Senator Murkowski Applauds Senate Passage of Climate Change Ammendment
SENATOR MURKOWSKI APPLAUDS SENATE PASSAGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AMMENDMENT
Sen. Lisa Murkowski today joined with a majority of the Senate in passing the Hagel-Pryor Climate Change Amendment to H.R. 6, the Senate Energy Bill.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Murkowski and Sen. Ted Stevens, provides a comprehensive, voluntary approach to addressing the issue of climate change both domestically and internationally. The amendment focuses on the role of private-public partnerships, technology, and developing countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"While there is no agreement as to the extent that human activities are contributing to current climate trends, that doesn't mean we should just sit back and wait until the prognosis is absolutely clear before we start treatment," Sen. Murkowski said. "We need to take steps now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that we can avoid potentially serious problems to our environment and our economy later. But we must do this without taking unnecessary and overly drastic steps that will harm our economy now.
"The provisions in this amendment encourage reductions without containing government mandates that can't work in a multi-trillion-dollar economy. This legislation promotes new technology that will be the key to reducing our emissions in the 21st Century. And it will work without harming the global economy, which is the key for sustained progress on this issue."
The amendment is composed of two primary sections: Section One: The domestic section of the amendment promotes the adoption of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas intensity by:
authorizing direct loans, loan guarantees, standby default coverage, and standby interest coverage for projects that deploy technologies that reduce greenhouse gas intensity;
establishing a Climate Coordinating Committee and Climate Credit Board to assess, approve and fund projects; and
directing the Secretary of Energy to lead an inter-agency process to implement a national climate change strategy.
Section Two: The international section of the amendment promotes the adoption of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas intensity in developing countries by:
providing the Secretary of State with new authority for coordinating assistance to developing countries for demonstration projects and technologies that reduce greenhouse gas intensity;
establishing an inter-agency working group to promote the export of greenhouse gas intensity reducing technologies and practices from the United States;
directing the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate the removal of trade-related barriers to the export of greenhouse gas intensity reducing technologies; and
authorizing fellowship and exchange programs for foreign officials to visit the United States and acquire the expertise and knowledge to reduce greenhouse gas intensity in their countries.
http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=239358