National Geographic reports that “an alignment of the newly empowered McConnell and fellow Republican leaders—who either openly doubt scientists’ findings that human industry has heated the planet, or contend that curbing carbon emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere isn’t worth the potential cost of lost jobs—is likely to create the most hostile political environment ever for addressing climate change in Washington.”  

“The outcome of Tuesday’s elections will provide McConnell’s party a solid blockade against Obama, who already has turned to executive action to order new emissions standards for power plants when he could not win enough congressional support even with Democrats running the Senate.”  

In a separate story, NatGeo also lists “4 Ways Election Results Could Intensify U.S. Energy Battles”:

1. Stronger Resistance to Power Plant Rules
2. An Attempt to Force Obama’s Hand on Keystone XL
3. A Move to Expand Fossil-Fuel Exports
4. Possible Passage of Energy Efficiency Bill