Results tagged “climate legislation”

Members of the U.S. Senate met with President Obama at the White House Tuesday to discuss next steps for energy and climate legislation. In a statement, the White House called the meeting "constructive" and released information about the president's comments:

Editor's Note: In a statement issued today, API President and CEO Jack Gerard cited the need for a thorough assessment of the Kerry-Lieberman draft climate proposal released today. The full text of Jack's comments appears below:

A "big deal." That's how Energy Secretary Steven Chu described shale gas at a conference this week, adding that "gas will be the transition fuel as we go to renewables." (NGI's Daily Gas Price Index)

Sec. Chu is just one of many observers who say that natural gas produced from U.S. shale formations could change America's energy landscape.

Each week the National Journal's Energy and Environment blog poses a question and invites a select group of authorities to respond. The question for the week asked about a Gallup Poll showing that Americans are less concerned about the environment than at any time in the past 20 years.

National Journal asked, why? And what does the lack of concern portend for climate legislation?

The Kerry-Graham-Lieberman climate discussions continue to be a work in progress. Until the proposal advances beyond the concept stage, we won't know enough to support or oppose it.

Because of the interconnected nature of energy to all aspects of our economy, climate and energy policy has an enormous potential impact on Americans and their ability to find jobs and purchase goods.

With the legislative agenda apparently changing in the U.S. Senate, it appears that climate legislation proponents are looking for ways to enact a greenhouse gas (GHG) measure by adding it to a jobs bill. According to the Houston Chronicle today, the Senate is expected to take up a jobs-creation package soon, following the House's passage of a $154 billion measure last month.

There's no doubt that the economy and jobs are top priorities for a majority of Americans.

With the unemployment rate standing at 10 percent, concerns about the economy are trumping support for climate legislation. News reports from around the country indicate a growing unease with legislation or regulations that are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions due to their potential impact on jobs.

American motorists drove fewer miles in 2009, in part due to unemployment. As reported in The Wall Street Journal, Trilby Lundberg, author of the Lundberg Letter, says commuting to work--one of the most important reasons for driving--has been "hit in the guts" by unemployment.

In the wake of the bruising political battle over health care reform, several U.S. senators have signaled that they don't want to take up climate legislation during the upcoming 2010 election year.

According to Politico, Sen Mary Landrieu (D-La.) is one of many senators telling their party leaders or the administration to give up on legislation to curb global climate change. "I am communicating that in every way I know how," Sen. Landrieu says in a Politico article.

The Wall Street Journal today published an editorial that explains the "dirty truth" about climate legislation such as the Waxman-Markey climate bill. In a few brief paragraphs, the editorial confirms what we've been saying on this blog for months--Waxman-Markey and similar bills could eliminate millions of jobs in the United States and them overseas.

There's more talk of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) endangerment finding and the agency's related efforts to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a Forbes article authored by Brian Wingfield.

The endangerment finding essentially means that either Congress must pass a climate bill, or the administration will control GHGs without input from those who've been elected to represent the American people.

At least two states are objecting to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) endangerment finding. As reported earlier this week, this finding paves the way for EPA regulators to restrict carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.

Those of us who studied American history in school know that December 7 is Pearl Harbor Day, the commemoration of the day of "infamy" when the Japanese bombed the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. The nation countered by entering World War II in the Pacific and later in Europe, and Americans bought war bonds and scrimped to support the fighting men abroad.

On this December 7, Americans once again are being asked to make an economic sacrifice for a global cause. Today is the opening day of the two-week long international climate talks in Copenhagen where President Obama is expected to announce his desire to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.

As international leaders gather in Copenhagen this week for climate discussions, an "endangerment" finding by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could require businesses that emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to make costly changes to reduce emissions--even if Congress doesn't approve pending climate change legislation.

At an event described by one participant as a World Wrestling Federation bout, API's President Jack Gerard discussed proposed climate legislation with members of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday evening, Dec.1. The discussion, titled "Climate and Energy Policy: Moving?" was jointly sponsored by API and Newsweek.

In addition to Jack, the event featured Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), and Rana Foroohar of Newsweek International, each of whom offered their perspectives on the climate change issue.

In this episode, I interview Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau, on the potential impact of climate change legislation on agriculture.

On Tuesday, yet another voice spoke out against the proposed climate legislation under consideration in Congress. This time it was Margo Thorning, senior vice president and chief economist at the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF), speaking before the Senate Finance Committee.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today voted to send the Kerry-Boxer climate bill to the Senate floor without amendments. Only Democrats were in attendance for the vote, and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mt.) voted against the bill, saying he would withhold his support contingent on the adoption of some pro-agriculture amendments.

A recent poll shows that the more Americans learn about climate legislation, the less they like it. Especially when they realize that it will take money out of their pockets.

How much money? About $2,300 per year per average U.S. household, according to the American Farm Bureau. That's nearly $200 a month.

In this episode, I interview Alan Gelder of Wood Mackenzie, who recently conducted a study on the potential impact of climate change legislation on refiners.