"5 GOP Science 'Believers' in the New Congress"

"Not every Republican in the incoming 114th Congress dismisses human-driven climate change. A few within the GOP majority accept the science. But on key policies, expect them to vote with those who dismiss the issue as a hoax."

"A handful of Republicans make a conservative case for climate change concern in the new Congress being sworn in today. But nobody expects them to break with the denier-dominated majority on the most important fossil fuel issues in the months ahead.

These GOP climate science believers have been hailed for offering a "kinder, fresher approach to climate issues," and some environmental advocates have mused on the influence they might wield over their peers.

These Republicans advocate "clean energy." But they also support construction of the Keystone XL pipeline for transporting oil from the carbon-intensive Canadian tar sands to Texas refineries. And they all oppose the Obama administration's prime climate initiative – the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rules for curbing carbon emissions from existing coal power plants – and likely would vote for legislation to block EPA."

Marianne Lavelle reports for The Daily Climate January 6, 2015.