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While the do-nothing crowd stews on the sidelines, those committed to doing something about climate change are fully engaged.
They include consensus- seekers in Congress. They include automakers. They include a coalition of businesses and industries. All have been prodded and nudged onto the playing field by a skilled president.
* House negotiators report a major breakthrough in negotiations for a bill limiting carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade program. Under the approach, the government would set a limit for total greenhouse gas emissions. Then, polluters would buy and sell permits as they attempt to meet the overall emissions goal.
* The president hammered out an agreement involving state environmental agencies and automakers for national standards on emissions and fuel economy.
States like California had warred with the Bush administration to have stricter air and fuel-efficiency standards than the Environmental Protection Agency had.
* A coalition of industrial leaders including utilities formed the U.S. Climate Action Partnership to support global warming legislation.
Not everyones on board. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and some segments of the steel industry are openly critical of climate legislation.
But more and more players are understanding that the public support, and the leadership, are there to get something done to confront Americas role in global warming.
The do-nothing crowd may cover its ears and eyes, but a growing crowd is listening to climate experts and following their advice.
Even the Texas Legislature, with state Sen. Kip Averitt in a leadership role, is taking global warming seriously, whether or not Gov. Rick Perry, a true do-nothing on the issue, wants to acknowledge the matter.
Averitt, chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, has written a bill directing the states environmental agencies to participate in developing federal greenhouse gas reporting requirements.
Texas being the nations petrochemical capital, it cant sit on the sidelines when guidelines are written.
The Waco Republican also has pushed legislation to increase energy conservation, offering, among other things, $4,000 rebates for the purchase of plug-in hybrid vehicles and setting higher efficiency standards for appliances such as DVD players and more.
So, its not just tree-hugging environmentalists. Its not just Democrats. Its not just climatologists. Its leaders of many stripes answering the call on the biggest issue facing our planet.
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