Climate Bill Passes Congress
Today The US House of Representatives has passed a climate change bill aimed at reducing the country’s emissions.
The legislation will put curbs on pollution and apply market principles to attempts to tackle global warming.
It was passed by a narrow margin of 219 votes to 212. President Barack Obama said the vote represented “enormous progress”.
But the bill still has to be passed by the US Senate before it can become law, and it faces another tough fight.
“Today the House of Representatives took historic action with the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act,” Mr Obama said after the vote. “It’s a bold and necessary step that holds the promise of creating new industries and millions of new jobs, decreasing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”
Details of the bill are as follows
· To cut emissions by 17% below the level in 2005 by 2020, then by 83% by 2050
· Imposes national limits and requires polluters to acquire emissions permits
· Permits are either free (85%) or bought at auction (15%)
· Permits can be traded, allowing major polluters to offset surplus emissions
I have worked in the USA for over 8 years and believe me when I say, this is an historic day and Congress needs to be congratulated. However, this brings America to the place where it should have been over 5 year ago and as the bill still has to pass through the Senate and given the resistance that is still ot there, it is clear that there is still much work to do!
Guy Battle
Tags: Climate Bill
