Support Lieberman-Warner Bill to Curb Greenhouse Gases

On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will meet to refer the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007, S. 2191 to the full Senate.

The Lieberman-Warner bill utilizes a “cap and trade” strategy to cut greenhouse emissions, by allowing corporations a steadily declining cap on their greenhouse gas output and giving them the right to sell their unused allotments to other companies. The bill gives some financial incentives to business for its efficiency in cutting greenhouse emissions, but also allows for inefficient polluters to buy their way out of taking action.

While Lieberman-Warner is less effective than legislative plans that wouldn’t allow corporations to wriggle out of tough carbon caps, it is a first step towards serious regulation of activities that are already pushing the planet into climate changes unprecedented in human civilization. Its passage would also be a welcome sign of US intentions to the 190 nations gathered in Bali today to discuss the next international climate agreement after the Kyoto Protocols. This is even more sorely needed, since the US never joined in the Kyoto agreements under the current Administration.

The NY Times discusses the Lieberman-Warner bill today on its editorial page, suggesting also that the bill be changed in committee to take away allowances for dirty coal plants to receive free passes that would keep them polluting long into the future. The exceptions for coal are another downside of the bill in its current form, but shouldn’t kill the bill if not successfully stripped.

The real hope for addressing climate change now lies in the Congress, since the Bush Administration has only begun to admit that global warming is even related to human activity and is not substantially in a position to lead the country on global warming issues in its lame-duck year of transition. Hopefully, the President will support any action taken by House and Senate on limiting greenhouse gases, rather than obstructing such moves.

We can only hope that Lieberman-Warner is seen as an opening for more effective and far-reaching legislation, rather than as an opportunity to declare the climate change "Mission Accomplished."