Climate Action Partnership splintering over climate-change bill, says WSJ

The U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a group of businesses and environmental organizations that includes Florida's largest utility, was instrumental in building support for capping U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases.

But now that a bill to do just that has passed the House and is headed for the Senate, the partnership is starting to fracture, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The problem: In order to win the support of enough members to get the bill passed, House Democrats had to add in a lot of extra provisions. Now members of the Climate Action Partnership "say the bill is too burdensome and contains provisions that have little to do with fighting climate change," the WSJ reports.

The partners balking at the current version of the Waxman-Markey bill include Ford, GM, Conoco-Phillips and Caterpillar, the story says. But FPL Group, the parent of Florida Power & Light -- and the nation's biggest producer of solar and wind power -- is sticking by the bill, now slated for a Senate vote in the fall.

"While no legislation is perfect, this bill is a critical step in the right direction," FPL's CEO, Lew Hay III, said in a statement when the bill the passed the House last month.

--Craig Pittman

Comments

[Robin Rorapaugh]

FPL is right. No bill is perfect and perfect should never stand in the way of good. As a nation, we must begin to lead in the global warming battle. It will mean jobs in the short run for Florida and will preserve our state in the long run. The cost of mitigation and adaptation if global warming continues unabated fare outstrip the costs of action now.

[Scholetme my scheletme]

What matters is the Cap and this bill sets one which will reduce our emissions and move our economy toward fuel independence and a sustainable society

[Tino]

Please elaborate specifically how this bill "moves our economy toward fuel independence".

I've read it and see nothing of the sort. It appears as though it bans a lot of technologies by mandating emissions levels. It does not move us toward fuel independence, unless you believe that banning automobiles makes us "independent" of foreign oil.

[get-smart]

Posters 1 & 2 . Please tell me you are from Europe, if not move there. I'm an American. In America energy needs to be cheap and plentiful! Period.