Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use

Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa

Republican Joni Ernst has won a seat in the Senate representing Iowa. She defeated her Democratic opponent, Rep. Bruce Braley. Ernst is a Tea Party supporter and a climate change denier and friend of the Koch brothers. She also wants to close the Environmental protection agency while dismissing Agenda 21 as a conspiracy that would undermine civil liberties.

Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms

Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott beat Democrat Charlie Crist while Steve Southerland lost his bid to keep his seat in the US House of Representatives.

Both Scott and Southerland are unfriendly towards environmental issues and climate concerns. The very fact that such politicians were vying for office in Florida is rather ironic given that this state will be one of the worst hit by flooding and extreme weather associated with climate change.

Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms

Climate change and environmental concerns were important issues in the Michigan midterms and they may well have been the deciding factors in the race for the Senate. On Novmeber 4th, Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) trounced the Republican candidate, former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land by 14 percentage points.

Concerns about the Great Lakes were on top of voter priorities. This concern is driven by a number of environmental calamities including oil spills, most notably the rupture of Enbridge Line No. 6 into the Kalamazoo River (the largest inland oil spill in US history) and the 2014 refinery spill on Lake Michigan. It was also about the Koch brothers three-story high pile of petroleum coke that poisoned the air and the Detroit River.

Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses

The US midterm results are in and fossil fuels have won big while efforts to combat climate change are dealt a serious blow. With 52 seats, Republicans have won the Senate and they now control both chambers of Congress. This will make passing President Obama's legislative agenda, which was already very difficult, nearly impossible. Here are 10 likely energy and climate consequences of Republicans advances in the 2014 midterms:

Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial

The ignorance displayed in this video would be amusing if it were not representative of the views of a large number of Republicans seeking office in the forthcoming midterms. The scientific evidence behind climate change may be clear but Republicans continue to play politics. Their self serving political opportunism may play well with some constituents but their utter absence or responsible leadership imperils the future for us all.

Merkel's Reelection and German Green Energy Issues

On Sunday September 21, ruling German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a champion of renewable energy, won a historic third term in office with an overwhelming victory for her ruling conservative Christian Democrats. Merkel is now set to eclipse Margaret Thatcher as Europe’s longest serving head of government.

Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) won over 41 per cent of the vote, representing an increase of 8 per cent over Germany’s last general election in 2009. The election results give the party 311 seats in the Bundestag which is just five short of an absolute majority.

Ms Merkel will have to address some difficult issues on the environmental front. Her government's extensive reliance green sources of energy leave some expressing concerns about the eventual cost consumers. Along with her party, she will also have to deal with the very expensive decision abandon Germany’s dependence on nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

A Word of Thanks from President Obama (Video)

After the announcement of his elelction victory President Obama made a surprise visit to the campaign office in Chicago to give a heartfelt thank-you to staff and volunteers. President Obama thanked his team and his supporters all around the world "I'm Really Proud of All of You. Thank you. This is your victory". He wasn't just talking to those in Chicago—he was talking to everyone who supported him.

President Obama's 2012 Victory Speech (Video)

After being re-elected President of the United States, President Obama gave his victory address in Chicago, IL. See the full speech in the video above or some brief highlights quoted below:

"Despite all our differences most of us share certain hopes for America's future, We want our children to grow up in a world that... isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. We want to pass on a country that is safe"

Hopes for Environmental Action in President Obama's Second Term

President Obama's second term will likely be more audacious than his first. In the President's own words, "the best is yet to come." In his first term, President Obama laid down stricter fuel economy standards and through the EPA more stringent requirements for coal plants. In his victory speech the President said, “We want our kids to grow up in an America… that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.”

Now that the President's environmental achievements from the first term are safe, we can expect more from the President in his second term. Optimism springs from the fact that the President does not have to face another election which frees him to undertake bolder action on the environment, climate change and clean energy.

Here are eight things the President can support to show leadership on the environment:

President Obama's Victory Speech: "The Best is Yet to Come"

At the end of a hard-fought campaign, President Obama won the popular vote and he earned 303 electoral college votes to 206 for Republican challenger Mitt Romney. The Senate remains under the control of the Democrats however, the House remains under the control of Republicans. Now the hard work of bridging a divided nation will commence.

Here is the full transcript of President Obama's victory speech:
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