Cap-and-Trade Gets 'Radical' Overhaul in Senate

It's as politically inconvenient as ever, but Senate must pass true cap

(NEWSER) - Wouldn't it be great if you woke up this morning, opened the newspaper, and read all about how climate-change deniers were right all along? Al Gore thinks so, but instead, you'll find his op-ed piece in the Times, warning that while climate deniers might've gotten a chuckle over leaked emails, the overwhelming majority of science supports the fact that global warming is more perilous than ever—and just as inconvenient. More»

Dems need support of Republicans, who aren't feeling friendly

(NEWSER) - Key GOP senators are warning that the bitter health care battle could spill over into the climate change bill, delaying it or scuttling it outright. Normally clubby senators are nursing wounds and blaming Democrats for the fiercely partisan wrangling. “It makes it hard to do anything because of the way this was handled,” says Lindsey Graham, who’s working on the bill with John Kerry and Joe Lieberman. Republican support is critical, because Democrats are even more divided on climate change than they were on health care, Politico explains. More»

Plants, drilling offered as sweetener for cap-and-trade

(NEWSER) - The climate change bill up for Senate committee debate tomorrow doesn't stand a chance unless its Democratic backers can sweet talk some of their GOP colleagues, the Washington Post reports. The legislation focuses on a cap-and-trade system where companies could buy and sell emissions permits as needed. But Republican support is minimal, and even Dems from coal country are leery. So backers are upping the ante by adding something their GOP friends want: nuclear plants. More»

(NEWSER) - John Kerry takes Sarah Palin to task for missing the big picture in her essay today against President Obama's cap-and-trade proposal. Palin, he writes in the Huffington Post, manages to criticize legislation to curb climate change without acknowledging the dangers of climate change itself. "It's like complaining about the cost of repairing a roof without factoring in the leaks destroying your home." More»

Will pursue more modest legislation on energy

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid has decided to put sweeping climate change legislation on the back burner, and instead bring a more limited package of oil spill response measures to the floor next week, senior Democratic aides tell the Hill . Aides insist that Reid hasn’t given up on passing the legislation this year. But with the Senate's schedule currently packed, it’s going to have to wait until after the August recess at least. More»