The Senate has yet to finalize plans for the first US nationwide cuts in carbon emissions blamed for global warming, but three senators across party lines offered an outline of what they hope will eventually become law.

"This indicates to folks in Copenhagen that we're serious," Senator John Kerry, a member of Obama's Democratic Party who spearheaded the drive, told reporters.

The framework says the world's largest economy would cut carbon emissions by 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels, slightly less ambitious than an earlier Senate bill but in line with Obama's proposals for the Copenhagen negotiations and a bill that squeaked through the House of Representatives in June.

In a bid to win over reluctant Republicans, the bill said the United States will encourage nuclear power and offshore oil drilling -- policies of former president George W. Bush criticized by many environmentalists.

The White House welcomed the framework, which was released a week before Obama heads to Copenhagen to lend his prestige to the 192-nation summit on fighting climate change.

"The president believes this is a positive development towards reaching a strong, unified and bipartisan agreement in the US Senate," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Obama has pledged that the United States will play a leadership role on climate change, in a sharp reversal from Bush who opposed the current Kyoto Protocol as biased against wealthy nations.

Many Republicans remain critical. The party's Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, said Wednesday that action on global warming along with Democrats' campaign to expand health coverage to millions of uninsured would impose a "heavy cost on job creation."

But Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican who broke ranks to support action on climate change, called for business interests to offer a hand in bringing around his colleagues.

"The hope is that, as we develop more details, you'll see more Republicans and Democrats come," Graham said.

The framework said the US government would offer loans for new nuclear power plants and funding to train nuclear workers. It was more vague on how the US government would support offshore drilling.

Senator Joe Lieberman, an independent who joined Kerry and Graham, predicted that the Senate would reach the magic number of 60 -- the number of votes needed in the 100-member chamber to break through stalling tactics.

"There are well over 60 votes in play," Lieberman said, predicting passage next year.

The framework also offers robust support for the use of coal by supporting research in so-called carbon capture, in which emissions are trapped before they are released into the atmosphere.

A commitment to coal is considered politically crucial to winning senators from mining states such as West Virginia, despite criticism from some green groups that the technology has yet to be proven.

Environmentalists gave mixed reviews to the framework.

Joe Mendelson, the global warming policy director for the National Wildlife Federation, said the senators have "bypassed the political stalemate" and "found a third way forward."

The framework "strengthens the president's hand as he works to lead China and other nations toward a global deal to fight climate change," he said.

But others said that the Senate was watering down US commitments that are already weaker than those by the European Union and Japan.

The Center for Biological Diversity in a statement voiced hope that "Senators Kerry, Lieberman, and Graham can bring Congress back to reality with a climate bill that reflects the severity of the crisis."

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News