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Battle over carbon emissions

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor April 21, 2009 03:17 PM

Leading Democrats are touting an Environmental Protection Agency preliminary analysis of their sweeping climate change bill, saying that the study shows that the legislation would succeed in “moving the U.S. to a clean energy economy.”

The analysis also found that the bill's proposed cap on carbon emissions would accelerate the use of alternative energy by 150 percent over the next two decades, and that energy efficiency measures will significantly decrease energy demand. The draft bill calls for a reduction of greenhouse gases by 20 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and 83 percent by mid-century.

The EPA analysis was requested by the bill's co-authors, Representatives Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Henry Waxman of California.

"This analysis confirms that the Waxman-Markey legislation will create a clean energy economy that will continue economic growth and cut harmful pollution," Markey said in a statement today. "When you combine this analysis with cost-saving measures from updated energy efficiency measures and weatherization, the savings will pile up for consumers."

But Republicans argue that the carbon cap would dramatically increase energy costs for consumers.

Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee said the panel's Democratic leaders are moving too quickly to try to push the legislation through and that the draft bill, which calls for broad limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, was not ready for serious discussion because it doesn't say how emission permits would be distributed, the Associated Press reports.

"The manner in which you will address this issue is the cornerstone of the legislation," the 23 GOP committee members wrote in a letter to Waxman. "Without it, the bill is simply not finished and not ripe to be marked up or accurately discussed in the context of hearings."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, said she's determined to pass legislation addressing climate change this year.

Noting that Wednesday is Earth Day, she told reporters taht when the next Earth Day comes around "we want to celebrate what we've done this year" to address climate change and shift the nation toward greater use of clean energy.

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It is imperative that America leads the way towards protecting the environment of the planet that sustains us. We all know that the need for energy to produce food, goods, provide transportation and protection from the elements is essential. Therefore the need for energy is, in fact, insatiable. Now is the time to put our efforts into alternative energy sources which we can always rely on to provide for our well being. Fossil fuels are finite and harmful to our environment and must be replaced.

The Climate Change Bill will help guarantee a a better more secure future.

Posted by careman April 21, 09 06:49 PM
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Yawnnnn...the EPA analysis is nonsense, the entire issue is nonsense. Move on!

Posted by Odumba April 21, 09 06:56 PM
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Careman, you are a kool-aide drinking useful idiot for Big Brother. And you thought pot wouldn't hurt you.

Posted by Joe April 21, 09 08:04 PM
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The passage of defining energy bill might be the road to economic recovery world-wide through the highly-anticipated Global Green New Deal, better yet, it is going to facilitate shift from the destructive war spending to the meaningful health care expenditure, in doing so, the complications in the ailing economy and health care alike will likely be explained.

Posted by hsr0601 April 21, 09 08:15 PM
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Hey Careman, what happens on a cloudy day with a still wind? Do you want to be in an intensive care unit at that time?

An former colleague works for Cambridge Energy Research Associates, and he says that we could every inch of the planet with windmills and solar panels and we would still need fossil fuel based energy! But hey, as long as it is the “correct” energy source we should just go with the flow.

This whole boondoggle will allocate scarce resources away from today’s vital needs like healthcare, education and infrastructure to preventing events that may or may not happen in 100 to 200 years time. Moreover, energy intensive industries will migrate to other countries reducing production and incomes.

Posted by Pauly April 21, 09 09:26 PM
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Yep, pure nonsense from the King of Nonsense--Markey. For every "green energy" job they create, they are going to cost 3 hard working American's their job. Markey, Waxman, and Pelosi are dreaming if they think they can get this past the moderate Democrats from the industrial/energy producing states. You are about to witness Obama's Democratic majority in Congress self-destruct.

Posted by CarveMaster April 21, 09 10:37 PM
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So the USA will pay and the rest of worlds air will still be dirty and last I felt the wind it blew from west to east around the world. So how does attempting to clean the USA air help usless the west of the world cleans up along with the USA.

Posted by Rex April 22, 09 07:10 PM
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