2

Friday, May 22, 2009

New Global Warming Legislation Must Move Forward, Despite Republican Opposition

President Obama and congressional Democrats are holding true to campaign promises to lessen carbon emissions and protect the environment. A recent bill that is currently in subcommittee would move toward cap-and-trade for pollution, a way to curtail the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere, and dictate renewable energy mandates for American energy needs. The New York Times calls it "the most ambitious" climate legislation ever debated in Congress. Not surprisingly, some Republicans, ever close to business lobbying interests, oppose the bill and have attempted to change its wording even before it gets out of the subcommittee.

This week has been a remarkable one for the environment, as President Obama has proposed a regulation to have all cars average 39 mpg by 2016, an ambitious, but doable, goal. This aforementioned congressional bill must move forward in Congress and be approved in order to jump-start the green economy and create a shared set of environmental mandates that all companies must follow. Republicans should not be allowed to "tinker" with the language of the bill in order to placate industry interests.

Labels: , , ,