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May 12, 2010

Environmental Groups Criticize Kerry-Lieberman Climate Bill
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Senators John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman are planning to roll out their
long-awaited climate bill today. The bill is expected to call for a 17
percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2020, an
expansion of offshore oil drilling, loan guarantees for nuclear power
plants, federal aid for so-called clean coal projects, and a provision
to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse
gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. The Kerry-Lieberman bill has been
criticized by several environmental groups, including Friends of the
Earth and the Center for Biological Diversity. Friends of the Earth
president Erich Pica said, “The bill would hand billions in giveaways to
corporate polluters, including the oil, coal, nuclear and agribusiness
industries, while creating a risky new subprime carbon market for Wall
Street traders. All this is in exchange for pollution reduction goals
far weaker than what scientists say are needed.”



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