Overnight Energy: Pope takes green message to Congress

POPE TALKS CLIMATE: Pope Francis stressed his calls for action on climate change in his speech to Congress Thursday.

Francis repeatedly referred to his encyclical from June on climate change and tried to enlist lawmakers to help him in his fight.

“In Laudato Si’, I call for a courageous and responsible effort to redirect our steps and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity,” Francis said.

{mosads}”I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States — and this Congress — have an important role to play.”

The declarations got loud, standing applause from Democrats, but only a handful of Republicans applauded Francis on climate change.

The speech follows numerous high-profile calls for climate action from Francis, including Wednesday at the White House and his encyclical.

Read more here.

BUT WHERE’S GOSAR?: Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) lived up to his promise and didn’t attend Francis’s speech, but watched it from his office instead.

Gosar pledged to boycott the speech due to his expectation that Francis would talk about climate change, and he had no regrets about missing it.

“I think I made my point, and I think the point needed to be made,” Gosar said, adding that Francis should focus on more important issues like Islamic extremism and abortion.

“He was very specific about climate change, a lot more dynamic on that regard than in right to life,” Gosar said. “He made one sentence and then transitioned it right into trying to advocate against the death penalty.”

Read more here.

ON TAP FRIDAY I: Pope Francis, now in New York City, will speak Friday at the United Nations General Assembly. He is likely to speak about climate change.

ON TAP FRIDAY II: The Center for Strategic and International Studies will host a discussion on the global market for liquefied natural gas. Fereidun Fesharaki, founder of energy consulting firm FGE, will be the featured speaker.

AROUND THE WEB: Kimray Inc., which manufactures oilfield equipment, is offering buyouts to all 700 employees at its Oklahoma City headquarters, The Oklahoman reports.

In the second quarter, renewable electricity generation overtook coal in the United Kingdom for the first time, the Telegraph reports.

All primary and secondary schools across Singapore are closed Friday due to haze, the Straits Times reports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out Thursday’s stories …

– Francis leaves lawmakers starstruck
– GOP rep has no regrets about skipping pope’s speech
– Porsche CEO expected to take over Volkswagen
– Keystone builder cuts top jobs
– Clinton calls for sweeping power grid upgrades
– Volkswagen US CEO expected to quit over emission scandal
– Obama: I should have acted sooner on climate change
– Partisan applause as Pope Francis urges the US to fight climate change

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