MCT-Democratic Senate-House conferees should stick to their guns in support of tough energy legislation aimed at pushing Americans out of their gas-guzzling SUV’s in a last-gasp attempt to stop a global warming catastrophe. Forging the strongest energy bill possible means retaining two House provisions that would increase the gas mileage of the average motor vehicle to 35 miles per gallon from the current 27.5 mpg by 2020 and require that 15 percent of the electricity generated by private utilities come from renewable sources such as solar and wind by the same date. They also should keep another House provision that levies a $16 billion “windfall profits tax” on oil and natural gas companies in order to dramatically reduce America’s unconscionable spewing of global warming gasses like carbon dioxide and methane. Unfortunately, both the Senate and House energy bills are foundering _ under siege by a coalition of anti-environment lawmakers led by House Energy and Commerce Committee chair John D. Dingell, D-Mich. The wrangling over the two bills is pleasing to major corporate interests opposed to any eco-friendly legislation and may well result in the bill ending up on the scrap heap unless environmentalists and progressives can rally their forces. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who shepherded the bills to fruition earlier this summer, suddenly have grown faint-hearted as lobbyists for Big Business threaten to withhold campaign contributions. Pelosi’s much-heralded creation of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming now appears to have been nothing more than public relations window dressing. Any notion that current Corporate Average Fuel Economy vehicle efficiency standards must be improved has met with strong opposition from Big Auto concerned that adhering to the improved standards will increase the price of vehicles by $1,000 to $3,000. That’s probably an exaggeration, but it’s still a small price to pay for saving our beleaguered planet. Big Oil is opposed to the Senate bill’s bio-fuel mandates. The House version does not include a bio-fuel mandate because the lobbying efforts by Midwestern farm groups lacked the clout to overcome heavy lobbying by the petroleum industry. The elimination of tax breaks and a threatened windfall profits levy also has drawn its wrath. Republicans deserve their share of the blame. Nuclear energy’s man in the Senate, New Mexico Republican Pete Domenici, wrote language in the Senate bill that would guarantee government loans for the nuclear energy industry. The action by the former Energy Committee chairman was a cynical attempt to convince his colleagues that nuclear energy is a safe alternative to carbon-based fuels. Congress’ lack of progress in implementing a national energy policy aimed at curbing global climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions is in stark contrast to environmental legislation already enacted by the states. California led the way with legislation requiring improved fuel-efficient vehicles and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electric utilities. California’s moderate Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has moved his state toward adopting many of the greenhouse emissions-reducing provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, a move now being emulated by several other states. Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell has called a special fall session of the Pennsylvania legislature to consider his sweeping energy proposals all aimed at moving his state to alternative energy sources, including solar power panels, ethanol power plants, bio-diesel, environmentally friendly coal use, and energy-efficient electric home appliances.

Catastrophic man-made climate change is a scientific fact and it may be coming soon to a neighborhood near you. Sadly, a lethargic Congress once again has abdicated its responsibilities to safeguard our nation and the world.

(c) 2007, Wayne Madsen

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