Archive for Saturday, November 17, 2007
Panel pulls site’s paper on global warming
November 17, 2007
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Topeka — A state energy panel Friday decided to remove from its Web site a background paper on global warming.
The 13-12 vote by the Kansas Energy Council after a confusing discussion was seen by some as evidence that the advisory panel is off track.
"For the Energy Council to be relevant in the long run, we have to take up the controversial topics of the day," said Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson, who serves as co-chairman of the council. "We can't just argue over procedural issues about whether or not a document appears on our Web site."
Parkinson has been the point man for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in her administration's push for more renewable energy. But utilities and key legislators have been highly critical of the Sebelius administration's recent rejection of two coal-fired power plants in western Kansas based on concerns over carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.
Some of that friction is being played out in the KEC. The panel was established to provide a long-range energy plan for the state, but instead issued an annual report that is more like a briefing document, some of its members said.
"It's misleading to call this a plan," said Sarah Dean, of Lawrence, who has been a vocal critic of the coal-fired power project near Holcomb.
And the KEC's makeup has produced an industry bent. Representatives of utilities and some of the legislators who support them voted to keep the global warming paper off the KEC Web site.
But Jeff Kennedy, an attorney who represents oil and gas interests, said he was concerned that the briefing paper could be misconstrued by the public as the KEC's position. In August, the KEC declined to take a stand on greenhouse gas emissions.
"My concern is that I want everything that goes out to the public on our Web page to be clearly identifiable," Kennedy said.
State Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, voted to keep the global warming paper on the Web site. The paper provided basic information about global warming and cited reports that said the combustion of fossil fuels has probably caused climate change.
"I know the utilities are all hot and bothered by this stuff, but people are talking, and you may as well get as much information out there as possible," Sloan said.
The KEC also voted to review the recent decision by Sebelius to join a greenhouse gas reduction pact with other Midwestern governors.
State Sen. Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg, and a critic of the decision to deny the two coal-burning plants, urged the KEC to review the pact, saying "we shouldn't back off" just because Sebelius has signed the agreement.
KEC leaders also proposed splitting the panel into three standing committees to try to make its decision-making process quicker.
Co-chairman Ken Frahm said the KEC needed to be more "nimble" and tackle tough subjects that will produce debate and recommendations for the governor and Legislature.
"If they're unanimous issues, they don't need our advice," he said.
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17 November 2007
at 7 a.m.
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TNPlates (Anonymous) says…
Glad to see the KEC is staying relevant.
The article is a bit confusing. Is the paper in question already on the web-site (is it: http://kec.kansas.gov/reports/GHG_Rev…) or is it a paper that they wanted to put on (from the Midwest Governor's Conference), but haven't yet?
17 November 2007
at 10:39 a.m.
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dorothyhr (Dorothy Hoyt-Reed) says…
So they want to pull an article about global warming, because they don't want people to think it's happening, or will it make the global warming nonexistent? Let's just ignore pollution and it won't exist? Just relax and let the gas, coal, and utility companies take care of everything. After all they are the experts and they only have your best interest in mind, right. Just follow along, Baa Baa
17 November 2007
at 11:15 p.m.
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toefungus (Anonymous) says…
Sarah Dean-Who is she and who does she represent?
18 November 2007
at 2:12 a.m.
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lounger (Anonymous) says…
Denial wont solve anything. Global warming is here-now!!
18 November 2007
at 2:28 p.m.
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KansasMeadowlark (Anonymous) says…
toefungus: “Sarah Dean-Who is she and who does she represent?”
Shouldn't every state have a radical environmental activist on a board controlling state energy policy?
Sara Dean (or her Sara S Dean Family Trust) has been a big contributor to Kathleen Sebelius:
- $2000 to Sebelius in 2006
- $2000 to Sebelius in 2005
- $2000 to Sebelius in 2002
- $2000 to Paul Morrison in 2006
Dean gave $300 to Sebelius for Insurance Commissioner in 1994.
Sarah Dean has given $1625 to Nancy Boyda for Congress and $1000 to Dennis Moore for Congress
In 2002 Sebelius appointed Sara Dean to her “Budget Efficiency Savings Team” the Agriculture and natural resources committee.
In 2004 when the Kansas Energy Council was formed, Sebelius appointed Sara Dean. Sebelius re-appointed Dean to the Kansas Energy in July 2006 her term expires in June 2011.
Unbelievably, even though a member of the Kansas Energy Council, Sara Dean and her husband, Ray, personally filed suit against the State of Kansas (no conflict of interest there?)
“Couple sue state to limit air pollution”, LJWorld, May 30, 2007
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/may…
The Deans' attorney include Robert Eye one of the attorneys Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline wants off the Planned Parenthood case, http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/nov….
Sara Dean was a contributor to the “non partisan” League of Women voters of Kansas: http://www.lwvk.org/PDF/stateVOTER/ma…
19 November 2007
at 8:33 a.m.
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Left_handed (Anonymous) says…
Global warming is here now, caused by the sun, and it's a dang good thing since we're coming out of an ice age.