OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Climate change, polar vortex, war on coal take center stage

BUT, WHY IS THE ICE GONE?: As the Arctic warms and ice melts, the polar vortex begins to loose its stability, pushing colder weather toward the U.S.

{mosads}And it has perfect timing. As the polar vortex stretched across the U.S. leaving many trying to stay warm against the freezing subzero temperatures, Washington, D.C., has decided to home in on President Obama’s climate change agenda.

Climate skeptics like Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) used the polar vortex to laugh in the face of global warming.

“First of all, global warming is not taking place. It’s kind of laughable right now with all the records that are being set,” Inhofe told the Fox affiliate in Tulsa, Okla., in an interview on Tuesday.

And the Obama administration deemed that the climate denier’s claims warranted a response, with a new video posted on the White House website.

The battle between the GOP and administration over Obama’s climate regs — which many consider ahead of their time — will continue Thursday.

ON TAP THURSDAY: The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a full committee hearing titled, “Obama Administration’s War on Coal: The Recent Report by the Office of the Inspector General.”

Its members will dive into a report, which probed the administrations process of a 2008 stream protection rule.

And more congressional hearings surrounding the president’s climate agenda (dubbed the war on coal by the GOP) are bound to be held this year.

AROUND THE WEB: Not to drape you in the polar vortex … here is some solid coverage of the science behind it.

USA Today has the list of record-low temperatures set this week.

Bloomberg reports Europe faces warm temperatures and Britain is being hit with rain

The Wonkblog broke down the math and science underneath all of the factors contributing to global warming despite record cold.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out the stories that ran on E2-Wire on Wednesday …

– EPA publishes emissions rule for new plants to GOP’s dismay
– Bill targeting environmental regs threatened with veto
– WH: Polar temps part of climate change
– Appropriators fight to beat clock
– Chamber boss decries ‘shallow’ politics in Keystone delay
– Al Roker to polar vortex skeptics: ‘Stuff it’
– Inhofe: ‘Laughable’ to call global warming a polar vortex factor
– Ex-Obama security adviser backs Keystone
– Wyden wants to talk about crude export ban, ending crude imports
– Polar vortex hits US energy supply
– Train carrying crude derails in Canada

Please send tips and comments to Laura Barron-Lopez, laurab@digital-release.thehill.com.