Globe oped on climate bill, mentions Sen. Kerry

[MBS]

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/10/26/the_ticking_time_bomb_on_warming/

THE BLUR of details and fog of ideological attacks can obscure the truly essential in the current congressional debate about legislation to confront global warming while building a green economy: the stark need for immediate action.

The bill recently unveiled by Senators John F. Kerry and Barbara Boxer represents an important step forward. The bill is not perfect, and ways that it can be strengthened are discussed below. However, it does include some of the most essential tools for addressing this most fundamental of challenges.
. . .

This core of essential provisions - a science-based cap on greenhouse gas emissions and sustained EPA authority - provides a solid foundation for federal climate legislation.

Kerry took a critical step toward moving the legislative process forward when he coauthored a New York Times op-ed article with Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, describing a course to the 60 votes needed for Senate passage. In his collaboration with Graham, Kerry is acting in the best tradition of reaching across the aisle to “get to yes.’’

However, while bipartisan compromise is essential, a climate bill must not be traded for the environmental soul of the Senate. Packaging a climate bill with provisions, hinted at in the op-ed, that make the climate challenge more difficult and that Kerry has long (and appropriately) rejected, such as opening fragile coastal waters to oil drilling, should be a nonstarter. The same is true for proposals to pour billions of dollars into expensive nuclear power plants, especially given the long-unanswered questions about the safety and security of those plants, the very dangerous waste they produce, and the opportunities that would be lost for investing instead in truly sustainable and clean energy resources.
. . .

Passing climate legislation will not be easy. We must continue to look to leaders like Edward Markey and Kerry to press forward with this most difficult yet essential of tasks.If we do not fully support and help them and their colleagues to deliver on this critical legislation, we will both court disaster and bear responsibility for dumping an increasingly heavy burden on our children.

Seth Kaplan is vice president for climate advocacy at the Conservation Law Foundation.

For those outside of MA, Ed Markey is a local congressman, and has indeed been a leader on environmental issues in the House (his only flaw being his ridiculous assertions last year that expansion of daylight savings time will help save energy--other than that brain lesion,he's been good)

[MH1]

1. We have Markey to blame for extended DST?!? Grrr....

As bad as it is, I am even more mad at Verizon/Motorola (not sure which one). My "smart" phone insists on updating the time - I've set it back 3 times already, since DST now doesn't change til what, next weekend (gawd I hope so). I've finally given up and will just hope I can remember that my phone time is off an hour. Sigh. Thanks Ed.

[MBS]

2. there's not even any evidence that DST saves energy

. . . someone recently did a study of two regions of Indiana, one with DST and one without. . and there was, at best, no difference (maybe even MORE energy usage in the DST region? can't remember) . . there's NEVER been any evidence for energy savings even with regular DST , not to mention the fact that there's absolutely no evidence for any savings either from extended DST, or from the "extra" (two-hour) DST that CA had to endure for a while in the 70's energy crisis, and which Markey pushed for, unsuccessfully (thank God) last year. .