Part 1 argued argued that the Democrats would be smart to compromise on offshore drilling. Part 2 began an analysis of the bipartisan compromise proposed by the Gang-of-10 Senators, suggesting that deal isn’t so bad.

I am interrupting this series to point out that the House GOP is so nervous that the Dems might kill their pathetic political ploy by forcing a vote on a reasonable compromise that they are willing to delay indefinitely any deal that includes drilling, as CQ Politics just reported:

Republicans Say Any Drilling Bill Must Move Through Committee

House Republicans said Monday they would refuse to consider any energy bill that came straight to the floor from the Democratic leadership’s offices, rather than working its way through committee markups — a process that can take weeks or months.

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Today, speaking in Florida, John McCain attacked his opponent for potentially reducing funding for certain NASA programs:

Let me say, just in case Senator Obama does decide to return to his original plan of cutting NASA funding – I oppose such cuts.

The only trouble is, he actually supports such cuts. McCain supports a discretionary spending freeze for his first year in office, which would allow inflation to erode the funding .

The currently requested funding level for NASA in 2009 is $17.6 billion. The Congressional Budget Office projects inflation of 2.1% between 2009 and 2010.

By freezing its funding at 2009 levels, John McCain would allow NASA’s budget to erode with inflation — an effective budget cut of $370 million.

As McCain himself says, “that position is a shortsighted approach that fails to recognize the benefits of space exploration and the technology and economic advantages that result from the space program.” NASA’s portfolio includes not only space exploration, but also vital research into global climate change.

Americans For Prosperity (AFP) has a brief message on its website today:

Ft. Myers and West Palm Beach Town Hall Meetings Rescheduled

The August 19th Ft. Myers town hall and August 21st West Palm Beach town hall will be rescheduled as a result of Tropical Storm Fay. We apologize for any inconvenience.

AFP is a front group for the right-wing pollution company Koch Industries, with an agenda of attacking “global warming alarmism” and promoting increased offshore drilling.

Somehow I doubt they planned to discuss how global warming intensifies tropical storms and threatens Florida’s coasts, nor how tropical storms and offshore drilling are a disastrous combination.

We have come to a point in the election season where the courage of the candidates and the intelligence of the voters are being severely tested. So far, the candidates are flunking.
The public’s grade is pending.

The test is about oil and national security. Over the past several months, consumers showed their smarts by recognizing that a gas-tax holiday was pandering and by responding to high gasoline prices with conservation. Conservation is one of the factors that have resulted in the drop in gasoline prices.

Now, it appears that public opinion has shifted in favor of drilling for more oil, even though the experts say it will have no short-term impact on prices or long-term impact energy security. (I say “appears to have shifted” because at least one expert — David Moore, the former head of Gallup — thinks public opinion is not so clear-cut. When asked a question that gives them a choice, Moore says, half or more of the respondents favor conservation over drilling.)

It’s disappointing, but no surprise, that the candidates’ positions have swung with the pro-drilling polls. Read more

Our guest bloggers are Dave McCurdy and Jason Grumet. McCurdy is the the President and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Grumet is the Executive Director of the National Commission on Energy Policy.

The solutions to climate change and energy security are going to require creativity, dedication and innovation across our society. Government must adopt sound policies that provide incentives and support for innovation. Companies have to seize opportunities to develop new, more efficient products. And all Americans must join together in the recognition that our individual actions have real impacts on our nation’s economy, security and environment.

Automakers understand and share the concerns of policymakers, environmental advocates and American consumers about rising gas prices, energy security and climate change. New aggressive efforts are underway to develop highly efficient vehicles and advanced technologies that do not consume oil. While these efforts progress, there’s something that every American driver can do to be part of the solution — it’s called ecodriving.

Ecodriving is a public education and awareness initiative aimed at providing consumers with tips to show how regular vehicle maintenance combined with simple changes in driving habits can lead to significant improvements in fuel economy and reductions in automobile carbon dioxide emissions. Ecodriving is practiced in other parts of the world and is proven to provide fuel economy improvements as much as 15 to 20 percent. With gas prices at record highs and growing concern over climate change, ecodriving provides direct pocketbook benefits to consumers, and give them tools to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Ecodriving proves you can save money and improve the environment by driving green. Best of all, ecodriving can provide benefits right now across the entire vehicle fleet.

By following a set of easy-to-use best practices for driving and vehicle maintenance, a typical ecodriver can improve mileage by about 15 percent. Today’s automobiles are really computers on wheels, with more than 3,000 interactive parts operating as a complex system. The more you know about your machine, the better you can reduce fuel use and CO2 emissions. Always read your owner’s manual. Maintaining proper tire pressure, regularly replacing air filters, using the right oil and removing excess weight from your vehicle, as well as using cruise control, combining trips and avoiding “jack rabbit” starts and stops will ultimately save you money at the pump and reduce CO2 emissions. Read more

I know we’re supposed to be going into a period of cooling, at least according to people who don’t believe in the scientific method, but for those who do, NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center reports in its “Climate of 2008 July in Historical Perspective“:

Based on preliminary data, the globally averaged combined land and sea surface temperature was the fifth warmest on record for July and the ninth warmest for the January-July year-to-date period.

It is worth noting that El Ni±o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions remained in a neutral phase during July. And we’re still at a solar minimum.

And no, I don’t think the monthly data tell us much about the climate — but I know reporting it annoys the deniers, and I am trying to enjoy my vacation. As for what the peer-reviewed scientific literature forecasts for the next decade, temperaturewise:

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