Climate Bill Sets Stage for Debate

Potential presidential rivals John McCain and Barack Obama are joining with newly independent Sen. Joe Lieberman on a plan they say would reduce global-warming gases by one-third over the next four decades.

Their bill, being announced Friday, is intended to cut the heat-trapping emissions by 2 percent a year through mid-century. It is sure to produce a contentious debate on climate control in the new Democratic-run Congress and draw strong opposition from the White House and industry.

Sens. McCain, R-Ariz., Obama, D-Ill., and Lieberman, I-Conn., are calling for mandatory caps on greenhouse emissions for power plants, industry and oil refineries. Their plan would require releases of heat-trapping gases to return to 2004 levels by 2012 and to 1990 levels by 2020.

Carbon dioxide, produced from the burning of fossil fuels, is the primary greenhouse gas. U.S. emissions of this gas have increased an average by about 1 percent year since 1990.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Congress-Climate.html

Although the numbers don't add up. A 2 percent annual cut would result in slashing emissions by more than half in 40 years. (Excel says 0.98^40 = 0.4475)

Too bad those fucks at the NY Post and other RW media outlets don't recognize climate change as a more important issue than their warped misogynist interpretation of Senator Boxer's comments at the Rice hearing.

Which bill do the REAL environmentalists support?

The guidelines are clearly laid out. One could easily make a very compelling case that these guidelines are woefully inadequate, but there's nothing stopping Congress from passing more aggressive legislation once more of them pull their heads out of their asses.

It's refreshing to hear Congresscritters at least acknowledging real issues for a change rather than squandering their time on stupid shit like flag burning.

I'll wait until the DU environmentalists weigh in here. I suspect this bill is not the best option.

There's nothing sneaky about those guys.

When McCain and Lieberman say they support the war, I trust them. Don't you? Or do you think they have a secret agenda to subvert Bush and promote peace.