We’ve got three big hurdles before we see a new Energy Bill enacted: substantive, procedural, and presidential.

First, the substantive hurdle — the two bills differ on key points, such as fuel economy standards, a national renewable electricity standard, and energy taxes (I have reprinted a side-by-side comparison below). Merging the bills won’t be easy.

Second, the procedural hurdle — both chambers must “formally be considering the same legislation,” as E&E Daily (subs. req’d) explains:

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Last week, the Arctic lost an area of ice “almost twice as big as the UK.” The normally staid US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported:

Even more stunning is that the August 2007 monthly average is the lowest extent in the satellite record for any month, including any previous September, which is typically the lowest month each year.

The NSIDC notes “Another notable aspect of August 2007 was the opening of the Northwest Passage.”

Human-caused climate change is remaking the planet. Ice retreat back in 2005 was already faster than any of the 19 IPCC climate models had predicted. An NSIDC Arctic specialist said: “It’s amazing. It’s simply fallen off a cliff and we’re still losing ice.” He then added:

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Global warming has long been predicted to make hurricanes more intense. Well, now we are seeing more intense hurricanes. Chris Mooney has a great post on the recent storm surge of category 5 hurricanes now that Felix has joined that once-elite club. He notes:

• There have now been 8 Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes in the past 5 years (Isabel, Ivan, Emily, Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Dean, Felix).
• There have been two Atlantic Category 5s so far this year; only three other seasons have had more than one (1960, 1961, 2005).
• There have been 8 Atlantic Category 5 hurricanes so far in the 2000s; no other decade has had so many. The closest runner up is the 1960s with 6 (Donna, Ethel, Carla, Hattie, Beulah, Camille).

Some people, especially the Deniers, think this is all a coincidence, or the result of incomplete data from earlier years. Here’s why I don’t:

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The liquid coal hearing where I am testifying will be webcast. You just need to go to this House Science Committee link at 10 a.m. on Wednesday to watch. Tune in tomorrow — there will be some fireworks!

The Washington Post reported that President Bush made the following claim at a fundraiser:

“Do you realize that the United States is the only major industrialized nation that cut greenhouse gases last year?”

The Post noted immediately that White House “was unable to substantiate the claim” because they really don’t know what other industrialized nations have done.

But does Bush deserve any credit for the unusual U.S. drop in emissions? I say, “yes,” but only in a perverse way — his failed energy policy (and the failed reconstruction of the Iraqi oil industry) helped set the stage for sharply increased gasoline prices in 2006, which moderated oil consumption.

The White House claims “Progress is due in part to natural causes, innovation and market forces, and emerging federal, state and local policies.” Uhh, how do “emerging federal … policies” change anything? Answer — they don’t until they actually emerge, which for this Administration is pretty much never.

I have previously noted the actual reasons for the drop in 2006 U.S. carbon dioxide emissions:

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