Waking up and catching up (The Economist)

  Belatedly, and for many reasons, America is embracing environmentalism

  The Economist

  Jan. 25, 2007 -- AUSTIN, CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES AND WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Jim Webb, the new Democratic senator from Virginia, replied to George Bush's state-of-the-union message, he could bear to endorse only one of the president's proposals. This was the idea of cutting America's petrol (gasoline) consumption by 20 percent in ten years, by increasing ethanol production to 35 billion gallons a year and raising fuel-efficiency standards for cars.

  The Democrats' victory in last year's elections means that Congress's stance on environmental issues has changed dramatically. In one race for the House of Representatives, a Democratic consultant on wind power defeated a Republican ally of the oil industry. Barbara Boxer, an ardent advocate of firm action on climate change, has taken over the chairmanship of the Senate Environment Committee from James Inhofe, who often described global warming as “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”

  Since Congress convened earlier this month, the Democrats have got to work fast. The House has passed a bill that would eliminate a tax break for oil production in America, and would impose penalties on firms that refuse to renegotiate the absurdly generous leases the government accidentally granted them in the late 1990s. The proceeds -- perhaps $15 billion over the next decade -- would be used to fund renewable energy schemes.

  Nancy Pelosi, the new speaker of the House, is now turning her attention to global warming. She is setting up a committee to address both that issue, and America's dependence on imported fuel. She wants to see legislation before July 4th, so that she can declare “energy independence” on the same day that the founding fathers severed political ties with Britain.

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