The challenge ahead: Passing the Waxman-Markey Bill in the U.S. Senate

Passing the Clean Energy and Security legislation of 2009, the Waxman-Markey bill, may be a major turn around when it comes up for voting before U.S. Senate. If the closeness of the voting result in the U.S. House on the bill is any indication, one can safely assume that we have a clear challenge ahead of us. For those of us who are perturbed by the marginal result in the house, 219-212 vote, I’ll say, hold your breath, we have not lost it yet. We have tried to convince the world that we need this bill, it is important that we remain optimistic as the debate begins in the senate. We should never lose faith in our level of support; neither should we take anything for granted. We need 60 votes in the senate and we will fight for every one of them. We need support for a bill that will set our nation and people apart for the better, and this bill is the most likely candidate to change the way we treat our environment and ourselves. Waxman-Markey is set to change federal laws on energy, pollution and global warming. It is a bill designed to help curb the heat-trapping gases that contribute to climate change around the world.

A bill expected to help combat global warming and American dependence on fossil fuel, it is anticipated to bring about expansion of new technologies, one of which is the green technology. A bill anticipated to help advance the cap and trade system in the carbon market, a market hitherto considered rudimentary. It is anticipated that the bill will help scientists; engineers, environmentalist, and policy makers address issues of global warming, green technology, wind technology, wave power, coal plants maintenance and carbon sequestration. How we go ahead in making progress in expanding the new green technology depends on the upcoming senate debates and voting on the Waxman-Markey bill.

In light of our last appeal to the House of Representatives, we will like to implore the senators to appreciate the potential they can make in doing the following for Americans:
• Make America a leader in energy efficiency and technology;
• Begin America in a historic direction to change the way we look at the forces of human behavior that affect climate change and energy conservation; and,
• Establish renewable energy standards that allow electricity generation from renewable sources such as windmills, solar panels and geothermal technology, if only to 12% level.
Expectations are promises of what is anticipated. Whatever happens to the bill on the US senate floor, our progress so far in the house, would be counted as a clear gain on our anticipation, considering the challenge that we have faced so far in making sure that America makes progress on its climate change problem.