Seth Masia
SOLAR TODAY managing editor
A lot of news this week, and it fits together nicely.
On Monday, Barbara Boxer indicated that she'll introduce a Senate climate bill during the week of Oct. 5. The bill reportedly bumps the federal renewable electricity standard to 20% by 2020, up from the 17% specified in the Waxman-Markey bill passed by the House of Representatives at the end of June.
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama and China's President Hu Jintao, in speeches to the United Nations General Assembly, called for strong action, by their own nations and worldwide, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The two largest carbon polluters in the world, after years of saying "You go first," appeared ready to move together.
That's appropriate for these Siamesed economies. The United States can't live without Chinese manufacturing and credit, and China can't live without the U.S. market. Together responsible for 40% of the world's carbon pollution, neither nation can undertake an economic reformation that will cost jobs -- both governments are now convinced that energy efficiency will create new jobs.
Nor can either nation undertake a global initiative without the implied consent of the other. As long as these economies are symbiotic, we won't see overt Cold War-style rivalry. Parallel motion toward carbon reduction is a very good thing. It means the EU, India, Japan and even Australia have political cover to follow along.
A Senate bill would be the necessary precondition for worldwide climate action. If Senate Democrats can push through a climate bill before the Copenhagen Climate Conference convenes on Dec. 6 -- even if the United States doesn't yet have final legislation in place -- enough momentum may exist to launch a framework agreement on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.
Seth Masia
Liz Merry
