Promising News from Arkansas for Senate Climate Bill

As Senators Kerry, Graham & Lieberman unveiled their Senate clean energy & climate framework yesterday, prospects for progress got a boost from Arkansas:

Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said today he may rethink his position on a proposed cap-and-trade program in light of the recent Environmental Protection Agency ruling that greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to the public health.

Also today, the chairman and CEO of Entergy Corp. told an audience in Little Rock the EPA has sent a signal to Congress to act on climate change, and U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln said she has concerns about the agency’s ruling.

“I’ve always been reluctant on cap and trade, but it (the EPA ruling) might put that in a different light,” Pryor said in a conference call with reporters. “I’ll just have to look at that and really spend some time reflecting on that and talking to not just colleagues but talking to people who really understand this and see if that does change my view on cap-and-trade.” […]

“I strongly urge EPA to wait for Congress to find a solution that creates jobs, grows our economy, and increases our energy independence, all while having the impact of reducing greenhouse gases,” Lincoln said.

Considering Arkansas’ risks of climate change & opportunities from clean energy, it’s critical that Senators Lincoln & Pryor play key roles in shaping & passing clean energy & climate legislation.

Before the weekend, please take a moment to tell your senators we need clean energy & climate action now.