Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Sen. Sanders, after US hits heat record, floats new climate bill
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is floating legislation to impose fees on greenhouse gas emitters, a plan that’s highly unlikely to advance but shows that liberal lawmakers intend to ramp up calls to tackle global warming in the new Congress.
Sanders announced the bill a day after federal officials reported that 2012 was the hottest year on record in the lower 48 states, smashing the record set in 1998 by a full degree Fahrenheit.
The bill from Sanders would create a “transparent fee on greenhouse gas emissions from the biggest polluters,” his office said in a brief summary.
“After the hottest year on record and extreme weather disturbances such as Hurricane Sandy, we must take strong action to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and move toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy,” said Sanders, a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “I intend to introduce legislation in the Senate to do just that.”
Cap-and-trade legislation collapsed on Capitol Hill in 2010, and political prospects for new measures to cap or tax emissions face extremely grim prospects.
But the record heat and violent weather is nonetheless leading Democrats to seek the political offensive on climate change.
Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) recently said she’s establishing an ad-hoc “climate change clearinghouse” with two other Senate committee chairmen that will promote administrative action and legislation.
Environmentalists are pressing President Obama to take tougher steps using his administrative powers, including establishment of first-time carbon emissions standards for existing power plants.
Sanders' plan also aims to boost green energy development and nix tax incentives for oil companies.
“It will call for an historic investment in efficiency, sustainable energy, advanced transportation infrastructure, and clean energy research and development. The measure also would end fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks,” his office said.
Sanders announced the bill a day after federal officials reported that 2012 was the hottest year on record in the lower 48 states, smashing the record set in 1998 by a full degree Fahrenheit.
The bill from Sanders would create a “transparent fee on greenhouse gas emissions from the biggest polluters,” his office said in a brief summary.
“After the hottest year on record and extreme weather disturbances such as Hurricane Sandy, we must take strong action to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and move toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy,” said Sanders, a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “I intend to introduce legislation in the Senate to do just that.”
Cap-and-trade legislation collapsed on Capitol Hill in 2010, and political prospects for new measures to cap or tax emissions face extremely grim prospects.
But the record heat and violent weather is nonetheless leading Democrats to seek the political offensive on climate change.
Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) recently said she’s establishing an ad-hoc “climate change clearinghouse” with two other Senate committee chairmen that will promote administrative action and legislation.
Environmentalists are pressing President Obama to take tougher steps using his administrative powers, including establishment of first-time carbon emissions standards for existing power plants.
Sanders' plan also aims to boost green energy development and nix tax incentives for oil companies.
“It will call for an historic investment in efficiency, sustainable energy, advanced transportation infrastructure, and clean energy research and development. The measure also would end fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks,” his office said.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/276353-sen-sanders-after-us-heat-record-floats-new-climate-bill#ixzz2HVoentGW
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
http://news.msn.com/science-technology/us-reaches-hottest-year-on-record-by-landslide
People, get ready...
A brutal combination of a widespread drought and a mostly absent winter pushed the average annual U.S. temperature last year up to 55.32 degrees Fahrenheit, the government announced Tuesday. That's a full degree warmer than the old record set in 1998.
<snip>
Scientists say the U.S. heat is due in part to global warming in action and in part to natural weather variations. The drought that struck almost two-thirds of the nation and a La Niña weather event helped push temperatures higher, along with climate change from man-made greenhouse gas emissions, said Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University. She said temperature increases are happening faster than scientists predicted.
"These records do not occur like this in an unchanging climate," said Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. "And they are costing many billions of dollars."
Last year was 3.2 degrees warmer than the average for the entire 20th century. Last July was the also the hottest month on record. Nineteen states set yearly heat records in 2012. Alaska, however, was cooler than average.
U.S. temperature records go back to 1895 and the yearly average is based on reports from more than 1,200 weather stations across the Lower 48 states.
<snip>
Scientists say the U.S. heat is due in part to global warming in action and in part to natural weather variations. The drought that struck almost two-thirds of the nation and a La Niña weather event helped push temperatures higher, along with climate change from man-made greenhouse gas emissions, said Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University. She said temperature increases are happening faster than scientists predicted.
"These records do not occur like this in an unchanging climate," said Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. "And they are costing many billions of dollars."
Last year was 3.2 degrees warmer than the average for the entire 20th century. Last July was the also the hottest month on record. Nineteen states set yearly heat records in 2012. Alaska, however, was cooler than average.
U.S. temperature records go back to 1895 and the yearly average is based on reports from more than 1,200 weather stations across the Lower 48 states.
People, get ready...
