The U.S. Ready To Play Ball On Climate Change?

December 15, 2007 – Vol.12 No.38

THE U.S. READY TO PLAY BALL ON CLIMATE CHANGE?

Twice in one week the Bush Administration made an about face on tackling climate change. After years of rejecting goals and government mandates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions it now seems ready to step up to the plate and begin to play ball.

Shortly after the US Senate passed landmark energy legislation this week, which includes upping the average fuel economy of the nation’s cars and light trucks, the White House, through a press release, declared that if the House passed the same legislation the President would sign it into law. The House is expected to pass the bill as soon as voting is possible.

So that’s it. Through a simple statement and, soon, a signature on a piece of paper, the Bush Administration will be mandating the first increase in fuel economy in 32 years. In effect, through better fuel economy Bush will be taking binding steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions. This is not asking for volunteers, as the administration had been doing for years. This is telling automakers that they have to clean up their act, as it were.

Now in Bali, Indonesia the Bush Administration appears to have entered the playing field again, this time by way of one of its usual favorites, a roadmap. In Bali US negotiators have agreed, with some verbal arm twisting, to language in climate negotiations that contains emissions cuts, halting deforestation, the transfer of clean technologies to developing nations and helping poorer nations protect their economies and societies against impacts of climate change.

Paula Dobriansky, head of the US delegation said. “The United States is very committed to this effort and just wants to really ensure we all act together. We will go forward and join consensus.”

One statement in the agreed-to text indicates the now apparent willingness of the US to get seriously involved, "deep cuts in global emissions will be required to achieve the ultimate objective".

The Bali roadmap, as negotiated, will twist and turn along the way as parameters and aims are set to achieve a set of emissions targets for industrialized countries to be finalized at the next major conference in Denmark in 2009. The US will be there, this time perhaps willing to lead the world, including China and India, in setting the targets. It seems likely that either party that ends up moving into the White House, and representing the US in Denmark in two year’s time, will be pushing for US leadership on climate change.

Bush’s readiness to sign onto 40-percent better average fuel economy by 2020, and his now apparent willingness to get involved in the global process to tackle climate change, will keep this editor’s inbox filled to the brim.

As it is there are no easy, simple, low-cost solutions to increasing fuel economy in cars and trucks. Nor is it generally easy and cheap to cut emissions from all sources. Even the extremely important task of putting deforestation to a halt will be costly.

As there have been for years, there will be lots of ideas floating around and many companies willing to offer solutions that may become money makers for them.

But with its new commitments, the world’s richest nation and per capita the world’s biggest polluter seems now ready to lead. It should. It has the ability to raise cash to push technologies forward. It has the educational and research system to teach and garner expertise and knowledge. And most importantly, for now, it agrees to the free flow of information necessary in promoting and perfecting ideas.

It’s kind of a no brainer. To win a game you have to be in it, actually playing, not sitting on the sidelines trying to call the shots. I’d say that from a leadership role, the US is ready to play ball.