[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16061]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 CARBON OFFSETS WILL BENEFIT POLLUTERS

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Science tells us we must begin to reduce global 
greenhouse gas emissions in the next 5 to 10 years. But according to an 
analysis by offsets expert and Stanford law professor Michael Wara, it 
is possible that we could see no reduction of CO2 emissions 
until the year 2040 because of offsets and unlimited banking of 
allowances in the new energy and environment bill.
  The bill allows 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year, roughly 
equivalent to 30 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. 
Supporters of the bill point out that coal use will increase by 2020 
because electric utilities will continue to use dirty coal, the prime 
source of pollution.
  With 2 billion tons of offsets per year, we are told that electric 
utilities will reduce carbon emissions at places other than their 
generating plants so they really don't have to actually decrease their 
emissions, and coal-fired CO2 emissions will increase 
through 2025. No wonder there are 26 active coal plant applications. 
Increased CO2 emissions will be our gift to the next 
generation? Apparently the planet is not melting. With this bill, it is 
just getting better--for polluters.

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