United States Congress Passes Historic Climate Bill

Nineteen years after the first hearings on global climate change, Congress today approved legislation placing a firm cap on carbon emissions. The historic legislation sets the framework for a reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The bill also includes a moratorium on the construction of new coal-fired power plants that do not contain effective carbon capture and storage technology, beginning July 4th, 2007.

In other news, the heads of every major electric utility in the United States announced plans to create a new decentralized “smart grid” that will allow anyone to set up their own generator and buy or sell surplus electricity without caps. The so-called “Electranet” will dramatically reduce inefficiencies in power transmission and spark widespread use of renewable energy. During his announcement, CEO of Entergy, J. Wayne Leonard made an apology to the world’s children and future generations for his role in fueling global warming and poisoning Native communities by investing in coal and nuclear. During his speech, Leonard made a commitment to donate the balance of his $15.5 million salary in 2006 to a new fund for environmental refugees in poor countries.

About Josh

Josh Lynch works to bring people together for clean energy and green jobs. As Co-Founder of Energy Action Coalition, he was instrumental in building a diverse youth-led alliance that has become a force in U.S. politics. Serving as Campaign Manager for Green For All in 2008, he coordinated Green Jobs Now, the first national day of action for green collar jobs. In 2009 he led the Green Recovery For All Initiative, empowering low-income people and people of color to leverage stimulus dollars for green collar jobs and training. Josh graduated from the College of Wooster with a major in Philosophy. He now lives and works in Boston.

6 Responses to “United States Congress Passes Historic Climate Bill”

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1 Noah Apr 1st, 2007 at 8:28 pm

Ah, I wish this wasn’t an April Fools joke!
Josh always includes links in his posts, and this is unfortunatly just too good to be true, too perfect.

Alas, may this vision manifest….soon.

Step It Up Congress!!!
2 Josh Arnold Apr 2nd, 2007 at 8:24 am

Nice try Josh! I was hoping someone would post in the spirit of April Fool’s Day!
3 Adam Scott Apr 2nd, 2007 at 9:57 am

If you know what it is that you want, it is really easy to ask for it.

While this post is just a bit too perfect, the pace of change we are witnessing today might just make us look back in a few years and laugh that this was an april fools joke. Is anything less than this really acceptable anyway? Josh, next you post this – let it not be a joke!
4 Zoë Caron Apr 2nd, 2007 at 10:26 am

I so totally believed you. Sigh. One day soon!!!!
xo
5 Morgan Apr 2nd, 2007 at 1:26 pm

Wow, that made me excited, especially considering the supreme court’s ruling. I almost gleefully told the person sitting next to me.
6 Carlos Rymer Apr 2nd, 2007 at 5:33 pm

Haha. Almost got me! I read in my school’s newspaper today about how Cornell’s president will promote sustainability and hazing, and then realized it was for April’s Fools Day. Great one! Will come true very soon!