New Focus on Global Warming

General Electric plan to cut its own greenhouse-gas emissions and boost environmental technology spending, along with similar recent moves by key businesses. This has begun to shift the political landscape in favor of action on climate change.

The big issue now is what will happen when the Senate takes up an energy bill in the coming weeks. Several legislative proposals are expected to include provisions to curb carbon dioxide and other emissions created by the burning of coal and oil. These so-called greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, altering global weather patterns and increasing the risk of rising sea levels, cropland loss, and drought.

From USNews:

The Kyoto treaty on climate change went into effect earlier this year in 140 nations but not in the United States, the country that is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. However, a growing number of business leaders--most recently GE Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt--have called for the United States to set clear goals on carbon emissions. Most industry supporters would prefer a market-based system like that in the Kyoto treaty, one that would cap carbon emissions and create a market where businesses can buy pollution credits from the government and then trade them among one another. It would imitate a model that has proved successful in controlling sulfur dioxide emissions to reduce acid rain in the United States.

Now - Mr. Bush, when will you give in for the people of the world to sign the Kyoto Treaty?