Earth Equity News

Congressional Leaders Issue 'Principles for Global Warming Legislation'. Press Release, House Oversight Committee, April 22, 2008. "Today on Earth Day, three Congressional leaders on climate and energy issues laid out principles for any effective legislative solution to the challenge of global warming. Chairman Henry A. Waxman, Chairman Ed Markey and Rep. Jay Inslee released Principles for Global Warming Legislation [PDF 5 pp], which are designed to provide a framework for Congress as it produces legislation to establish an economy-wide mandatory program to cut global warming emissions... The principles recognize four key goals for global warming legislation: 1) Reduce emissions to avoid dangerous global warming; 2) Transition America to a clean energy economy; 3) Recognize and minimize any economic impacts from global warming legislation; and 4) Aid communities and ecosystems vulnerable to harm from global warming... The principles include the following elements: strong science-based targets for near-term and long-term emissions reductions; auctioning emissions allowances rather than giving them to polluting industries; investing auction revenues in clean energy technologies; returning auction proceeds to consumers, workers, and communities to offset any economic impacts; and dedicating a portion of auction proceeds to help states, communities, vulnerable developing countries, and ecosystems address harm from the degree of global warming that is now unavoidable... Chairman Waxman [D, CA] is the Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Chairman Markey [D, MA] is the Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep. Inslee [D, WA] is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a senior member of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming."