Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., delivered a speech on global warming [1] Wednesday, and announced a key development that she deemed a "breakthrough":
I have been informed ... by Senators [Tom] Carper [D-Del.], [Lamar] Alexander [R-Tenn.] and [Bernie] Sanders [I-Vt.] ... that they will soon introduce [separate] bills, meaning in a matter of days, to cap pollution from power plants, including global warming pollution ... Now, I have a consensus developing on my committee, across the party lines, that we will in fact look at bills that do cap carbon [emissions].
As noted here earlier, the global warming debate is shifting [2].
Conservatives are beginning to surrender (I stress: beginning to) on the question of whether global warming is happening, and moving towards trying to block our government from implementing comprehensive solutions, like firm caps on carbon emissions.
But even that strategy will be difficult to sustain, if folks like Sen. Alexander break ranks and help legitimize caps.
This doesn't mean Boxer is on a glide path to passing legislation out of her committee. There is not yet consensus on a specific bill. There are many, many thorny issues to tackle [3], and many devils in the details to watch out for.
But this does show the momentum remains with the reality-based community, pushing for comprehensive solutions to one of most pressing problems.
More on Boxer's speech at Blue Climate [4].
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Links:
[1] http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Majority.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=05e1b3cc-802a-23ad-4034-9f8049409ee4&Designation=Majority
[2] http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/newt_tries_shift_global_warming_debate
[3] http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/coal_state_lawmakers_struggle_global_warming
[4] http://www.blueclimate.com/blueclimate/2007/04/senator_boxer_d.html