Incoming US House panel head (John Dingell) sets energy priorities

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N08336014.htm

Incoming US House panel head sets energy priorities

WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The Michigan Democrat who will head the House Energy and Commerce Committee next year previewed on Wednesday his energy priorities: cleaner cars powered by diesel and electricity, storing waste from U.S. nuclear reactors and probing offshore federal lease deals.

Rep. John Dingell, who has been a U.S. lawmaker since 1955, also gave a strong indication of what he did not plan to do: raise fuel-efficiency standards for U.S. automobiles.

Democrats regained control of the House in Tuesday's election and Dingell is set to take the gavel of the House Energy Committee from Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton.

As chairman, Dingell will hold the reins of a committee that writes the lion's share of energy legislation considered by House lawmakers, and holds wide powers to probe corporate America.

[robinlynne]

1. yahoo!

[4dsc]

2. It doesn't matter

All the sign's point to a peaking of oil production within 5 years. After that it won't matter what kind of car your driving..

[msongs]

3. gotta protect the corporations like Ford who "influence" him eh?

but all of dingle's influence peddling will not save ford or GM from their own incompetence and stupidity.

meet the new boss, same as the old boss.


Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Tight_rope]

11. You are so right...

NOTHING "will not save ford or GM from their own incompetence and stupidity"

[IronLionZion]

13. I think Ford and GM have sold out Michigan long ago

by closing down factories so I don't know how much influence they still have over anyone.

[starroute]

4. Dingell is also in the pocket of the energy industry

Not as much as Barton, particularly when it comes to oil, but the energy industry in general -- and particular nuclear power -- is among his major donors.

[maddezmom]

5. hold on to your hats folks....this is going to be fun

Conyers, Dingel, Rangel..... :woohoo:

[ThomCat]

6. I sure as hell hope he's got more priorities than that.

What about alternative sources of energy?

Why not fuel efficiency?

What about market manipulation?

What about infrastructure repairs and investments?

x(

[RedEarth]

7. I'm not impressed.....

Frankly, I think we need a Manhattan type project on alternative fuels. Our country has to make weaning ourselves off of oil a priority.

[kwolf68]

9. Not impressed either

And its why Dems lose votes to Greens...Raising CAFE should be a major priority...Freaking great....

[mom cat]

17. We have proven we know how to put pressure where it is needed.

Here is where it is needed.

[Kolesar]

8. This is bullshit. We need to raise efficiency standards immediately

We cannot wait for future developments that may not pan out.

[WhiteTara]

20. send him a letter

we certainly can't think that they will do our bidding without our constant reminders. At heart, they are all politicians; the difference that I have found is that Democratic politicians listen and do as they are asked.

[SKKY]

10. There is no way in hell anyone can convince me that the US becoming...

...energy independent is impossible. If Brazil can do it, and do it successfully, why can't we?

[gorfle]

12. I agree

Yes I agree. We need to make alternative fuels a priority. Diesel, Natural Gas, or any other natural hydrocarbon fuel does not cut it.

[robbibaba]

14. A plug in biodiesel hybrid in every driveway!

500 mpg. How about a massive government incentive program to produce 'em?
This dingle-berry fellow may have a short tenure if he can't get the lead out.

[4dsc]

16. Why the US is not Brazil

There are many reason why we should not look at Brazil as a model to copy for our energy woes.. If we were to use as must energy per person as Brazil does, we would all face a very unhappy world..


http://www.theoildrum.com/story/2006/10/10/171011/86

One way the Brazilian example does not benefit the U.S. is in providing a template for success. As I have argued previously, Brazil's particular situation is not applicable in the U.S. As I wrote in an article for World Energy Source, the U.S. uses 7 times the energy per capita that Brazil does. Our supply/demand imbalance gap is 16.9 barrels per person per year. Theirs was 0.2 barrels per person last year, prior to the opening of a new Petrobras platform earlier in the year (immediately after which they declared energy independence). Furthermore, we rely on a crop (corn) in the U.S. that is much less energy efficient, and has ten times the soil erosion of sugarcane production. Finally, we are not in a tropical climate, and therefore have a much shorter growing season than does Brazil.

[SKKY]

18. I wasn't suggesting the US should use Brazil as a model...

...and do everything verbatim. My point was, Brazil was able to take their situation and make it work. And again, I reiterate, there is no way you can convince me that the US can't do the same.

[roamer65]

15. John is a decent guy...

I'm from his MI-15 district and he voted against the bankruptcy bill and against the 2002 Iraq war resolution. He also brings up a national health care bill at the beginning of each Congress. I sympathsize with your viewpoints, but I consider myself pretty lucky to have him as a representative. He's not perfect, but he represents his district pretty well. He'll have my vote as long as I can vote for him (i.e. redistricting). It could be a lot worse, I could have that useless sack of crap McCotter from MI-11.:puke:

[jwirr]

19. I would like to see him call for an investigation into cheney's

secret energy meeting with the oil czars.