Senate+Bill+Number+2191

media type="file" key="Senate Bill 2191 (FB).mp3"

** America's Climate Security Act of 2007 **
Sponsor: Joe Lieberman (I) [|actual bill] ** **Summary** This bill requires the EPA to create two cap-and-trade systems: one on greenhouse gases and the other on hydroflourocarbons (HFC's). It would set limits on the total volume of certain greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that came from facilities that make electricity and that come from industrial processes and forms of transportation. It would also create the Climate Change Credit Corporation which would receive credits given through the cap-and-trade system and use them to fund programs that would develop renewable resources, help educate and train workers, and give energy assistance to low- income families and households. It also makes the president create a program to tell which other countries have deealt with greenhouse gases.
 * S. 2191

The first major legislation on emissions was the Clean Air Act of 1963. It set emission standards for mills, plants, and factories. The Clean Air Act of 1970 put the first emission standards on cars; something that the first act failed to do. The last major emission act was the Clean Air Act of 1990. It let states make deadlines to decrease certain types of pollution based on how severe the pollution was. It tightened car emission standards and encouraged the use of alternative fuels such as low sulfur fuels since sulfur dioxide is a main ingredient in acid rain. It also recognized chloroflourocarbons as a major emission and wanted restrictions on it. However, from 1990-2007, cabon dioxide (a major greehouse gas) emissions have gone up 20%. Under the Montreal Protocol, ozone-depleting substances such as high-GWP (high- global warming potential) gases are being erased but other high- GWP substances are taking their place such as hydroflourocarbons (HFC's). From 1990-2007, these sustances have increased 73%. Heavy smog over a city.
 * History**

This bill would also create two cap-and-trade systems. The idea was first suggested in the Clean Air Act of 1970. It was used to decrease sulfur dioxide emissions. Since it was implemented, Sulfur dioxide emissions have fallen 40%. Here is how it works: a company has a certain amount of credit which they can use when they exceed emission standards. If a company uses all it's credits, it can buy some from other companies that have met emission standards. Over time, the number of credits decreases forcing companies to meet emission standards therefore bringing down pollution levels. **Who Would This Affect** This would affect the business CEO's who would have to comply with the standards. It would also afffect all the people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses. It might help prevent respiratory disease such as bronchitis and other diseases. It would also affect low-income families and untrained workers. The most important person it would affect would be the president of the United States. **Bibliography** Bedheaded. __senator joe lieberman__. Photograph. 22 Aug. 2006. Yahoo! Inc. 2008. __Flickr__. 7 Dec. 2008 . Besseling, Joris. __Smog city__. Photograph. 8 Sept. 2006. Yahoo! Inc. . 2008. __Flickr__. 7 Dec. 2008 . Carf. __Children's Day - II__. Photograph. 13 Oct. 2005. Yahoo! Inc. 2008. __Flickr__. 7 Dec. 2008 . "Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate." __Congressional Budget Office__. 2008. 7 Dec. 2008 . "Evironment and Energy." __Current Issues__. N.p.: Close Up Press, 2008. 197. Fleming, James R., and Bethany R. Knorr. "History of the Clean Air Act." __American Meteorological Society__. 1999. 7 Dec. 2008 . S. 2191." __The Library of Congress__. 7 Dec. 2008 . "U.S. Emissions Data." __Energy Information Administration__. 7 Dec. 2008 .