Contents

1. Summary
2. Safe Climate Act
3. Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act
4. Climate Stewardship Act
5. Global Warming Reduction Act
6. Global Warming in the Northeast
7. Looking Ahead

Summary

UCS activists in nine northeast states sent thousands of emails to state decision makers in support of strong policies reducing global warming pollution and helped distribute new findings about the effects of global warming on the region. At the federal level, several UCS-backed global warming bills are gaining support in Washington D.C. The new Congress offers an opportunity to advance these critical bills to ensure we avoid the worst effects of global warming.

Safe Climate Act

In the final months of the 109th Congress, UCS worked to build support for Representative Henry Waxman’s (D-CA) Safe Climate Act (HR 5642), a bill that aims to prevent the worst effects of global warming by reducing U.S. emissions 80 percent by 2050. The bill achieves these targets through a flexible economy-wide cap-and-trade program for heat-trapping emissions.

UCS members and activists applied critical pressure by sending 23,500 letters urging their representatives to cosponsor the bill. UCS Climate Outreach Coordinator Kate Abend met with congressional staff to highlight the science behind the 80 percent target. Together, we helped to grow the list of cosponsors to 113, a strong showing that will provide needed momentum heading into the next session of Congress.

Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act

In June 2006, Senator Jeffords introduced the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 3698), which also calls for 80 percent emissions reductions. This bill represents an important part of the legacy of Senator Jeffords, a long-time champion of climate solution policies who retired at the end of the session. Given the very limited time remaining in the session, and the greater need for education on the urgency of the climate problem in the U.S. House, UCS focused our advocacy efforts on building support for the Waxman bill. At the end of the session, the Jeffords bill had 11 cosponsors. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), incoming chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, is expected to carry on Senator Jeffords’ efforts by introducing a similar bill next year.

Climate Stewardship Act

The session closed with 122 cosponsors on the Gilchrest (R-MD)–Olver (D-MA) Climate Stewardship Act (HR 759), which would reduce U.S. emissions to 2000 levels by 2010. HR 759 dovetails well with the Safe Climate Act because it provides a mechanism for taking the first step toward the long-term 80 percent emissions cut that is needed. If the authors reintroduce the bill in the 110th Congress, they will need to update the time frame, as it would be difficult to meet the 2010 deadline.

Global Warming Reduction Act

In September 2006, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced the Global Warming Reduction Act (S. 4039), which freezes emissions levels in 2010 and then gradually reduces emissions each year to 65 percent below 2000 emissions levels by 2050. There are currently no additional cosponsors on this bill. Like the Waxman proposal, Senator Kerry’s plan would achieve these targets through a flexible, economy-wide cap-and-trade program for heat-trapping emissions. While we are pleased by the leadership of Senators Kerry and Snowe on this issue, we believe a target of 80 percent emission reductions by 2050 is needed to increase our chances of avoiding the worst effects of global warming.

Global Warming in the Northeast

UCS released a new report on climate change in the U.S. Northeast this fall. With state-of-the-art science, the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment outlines the ongoing and projected changes in the region’s climate—from temperature, to extreme events, snow cover, drought, and sea-level rise. In conjunction with this report, UCS activists generated more than 5,500 emails to their legislatures, governors, and other key targets calling for strong steps to reduce heat-trapping emissions today. Details on the findings can be explored at ClimateChoices.

UCS activists have played an important role in laying the groundwork for strong policy action in the coming year. In 2007, a second report will look at the impacts of climate change on forests and agriculture, coastal and marine resources, human health, recreation, and urban centers across the Northeast, as well as ways to reduce emissions.

Looking Ahead

UCS will monitor the reintroduction of these climate bills and new ones in the 110th Congress and alert our members when there is an opportunity to take action. The incoming Congress offers an opportunity to advance critical bills to ensure near term cuts in global warming emissions and set long term emission reduction targets aimed at avoiding the worst effects of global warming.