The Climate Change Bill Is Awful—Now Pass It

'Pathetic' Waxman-Markey at least puts a price on carbon: Friedman

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 1, 2009 7:07 AM CDT

(Newser) – Waxman-Markey is a "pathetic" and "appalling" bill that totally fails to respond to the urgency of climate change—and it should be passed by the Senate and signed into law straight away, writes Thomas Friedman. For the New York Times columnist, the flawed legislation has one great virtue: it finally puts a price on carbon emissions, and "will usher in a new mind-set among consumers, investors, farmers, innovators and entrepreneurs that in time will make a big difference."

Friedman blames the Republican Party, who under Nixon had impressive environmental credentials, for blindly going "anti-environment just when the country is going green." But President Obama's hands-off approach also let the bill get distorted, and citizens, particularly young Americans, need to "play hardball" and stand up for a price on carbon. "You want to make a difference?" Friedman asks. "Then get out of Facebook and into somebody’s face."

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (2)]

Henry Waxman, D-Calif., left, and Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., right, leave the White House. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

Coal miners and families who support mining stand along the road opposite a mountaintop removal mining protest Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in Naoma, W.Va. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner)

A flock of geese fly past a smokestack at the Jeffery Energy Center coal power plant near Emmitt, Kansas, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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What are Republicans thinking? Does the GOP want to be the party of sex scandals and polluters or does it want to be a partner in helping America dominate the next great global industry: ET— energy technology? - Thomas L. Friedman

Weaving carbon emissions into every business decision will drive innovation and deployment of clean technologies and make energy efficiency much more affordable. That ain’t beanbag. - Thomas L. Friedman

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The Climate Change Bill Is Awful—Now Pass It