From Senator Inhofe’s office:

Inhofe EPW News Round-Up
ChristianScienceMonitor: Cap-and-trade for carbon emissions? Gone. – Obama’s ambitious proposal for cap-and-trade carbon-emission regulation, meant to combat global climate change, now is not going anywhere this year. Cap-and-trade always faced a steep uphill climb. It would constitute as big a change in national policy as healthcare reform, maybe bigger. But lawmakers were never going to get around to considering it until after the healthcare fight was over. Retiring Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) of North Dakota indicated Tuesday that the Senate is not likely to take up cap-and-trade at all in 2010. “In the aftermath of a very, very heavy lift on healthcare, it’s unlikely that the Senate will turn to a very complicated and controversial subject of cap-and-trade,” Senator Dorgan told reporters.
FinancialTimes: US cap-and-trade bill looks even further away – Most of the commentariat are so far focusing on what it means for the healthcare bill, but the election is not much better for the chances of climate change legislation, either. Support in the Senate for a House cap-and-trade was already rather dicey. A Senate bill, supported by Republican Lindsey Graham and independent Joe Lieberman, doesn’t necessarily look much more secure as criticism of cap-and-trade grows, and some have suggested a climate bill needn’t put a price on carbon at all, but could merely create more renewable energy (which would be quite a blow to emissions reductions efforts, as we pointed out at the previous link).
Dallas Morning News: Is climate change legislation still a priority for Team Obama? – But the clock is running out on the legislative year, and the economy remains the biggest issue during an election year when many incumbents are nervous about their reelection chances. There probably isn’t enough time to pass a climate change bill through both chambers, even if lawmakers could find a way to surmount the obvious political hurdles to such a bill. At a briefing this morning with reporters from The Dallas Morning Newsand other outlets, White House senior advisor David Axelrod didn’t list climate change as a top priority for 2010. (The list basically consisted of finding ways to create jobs and passing a major financial regulation bill.)
E&ENews: “I just want to make sure if in fact … the Earth is heating up, that we have accurate information, and it’s unbiased by scientists with no agenda,” – During his campaign, Brown questioned the science linking man-made emissions to global warming.”It’s interesting. I think the globe is always heating and cooling,” Brown told a voter in Harvard, according to the Boston Globe. “It’s a natural way of ebb and flow. The thing that concerns me lately is some of the information I’ve heard about potential tampering with some of the information.” “I just want to make sure if in fact … the Earth is heating up, that we have accurate information, and it’s unbiased by scientists with no agenda,” Brown added.
BBC: “So there will either be no bill or one that is watered down.” – Perhaps the most important globally are moves on climate change. The Senate has yet to pass a bill to establish a “cap and trade” scheme to cut greenhouse emissions. The House passed its version last year. The Democrats were already struggling to get legislation through the Senate and the loss of a seat makes this all the harder. In addition, some Democrats from traditional manufacturing states are increasingly reluctant to vote for legislation seen as threatening US jobs. So there will either be no bill or one that is watered down. That may then provoke a backlash from other big polluting countries that are considering their own emissions cuts.
THE HILL: Brown’s Senate win could hinder climate bill push – Republican Scott Brown’s stunning win in the Massachusetts Senate race Tuesday does not bode well for Democratic plans to enact climate change legislation in 2010. At the very least, Brown adds another vote against a cap-and-trade bill – a plan the state senator attacked during his successful campaign against state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) for the seat held by the late Ted Kennedy. But more broadly, the rare election of a Republican senator in Massachusetts, which comes amid high unemployment, could fuel Democratic reluctance to take up climate legislation that opponents call harmful to the economy.
Politico: “A cap-and-trade bill has a shot in the Senate – as long as the cap-and- trade part is removed.” If Democrats dump that toxic measure and pursue a more modest climate and energy bill, they’ve actually got a shot at getting something done – and getting a few Republican votes to push them past 60…And moderate Democrats are pushing Senate leadership to drop the cap-and- trade provision in favor of an energy-only bill, which could include renewable fuels standard tax incentives for alternative energy Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), has also shown willingness to work on climate issues with the lead Democrat on the topic, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). “It is my assessment that we likely will not do a climate change bill this year, but we will do energy,” Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said Tuesday. “I think it is more likely for us to turn to something that is bipartisan and will address the country’s energy interest and begin to address specific policies on climate change.” They’ll have to work without the rookie Brown, who has expressed skepticism that climate change is being caused by humans. He’s also backed away from his previous support for a cap-and-trade system.
Reuters UK: Political turmoil shakes U.S. climate bill – WASHINGTON, Jan 19 – A U.S. climate change bill, already facing a difficult fight in the Senate, is facing new political problems that could sink “cap and trade” this year.A leading Senate Democrat on Tuesday said he does not think the Senate can pass a bill in 2010. A special election on Tuesday for a Massachusetts Senate seat could spell deeper problems for the long-delayed legislation. Republican state Senator Scott Brown is aiming to defeat Democratic state Attorney General Martha Coakley to fill the seat formerly held by Edward Kennedy, who died last August.