Inslee, Markey and Waxman set 'principles' for global warming legislation in House

(Photo of Rep. Jay Inslee (D- Wash.) from Flickr, uploaded by Jay Inslee.)

Washington Report 1: Three key Congressmen are collecting their colleagues’ signatures on a set of principles they say must be part of any climate change legislation. Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) aren’t leaving it up to chance or to the Energy Committee, headed by Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) to set the course for legislation in the House. At least that’s my take. They also may be serving a warning to the Senate that parts of its global warming bill are not acceptable. The overriding principles they cite are pretty bland: 1) Reduce emissions to avoid dangerous global warming, 2) Transition America to a clean energy economy, 3) Recognize and minimize any economic impacts, and 4) Aid communities and ecosystems vulnerable to harm from global warming. The specifics, however, mark out a much stronger territory:
• Set strong science-based targets for near- and long-term emissions;
• Auction emissions allowances rather than giving them free to polluters;
• Invest auction revenues in clean-energy technologies;
• Return some auction revenues to consumers, workers and communities to offset any economic impacts;
• Preserve state authority;
• Protect against trade disadvantages to U.S. industry; and
• Dedicate a portion of auction revenues to address harm from already unavoidable global warming.
Take action: Call, visit or write to urge your representative to sign on to this letter of principles. We don't want -- and the planet can't tolerate -- anything weaker.