EcoWatch
Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced climate legislation today that will put a $20/ton fee on the dangerous carbon pollution driving climate change.
On the heels of President Obama’s call to action in his State of the Union address and the arrest of 48 environmental, civil rights and community leaders at a protest of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have introduced the first serious climate legislation since cap and trade failed to pass the Senate in 2009. The bill would put a $20/ton fee on the dangerous carbon pollution driving climate impacts like Hurricane Sandy, raising trillions of dollars to offset any impact on consumers and create new investment in renewable energy sources.
“The leading scientists in the world who study climate change now tell us that their projections in the past were wrong; that, in fact, the crisis facing our planet is much more serious than they had previously believed,” Sanders told a news conference in the Senate environment committee hearing room.
The proposal was drafted as two measures, the Climate Protection Act and the Sustainable Energy Act. For a summary, click here.
Greenpeace Climate Campaign Director Gabe Wisniewski remarked, “After years of our leaders in government failing to even acknowledge the overwhelming threat of climate change, this bill restarts critical momentum toward solutions. The legislation on its own would not be sufficient to address the rapidly unraveling climate system, but it represents the kind of leadership that we so desperately need in Washington. We hope other leaders in Congress will wake up to the reality of the climate threat, and the huge economic opportunities before us if we take action now.”
Additional measures are being considered that would roll back some of the billions of dollars in subsidies that have flowed to the fossil fuel industry, keeping it afloat despite the economic competitiveness of energy efficiency and renewable resources like wind and solar.
“Sens. Sanders and Boxer actually understand the depth of the climate problem we face. We are awfully grateful to them for starting us down the legislative path that could reverse our disastrous course. We hope and trust that they won’t have to be a lone voice,” said Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, one day after his arrest at a White House protest on a controversial oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
“Climate disruption is one of the most pressing challenges of our time and we must move forward with solutions on all fronts. While all eyes are on President Obama’s pending actions to cut carbon emissions from power plants, halt risky drilling in America’s arctic, and reject the dirty and dangerous Keystone XL pipeline, we need champions in the Senate like Bernie Sanders and Barbara Boxer pushing strong, comprehensive climate solutions that can double down on these critical administrative actions,” added Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club.
“Pricing carbon is an important tool to address climate change, and this legislation ensures that working families aren’t penalized by dedicating 3/5 of revenues to a per-capita family refund. This will protect families at the same time we seek to protect the climate,” said Tyson Slocum, Public Citizen’s energy program director.
Visit EcoWatch’s RENEWABLES and CLIMATE CHANGE pages for more related news on this topic.
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I’d feel even better if they would take steps to give EPA the authority to limit methane emissions from oil and gas well sites, compressor stations, and pipelines. Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2.
Methane release is a trojan horse: We can invest asap a map in clean renewable energy use, development, infrastructure also to reduce climate heating that has caused our Arctic to melt. . . . .and is causing the peat to melt and release methane in historic amounts to cause frankenstorms, rising seas and more. We need to reduce the warming immediately, and I really believe we can if the GOP would just get out of the way. .. . .to invest in our nation’s and worlds’ ability to use 100% renewables by 2050. . . . if we cared enough to produce a future. The dirty energy industry does have the technology and expertise to help our nation to make the critical transition .. …and we need the GOP to help all of us to get on board as a team.
Go 100%!
“raising trillions of dollars to offset any impact on consumers…” Hello!! This is a logically inconsistent statement. The point of the tax is to stimulate consumers to change their behavior; using the revenues to “offset impacts” is a completely wrong use for the money…..the only reason the money would be used to offset impacts is to buy votes for politicians who can point to another government handout program that they have created. The money should be going to green alternative energy investments.
Switching to clean renewables is a necessity if we want a future of any definition.
I hope Mr Sanders and Ms Boxer read my letter I sent to them about Methane Gas Toxicity and read my Toxicology Reports and my many toxic diagnosis and the dangers of Fracking as my many medical problems will be the future for all who live in range of Fracking, if this is not stopped.
Hooray!!! I have been asking for very similar legislation for years. Major differences are that I would greatly restrict biomass as a renewable source, unless it is something like algae, and I would ask a higher price on carbon to start and ramp up more quickly.
Dont you people get it? The little man, lower middle class gets screwed by the knee jerk reactions of congress to friggin tax everything that they think is bad for you. The solution is not taxing carbon,(you think China, India are gonna play the carbon tax game?) but its to provide incentives WORLDWIDE to multinational companies to make products that wont contribute to our greenhouse gas problem. Impeach every congress person too.
I hope this fee does not exempt exported carbon.
The coal industry is planning to export 150 million tons of coal through terminals in Oregon and Washington. Power Past Coal is seriously fighting this.
I Appreciate the efforts of Senators Boxer and Sanders, but would like to see all fossil fuels stop in every respect. we need clean energy to survive this ludicrous world!! NC had promised us to the the model for fracking, getting it right! the new governor, MCCRORY, has allowed to do away with any environmentalist in our state, the freight train is full steam ahead, so what about the people! mccrory and his band want money!!!! greed junkies! their solutions for the toxic fracking chemicals, inject it back into the earth, deep into the surface! idiots!!!! and this is getting it right!!!!!