Senate Committee Passes Historic Bill to Reduce Global Warming Pollution

Senate Committee Passes Historic Bill to Reduce Global Warming Pollution
Legislation Mandating National Assessments on Climate Change Also Moves Forward

STATEMENT BY UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS PRESIDENT KEVIN KNOBLOCH

WASHINGTON (December 5, 2007) - The Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works Committee today passed a bill introduced by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) that would establish the first nationwide cap-and-trade system to reduce global warming pollution.

(In a related matter, the Senate Commerce Committee this week approved climate bills that direct federal agencies to assess the climate change impacts in the United States and develop a strategic plan for preparing the nation for the unavoidable consequences of climate change. Since the publication of the U.S. National Assessment in 2001, the federal government has not been systematically providing updated information on U.S. climate change risks and effects.)

Below is a statement by Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists:

"This landmark bill marks a critical step in our battle against global warming and its terrible consequences. I commend the exceptional leadership of Committee Chair Barbara Boxer and Senators Warner and Lieberman for their bold and bipartisan leadership.

"Today's action sends a strong signal to the international community in Bali now negotiating a follow on treaty to the Kyoto Protocol. This groundbreaking legislation says the United States is preparing to move forward. I'm looking forward to being in Bali at a time when we can share the promising news that the U.S. Congress is finally joining other developed nations in taking responsibility for its own global warming emissions.

"This bill has gotten stronger every step of the way. We're especially pleased that the full committee passed a low carbon fuel standard that will limit the amount of global warming pollution generated by all transportation fuels. The provision sets a standard based on the full life-cycle of the fuel, from seed to sedan and includes critical environmental and land-use safeguards.

"The bill, which now moves to the Senate floor, establishes a strong framework for addressing the biggest problem of our time—climate change. But to have a fighting change to avoid the worst, irreversible effects of global warming the bill must be further improved. Even with aggressive action by developing countries and other industrialized nations, the United States must cut its emissions at least 80 percent below 2000 levels by 2050. The bill gets us about three-quarters of the way there.

"The cost to make these reductions is small compared with the mounting costs of global warming-induced damages to both human communities and natural ecosystems.

"Because the bill doesn't require the 80 percent emissions reduction needed, it's crucial that it be strengthened to require the Environmental Protection Agency to tighten emission limits in the future based on the latest science. The bill currently requires the National Academy of Sciences to periodically assess the effectiveness of the cap-and-trade program and the administration to make recommendations to Congress for action. Instead, the bill should mandate that the EPA act on that research.

"Another shortcoming of the bill is that it would give away a large share of emission allowances to polluters. The bill should limit free allowances and quickly phase them out, replacing them completely with an auction. Giving away allowances for an extended period of time would distort the market and run the risk of generating substantial windfall profits for polluters, which is what happened during the first phase of the European Union's emissions trading system."