Environmental Politics

The mid-term election raised the prominence of senators who deny the established science of climate change and promote the interests of fossil energy companies.

"Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is gearing up to take control of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as the balance of power shifts to Republicans next year."

"California voters enduring a record drought approved a $7.5 billion bond measure to upgrade water systems after Governor Jerry Brown said it was needed to shore up supplies."

"DENTON — In a state where the oil and gas industry is king, Denton on Tuesday was poised to become the first city in Texas to ban hydraulic fracturing with voters approving a grassroots initiative against the controversial drilling method."

"A Maui County ban on genetically modified crops pulled off a stunning turnaround late Tuesday night. After trailing by 19 points in the first two printouts, the ballot initiative took the lead, passing by more than 1000 votes."

"A top priority for a Republican-led Senate will be to send President Barack Obama a bill to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline and dare him to veto it."

"For Tom Steyer and other environmentalists, $85 million wasn’t enough to help Democrats keep the Senate blue or win more than a single governor’s mansion in Tuesday’s toughest races."

"The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission these days is drawing a crowd of companies promoting projects linked to the U.S. natural gas boom and protesters who say the agency blithely greenlights too many pipelines, export terminals and other gas infrastructure."

"With only a week before voters go to the polls to decide on an open-space preservation plan, seldom has such a proposal caused as much of a rift on this issue -- one widely embraced in the past. Not this time."

"Florida environmentalists are hoping voters will approve a ballot amendment on Tuesday to fund the purchase and conservation of land critical to protecting the state's water supply."