Will Rogers knew a thing or two about climate change

[ JULY 6, 2009 - OKLAHOMA CITY, OK ] - Was Will Rogers right about climate change when he said, “Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it?”

Last week, by a 219-212 vote, an intensely divided U.S. House passed H.R. 2454, a comprehensive package meant to reduce carbon dioxide pollution that is blamed for global warming, while encouraging cleaner power sources, such as wind and solar, and mandating conservation measures for electric utilities, buildings and household appliances.

If approved by Congress, the measure would impose the first government-mandated limits on greenhouse gas emissions, accelerate efforts to reduce U.S. reliance on fossil fuels and foreign oil imports, and create new jobs. Standards are set for utilities to transition to renewable energy sources, for transportation to use clean fuels and vehicles, and for building or retrofitting efficient commercial and residential buildings.

The 1,200-page bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, commonly called ACES, was drafted by Chairman Henry Waxman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Edward Markey of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee and Select Committee on Global Warming. If enacted, it would create a so-called cap-and-trade system under which the U.S. government would give or sell businesses pollution allowances. Companies could sell or trade those allowances, giving more flexibility to industries while controlling overall pollution. The bill would require reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels over the next 10 years, with an eventual goal of 83 percent by 2050.

Scientists have urged a more rapid reduction in emissions, warning that carbon emissions could increase by as much as 40 percent by 2030. Under cap-and-trade the government would set emission limits and distribute allowances that would be bought and sold. Companies needing to increase emission levels would purchase credits from those with lower emissions.

President Obama and Democrats portrayed the bill as a crucial first step toward combating global warming and putting the country on the road to cleaner energy. They asserted that the legislation would be an economic stimulant, helping to create more jobs, and making the U.S. more competitive with other nations in developing alternative energy solutions.

Green For All, an Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit, which was a driving force in securing green job training funds in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, called the bill a significant step forward in creating a more equitable and secure country. The bill includes an $860 million allocation to the Green Jobs Act.

Supporters and opponents agreed the bill’s result would be higher energy costs but disagreed on the impact on consumers. Democrats pointed to two reports, one from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and the other from the Environmental Protection Agency, that suggested average increases would be limited after tax credits and rebates were taken into account. The CBO estimated the bill would cost an average household $175 per year, the EPA $80 to $110 per year. Opponents contend the cost would be much higher and that the impact on the existing energy industry would cost jobs.

A reality for Oklahoma is that Congress has so far missed a real opportunity to encourage greater use of abundant, clean-burning natural gas. Instead, the wrangling seems to be about how to limit the very real and very expensive costs associated with cleaning up coal and whether that’s even possible.

Approval by Congress, of any meaningful climate change bill, would give President Obama a boost before the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, and provide more flexibility in climate talks with China and other developing countries seeking major emission reductions from industrialized nations.

As Will Rogers also said, “if you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, just wait a few minutes and it will change.” We will also have to wait for the vote in the Senate before we know if the country is going to do something about the changing weather.

For Oklahoma’s oil and gas producer’s sake, as well as for every American utility customer’s sake, I am hopeful the Senate can make some serious improvements to this bill and the skies around us.

Jim Roth, a former Oklahoma corporation commissioner, is an attorney with Phillips Murrah P.C. in Oklahoma City, where his practice focuses on clean, green energy for Oklahoma.