Sanders: ‘I Do Not Want To See A Global Warming Bill Become A Bonanza For The Coal Industry’

[G_j]

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/29/sanders-on-kgl-bill/


Sanders: ‘I Do Not Want To See A Global Warming Bill Become A Bonanza For The Coal Industry’

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has expressed “deep disappointment” with the direction Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) is heading with climate legislation being crafted with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT). In a letter to Kerry, the Vermont independent praised Kerry’s “continued leadership” as a “tireless advocate for taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” However, Sanders has “serious concerns about provisions that could harm our environment and provide new federal government support for polluters”:

– State Preemption: “In my view, preempting leading states would be a huge mistake: we should definitely set a floor, but not a ceiling.”

– Support for New Nuclear Power: “If the private sector will not finance new nuclear plants, the government should not risk taxpayer dollars by stepping in.”

– Offshore Drilling: “We should not, in a global warming bill, support increased offshore drilling.”

– Coal Plant Emissions: “Global warming legislation should move us forward by requiring coal plants to meet increasingly stringent pollution standards. It should not take us backwards by exempting coal plants from this kind of regulation by grandfathering in the dirtiest plants so they can continue to operate for years to come.”

Ten other senators have challenged new support for offshore drilling in the bill. Sanders also called for several green economy initiatives to be in the legislation, including green jobs and energy efficiency funding that was included in the Kerry-Boxer climate bill that passed out of the Senate environment committee last December. That legislation limited EPA and state authority to set rules for global warming pollution, but it appears that Kerry-Graham-Lieberman could go even farther to preempt existing law with a new framework, leading Sanders to warn, “I do not want to see a global warming bill become a bonanza for the coal industry.”


..more..

[Wednesdays]

1. If we can break the back of the oil industry, I'm all for helping coal

After that we can phase coal out, replacing those jobs with renewable energy jobs.

[kenny blankenship]

2. And I'm sure you didn't want to see the "health care" bill become a giveaway to the insurance mafia

You're a good man in an evil place, Senator Sanders.

[G_j]

6. deja vu all over again.... nt

[Winterblues]

3. Anyone have any doubts which way Obama will lean?

Fair and Balanced. Republicans should have as much influence as Democrats even though they are in the Minority..That is the impression I get anyway. It may very well pay huge dividends in the long run if somehow through such actions Obama can Unite America, at least a lot more than now anyway..

[pundaint]

4. I think he will lean in the direction of characterizing a huge corporate win as historical

legislation in the People's interest.

[G_j]

5. I am afraid

that seems to be the theme.

[Marr]

9. Exactly. Well put. n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

7. It's not so much Republican influence, even progressive Democrats support coal

A lot of their constituents have jobs in the coal industry and they're concerned about that. It's an unfortunate reality that America is the Saudi Arabia of coal.

[Statistical]

13. "America is the Saudi Arabia of coal." DING DING DING We have a winner

It really sucks but we have an unbelievable amount of coal.

We could produce 100% of our power from coal and it still would last 70 years.
Not only do we have a lot of it, there is no fossil fuel that is cheaper.

Makes breaking the back of King Coal very difficult.

[upi402]

8. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks for me!

:patriot: Fight the power!

[G_j]

10. ==

[leftstreet]

11. Banksters, the MIC, BigMed, now Coal..are there any beasts left to feed?

:shrug:

[G_j]

12. come to think of it

not many.

The nuke folks are getting theirs it appears.

[salguine]

14. I'm seeing...I'm seeing...coal executives put in charge of this...

[G_j]

15. don't need Sylvia Brown for that one.. nt

[G_j]

16. ==