E2 Morning Roundup: Alleged Discovery gunman had militant green views, climate skeptics pounce on his ‘awakening’ from Al Gore flick, climate heats up Boxer-Fiorina debate, BP’s ad spending draws fire, and more

Fiorina hits Boxer on climate change

The Hill’s Sean Miller reports on Wednesday night’s debate between Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) — who heads the Environment and Public Works Committee — and GOP challenger Carly Fiorina.

Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, noted that Boxer’s climate change bill sputtered in accusing the incumbent of being ineffective.

"She could not shepherd that to a conclusion," Fiorina said. "That bill was taken away from her and given to [Massachusetts Democrat] John Kerry [because] he had a better chance of getting bipartisan support." (Editor’s note: The Senate ultimately punted entirely on the issue.)

Boxer took aim at Fiorina’s tenure at Hewlett-Packard, noting she “shipped jobs overseas” and adding “we also know she has opposed every jobs bill we voted on.”

More from the Boxer-Fiorina debate

The Los Angeles Times notes that Fiorina did not directly answer a question about whether she believes global warming is real.

"We should always have the courage to examine the science," she said, according to the Times account, "but all scientists agree on this: The only way to impact global warming is to act globally. A state acting alone will make no difference."

She said Boxer’s global warming legislation would have killed “millions of jobs” if it became law.

The Times notes Fiorina declined to take a position Proposition 23, a hotly contested state ballot initiative to suspend California’s climate change rules. That led to an attack from Boxer.

"If you can't take a stand on Prop. 23, I don't know what you will take a stand on," Boxer said. "If we overturn California's clean energy policies, that's going to mean that China takes the lead away from us with solar, that Germany takes the lead away from us with wind, but I guess my opponent is kind of used to creating jobs in China and other places. I want those jobs created here in America."

Police kill gunman who held hostages at Discovery Communications

Police on Wednesday killed a man with extreme environmental views who held hostages at gunpoint at the media company based in Silver Springs, Md.

Multiple news accounts, citing law enforcement sources, reported the gunman was James Jay Lee, who “held a grudge against Discovery, viewing the network as a purveyor of ideas he considered environmentally destructive and staging protests outside its headquarters, according to authorities and court records,” The Washington Post notes.

Alleged gunman: Earth “does not need humans”

More from the Post on Lee’s views:

“On a Web site that federal law enforcement sources confirmed was created by Lee and contained his 11 points, he listed his demands of the Discovery Channel.

“Among them: that the channel stop broadcasting ‘all programs promoting war’ and help find ways to stop ‘ALL immigration pollution and the anchor baby filth that follows that,' as well as find ‘solutions for Global Warming, Automotive pollution, International Trade, factory pollution, and the whole blasted human economy.’

"'Saving the Planet means . . . decreasing the Human population. That means stopping the human race from breeding any more disgusting human babies!'” he wrote, the paper notes.

Climate skeptics highlight gunman’s claim of “awakening” from Al Gore flick

Several climate change skeptics quickly noted the news of Lee’s actions, and some featured stories that Lee in 2008 claimed he had an “awakening” after seeing Al Gore’s global warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Headline on the skeptic website Watts Up With That: “When warmistas attack.” The Drudge Report and Climate Depot — a site run by Marc Morano, a former staffer for Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) — noted Lee’s claim about Gore’s film on their websites.

But conservative pundit Michelle Malkin, while bashing Gore, warned against linking the alleged gunman to the climate documentary. “The gunman was reportedly motivated by Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth eco-propaganda. Guess what? I’m not playing that opportunistic blame game here. It’s not Al Gore’s fault when an enviro-nut goes off unhinged (and I’ve said that before). The blame in this case lies with the crazy man who terrorized the Discovery Channel employees. Period,” she wrote on her website.

Tussle over Energy Department enlivens Texas House race

“Rep. Chet Edwards dinged Republican challenger Bill Flores today for suggesting earlier this year that the Department of Energy be eliminated,” The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday.

"Maybe Mr. Flores doesn't understand what the Department of Energy does, but that is a very dangerous misunderstanding," said Edwards (D-Waco) in a call with reporters. "This proposal would have serious consequences, both here in Texas and across our nation."

“The criticism derives from comments that Flores made at a radio candidates' forum in March, where he suggested cutting funds for the department.” The Flores camp called the attack “desperate,” the paper notes.

BP’s ad spending draws fire

On Wednesday, we reported on BP’s increase in ad spending during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The $93 million the company spent between April and the end of July drew criticism from Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has pressed for data on the company’s PR efforts and Wednesday said, “While BP’s advertising campaign is being executed like clockwork, business and state claims have languished.”

“BP’s extensive advertising campaign that is solely focused on polishing its corporate image in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon blowout disaster is making people angry. As small businesses, fishermen, and mom and pop motels, hotels and restaurants struggle to make ends meet, they are bombarded by BP’s corporate marketing largess day after day. BP should be doing more to address the damage to the Gulf Coast tourism industry, fishing industry, and for researchers and for the taxpayers,” she said in a prepared statement.

Financing in focus at climate change meeting

Reuters reports on an international meeting in Switzerland ahead of the big UN summit in Mexico late this year:

“A global fund to help poorer countries switch to green industrial technology is vital in any new international pact to battle global warming, Switzerland's top climate change negotiator said on Wednesday,” their piece states.

“The official, Franz Perrez, was speaking at a news conference on the eve of a two-day gathering of environmental ministers and experts from some 45 countries to discuss how to reach agreement on a funding deal.”

“'An agreement on viable long-term financing is one of the very important building blocks for a new convention to combat the challenge of climate change,’ said Perrez, whose country has organised the informal meeting together with Mexico.”

Funding for oil sands film creates sticky questions

The Calgary Herald reports Thursday:

“The Alberta government is reviewing a provincial program that paid out nearly $55,000 in taxpayers' cash to help bankroll the production of anti-oil sands film Dirty Oil, but stressed it's not in the censorship business.”

“While the province re-evaluates how it funds Alberta-produced films, Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett said there are two pro-oilsands productions in the works that may get provincial funding.”

“Premier Ed Stelmach and Blackett both said Wednesday they're livid that taxpayer dollars are funding an ‘anti-Alberta’ film -- all the more stinging since the government in spending tens of millions of dollars trying to improve the province's image.”

"I'm just as upset as other taxpayers that money coming from taxpayers was used to fund a film that was in many cases anti-Alberta and anti-oilsands," Stelmach told reporters. 

Tips, comments or complaints? Please send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .