Climate change legislation is obviously essential to protecting the planet from catastrophic global warming. But that's not all it can do. The fundamental changes in our energy infrastructure that lie ahead provide the opportunity to achieve unfinished business. Climate legislation could not only allow us to achieve greater energy security, as the bill's name suggests, it could also present the opportunity to clean the nation's air. Full text
Representative Waxman and Markey's discussion draft of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 provides a robust starting point for much-needed federal climate change legislation. Unlike traditional environmental laws, the bill addresses not only the end-of-the-stack -- the emissions of greenhouse gases -- but the energy sources and consumer consumption that lie behind them. Following in the footsteps of many states... Full text