Forget Humpty-Dumpty, Move Forward with CLEAR Bill

Rabbi Arthur Waskow and the Shalom Center recently announced their support of the CLEAR Act. Here’s a piece he recently wrote about the legislation:

Even if Senators Kerry and Lieberman can put Humpty-Dumpty back together again after losing Senator Graham’s support for what used to be the KGL (Kugel) bill for climate control, far better is the CLEAR bill introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell (Democrat) of Washington State and Susan Collins (Republican) of Maine. It is often named “cap and dividend” because it prevents any Wall Street trades in carbon credits, and returns 75% of the money gathered from auctioning rights to emit CO2 to the American people: dividends of about $1,000 a year to every legal resident of the US. The other 25% will go to research on renewable energy sources.

It is now the only climate bill with bipartisan support, and could attract grassroots support because it gives most of the money to the people, not big corporations or the government.

Those dividends to the people will offset the cost of higher fuel prices for the poor and the middle class, and will build a Main Street rather than Wall Street political constituency for CO2 controls. CLEAR

Webb's Crucial Role

The enormous cap-and-trade bill is stalled in Congress but global warming and extreme weather continue to accelerate.

Luckily, there is an alternative that’s preferable to the loophole-laden, cap-and-trade legislation that passed the House of Representatives. And Virginia Senator Jim Webb could play a crucial role in passing this cap and “dividend” bill in the spring.

He needs to hear from you today!

Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) recently introduced the “Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal (CLEAR) Act,” which takes a different approach to reducing global warming pollution. Under the CLEAR Act, all carbon polluters must pay to emit carbon, there are no complicating offsets, and most of the revenue raised is returned in equal monthly payments to every legal U.S. resident.

The Economist called it “a refreshing dose of honesty” and the Washington Post editorial board agrees. To learn more, watch a short video where I explain this bold and refreshing new perspective on how to cap carbon emissions in the United States.

Senator Jim Webb has been sharply critical of the House-passed bill and has indicated interest in this different approach. So far, though, he has not signed on to the CLEAR Act. It’s time for some clear answers from Senator Webb!

Email Senator Webb today!

The Cantwell-Collins bill is our best shot at comprehensive climate legislation and Webb’s co-sponsorship would help immensely.