As you know, the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) bill narrowly passed in the house on Friday. Here’s what the New York Times said about it:
The vote was the first time either house of Congress had approved a bill meant to curb the heat-trapping gases scientists have linked to climate change. The legislation, which passed despite deep divisions among Democrats, could lead to profound changes in many sectors of the economy, including electric power generation, agriculture, manufacturing and construction.
The bill’s passage, by 219 to 212, with 44 Democrats voting against it, also established a marker for the United States when international negotiations on a new climate change treaty begin later this year.
At the heart of the legislation is a cap-and-trade system that sets a limit on overall emissions of heat-trapping gases while allowing utilities, manufacturers and other emitters to trade pollution permits, or allowances, among themselves. The cap would grow tighter over the years, pushing up the price of emissions and presumably driving industry to find cleaner ways of making energy.
You may have read a post I wrote supporting the bill here.
But how do I feel now? Worried. We’ve notched one very small step forward on climate change, but the bill as it stands, has a lot of problems. In fact, Greenpeace even came out against it because it’s so weak. The job is far from over. We have a lot of work to do.
My question for you is, how do you feel about the passage of ACES? Do you feel pleased or worried? Where do you think we go from here? Please leave your comments here at the blog.