Statement of Nathan Willcox, PennEnvironment Energy & Clean Air Advocate
On Today’s Introduction of America’s Climate Security Act by U.S. Senators Lieberman and Warner
Today, U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman and John Warner will be introducing new global warming legislation in the U.S. Senate. PennEnvironment applauds Senators Lieberman and Warner for their leadership on global warming, but a significant strengthening of their new legislation is necessary to rise to the challenge of this critical issue. Time is running out to stop the worst effects of global warming, which for Pennsylvania could include everything from more heat-related deaths and more severe flooding, to more unhealthy air days and the loss of native plant and animal species.
The fact that this new legislation is as strong as it is is a testament to the power of the grassroots movement of Pennsylvanians and citizens across the country demanding decisive action on global warming. Many members of Pennsylvania's federal delegation have responded to this movement by cosponsoring the only legislation introduced in Congress that would cut global warming pollution to the levels scientists says are necessary to avoid the worst consequences of global warming. These officials are Senator Casey and U.S. Representatives Brady, Fattah, Patrick Murphy, Schwartz and Sestak.
Without the leadership these elected officials to ensure that science dictates the U.S. response to global warming, we never would have progressed this far.
However, to rise to the challenge of global warming, this new bill must be strengthened. Three changes are essential:
• The bill must achieve faster and deeper cuts in pollution, which is what the science demands. The pollution caps in the bill aim to reduce total U.S. global warming emissions by about 11% by 2020 and by just over 50% by 2050. Additional, modest reductions may be achieved through other policies in the bill, but those reductions are difficult to quantify and are not guaranteed. According to the current science, the United States must reduce its total global warming emissions by at least 15% by 2020 and by at least 80% by 2050. In addition, periodic reviews of the bill’s scientific adequacy must trigger additional pollution-reduction requirements.
• Flexibility mechanisms in the bill must be tightened to prevent undermining the goals of the bill. The bill currently allows companies to exceed their pollution limits by paying sources not covered by the program to reduce emissions. Ensuring that a ton of pollution from such “offsets” equals a ton of real reductions is a major challenge. In addition, offsets delay the transition to cleaner technology that will be needed to achieve deep future cuts in emissions. Under the bill, a company could theoretically meet its entire 2020 pollution-reduction requirement through offsets. The number of offset reductions allowed under the bill must be significantly lowered.
• Polluters must be required to pay for every ton of pollution they put into the atmosphere. The bill gives hundreds of billions of dollars to polluters for free, which will create windfall profits, such as has occurred in Europe, and take vital resources away from easing America’s transition to a clean energy future. In the United Kingdom alone, windfall profits from emission trading have been estimated at nearly $2 billion. These profits come directly from the pocketbooks of consumers. Under this bill, just under half (49%) of the pollution permits would initially be given to polluters for free, and it will take 25 years (until 2036) before we stop handing polluters free money.
