Climate Bill Passes House Committee, and Some Enviros Jump Ship

I really don't know what is going on with some folks in the environmental community right now, or with James Hansen, but Joe Romm is my hero. Let's backtrack: Last night, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a marked up version of the Waxman-Markey climate bill, which would totally remake our energy economy. It would cap carbon emissions and ratchet them down more than 80 percent by 2050, and it would create a host of new incentives for investment in clean energy. The bill passed by a 33-25 margin, even winning over some unexpecteds, such as Mary Bono Mack, a California Republican. It was, as is inevitable, the product of political compromise. This is not a bad thing. It is not dirty, it is not wrong, and it is the only way to get anything done, ever, in Washington. The bill also, it might be noted, terrifies much of ...