"We need to act now and get the job done," Democratic Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, told a crowd of over 300 environmental activists who gathered on the Capitol lawn.

"Our security and our economy will both be strengthened. We can't afford not to act," he added, standing alongside fellow Democrat Barbara Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment Committee.

The Democratic senators' proposals, slightly more ambitious than the bill approved by the House of Representatives in June, sets a target of reducing greenhouse gases from 2005 levels by 20 percent by 2020.

The House bill aims to cut US greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and 83 percent by 2050.

The Senate text also makes a push for nuclear energy research and training, and promotes natural gas as a clean energy source.

Environmental groups hailed the plans.

"This bill will help curb climate change, strengthen our economy and make our country more secure," the Natural Resources Defense Council said. "It will help generate jobs, reduce our reliance on foreign oil and create a healthier future for all of us."

President Barack Obama has made addressing climate change a top legislative priority, along with health care and financial reform. He has called for cutting greenhouse gases by 14 percent by 2020.

With the draft legislation, "we are one step closer to putting America in control of our energy future and making America more energy independent," he said in a statement.

Pointing to the "urgent challenge" of tackling climate change, the president said his administration was "deeply committed to passing a bill that creates new American jobs and the clean energy incentives that foster innovation."

But with Democrats and Republicans opposed on what measures to take, the final bill has little chance of being voted on before a key UN-sponsored climate conference in Copenhagen in December.

"The prospects for Senate legislation on climate change before Copenhagen are still very low," said Michael Levi of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Republicans and moderate Democrats are opposed to a proposed "cap and trade" system that would cap total pollutants companies can emit without being taxed, and forces them to buy credits from entities that pollute less.

Opponents said the proposal will impose heavy penalties on industry and send energy prices skyrocketing. They also fear that the draft bill does not spell out details of pollution allowances.

Kerry remained optimistic about the fate of the legislation, insisting that "we're gonna make it."

"Clearly, it is better to have it done (before the Copenhagen summit) because the signal is more direct and clear. And our hope is to be able to be there," he added.

The bill is still being revised with blank spaces to be filled in as negotiations continue, especially with lawmakers from energy-producing states that are likely to be affected by the measures.

Democrats are hoping for an initial vote at least in the Environment Committee.

The text must also be reviewed by other panels, including the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and the Finance Committee, which would likely delay a possible final vote until early 2010.

In a further setback, Republicans have already expressed opposition to the draft bill, which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell dubbed "the Democrats' new national energy tax."

"The last thing American families need right now is to be hit with a new energy tax every time they flip on a lightswitch, or fill up their car -- but that's exactly what this bill would do," McConnell said.

Kerry, meanwhile, vowed to work with his political rivals, saying announcements would be forthcoming in the coming weeks.

"I'm convinced there are a number of Republicans who want to get this over finish line and we are gonna continue to work with them," he said.

World leaders are keenly watching what the United States -- the world's biggest energy consumer and one of its top polluters -- can bring to the table in Copenhagen, as they seek to to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News