Comments on: Breaking: Kerry-Boxer clean air, clean water, clean energy jobs bill sharply departs from House bill with deeper 2020 pollution cut and stronger economic protection for consumers and businesses

By: Rockfish

Rockfish — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:14:58 +0000

“Their lobbyists can deal with the environmentalists, and the handful of informed citizens who read this blog. They cannot deal with millions of Americans knowing the truth…”

Actually, take look at the health care debate to see how much Congress really cares about what millions of Americans want. A climate bill will be hashed out between the administration and the coal/oil industry.

Since Obama’s strategy on every issue thus far has been “capitulate first, claw back later” good luck getting a decent climate bill…

By: Peter Wood

Peter Wood — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:01:35 +0000

The new Strategic Reserve provisions look good.

I am very disappointed in Senator McCain’s comment that he would never support the bill. As Kevin Conrad said at Bali: “If you’re not willing to lead, then get out of the way.”

By: Roger

Roger — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:38:21 +0000

Yes, hats off to Boxer and Kerry!

Now, when is the government going to broadly publicize the results of the $20 billion worth of research (www.globalchange.gov) that they’ve done relating to climate change? (Yes, there was a press release and news conference earlier this year, but the media considered it ‘old news’ and not one Joe Sixpack I know ever heard about it.)

IMHO, a key problem preventing Congress from moving a stronger climate bill forward is that our average citizen, the folks who are going to suffer most of the consequences of ‘hell and high water,’ are totally misinformed and confused when it comes to climate change.

This is just how the opponents of climate progress want it. Their lobbyists can deal with the environmentalists, and the handful of informed citizens who read this blog. They cannot deal with millions of Americans knowing the truth about what almost certainly lies ahead, and the fact that we are in uncharted climate territory, uncertain of where the tipping points lie.

It’s high time for a self-preserving, government-sponsored citizen’s
education program about climate change, in the form of TV and radio ads.
We have ads against smoking, thanks to the government. We’ve had ads about how to be able to continue watch TV in the digital age, thanks to the government. Why shouldn’t we have ads about how to preserve human life as we know it, thanks to the government? It seems important, no?

I bet Joe and others would even be happy to volunteer their time and talent to help write the ads! — “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we interupt this program for an important message about your home planet…”

By: Steven Biel

Steven Biel — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:42:17 +0000

I agree it will be tough lift to fight back rollbacks of the Clean Air Act’s limits on CO2 from stationary sources, but let’s not forget that in that one part of the bill, we’re talking about just keeping the law the way it is. That’s an important difference from all the other fights in play here. Boxer’s bill is merely silent. Whoever wants the rollback will have to propose it and explain why they want to go after a law most Americans feel is sacrosanct.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:06:05 +0000

This is off the subject but I don’t know where else to write it as no one ever answers emails I send… Can I please have my name omitted from posts I write and just have may email name there instead? or at least, use only my first name? Just a little more comfortable in writing anonymously. Thanks!(??!)

[JR: No anonymous comments. Just use your first name.]

By: lgcarey

lgcarey — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:25:59 +0000

Begin contacting your Senators – you can bet that the “brown economy” folks in the fossil fuel industries will be sparing no expense to lobby, spread disinformation (”the economy will collapse!!!!”), energize the denialbot base, and do whatever else they can to kill this bill or dilute it into irrelevance. The politicians need to know there are voters on the other side of the issue, supporting this bill and ready to direct their votes on the basis of this issue.

By: Peter Bellin

Peter Bellin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:22:17 +0000

Excellent post, and analysis.

I concur that passage of this bill is important. Write letters, offer support to Senators who advocate for passage of this bill, discourage the extent of alterations. This bill is more important that health care insurance reform – if that is delayed, we will not fundamentally change the world we live in.

Kudos to Boxer and Kerry