gases
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, House Republicans are planning to introduce a bill today to ban the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. And in the Senate, a group of Democrats, led by Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, have proposed a two-year moratorium on EPA attempts to regulate greenhouse gases.
Koch Industries’ Carbon Footprint is 300,000,000 Tons a Year
Koch Industries is likely responsible for about 300 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution every year. Flint Hills Resources, Koch’s refining subsidiary, processes 300 million barrels of oil a year. This one company — with its refining, pipeline, chemical, fertilizer, cattle, and forestry operations — is involved in up to five percent of the entire United States 7-gigaton carbon footprint.