Dem Sen. Promise 'Sea Change' in Climate Fight

clipped from rawstory.com Top Senate Democrats on Thursday said they would introduce major global warming legislation early next year, saying Barack Obama's election meant a "sea change" in the battle against climate change. The announcement came just two days after president-elect Obama, in one of his first major policy pronouncements since his historic victory two weeks ago, warned that denial of global warming would no longer be US policy. "The time to start is now," said Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, vowing to step up to Obama's challenge to combat climate change and create millions of "green jobs" in the reeling US economy. The California senator said one new bill in January would be designed to cut global warming gas emissions by spending up to 15 billion dollars a year to spur clean energy innovation and the development of advanced biofuels. Obama has called for annual targets that would aim to reduce emission levels to 1990 levels by 2020 and then by an addition 80 percent by 2050.

Say what you like about the makeup of Obama's cabinet and the new Democratic majority, but the results of the election are worth it for this alone. Read the following in your most serious and stentorian internal voice -- climate change is the challenge of our time.

Want more evidence that Democrats are serious? Consider that House Democrats fired John Dingell from the Energy and Commerce Committee, giving the chairmanship to Henry Waxman. The House is a larger sample than the Senate. DC is an environmentalist town now.

My money is on this being more than just PR. Environment is a top priority.