In early October, a “Dear Colleague - Global Warming Principles” letter was sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
This letter lays the ground work for strong and effective legislation to curb global warming, which would mean a healthier planet as well as a stronger economy.
The principles letter recognizes four key goals for global warming legislation:
- Reduce emissions to avoid dangerous global warming;
- Transition America to a clean energy economy;
- Recognize and minimize any economic impacts from global warming legislation; and
- Aid communities and ecosystems vulnerable to harm from global warming.
Some 152 representatives signed onto this letter circulated by Representatives Henry Waxman, Ed Markey and Jay Inslee.
Click here to read the letter.
Climate Change Rebate Act Introduced
Related to points three and four on that global warming principles list above, Representative Hilda L. Solis (D-CA) introduced the Climate Change Rebate Act of 2008 (H.R. 7194) in late September.
The bill would create a rebate for low income families ensuring that any federal legislation to regulate carbon does not drive more households into poverty. The bill would also allocate funds to both the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and to weatherization programs.
"I believe that Federal legislation to regulate carbon can have both a positive impact on the environment and the economy," said Solis. "However we must hold harmless our nation's most vulnerable families."
For more information on this bill, read the text online.
Did You See the Debate About Clean Coal?
This week Democracy Now hosted a debate about whether coal can really be clean -- featuring recent Sierra Club Books author Michael Brune (check out his new book: "Coming Clean: Breaking America’s Addiction to Oil and Coal" and Joe Lucas of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity.
Click here to watch the video or to read the debate transcript.