The passage of a 1,200-page climate bill by the House of Representatives last week ensures a thorough discussion of U.S. energy policy will soon be on the table.
It’s up to the Senate to decide the bill’s fate, but many of its provisions ”“ particularly the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions and the establishment of cap-and-trade rules for industry ”“ are important initiatives that should be adopted in some form.
The bill is opposed by those who doubt that greenhouse gas emissions spur climate change. Others believe compromises have rendered it ineffective.
But if passed by the Senate ”“ not a sure thing by any reckoning ”“ the climate bill would begin to encourage broad changes on the way Americans use energy. Such change is long overdue.
Our profligate use of coal to generate electricity releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, risking irreversible climate change and rising sea levels. Another energy risk arises from our dependence on foreign oil ”“ a continuing hazard for our economy and national security.
As President Obama observed in his weekly radio address: “We have been talking about energy for decades, but there is no longer a disagreement over whether our dependence on foreign oil is endangering our security. It is.
“There is no longer a debate about whether carbon pollution is placing our planet in jeopardy. It’s happening.”
The bill passed with only a seven vote margin in the House, thanks to last-minute lobbying by the president. Now it faces a difficult test in the Senate, where it will need 60 votes to hold off Republican procedural moves to block it.
The bill is wide-ranging, but compromise has made it a moderate proposal. Senators from both sides of the aisle should support it.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 establishes a lenient cap-and-trade system ”“ setting a cost on CO2 emissions. It requires electric utilities to tap renewable energy sources by 2020. It invests $190 billion in clean energy technology.
It also seeks to upgrade the nation’s electrical grid, to promote clean fuels and vehicles, and to require greater efficiency in appliances and new buildings. To encourage the purchase of efficient cars, there is a “Cash for Clunkers” program.
The bill seeks to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 17 percent by 2020. The cost of this initiative is disputed, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that it would cost the average household $175 a year.
Solving the environmental and energy problems facing the U.S. and the world requires a major initiative. Passing this bill seems a good place to start.
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