Changing Climate on Capitol Hill
If you’ve watched C-SPAN at all recently, you’ve witnessed a monumental shift occurring on Capitol Hill. Or, you’ve fallen off your chair in disbelief.
For the first time, both the Senate and the House have not only called for a mandatory limits on U.S. global warming pollution, but committee leaders in both chambers have announced plans to bring such legislation before their committee’s in the next few months.
I’ve been at this game a while, but these latest developments truly stopped me in my tracks. I think the politicians in Washington, D.C. are finally listening to people outside the Beltway. The race has officially begun to see which chamber will bring a bill to the floor first that limits global warming pollution.
Last week, the Senate passed the first major overhaul in the nation’s fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks in three decades. And, Senate leaders promised to bring back a bill to set a nationwide renewable energy standard in coming months. Next, Sen. John Warner and Sen. Joe Lieberman, chairman and ranking members of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, announced that they have “begun...to draft a comprehensive bill to address global climate change.” Lieberman made a point to say they’d bring a strong bill before our subcommittee before the August recess.
On the other side of the Capitol, the House agreed 274-153 to a “Sense of the Congress” resolution recognizing the urgency of the global warming threat and calling for a mandatory program to cut global warming pollution. The resolution is the House complement to the “Sense of the Senate” resolution on global warming that passed in 2005. And in one of the surest signs that the race to enact meaningful climate legislation has begun, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., vowed to move a strong bill to cap carbon pollution through his committee. Dingell is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and any major climate bill must pass through his committee.
And to top it off, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership announced that Chrysler Group and Ford Motor Company have joined its coalition, which already includes many of the world's largest corporations and six of the nation's most respected non-governmental organizations, including the National Wildlife Federation. This means the ‘Big Three’ U.S. automakers (General Motors already is a member) have all joined the call for a federal cap and trade bill to reduce global warming pollution.
Odds-makers are having a field day predicting not if, but WHEN, the Congress will pass legislation that put us on a pathway to reduce global warming pollution by 2 percent per year, and 80 percent by 2050.
Delaying action puts wildlife at risk and will cost the nation more in the long run, placing more of the burden on future generations. It appears that more and more members in Congress agree.
To see where your member of Congress stands on this urgent matter go to:
http://online.nwf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Cosponsors07&JServSessionIdr011=12iqoy67r2.app7a
To send a note to your lawmaker go to:
http://online.nwf.org/site/Ecard?ecard_id=1141
Your voice can make a difference for our children's future and for the future of wildlife.
Dear Mr. Schweiger
As a lifelong lover of wildlife and nature, I celebrate with you the good news about the Bald Eagle. However, I wonder why you shift to discussing global warming, which you describe as the "overriding moral challenge of our time". You must be kidding! Have you ever heard of terrorism? Besides, as a former science teacher, I am embarassed by the notion that climate change is anthropogenic. It doesn't make sense, and scientists are coming out of the woodwork to criticize such a notion. It is akin to those who think the earth was created 6ooo years ago. It is an inability to grasp the concept of time. I think it is doing a grave disservice to the youth of the world to foster such a notion. True scientists do not make a pronouncement as fact then light up the Eiffel Tower to promote their theory.
Dan Lorey
Cincinnati
Posted by: Dan Lorey | July 02, 2007 at 01:27 PM
Larry,
Thanks so much for the uplifting report from the Hill. As a university president I am also stunned by the initial response of over 300 colleges and universities nationwide that are committing to go climate neutral, heading toward a goal of 1000 institutions by 2009 (see www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org)
And, yes, climate change is the greatest moral issue of our time.
Dr. Ed Johnson
Board Member
Second Nature
(coordinating body for the Presidents Climate Commitment)
Posted by: Edward Johnson | July 05, 2007 at 12:20 PM
Dan:
NWF does not deal with issues unrelated to wildlife such as terrorism. I can say, however, that if left unchecked, the effects of climate change will be far more devastating. As far as the science is concerned, I'll refer you to the latest IPCC report, which was peer-reviewed by over 2,500 of the world's leading scientists.
Ed: Thank you for your comment, and more importantly, for your leadership on this issue.
Posted by: Josh Nelson | July 05, 2007 at 02:58 PM