US Climate Change Bill Revealed

US senators have lifted the lid on a hotly-anticipated climate change bill: environmental issues being a prominent part of US President Barack Obama’s overall agenda. As detailed on 12 May by Senator John Kerry, the centrepiece of the bill is an overall 17 per cent reduction in US emissions over the coming decade.

On this basis, said Kerry, the target was to put the US at the forefront of clean energy nations. Once this 17 per cent drop has been achieved, there is a long-term 80 per cent emissions decrease envisaged for 2050. Both of these involve percentages relative to 2005 emissions levels.

Climate Change Legislation

One feature of the climate change legislation bill is proposed controls allowing offshore oil-drilling rules to be loosened. In light of the ongoing oil spill situation in the Gulf of Mexico, off-shore drilling has become a pretty controversial subject and what’s now been put forward is that individual states can deny access to offshore drill sites if they can show that there is a risk involved.

Senator Kerry’s proposals have the support of President Obama, who stated: “The challenges we face - underscored by the immense tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico - are reason to redouble our efforts to reform our nation's energy policies.”

“This is a bill for energy independence after a devastating oil spill, a bill to hold polluters accountable, a bill for billions of dollars to create the next generation of jobs and a bill to end America's addiction to foreign oil”, Senator Kerry said, announcing it.

Climate Change Emissions

Another feature of the bill is a proposed levy on CO2 emissions produced by large-scale industrial fossil fuel sites and other high-emitters, with smaller businesses excluded. Firms that work towards implementing climate change emissions reduction strategies, like CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technologies, will be given as much as $2 billion on a 12-monthly basis.

The bill, however, may not be talked-over for some months yet, according to some sources. According to Senator Kerry, it represents the “last best chance” at putting climate change rules into motion.