In response to the news that 2012 was the warmest year on record, Sen. Bernie Sanders will introduce new legislation to aggressively reduce global warming.
Sen. Sanders said, “The scientific data is clear that global warming is real and significantly caused by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. After the hottest year on record and extreme weather disturbances such as Hurricane Sandy, we must take strong action to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and move toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy. I intend to introduce legislation in the Senate to do just that.
According to his office, “Sanders’ legislation will include a transparent fee on greenhouse gas emissions from the biggest polluters. It will call for an historic investment in efficiency, sustainable energy, advanced transportation infrastructure, and clean energy research and development. The measure also would end fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks.”
The United States has doubled its production of wind and solar energy and imposed new vehicle fuel economy standards, Sen. Sanders said we aren’t doing enough, “But we are not doing nearly enough. That is why I will be introducing legislation that would deal realistically with the crisis in a way that is aggressive but achievable.”
Once introduced, Sanders’ legislation should have an immediate friend in the White House. President Obama is on record as supporting all of the investments that Sen. Sanders will propose making.
The president had a lot to say about climate change in a recent interview with Time, “And so, on an issue like climate change, for example, I think for this country and the world to ask some very tough questions about what are we leaving behind, that weighs on you. And not to mention the fact I think that generation is much more environmentally aware than previous generations. There is that sense of we’ve got to get this right, and at least give them a fighting chance. In the same way that as a parent you recognize that no matter what you do, your kids are going to have challenges — because that’s the human condition — but you don’t want them dealing with stuff that’s the result of you making bad choices. They’ll have enough bad choices that they make on their own that you don’t want them inheriting the consequences of bad choices that you make. We have to think about that as a society as a whole.”
Even if the president supports the legislation proposed by Sen. Sanders, and the Senate passes it, the bill will face the nearly impossible task of passing the oil dominated Republican majority in the House.
2013 will be an important year for climate change legislation. Now is the time to get our legislative ducks in a row. Supporters need to know how many more House seats they need to pick up in 2014 for passage. Sen. Sanders has the legislation. President Obama has the support. All those who support legislation to reverse global warming need are the votes in the House to make it happen.
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Tina
Jan. 10th, 2013 at 7:14 am
Go get ‘em Bernie.We need more like him in this country.I live in the middle of a fracking frenzy.What it is doing to our air,our water,our property and our health is just unbelievable.I can’t believe we,as a country,are letting this happen.Cheap gas,they cry,but at what cost?It is actually worse then burning coal in the long run.Same with the XL pipeline.We need to switch to renewable energy NOW,not after we either kill this planet or run out of fossil fuels.It will be way to late then.WAKE UP PEOPLE! It will affect you too.
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John Kumpf
Jan. 10th, 2013 at 3:25 pm
Good Luck getting everyone on board !!
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Eleanor
Jan. 10th, 2013 at 7:47 pm
More power to Bernie Sanders for taking a stand – we need more Senators, and certainly more Representatives like him. He seems to be willing to lead, imagine that. I sincerely hope he is overwhelmingly successful and rouses the Senate into action.
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Erin
Jan. 11th, 2013 at 8:16 am
What a bunch of baloney. I supported Bernie Sanders with his Federal Reserve Bank audit, but no more! D o you think you should have to pay for your own carbon emissions just to exist on this planet? Well, it’s going to happen! “Climate change” is just a big scam to create a Global Carbon Tax that would make billionaires out of people like Al Gore. Think Al Gore’s inconvenient “truths” are actually valid? Check this out http://bit.ly/kjiKe And scientists can be bought and paid for.
http://www.green-agenda.com/
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Shiva (Moderator)
Jan. 11th, 2013 at 8:52 am
Right
Thousands and thousands of scientists are being bought out. The melting ice caps have been bribed to stay silent. The glaciers disappearing are under strict orders not to talk. And someone is spending a huge vast amount of moneyto buy off scientists all over the world right?
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Aaron
Jan. 11th, 2013 at 11:36 pm
If this were just a scam for certain billionaires to make money then why would the big money oil interests not be able to respond forcefully than to only be able to muddle the waters on the public’s understanding of the scientific consensus? Why would they just sit by and take it? In the last several years out of just under 14,000 publish papers in peer reviewed journals on global warming only 24 have expresses doubts that the phenomena is actually happening. Surely if it was a hoax then the oil companies would be able to fund enough science so that more than just 0.2 % of the scientific community would be sceptical. Or do do you think the conspiracy is actually bigger than that and this cabal of rich billionaires is trying to get both by having to buy the oil and then pay for the carbon emissions in an attempt to virtually enslave us financially?
And if you do believe this then– considering the stakes — what if your wrong? Are you really so certain that it’s a conspiracy that you’re willing to bet the future on it?
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Charlie Jameson
Jan. 11th, 2013 at 1:56 pm
Global warming is a bald faced lie…it is a scheme to raise taxes for this bloated government we have taking control over all of our lives.
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Shiva (Moderator)
Jan. 11th, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Really? It started long before this government was in charge. Its really too bad you dont get put and read more on your own
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