From the Senate on energy — not very much at all

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Posted on June 23, 2007
Filed Under Global warming/Climate change, Greenhouse gas emissions, Consumer culture, Fossil fuel dependency

Fostering Ecological Hope
Today from Margaret Swedish:

Okay, the Senate stood up to the auto industry and approved new mileage standards on cars and SUVs — a minimum 35 mpg by 2020.

I am underwhelmed — and even this the auto industry fought hard to stop — now turning their lobbying clout to the House to try to make sure this modest standard does not make it into the final bill

And you know what? As the NY Times reports, that was the only industry the Senate took on. On everything else, they caved. They caved especially before the oil industry. Republicans managed to block a provision that would have raised $32 billion in taxes on the oil and gas industry to be invested in the development of renewables.

They also blocked efforts to force utilities to supply 15% of their power from renewables by 2020.

The Democrats say they won’t give up. Clearly, we need an entirely new political culture in Washington to address the urgent needs of our planet.

This legislation won’t do much of anything to save us from our ecological crisis. Once again, we seem to be a society that will be dragged kicking and screaming into a more responsible way of living, but it will be very, very late, it appears, by the time we do anything truly effective. Oil, gas and automotive industry leaders seem to think our ecological crisis is perfectly survivable with their profits and mode of business intact. What they are really doing is leading us all to the edge of the cliff, with a little help from their friends in Congress.

I want to share the press statement of Brent Blackwelter, president of Friends of the Earth:

“The Senate energy bill is a major disappointment. The bill takes baby steps toward halting global warming when giant leaps are required and possible.

“The bill doesn’t set minimum requirements for the use of wind and solar energy, it doesn’t cut billions in unnecessary subsidies for big oil, and its biofuels provisions lack environmental safeguards, and could result in deforestation that makes global warming worse. This legislation barely moves the ball forward in getting the country to the 80 percent cut in global warming emissions by 2050 that scientists say is necessary to avoid catastrophe.

“The legislation includes a few improvements to our energy policy, such as increased efficiency requirements for federal buildings and new automobile fuel economy standards. But those improvements could hardly be called a serious approach to global warming. The fuel economy standards, for example, increase efficiency from 25 to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, but plug-in hybrid technology that can get 100 miles per gallon exists today. Plus, the new fuel economy standards can be waived by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“If this is the best that the Senate can achieve, it may be best for the nation to let the states lead. We hope that Speaker Pelosi and her team will take a bolder approach as the House considers its energy policy in coming weeks.”

Please, please, go bother your Representatives about this relentlessly over the coming days.


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