Dingell Backs 60% to 80% Cut in GHGs
Who knew John Dingell (D-Michigan) would channel Al Gore (D-Earth)?
Greenwire reports (subs. req’d), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee said of the climate bill he is working on:
We should set ambitious goals and targets for that legislation. It should stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at levels that will avoid or avert large-scale climate change consequences. That will require a reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions of between 60, and perhaps as much as 80, percent by 2050.
The rest of the story is below the fold:
Dingell’s announcement came as liberal groups have ramped up attacks against the veteran committee chairman for refusing to take legislative action they say is needed to address climate change. Yesterday, the activist group MoveOn.org said it will run radio ads in Dingell’s district questioning his effort to deal with climate change.
An environmental group offered an early endorsement of Dingell’s call for long-term emission reductions. “Fantastic,” said Anthony Kreindler, a spokesman at Environmental Defense. “We applaud the chairman for following the recommendations of the scientific community and mainstream U.S. business leaders.”
Kreindler’s group helped to form the U.S. Climate Action Partnership — a coalition that includes Alcoa, General Electric Co., Duke Energy and General Motors Corp. Among its many goals, USCAP wants Congress to establish up to an 80 percent mandatory reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by midcentury.
Markup beginsDingell’s committee is marking up its portion today of a sweeping energy package sought by House leaders.
But most of the early discussion at the markup focused on the looming House climate debate. Two issues in particular — vehicle fuel efficiency and coal-to-liquids — that are not part of the committee’s legislation drew criticism.
Dingell promised those issues would be included in the climate package the committee intends to craft this fall. He added the panel would be open to multiple suggestions on how to achieve greenhouse gas reductions — “politically salable or not.” Both a cap-and-trade system and carbon taxes will be on the table, he said.
Also part of the committee’s climate discussion, he said: large-scale expansion of alternate energy sources, the roles of coal and nuclear power, auto fuel efficiency, carbon sequestration and the “responsibilities” of local, state and federal governments in dealing with climate.
Dingell also said that he believes Congress should craft legislation that provides as much guidance as possible on these issues, taking much of the regulatory process out of the hands of the administration.
“We should leave as few of these issues to bureaucratic discretion as possible,” he said. “It is the job of the Congress, and of this committee, to make tough calls.”
