After Obama appeal, Congress renews efforts on climate change

[Turborama]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US lawmakers this week took up the issue of climate change and how to address it after President Barack Obama made an impassioned plea for action on fighting global warming. But even as the Senate and House of Representatives convened experts Wednesday who presented scientific bases for global warming, some scientists and political experts voiced skepticism over the need to combat climate change and the likelihood of passing any such legislation this year. In his first address to the US Congress since taking office five weeks ago, Obama late Tuesday called on legislators to forge "a market-based cap on carbon pollution, similar to systems adopted in Europe which create financial incentives for non-polluters." He also highlighted the need to "truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change."

According to Michael Levi, an expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, even if Obama's commitment to such a system were embraced by all players in the contested battle over carbon gases, passage of a law requiring such a system this year would be difficult. "The president appeared to be careful to ask for a bill this Congress, not for a bill this year," Levi said, noting that there is a key United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen set for December. "I know there are members in the House who would like to move a bill this year... but the job in the Senate will be considerably more difficult," he said.

Levi said several energy initiatives in the works are getting lukewarm reception from some lawmakers, particularly those representing coal-producing states averse to punishing restrictions on their energy production. "It would be very embarrassing for the president to try and fail in advance of Copenhagen," where Washington is expected to aggressively take up the fight on global warming after inaction by the previous administration, Levi told AFP.

The United States is the world's largest emitter of carbon gases, blamed for global warming, yet president George W. Bush walked away from the 1997 Kyoto treaty aimed at battling climate change.

Read more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-02/26/content_10903550.htm

[Jamastiene]

1. K&R

*keeping my fingers crossed that they come up with something really good* Anything to attempt to reverse the damage the Bush years have done. I'm surprised the planet is still alive at all.