Finally, a path for America to battle climate change

Better late than never, the U.S. Senate will begin debate this week on a global-warming bill it should have approved years ago.

The legislation, called America’s Climate Security Act, would be the nation’s first meaningful step toward halting and reversing the buildup of atmospheric gases that are altering the Earth’s climate in devastating ways. Congress, after years of empty rhetoric on the subject, should pass this legislation and quickly put the United States on the right path to reducing the pollution that’s causing this crisis.

One of the bill’s appeals is its market-based approach. It would create a cap-and-trade system in which industries emitting major amounts of carbon dioxide would pay for the right to do so by purchasing credits from the government based on volume of emissions. Companies that cut emissions would save money and earn the privilege of selling unused credits to companies emitting more.

The Oregonian