[GreenYes] Climate Change - Movement in the U.S.

["Peter Anderson" <anderson@no.address>]

Wall Street Journal - 1/8/03
POLITICS AND POLICY

CLIMATE CHANGE?
Bush Rivals Seek to Curb
Pollutants Tied to Warming
By JOHN J. FIALKA
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

"WASHINGTON -- The issue is joined: Congress is opening debate over what
would be a historic addition to the nation's environmental laws, by defining
and regulating so-called greenhouse gases.

"President Bush opposes adding this new category of pollutants, which
includes carbon dioxide, methane and four other types of industrial
emissions that many scientists believe are accelerating the warming of the
Earth's climate, by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Wednesday, the Senate
Commerce Committee begins hearings on a proposal from two of Congress's
highest-profile members, both of them past -- and perhaps future -- rivals
of the president.

"Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, the Arizona Republican who ran for
president in 2000, and Democrat Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut , who is
expected to challenge Mr. Bush in 2004, are proposing to impose a cap on
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse-gas emissions, and then allow industries
to use a new "emissions-trading" system to reduce the multibillion-dollar
cost of complying with the caps.

''We need to have a proposal out there that would start to generate some
movement on this issue," Mr. McCain says. "Other countries have done this,
and there are states and U.S. companies that are moving forward," he adds,
while Americans' concern over climate change has "increased dramatically."

"The question is whether their bipartisan group of many Democrats and
Republican mavericks such as Mr. McCain, backed by environmental groups and
some industries, will muster enough political clout to add greenhouse gases
to the current mix of regulated pollutants. But if there is indeed a
political bandwagon on the climate-change issue, many industries --
particularly those in the electric-power sector that are likely to be the
main target of any such legislation -- aren't climbing aboard just yet.

"...

______________________________
Peter Anderson
RECYCLEWORLDS CONSULTING Corp
4513 Vernon Blvd. Suite 15
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email: anderson@no.address