A race against time

Politicians in Washington, D.C., are finally listening to people outside the Beltway.

The U.S. Senate recently took a major step forward to fight global warming, reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil, and help people deal with the rising cost of gas. In a vote led by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate agreed to raise average fuel efficiency standards for new cars and SUVs by 10 miles per gallon over the next decade. It’s unfortunate that Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., did not support the bill.

What a brilliant idea: save Americans money at the pump and reduce tailpipe emissions — the fastest growing source of pollution causing global warming.

It’s about time. Congress hasn’t updated fuel economy standards in 30 years. The fuel efficiency of new cars and trucks today is no better than it was in the era of the eight track tape player. Thanks to Sen. Reid, automakers are now going to join the 21st century and deliver more fuel efficient cars and trucks.

But in terms of what we’re up against, the energy bill was only the first step. There are still lots of hurdles to jump from Capitol Hill down to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. before Americans see major legislation enacted that slashes global warming pollution and puts us on the road to recovery from our oil addiction.

I’ll admit that I nearly fell of my chair when I read that in the course of a few days, the Senate gave the nation’s fuel efficiency a long overdue tune-up, House leaders promised to kick-start the renewable energy sector, and the last of the “Big Three” U.S. automakers signaled they’re ready to roll up their sleeves and work with Congress on a “cap and trade” plan to slash U.S. global warming pollution from all major sources by 10-30 percent within 15 years, and up to 80 percent by the year 2050.

I’m no scientist, but I don’t have to be to hear what scientists keep warning us: If we don’t start promptly to cut the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming by at least 2 percent per year every year, we will rapidly reach a tipping point beyond which global warming will bring catastrophic consequences.

Here in Nevada, we can’t afford to ignore the science on global warming. The marshes of the Great Basin are crucial habitat for migratory waterfowl, but could change dramatically in a warmer climate. Hotter, drier summers could lead to increased drought and wildfires, threatening wildlife and people.

I’m not an economist either, but I believe in a strong American economy. I believe that America should be a leader, not a follower, in innovation and technology. A clean energy economy will be an economy that creates good-paying jobs for Americans.

Real progress begins with new ideas. And new ideas can come from the most unlikely sources. As of June 27, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all have joined the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition that includes many of the world’s largest corporations along with National Wildlife Federation and other respected conservation organizations.

The writing is on the wall and it’s in big letters: It’s time for Congress to put the fuel economy updates on the books and move on to bigger solutions to tackle global warming.

We need action now, today. We all need to take action. From replacing energy-sucking incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, to adding air to tires before heading out for that picnic or vacation, to demanding that our elected officials pass laws that require the biggest polluters to cut emissions of carbon dioxide that contribute the most to global warming.

We’re in a race against time. The greenhouse gas emissions we pump into the atmosphere tomorrow will linger there for decades, trapping heat and changing the climate. It’s not fair to ask our children and their children to pay the price for our inaction.

The most patriotic action we can all take is to call on politicians to do something entirely new and different — cut through the morass in Washington, D.C., and pass effective legislation that will reduce global warming pollution through a national cap-and-trade emissions reduction plan. A cap-and-trade plan is essential for setting us on a path to a clean energy future.

You watch: When Congress is willing to set environmental goals, American industry and big business will step up to the plate. American families will, too.

We can’t afford not to. It’s time for our elected officials step up.

Kevin Cabble is president of the Nevada Wildlife Federation (www.nvwf.org).