I do not understand what it is that they are proposing and how it might cut emissions.

Would think that requiring increased fuel efficiency for car and trucks, promoting nuclear and wind power as well as an ad campaign explaining the problem and promoting conservation would be more effective and without negative impact on the economy.

Like 12 step programs, the first and hardest step is admitting that there is a problem that you can not do anything about (without hurting the economy).

It sounds reasonable but what about auto emissions and electricity use? There are so many irresponsible adults that waste vast amounts of energy. What can we do about them? We show make a HS class mandatory about energy conservation and responsibility that many current adults lack.

So industry will purchase emissions allowances and pass the cost onto consumers and that protects the U.S. economy? Huh? I thought that inflation was bad for the economy and that it stifles growth when the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to combat it.

Who gets the money from the sale of emissions allowances, the federal government? Is there a limit to the number of emissions allowances that the Climate Change Credit Corporation can sell? There must be if CO2 emissions will be cut by 70% in 2050. If that's the case then businesses who cannot purchase emissions allowances will be what, out of business? How is that good for the U.S. economy?

What do I think of the plan? It's more idiocy from congress as they see an opportunity to raise taxes. And it's all based on a myth: AGW.

Absolute rubbish.

Kill this bill and get to working on issues that are real, not imaginary.

What this article entails is too vague to make a decision on. However, it seems like its on track in a positive direction. It will take much more than this system to put a dent in the overall scheme of things. I honestly think that 2050 is way too late of a goal. I dont see how people dont realize we need to do something about this ASAP, not 4 decades from now. I understand the slow moving political aspects of economics, but theres no room for politics. All of this comes down to the almighty dollar. Someone needs to make a profit from energy production. This may seem like an outlandish thing to say, but I believe that coorporate investors need to lead the way with clean energy. The problem with clean energy now is that these technologies are expensive, although the costs are coming down, they are still more expensive than coal and oil production. With investments in clean energy on a broad scale, these technologies will be forced to become cheaper, thus lowering the initial costs of investments. It will become a dominoe effect. The problem is, there needs to be a ground breaker. Who is willing to take charge and lead the way? To show that there can be many profits, economic and climaticly. Am I completely wrong? Give me some feedback.

As Barack Obama said, "What is the most politically feasible today is not even the least that is needed to combat climate change." (paraphrased)

But hey, it's a good start. I personally think a carbon tax is easier to implement and would work better, but cap-and-trade could work, too.

It's interesting how the cap-and-trade approach, which embodies what Newt Gingrich once called "free market environmentalism," isn't supported by the so-called market worshiping deniers.

Looks like the renewable energy standard might make it into the House bill too. CAFE standards will have to wait until August, unfortunately, but some type of CAFE increase is very likely.

All in all, it's good to see that more and more people are looking for solution to the problem, rather than harping on the already-settled discussion of "is it real?"

hmmmm, Let's establish another bureaucracy so we can hire more lawyers. Then we hire more activist law students to make completely inane rules because they have no idea what they are talking about.
A great idea if you are in Law School but not for the country. Again this is utter nonsense...in 20 years as we cool off they will be saying "See we did it."
Nobody is talking about real problems we should do something about such as overpopulation, corrupt 3rd world politicians, religious zealots, and politicians masquerading as science gurus.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for Joe Lieberman and other US Senators but after reading about this cave-in to insanity....just unbelievable. Doesn’t anybody see this is like an early Woody Allen movie plot:… Nonsense science creating mass hysteria of the gullible causing world leaders to pass a law making everybody wear polyester so we don’t wrinkle our clothes?
Somebody once said,
"Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason."
I dare say it may be time for such action.
ted

The Climate Change Credit Corp. will be just another multi-billion dollar government waste program in the image of Carters' Synthetic Fuels Corp. Corruption will be taken to a new level, and the ones paying the bill will be you and me.
The old joke about taxing the air you breathe is finally a reality.

Did they get free movie tickets from Al Gore?
Complete pandering, won't work, won't pass but will get lots of media lapping it up.
Wish they would have a scientific review by scientists not employed by agenda driven agencies or industry. Chances of that happening? About the same percentage as the chance of global warming being man made, ZERO.

What do I think of this plan?

It's a waste of time and money. Instead invest in important things that are scientifically proven like saving tigers from extinction or preserving the rain forest. AGW is the most expensive lie ever to come to planet earth. Why do you believers think we can cause the planet to warm? I don't understand your logic, all evidence points against it! I don't know, I guess everyone is different. Some people gage their ears and some do drugs. I don't understand why anyone would do either but I guess everyone is different.

I have one question for a believer, maybe Mark could answer this. Why are all the other planets and moons of our solar system going through slight warming like earth? I want to see your explanation for that one, please.

I think the whole global warming is a joke.

Just like anyone else who can see through these scams, I think...no,... I know this will do nothing at all for the warming we're experiencing and will only serve to make goods and services more expensive as these do-nothing measures add artificial costs that are passed on to the consumer.
Senators should stop pandering to those who believe in this garbage, state the fact that real science hasn't found rising CO2 levels to be causal, and get on with the real business at hand for which they were elected.

Uh, how much do we pay Senators? Whatever it is, it may be a bit much. And where exactly does the money go from corporations to the Climate change Credit Corp? And these costs won't be passed on to the consumer, yeah right?

I love that these two guys will, as it is written, "reverse climate change and safe guard the economy". Fantastic, I believe that if Warner and Lieberman put their heads together, they could make a rendering plant smell like a bed of roses too.

I bet that the comments from the AGWers will be simply, too little, too late, not enough, blah, blah, blah...

Oh, and the "Raw Story" is slanted which direction? Just for fairness. A single word used in the story leads me to think they are "spewing" a little to the left of middle.

do any of you believers, doom and gloom prognosticators, chicken littles, saviors of the planet ect. ect.. really believe that russia, china and india will alter their outputs of co2 to save the world?...the fact is they are laughing at the U.S. nimrods who are bilking millions off the naive who believe in agw...after all, it was invented by the same guy who supposedly invented the internet...this is the same guy who's first save the planet convention on hot air was snowed out because he didnt even realize the u.s/ was in a brutal cold spell his buddies didnt even know was on.... gotta give him credit, the best snake oil salesman would have been proud of ole al pontificating imminent heat wave in the middle of that brutal cold snap........why do AGW'rs ignore geologic earth climatic history? its because they live in a make believe world that doesnt understand science, but does understand media and the naive of the american public...yell loud and keep yelling until your buddy convinces you he heard it too, so it must be true...and they are after government mandated money because they dont know how to make a living any other way...fortunately, science doesnt work that way...the truth is coming...these folks who know the sun is the cause of global temperature fluctuations are beginning to voice their opinion...the agwers have just smoke and mirrors...eventually, that snake oil salesman was tarred and feathered...agw'rs will meet the same fate...have a nice sunny day, its a good thing

When folks leave the brainstorming up to a couple of Senators, who's main drive in life is "what's in it for me", then you can bet the farm that they've seen a niche with a silver lining and dollar signs on it that they can profit from, one way or another.

They'll bleed this for all it's worth until it dies off when folks really begin to question the inadequacy of the so-called scientific models, or crystal ball climate predicting, as it's becoming referred to by a lot of folks I've spoken to.

The Senators will then state that they were only going on information based on studies done by 2,000 of the world's top scientists, who will certainly have to forfeit their grants and graft monies, while the Senators, as always, come out of it smelling like a rose.

Amazing how political history continues to repeat itself and the voters continue to allow it to progress to the point where they've already taken the money out of our pockets, before deciding on a public outcry for accountability.

Doom and gloom scenario's have always made politicians and industry very, very rich and happy.

As Barack Obama almost said, "Nuke Pakistan and start a nuclear winter to reverse global warming"

Seems to me that our law makers are not listening to any actual science. Just PC alarmist rantings. There is enough real data available already to convince even a bonehead AGW believer like Mark if they would only read it. Perhaps a different tact is in order. Lets start demanding some actual data be revealed. The IPCC clearly has none, they rely on primitive computer models. I keep hearing from the AGW crowd about continual alarming temperature rise. All I can find in presented data is that the temperature has been stable since 1999. Show us some proof. And not from a temperature meter five feet from a hot AC outlet on a roof in downtown HeatIsland Nebraska.
Where's the BEEF?

Corporations love these types of knee-jerk solutions. Buying emission allowances is merely seen as the "cost of a permit", or the "cost of doing business", so you can move forward and continue doing "business as usual", and then some.

It takes the magnifying glass off of your operations, because you've now become the good corporate citizen with government approval.

Sounds like these Senators are using the same idea as the canned safari folks. Give us $25,000 dollars and we'll give you a permit to go in the cage and shoot a lion. Give us $35,000 and you can shoot two lions.

If anyone believes that the Feds and the corporations aren't in bed together on this one, then you've a thing or two to learn about how the system has been working from the beginning.

Whether you are a "denier" or "believer" of global warming, this is the very system that has kept you comfortable, cozy and free to believe and say whatever you please, until you bite the hand that feeds you, once too many times.

This has never been about finding solutions. It's all about finding opportunities to twist things around for the increase in popularity polls and profit margins.

The louder the AGW group growls for food, the better it becomes for the zookeepers.

Sounds to me like it's just a transfer of power. From us to the rest of the world.

The only reason politics is getting involved is due to the money machine. I guess this will make all pro GW'ers very happy once they start getting taxed. It should ease their conscience and make them feel like they are doing something good for the earth. What a joke.

This is what we should be doing about it in Canada:
http://www.ivanyi-consultants.com/articles/chillout.html

All of this political chatter about global warming is utter nonsense. Al Gore is out beating the drum, but conveniently forgets to tell you about the huge financial stake he has in the "carbon trading" business, while his mansion sucks up more energy in a day than I consume in a week. Democrats love it because it means more layers of bureaucracy to enhance their power. Republicans hate it for that same reason. And scientists have a financial stake in terms of funding for research. The truth is, if we have gotten so close to global catastrophe so quickly, no amount of Wall Street carbon-credit-trading is going to make a damn bit of difference. If there is any truth to all the alarms, there are two reasons: 1 - the 'third world' is catching up to the West's standard of living, and 2 - the human population continues to increase. So, the only options are these: Either we tell the Chinese and the Indians, among others, to give up their automobiles and go back to bicycle riding, or we simply take a page out of Soylent Green and we just start exterminating the excess human population. Which is it going to be, and who among you is going to carry out that decision?

From the article that Chris posted:

"It's also worth noting that the world experienced a period of beneficially warm weather in the early part of the last millennium. Scientists call it the Little Optimum or Medieval Optimal, more commonly known as the Medieval Warm Period. Many scientists believe it lasted from about the ninth to the 13th century, but the IPCC has discounted its importance. The warm period was a time when the coasts of Greenland presented a pleasant option for human habitation (giving the now ice-encased island its name) and southern England was flush with rich vineyards. This might also explain how the Canadian province now burdened with the inelegant and lengthy name of Newfoundland and Labrador got its original Viking name of Vineland."

It would seem to me that we are not as warm as we were in the 13th century. When Newfoundland is rich with wineries then we can start to talk about record breaking temperatures. Can we please stop the hysteria and talk about real science, like finding a better energy source to put in my 6000 lb suv.

It figures Joe would come up with something that will work 50 years too late! Our legislators wont act till they cant grow food, stand on dry land that isnt a desert,or stand at all without being buffeted by high hot winds or acid rain storms while fighting off marauding gangs intent on taking what little they spirited away from their used to be constituents! (Remember when your vote was counted?) Deserts,war for water and food,and a degraded uninhabitable environment are all expected by any scientist with a brain and an iota of integrity. Somebody do something besides talk! (not you Joe) If even a portion of this happens we're in real trouble! Missy. unfortunately your attitudes' no joke....

Warner is an old fool who like Uncle Teddy The Marxist in Massachusetts, and the KKK Byrd Man of West Virgina, has worn out his welcome in the U.S. Senate! And Lieberman, who I like as a person, and for the most part agree with on a lot of issues, is way off base on this one. I am sorry, but a 70% cutback? No! We can't allow these guys to send us back to the horse and buggy days. Honestly, these politicans need to just stop this idiocy in the interest of being politcally correct and jumping on this stupid bandwagon!

DENY DENY DENY THE GLOBAL WARMING LIE!!!!!!