Climate Change bill heads to rockier vote in Seante

June 28, 4:47 AMBoston Environmental Policy ExaminerJon Anderson

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Climate Change bill heads to rockier vote in Senate. The Congress passed a historic Climate Change bill Friday after nearly 20 years of inaction by the U.S. government. The bill passed on a slim 219 to  to  212 vote with 44 Democrats voting down the bill but 8 Republicans supporting it. But its passage in the Senate is much more uncertain and much less likely since 60 votes are  needed to prevent a likely Republican filibuster. The bill proposes sweeping changes to the U.S. economy in electricity production, manufacturing, agriculture and construction. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 17% by 2020 and by 83% by 2050. Most of the gains seen in 2020 come from energy efficiency standards.

The bill is said to cost $13 a month on the average electricity bill by 2020, with early prices only around $3 to $4 per month. Republicans have said the bill will cost the average household $3,000 while the EPA and Congressional Budget Office place the annual cost between $80 and $175 per year. The Democrats may be taking a huge risk as they head toward mid-term elections in 2010. But the House Democrats at risk mostly voted against the bill. President Obama immediately asked the Senate to pass the bill quickly by the beginning of the fall. Obama has said he wants to bring a package from the U.S. to the Copenhagen Protocol which convenes in December.

If the Senate can not pass this Climate Change bill, it is unlikely they would pass the Copenhagen Protocol next year. While some industry groups opposed the bill many corporations like Dow and Ford supported the bill. Some environmental groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth opposed the bill. Republicans call the bill a national energy tax which it is. But can we delay longer on Climate Change action? In 2009, it is hard to believe there are still those who think Climate Change is not real. But the time to act is now. European countries think the U.S. bill doesn't go far enough, while China, India and Brazil sit on the sidelines. But the time to act is now. The U.S. must take the lead on Climate Change and bring  developing economies into the carbon reduction process over the next few years. However, passage in the Senate looks dim.