[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 23, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H7114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1945
                           PROTECT OUR PLANET

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, we all want to protect our planet, but 
will the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 do that? I 
don't think so.
  The pollution targets are inadequate. Regulatory authority is 
stripped from the EPA. The bill relies on huge numbers of carbon 
offsets. For example, it says you can have 2 billion tons a year of 
carbon offsets, which is roughly equivalent to 30 percent of all U.S. 
greenhouse gas emissions. Recent analysis suggests it might be 2026 
until we see the emissions decline below 2005 levels.
  The renewable targets are not strong enough. A recent analysis by the 
Union of Concerned Scientists indicates this target provides no new 
renewable energy over business as usual projections. Dirty-energy 
options qualify as renewable, including biomass burners and trash 
incinerators. The bill gives a significant number of pollution permits 
away free.
  It opens up a carbon derivatives market in the U.S., and this bill 
would help establish one of the largest derivative markets in the world 
without adequate oversight or regulation. It taxes households to pay 
for an unproven carbon sequestration of capture and storage technology, 
and allocations for funding for international obligations are 
underfunded.
  We can do better.

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