| July 22, 2010 |  |
Senate Has Absolute Responsibility to Address Climate Change
Statement by UCS President Kevin Knobloch
WASHINGTON (July 22, 2010) – Sen. Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) announcement today that the Senate will delay taking up climate and energy legislation at least until September should pressure his colleagues to pass a bill before the 111th Congress ends, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
Below is a statement by UCS President Kevin Knobloch:
"The Senate has an absolute responsibility to act on climate change this year. Senators allied with the oil and coal industries must get out of the way and allow the Senate to act.
"The majority leader was right to point out that a failure to act is 'dangerous.' The first six months of this year have been the hottest on record and the past 10 years were the hottest decade on record. The House has already met its responsibility and passed a comprehensive energy and climate plan more than a year ago. Meanwhile, the National Academy of Sciences –in response to congressional requests – recently issued reports that underscore the need to quickly and dramatically reduce heat-trapping emissions and explicitly recommend capping emissions and putting a price on carbon.
"The best way to ensure that we dramatically reduce emissions is by putting a declining limit on them. The Senate needs to consider important policies besides a cap, but to adopt them without a limit on heat-trapping emissions would not be enough. A comprehensive climate and energy package can reduce oil consumption, create new jobs and help us avoid the worst consequences of climate change and, by significantly reducing conventional pollutants, save lives. Importantly, the Senate absolutely should not undermine the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to reduce emissions.
"Senators who are still on the fence need to get on board. An aggressive plan to cut oil consumption would strengthen national security and save their constituents money. A 25 percent renewable electricity standard by 2025 would create nearly 300,000 new American jobs. A cap on emissions would send the economy the signal it needs to put the clean technology we already have into the marketplace. Senators should have the opportunity to vote for all of these policies.
"The onus isn't only on the Senate. President Obama needs to step up his administration's efforts to make his campaign promise to address climate change a reality. We need the White House to aggressively push for real energy reform.
"Time is running out. We only have five and half weeks left in this session, and the oil and coal industries are doing what they can to delay legislation and weaken it. We can no longer afford to send a billion dollars a day overseas for imported oil. We can't afford more dirty air, dangerous mining accidents, and oil spilling into our waters. It's long past time for the Senate to protect our future. It should not let this opportunity slip away."
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
