(Host) Senator Bernie Sanders has voted against a global warming bill – and environmental leaders are praising him.
Both the senator and the environmentalists say the bill doesn’t go nearly far enough.
Sanders says the version that was approved by a subcommittee of the Senate’s environmental panel would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by no more than 63% over the next 40 years.
He held out for legislation that would have reduced the heat-trapping emissions by 80% by 2050.
He offered some amendments that he says would have strengthened the bill. Most weren’t accepted, so he voted "no” in the subcommittee.
The Vermont Public Interest Research Group supports Sanders’ position.
James Moore is VPIRG’s clean energy advocate. He says industry would get too much from the bill and consumers wouldn’t get enough.
(Moore) "It’s a half measure that gives too much money to existing fossil fuel industries like the oil companies and the coal companies, who are making record profits as is and certainly shouldn’t be benefiting from a handout from the federal government.”
(Host) Sanders wanted to provide money to developers of solar, wind and other renewable energy projects. He also wanted to require coal-fired power plants to reduce their emissions.
Those amendments were defeated.
But the subcommittee did go along with a plan that would reward auto manufacturers for improving their cars’ mileage. Their vehicles would have to get 35 miles per gallon before they could qualify.
AP Photo/Toby Talbot