After years of ignoring global warming, the U.S. Senate is finally considering legislation to cap greenhouse gas pollution. Unfortunately, the Lieberman-Warner bill being advanced by Senate Democrats lavishes up to $1 trillion on industries responsible for global warming, and in return asks for reduction targets well below what scientists say are necessary. If this is the best Senate Democrats can do, the world is in trouble.
Friends of the Earth Action is leading the fight to either fix, or ditch, Lieberman-Warner, and they need your help.
The good news is that the Democratic presidential candidates both have plans that make polluters pay for emissions and that seek the carbon reductions called for by science. The Senate needs to build on these plans rather than the weak Lieberman-Warner bill, which is modeled on legislation by Senator John McCain.
Any global warming legislation should do two simple things:
1. Support a 100 percent auction of carbon permits and get rid of the obscene giveaways to polluters — polluters must pay.
2. Ensure that global warming pollution is reduced to at least 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, as called for by leading scientists.
– from Friends Of Earth
Why is punishing energy companies a goal of climate legislation? Yes, we need to cut emissions 80% by 2050 (Lieberman-Warner’s target is 70% by 2050). But when you say we must make them “pay”, it makes it seem like we’re more interested in vengeance. Let’s stick to the science.
actually punishment has to come to the consumer. That happens when govt punishes energy companies by polluter pay rule. so we tries to reduce our consumption.
instead if govt give incentives, nothing going to change… more pollution will be result.
You ask why ‘punishing’ energy companies is a goal of climate legislation. Because energy producers are not going to move to clean renewable energy until it hits their corporate profits. Neither will industrial polluters. The last twenty years have been testimony to that. No, actually back to the beginning of the industrial age the human race has been on a collision course with the environment. Wonder what’ll happen to their corporate profits when a major catastrophic climate change hits.