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TechnoratiSenate Democrats Push for Climate Bill Ahead of Copenhagen
Obama administration warns of cost of inaction • Move met with opposition from Baucus and Inhofe
The epic confrontation about how America will power the economy of the future formally got underway today amid stark warnings from the Obama administration of the costs of inaction on energy reform.
![[Barack Obama speaks during a visit to Florida Power and Light's Desoto Next Generation Solar Energy Centre. (Photo: Steve Nesius/AO)]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/obamasolar_460x276.jpg "obamasolar_460x276.jpg")
Today's
hearing, the first of three blockbuster sessions in the Senate, marks a
last heave by administration officials and Democratic leaders to
advance a bill to reduce America's greenhouse gas emissions before an international climate change meeting at Copenhagen, now just six weeks away.
They were met with strong opposition from a powerful Democrat as well as Republicans on the environment and public works committee.
With the clock running down to Copenhagen, the administration wheeled out four top officials to make the case that failure to act now on climate change would relegate America to lower tier status in the global economy. "When the starting gun sounded on the clean energy race, the United States stumbled," Steven Chu, the energy secretary, told the environment and public works committee. "If we don't choose to begin the development of this new technology, China and other countries will."
American legislation on climate change is seen as essential to reaching a meaningful deal at Copenhagen. But the White House held up action in the Senate on a climate change bill to focus on healthcare reform. The proposed law, which now stretches for more than 900 pages, would cut America's greenhouse gas emissions by 20% over 2005 levels by 2020 and encourage the development of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. Democratic leaders in the Senate are now struggling to advance a bill - which does not have solid support even among their own party - before the meeting in Copenhagen.
In an ominous sign for those prospects, Max Baucus, who ranks second on the environment committee and chairs the finance committee which will also review the bill, said the proposed 20% reduction target was too steep. "I have some concerns about the overall direction of the bill," he said. "We cannot afford the unmitigated impacts of climate change but we also cannot afford the unmitigated effects of legislation."
For weeks, the White House, Democrats, and environmental organisations have lobbied hard to frame the bill as an economic opportunity.
Obama picked up the theme again in a visit to a solar plant in Florida where he announced $3.48bn in government grants to projects modernising America's electrical grid. In introducing the bill today, Barbara Boxer leaned heavily on an analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency that showed the shift away from oil and coal would cost just 22 to 30 cents a day.
Global warming isn't waiting for who is a Democrat or who is a Republican. Either we are going to deal with this problem or we are not," she said.
John Kerry, who co-wrote the bill with Boxer, said it would usher in a technological revolution akin to the rapid growth of the internet in the 1990s. "We are going to create the equivalent of five or 10 Googles and that is going to drive the economy of our country," said John Kerry, the former presidential candidate who is the other co-author of the bill.
But their arguments appeared to make little headway with Republicans on the committee. James Inhofe, the Okalahoma Republican who notoriously declared global warming a hoax, called the bill a "temple of doom" which would cost Americans up to $400bn a year.
Some Republicans pressed for investment to build 100 new nuclear plants over the next decade, or to expand offshore oil drilling to meet America's future energy needs. Others argued that America would be damaging its own interests if it embarked on costly energy reforms - while emerging powers like India and China did not.
37 Comments so far
Show AllGod I'm glad Repugs are out!
Well, here's how it looks from here. Due to space and time limitations, it's kinda simplistic, but basically:
The planet will be fine.
There’s the same amount of carbon (and everything else) here there has been for several billion years. It’s a closed system. The fact that we’ve released tens of billions and hundreds of billions of tons of previously sequestered carbon into the atmosphere in a matter of a century or so will just trigger whatever homeostatic mechanisms are required to rebalance the system.
There will probably be temperature increases and that’ll generate torrential rains and storms from the increased water evaporation (in some places), and that will help dissolve the CO2 out of the atmosphere and carry it to earth where more chemical reactions, possibly huge increases in land and ocean plant mass and photosynthesis, will re-sequester it until the system balances itself in harmony with the sun’s input and all the other factors that affect the various systems.
It may never be just the same as it is now but the planet’ll be fine.
WE may be over with and there’ll be another thick seam of coal and maybe even new oil deposits laid down for the NEXT sentient species that arises to see if THEY learn the lesson before they kill THEMselves.
Relax. Earth’ll be fine.
I wonder why, so often, the argument in favor of taking action against global warming has to be framed in a context of Asian or European countries "getting ahead of us" in the development of alternative sources of energy. Why always this disease of having to compete, instead of doing what is simply for the good of the world's shared environment?
It has always bothered me that the Dutch media blame 'the American people' for the crimes committed by our government. On this site too, you're all criticizing, insulting and accusing 'Americans'. Surely it would be fairer to people like ourselves, and we are millions, to be more specific? Let's have names: Wall Street banks and traders, pharma, energy, armaments, their owners and CEO's, our House and Senate greedy/crazy/idiotic non-representatives: we know their names. Let's use them.
James Edwards suggested an admirable utopian plan, but who will start and how does it start? I'm too old to be optimistic anymore, and I'm afraid it's apres moi le deluge. But if you can erect the barricades in the next couple of years, I'll climb up with you.
It's 11 p.m. in Hawaii right now and I'm going to bed but thanks for the insights and comic relief tonight. Most of you where really on it.
P.S. Can't believe no one jumped on the "100 new nuclear power plants in the next decade."
Sure, and the pope is going to build 100 brothels inside the Vatican walls just so some of his boys don't have to jack-off anymore! Or maybe a 100 more powerball lotteries in every city so we can all become millionaires. Or lets all put radioactive slot machines in our bedrooms... well get rich quick and die sooner... move the wealth around.
For Christ's sake just give us some efficient solar panels, composting toilets, and some organic seeds to plant and stand back and watch full employment in five years (which is better then even Mao dreamed of).
"the administration wheeled out four top officials to make the case that failure to act now on climate change would relegate America to lower tier status in the global economy"
We need lower tier status desperately. USans see nothing wrong with economic competition, but it's been exactly economic competition, and closely related military and political competition, behind all the catastrophes.
Anyone who gets excited about merka losing its leader-shit status should realize it's only code for domination.
90% of USans are progressive when they slough the elite monkeys off their backs. The progressive vision is: Hippocratic oath for the gov. Crush the domination agenda with the heel of the left boot. The economies will fluctuate with population, NOT elite ambitions. Tough luck for the dead-end elites. Production will be owned by the people. No wage slavery. Universal rights to land, water, food, shelter, education, healthcare, transport.
Give the elites no quarter, no sympathy.
"We are going to create the equivalent of five or 10 Googles and that is going to drive the economy of our country"
Kerry's Kalifornya Dreamin. We're not having 5 or 10 Goggles. We're having 10 million small independently-owned enterprises of ten man-powers. Get to work crushing the elites' dreams like garlic, people. Turn the vision into reality.
The inequality of tax policy will defeat the bill. Middle class Americans cannot afford steep increases in energy prices at this time and will not support a bill to raise their rates. Until a steeply progressive income tax is again enacted, people will not support a change in energy policy. The Congress is not likely to provide such relief and so, here we go again.
And since when does it matter what Middle class Americans cannot afford? What do you think they'll do about an increase in rates, protest? Fat chance.
America is in need of an overhaul. What follows is partly tongue in cheek. Good jokes, even cruel ones, are short and I apologize for the length.
By the time Americans have finished paying reparations for the effects of the criminal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the damage they are inflicting on the world through climate change they are going to be a very poor indeed. It may take a long time coming but it is coming, if we have the time left. People in countries like China and India will own most of the land and fixed assets in America. (Remove tongue: While this could be held as just, this will not in any way be a good thing; replace tongue)
I suggest America puts the scientific facts on every table in its empire, allows people time to absorb the blatant legally and scientifically authenticated reality, and to recant and accept liability. They can come to an arrangement as regards payment of reparations. Then a record of the names of those individuals and corporations who continue to obstruct military withdrawal and the move away from burning must be made. The rot is presently almost complete and they will be found in all corners of the economy, the Pentagon, in the legislature, the judiciary and in education, business and finance. A monetary assessment of the damage going forward can be recorded and verified. Those responsible can then be individually targeted and their accounts frozen.They can be charged, tried and, when convicted, their wealth confiscated, with all beneficiaries, conscious or otherwise, of the criminal behaviour held liable. In the worst case there will be many people. The leaders must be imprisoned. Massive amounts of money will be made available. The American economy will stutter into life and walk and run and soar when this money is finally used well. Those stung will be able to participate and redeem themselves by working, along with those who have recanted.
While this statement as expressed here is simplistic it makes no pretence to be complete. It asserts the way to go forward in principle. The instigators of the current radical imbalance are national and international criminals and I suggest that laws against malicious behaviour and gangsterism must be used. America did once largely eradicate gangsterism. It has been insidiously replaced in another form that is something far worse and America must once again clean up its act.
This blog is putting it on the table. So wake up little Suzie!
The 2d best argument for climate chg legislation is that those two clowns are against it...
We will know it's too late when they come out FOR it.
If we don't get in big now, plus stay in these stupid wars, we give our 50 of the 50/50 chance to a future to China and India.
20 years that's 20 years ago I worked for a place that could have built solar power plants that cost less that's less than the same power plant burning coal batteries land and every thing needed to make it work TWENTY YEARS AGO !!!!
that's just the power plant NOT including the coal to fire the coal powered power plant
what happened the design was sold to CHINA because nobody wanted to put up the money on an unproven technology excpt the CHINESE
and our government was giving the money to big oil and big coal
One of the largest firms In Germany that employs tens of thousands of Germans developing and building Solar cells was originally a Canadian firm.
They could get no interest from the Government over here in Canada so moved Lock stock and barrel to Germany where the Government provided all manner of help.
We will be importing the technology created here from Germany in a few years time I am sure.
Germany is the LARGEST expoter Nation in the World. It odd that they can have those Union Wages and compete with China for manufacturing Jobs is it not?
WE are told a company can not be profitable in manufacturing unless wages depressed to the floor and or the Company moves to China.
"Germany is the LARGEST expoter Nation in the World. It odd that they can have those Union Wages and compete with China for manufacturing Jobs is it not?"
The manufacturing jobs in Germany differ from the manufacturing jobs in China. Germany does not compete with China to manufacture cheap clothes and cheap toys. Similarly, Japan does not compete with China to manufacture cheap clothes and cheap toys. Germany's, and Japan's, strategy to manufacturing jobs isn't to try to compete with China on making cheap clothes and cheap toys, it is to manufacture things that China cannot manufacture (easily), it is to manufacture things where cheap labour isn't an advantage.
Max Baucus and James Inhofe ... They are brain dead and don't have enough sense to lie down with the other dinosaurs.
The death knell for the U.S. of A. is ringing louder and louder, not to mention the whole world.
/cm
AMERICA is an embarrassment. that's what it'll come down to by the time they have that meeting at the end of the year.
just watch.
it is like the rest of things happening in the world:
consider:
as the USA invaded Iraq - and is now a FAILURE...it began with Arrogant bravado...oh boy -- the world was SO afraid as bush warned the UN inspectors "get out of the way -- we're going Innnnnnnnnnnnn!!!"
and the world was going to FOLLOW america's lead to find WMDs'....
what happened to the coalition of the willing?
what happened to the GREAT WAR MACHINE? shown to be IMPOTENT in holding even baghdad!
not satisfied YET?
went to afghanistan - what's happening now?
in the MEANTIME :
BRIC emerged, Saudis made noises about the Dollar, CHINA expanded its roles...made serious inroads in regions ...latin america is abandoning "kneeling" position to the USA..
Asia is beginning to "play" the USA
Europe doesn't want any more USA missiles
etc. etc.
India and China along with europe are leading the Forcible actions to develop technologies widely to adjust to climate change....
they are worrying and making noises about the Dollar and US dependability.........
even poor countries are doing that...
so - where does that leave MAX BAUCUS Defined USA?
in the woodshed - a BACKWARD NATION!!
something that will seriously be LAUGHED AT . literally...
whose citizens WILL BE BLAMED and will experience SEVERE penalties from the rest of the world as it drags its feet trying to count its "Dividends"..from its DISASTROUS failure Policies.
by the time INDIA corners a huge part of the car market with Electric cars - such as withits small cars now widespread - by the time china evoloves towards that too using ADVANCED technology from emerging trade with japan ..
by the time china emerges from its present "adjustment" period as the world's premiere solar power and wind power country...reserving its "OIL and GAS" reserves it has been buying up for OTHER technological advances...by the Time Russia reconstutitues itself along the "poverty elimination" SUCCESS that is going on in China (russians already sent highest level delegations to china to study how they did it) ...by the time EUROPE weans itself even MORE from USA's "protection racket".
by the time IRAN firms up its role as a power in the middle east
by the time asean countries firm up their emerging regional plans..by the time africa realizes MORE of its full potential for progress to include more of its own people in dealing with trade with foreigners.
by the time south america presents itself as a REAL powerhouse led by brazil
where will the USA BE?
encircled by countries it has tried to DOMINATE
but ended up REJECTING the US 'model'.
and many of the idiots in Montana can take a look at their MAX BAUCUS for it..
and all the other idiots in the USA can look at their leaders and themselves for the IDIOCY that has been the USA's
CALLING CARD!
the most important part of the article:
============
With the clock running down to Copenhagen, the administration wheeled out four top officials to make the case that failure to act now on climate change would relegate America to lower tier status in the global economy. "When the starting gun sounded on the clean energy race, the United States stumbled," Steven Chu, the energy secretary, told the environment and public works committee. "If we don't choose to begin the development of this new technology, China and other countries will."
=============
China of course - just one nation - has the MASSIVE potential of 1.4 billion MINDS .
that is MASSIVE technological potential.
just think about it.
and they are SERIOUS about it.
by the time the 300 million americans wake up - they are being PENALIZED by the world for being BACKWARD ...
and ahve to pay FEES to china to borrow knowhow in "cleaning the environment".....
and that's JUST from one country. the USA might ahve to go shopping for LOANS from POORER countries..and borrow STUDENTS to TEACH american "professors" how to do it
You are so right. Everytime we get real innovation here, it's because our "leaders" are worried about being outdone by some other country. One of the things seldom mentioned in all the bombast about corporate "competitivity" and "innovation" is that monopolies abhor changes to that nice captive market they are milking. Hence the changes that innovation bring are anathema to capitalists, even while they preach the EXACT REVERSE. Orwell lives.
AGG..without even saying that other countries or people are "inherently better" than americans - i must emphasize - because they're NOT , and we all have our shares of obstinacy and idiocy ...
the problem characteristic of US leadership is:
they only really move, as you correctly pointed out, when they see "competition"...against their perception of "dominance".
here is a very salient example which is VERY current and means a LOT on the USA's role:
JAPAN happens to actually make very advanced technology for MISSILE -DELIVERY SYSTEMS - often in partnership with the USA.
BUT japan also has its separate role in creating these technologies which US manufacturers and research can NOT.
for instance, we all know about advanced robotics, nano-technology, etc...even these LCD's...
currentlyk the USA has a problem:
Japan possesses the knowledge US manufacturers do not have of a very very advanced delivery system for MISSILES built BY the USA - "extremely high speed missiles designed to attack incoming ballistic missiles"..
JAPAN says that because it has "to balance our relationship with USA and CHINA Asian Neighbors"......that it can NOT give a final go-ahead to transfering technology TO the USA for the DELIVERY system ...but limit only to "nonmilitary" US businesses...in a very limited version of whatever that technology is useful for.
now of course Japan is hedging ITS bets. it knows it can not go alone WITHOUT the USA as its "partner and protector" and as a hedge AGAINST china - which is reasonable.
but if anything is instructive - one can see that the USA "innovates" albeit in terms of Militarism - if nothing more than to enhance its status as the dominant power..and not because of any declared american reasons for "sharing" or "enhancing" cooperation or alleviating critical conditions, such as global warming.
where other countries are CLEARLY realizing that , if it takes being FORCED to do it by the EARTH itself - they MUST do something...
on the OTHER hand - it is the USA that - in the face of FORCIBLE CONDITIONS from the Planet -
its "PRIMACY" is PARAMOUNT to ANY other consideration.
THAT is what separates American behavior from
Russia, China, Japan, Europe, Africa, South America, Middle east, Central Asia, South Asia and East Asia.
where other countries and regions, whether they are GIANTS like Russia or China or economic powerfhouses like South Korea, Japan or Germany or Saudi Arabia , or Brazil
are Recognizing the need that no one is IMMUNE to these things and they will, sooner or later have to put CENTER the matter of forging economies AROUND the realities of what the Earth is clearly telling everyone....
the USA
TRUE to its nature - from inception and birth to its present - maintains the SAME EXCEPTIONALIST attitude .
that the PROBLEM of Global warming and climate change and pollution is a "problem" to be solved SO LONG as the USA does NOT have to pay the price, whiel OTHERS have to bear the burden so the USA can go on a enjoy the "fruits of advances in fighting climate change" AS IF IT NEVER WAS THE MAIN CULPRIT all along.
it is the SAME as with its Artificial, unearned and unjustified Dollar hegemony Imperialism.
it behaves as IF the problem of the recession was SOMEBODY else's :
"china undervalues currency"
"russia is undemocratic"
"south america is so chavez"
"asians save TOO MUCH"
when in fact it was the US global hegemonic financial gangsterism that for decades manipulated and forced, with military threats and actions, the world to where it is TODAY..with the latest shenanigans in wall street being MERELY the most RECENT of its actions.
Yes, yes, the US is Exceptionally, nay Uniquely Evil.
"
Russia, China, Japan, Europe, Africa, South America, Middle east, Central Asia, South Asia and East Asia.
where other countries and regions, whether they are GIANTS like Russia or China or economic powerfhouses like South Korea, Japan or Germany or Saudi Arabia , or Brazil"
You might want to go look at what the highest per capita CO2 emitters are in the world. Quite a few middle east nations are in the top 10.
"
they only really move, as you correctly pointed out, when they see "competition"...against their perception of "dominance". "
Try explaining the internet, and the influence it has on the world.
it likes to "LEAD THE WORLD" so long as it doesn't have to pay the price or suffer the consequences.,,so long as it is the acknowledged, unchallenged IMperial Master.
it likes to DRAG its feet if it HAS to pay the price or suffer the consequences....or has to Share the globe with others beyond its grandiosity that is bigger than its actual worth.
these are the TWIN, or MIRROR characteristics of US behavior.
the tragic WASTE of the USA is that because it has entrapped itself in its arrogance of power and "wealth" - which has been partly ill-gotten at the expense of other nations - but doesn't really believe it IS so as part of its delusional skills ...which enables it to BOTH claim all credit for its "wealth" alone and BLAME others at the same time , leading to its continued imperialism of aggression and "Defense" of its privileges...
the tragic waste is that the USA - if it changed its behavior could so EASILY help the world ..at so much LESS cost to itself and the world...
and the result would be GENUINE cooperation and friendship and a future for everyone where countries, nationalities, for all their diversities TRULY begin a quest to
humankind to go beyond our regional rivalries, jealousies , envies, lust for others' riches, and see
what, i believe, is the TRUE destiny of humanity
to be the GOOD , CARING, COOPERATIVE, GENEROUS, INVENTIVE, CREATIVE Children of this Mother Earth of ours.
ALL of us admiring our VERY differences and variations adn seeing in THAT and in our USE of the planet's resources...
ONE GIFT - that of LIFE given from our mother earth that we each, as countries and people must share in responsibility for.
and YET the USA behaves like a Spoiled Brat...where others, rich or poor, are already trying to find a way to balance their JEALOUSLY guarded self-interests with what they ALL are recognizing is a SHARED experience for ALL.
we will ALL breathe the same air. we will ALL suffer the consequences of the oceans becoming more acidic...
other countries - however DEEPLY embedded they and the world is in the "industrial economy" that has proven to be both a blessing AND a blight --
are trying , however imperfectly , in confronting this CRISES of existence and what the Mother Earth is urging us to do...for OUR OWN SAKE and that of our fellow creatures.
and THE USA?
as a MATTER OF POLICY?
it's counting beans in wall street and washington...as if it was still living in the 18th century of cotton plantations...
Exactly. The USA says it likes to lead the world. In reality, it likes to BLEED the world.
President Urkel could, of course, take the execrable Max Baucus's sorry ass to the woodshed, but, of course, he will not. If the woodshed, didn't work, he could try some of the more brutal meddling mastered by the Cheney/Bush regime - he could simply have Baucus dropped like a hot rock, close the tap on campaign funds, cut off the support on boondoggles and earmarks, and generally hound the disloyal son- of a bitch right out of his cushy berth in two key committees.
If President Urkel had one half the "audacity" he loves to yap about, he'd follow at least one half of the suggestions above.
Hey Montana! Take Baucus back!
Stick him in an abandoned mine somewhere. And seal it up. We can't afford to have an unmitigated asshole like this screwing things up for everyone else (not to mention mass extinctions, whole nations under water, populations displaced, more Katrinas all over the world). All so he can have more wads of bills stuffed down his pants.
"We cannot afford the unmitigated impacts of climate change..."
But we can 'afford' mitigated impacts of climate change?
Is that like saying, "I can afford half-a-house fire, so I'll prepare about half-way"?
Perhaps our solar companies can meet secretly with VP Joe Biden and sketch out a plan to attack Germany and steal all their solar panels, as the oil majors did with Dick Cheney regarding Iraq.
If multinational oil gets free use of our armed forces for their benefit shouldn't the Green Energy companies have the same privilege?
The climate targets currently proposed by Washington are unbearably weak - far behind what the IPCC says would give us a 50:50 chance of avoiding global disaster.
Tell President Obama and your senators to support a 40% emissions reduction by 2020 to avert crisis:
http://bit.ly/40by20
We'd have to throw out 98% of our congress to get legislation calling for a 40% emission reduction.
That would be cheap at twice the price...
Baucus is making out like a bandit. A fat rat among fat cats.
Yep. And a bandit is what he is.
"We cannot afford the unmitigated impacts of climate change."
We cannot afford Max Baucus.
Fresh from his astonishing feat of digesting health care reform and regurgitating it as No Insurer Left Behind legislation, Mad Max Baucus is free to lavish his considerable talent on environmental legislation.
Very encouraging!
I suggest Baucus be fired into the airspace above Antarctica to plug up that hole in the ozone layer. The gas he emits isn't as pristine as one would prefer, but hey-- we can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good!
· Yr Obd't Servant
Tried to picture that in my mind but the pixals would not come together.Tony
I think that's for the best, Tony. ;)
· Yr Obd't Servant
"I suggest Baucus be fired into the airspace above Antarctica to plug up that hole in the ozone layer."
I agree. The E. coli colonizing his entire body has made him a great host for fecal coliforms. When shot out at high altitude, his body will dissipate into a cumulo-fecal cloud which will plug our ozone layer. It will be known as the shit cloud solution. It will require occasional new infusions from congressional feces emiting organisms but I would not complain if Cheney and vanmungo were on the shit cloud list as well.
"Others argued that America would be damaging its own interests if it embarked on costly energy reforms - while emerging powers like India and China did not."
I don't know about India, but the idea that China is not taking action against CO2 emissions is completely wrong. They have huge plans for wind, hydro and nuclear to replace their coal electric production.
And my personal 2 wheel electric motor scooters are entirely Chinese.