"Cap and Trade" Coming Soon to a Climate Near You?

If this is true, then a national cap on greenhouse gas emissions is getting close to becoming reality.

Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have enough votes to approve historic legislation to cap and reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Reuters survey of specific lawmakers on the panel.

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Of the 59 members on the House committee, Reuters found that 30 lawmakers, all of them Democrats, would definitely vote "yes" or were likely to support the bill. The survey results were based on comments from the lawmakers themselves or from congressional staff on where their bosses stand on the bill.

There are 36 Democrats and 23 Republicans on the committee.

By the way, thanks to Rich Boucher, "the key architect of an agreement with Waxman and Energy and Environment subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey (D-Mass.) allowing the markup to begin." Boucher says he is "a yes vote [on cap and trade] in the committee," and then will "weigh the improvements that are made in the House and in the Senate." That's a big deal coming from someone who represents a coal-producing region (southwestern Virginia). Thank you, Rick Boucher, for showing some serious cojones on this one!

Bottom line question: is "cap and trade" going to get done this year or not? Probably, but there are many landmines ahead, including nasty turf battles and god knows what else. Overall, though, it looks like we're closer than ever on what will constitute a major change, albeit a "making of sausage"/somewhat-watered-down compromise, to the U.S. energy economy. I would say "better late than never," except that it really might be too late to avert climate chaos. That's what James Hansen thinks ("[the] bill is too watered down to qualify as a positive step for avoiding catastrophic climate disruption"), but not Al Gore (" I have no doubt that it will accomplish the result we need to begin this transition toward renewable energy, conservation, efficiency, and renewed U.S. leadership in global negotiations").

Can Hansen and Gore both be right? I don't know, but let's get this bill passed into law and then continue working on the problem. It took decades to mess up the climate, it will most likely take decades to fix it. But one thing's for sure: there's no more time left to waste.