New Direction on Climate Change?

With widespread opposition in the Senate to the consensus environmentalist approach to regulating greenhouse emissions, known as cap and trade, a bipartisan group of lawmakers are looking to find an alternative that could defeat a likely filibuster. Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), John Kerry (D-MA), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have spent months planning their push for climate legislation and are now exploring a new approach that would cap carbon for some sectors of the economy and try to reduce them in different ways. "This is a different bill," Lieberman told The Washington Post. "We haven't abandoned the market-based idea, but we're willing to negotiate with colleagues who have different ideas." The new plan would isolate electric utilities, transportation, and industry and could feature a cap on power-plant emissions and a tax on motor fuel to help finance more electricity-based modes of transport.