Environmental organizations have begun responding to the release of the
Lieberman-Warner
legislation.
Friends of the
Earth
Global warming legislation expected to be introduced tomorrow could
provide giveaways worth hundreds of billions or even trillions of
dollars to polluting industries, according to an
analysis of a draft of
the legislation conducted by Friends of the Earth. . . . The Friends
of the Earth analysis found that the coal industry in particular
stands to benefit from this legislation, precisely because it is
currently the industry most responsible for global warming pollution.
Depending on market conditions, the coal industry could receive
permits worth up to $231 billion in the first year alone, 48 percent
of the total permit allocation.
Environmental
Defense
Lieberman and Warner have paved the way for a historic committee vote
on a bill that promises to make great strides toward climate security
and economic growth. Thanks to their thoughtful approach we’re moving
beyond talk and quickly toward action. . . . The emissions goal is
aggressive in the short-term and that will have a real impact on
investment decisions made now. Most scientists say we need to cut U.S.
emissions by about 80 percent, and we continue to believe that deeper
reductions are needed long-term. This bill is a good start in that
direction, and we will continue to work toward those longer term
reductions.
Sierra
Club
The bill is a significant political step forward for the U.S.
Congress, but unfortunately the legislation as introduced still falls
short what is demanded by the science and the public to meet the
challenge of global warming. . . .The Lieberman-Warner bill, as
introduced, leaves us in serious danger of reaching the tipping points
that scientists tell us could lead to catastrophic changes to the
climate. Polluters should pay for what they do and any bill must
allocate allowances for the public benefit, not private windfalls.
The Sierra Club finds that the bill falls short of the standards of
scientific integrity and economic fairness, calling for an economy-wide
cap of 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, and full auction of emissions
allowances.
NRDC
Although this bill is a strong start, NRDC
supports changes that would improve the bill by ensuring that emission
reductions keep pace with the science, and by reducing free
allocations and directing additional resources to provide more support
for critical program features, including consumer and low-income
protections, safeguards for affected workers, and faster deployment of
energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions.
Clean Air
Watch
From our standpoint, it’s a good-faith political compromise, but it
seems very unlikely to go very far unless President Bush does an
unexpected 180 degree reversal. And it’s got some very significant
warts.
Clean Air Watch criticizes the giveaway of emissions credits and notes
that the actual reductions in the bill come out to about 51% of overall
US emissions by 2050 because the cap is not economy-wide.
Earthjustice
We applaud Senators Joe Lieberman and John Warner for their leadership
on global warming. . . . While we commend several of the improvements
Senators Lieberman and Warner made to their bill, such as increasing
the 2020 target to a 15% reduction in covered sectors and recognizing
the vital check-and-balance role that enforcement must play in any
climate bill, their bill must be strengthened in some vital areas.
Earthjustice calls for economy-wide coverage, an 80% reduction (not
51-63% reduction) by 2050, increased auction, and the restoration of
funding for international relief.
Nature
Conservancy
The Lieberman-Warner bill offers a strong starting point for action. .
. . We are especially pleased by the commitment to conservation and
protecting wildlife and habitat reflected in the bill. Senators Warner
and Lieberman have been leaders in recognizing the magnitude of the
challenge climate change poses for the natural world and for all of
us.
League of Conservation
Voters
Today’s introduction of America’s Climate Security Act marks an
important step by this Congress to address the urgent problem of
global warming. We applaud Senators Joe Lieberman and John Warner for
their leadership and for their bipartisan commitment to moving America
closer to real solutions to this very urgent problem. . . . We will
continue to work to increase the reduction targets and the sectors
covered in both the near and long term. We will also work to
significantly increase the amount of allowances toward our goal of 100
percent auction, while ensuring that the auction revenues go to
directly helping consumers, to increasing renewable energy and energy
efficiency, and to helping impacted populations adapt to global
warming both at home and abroad.
National Wildlife
Federation
This is a bipartisan breakthrough on global warming that takes us a
giant step closer to a historic vote in the United States Senate. I
commend Senator Lieberman and Senator Warner for drafting a strong
bill to protect people and wildlife from global warming.