T-minus 6 days…

It’s all go here in the DC office of National Wildlife Federation; the countdown is on. Last Friday Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, filed for cloture on the Climate Security Act and so a vote to proceed on a floor debate on the bill will happen at 5:45pm next monday.  We never like to assume anything, but it looks like that’s one vote that will pass pretty easily.  So after 3 years of officially doing nothing on global warming, the full Senate will get to do what the Senate does best: talk.

Yep. The Senate will start talking about the Climate Security Act next week.  The Climate Security Act has changed from the bill the was reported out of committee, but to our minds, has improved.  If you find legislative policy to be good bedtime reading, you can find the latest text here.  For everyone else, the basic info is that there are less giveaways to the coal industry, more adapation money to developing nations and Alaska (not to imply that Alaska is developing), and a price range for carbon emissions, which should allow for better economic planning.

We are waiting to see (and preparing for) possible amendments to the Bill when it gets to the floor.  Some we’ll probably support, some oppose.  But no matter what, getting the Bill to the floor is a step in the right direction.

Derek Brockbank, DC Office, National Wildlife Federation