Good News for the Environment? Somebody pinch me...

The Republican controlled Senate actually made huge steps forward today by passing an environmentally friendly energy bill. Absent from the bill are the house measures including drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and giveaways to the oil industry like exempting them from lawsuits for polluting local water supplies with the carcinogen MTBE. I think I must be dreaming!

Although not entirely an environmentalists dream bill, it goes a long way to support conservation, including tax breaks for energy efficient appliances and cars, and requiring utilities to produce at least 10 percent of their electricity from renewable resources. But, before we get too excited, it will have to be reconciled with the corporate giveaway disguised as the house resolution. Good news on the environment is so seldom for this administration, this still feels like a major victory.

posted by Sarai @ 10:35 AM