Actions & Opinions: Montana’s Delegation at Center of the Global Warming Debate!
congresswatch | Energy | global warming | Pollution | Statewide
As reported in a January 29th Associated Press article the Montana congressional delegation finds itself in the middle of the storm over global warming and climate change.
About FutureGen…
The FutureGen project was proposed in 2003 to construct a demonstration facility to generate zero-emission electricity from coal within the next decade. The project will utilize "integrated gasification combined-cycle" (IGCC) power-plant technology that pressurizes coal to produce a vapor and filters carbon dioxide and smog-causing pollutants from the gas before burning it. The captured greenhouse gases are stored underground, to not contribute to atmospheric warming, a technique known as "sequestration."
Whether FutureGen is simply an excuse to build new coal plants, prolonging our dependence on fossil fuels and diverting critical investment away from renewables, is not yet known. The technology is estimated at 20-30 percent more costly than traditional coal burning systems and thus far, many coal energy producers - and the Bush Administration - have been slow in getting an actual project off the ground and running. (www.grist.org - 12/03/04 "Coal position" & 12/16/05 "Coal reversal")
But, scientific study after study stress that human output of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases must be at the forefront of a global warming solution. The urgency of this issue necessitates decreasing emissions NOW – and the appropriate standards put in place by Congress to accomplish this!
Please contact Montana’s congressional members and urge them to support strong limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, when these proposals come before Congress.
As reported in a January 29th Associated Press article the Montana congressional delegation finds itself in the middle of the storm over global warming and climate change. According to the article, the views of Montana’s delegation, Sens. Baucus and Tester and Rep. Rehberg, fall somewhere in between the views of Sen. Barbara Boxer, (D-CA) chair of the Senate Environment Committee, who is calling for stringent limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and former committee chair, Sen. James Inhoffe, (R-OK) who sits on the extreme other side of the spectrum, referring to global warming as the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people”.
All three members of Montana’s congressional delegation do say they believe global warming is a problem and advocate the development of new “clean-coal” technologies and the increased use of renewable fuels, emphasizing those remedies as much as setting new, tougher emissions standards. Each member has stated he would have to closely examine any proposal brought forth before Congress.
The article reports that Senator Baucus has the longest history of dealing with this issue and appears to be the most open to curbs on greenhouse gases, though he stresses that any solution must recognize the need for natural resources such as coal, which is abundant in Montana. However, Baucus was one of ten Democrats in 2003 to vote against a bill that would have required the reduction of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions to 2000 levels by 2010.
Senator Tester is focusing on conservation and efficiency and is most inclined to support tax credits for cars with good fuel economy, for increased dependence on renewable energies, such as biofuels and wind, and for more development of clean fuel technologies. During his senate campaign, Tester consistently stressed the need for U.S. energy independence and asserts that Montana can be a leader in alternative, renewable energy production, with the State’s abundant supply of wind and the capacity to produce ethanol and bio-fuels.
According to the article, Rehberg emphasizes new technologies and increased renewable fuels as part of his preferred approach, but shies away from mandatory standards for green house emissions, saying that companies should get incentives to lesson pollution, rather than “punishing one industry”. Rehberg also praised the development of the federal FutureGen project, designed to create a low-emissions, coal fired power plant fired power plant.
About FutureGen…
The FutureGen project was proposed in 2003 to construct a demonstration facility to generate zero-emission electricity from coal within the next decade. The project will utilize "integrated gasification combined-cycle" (IGCC) power-plant technology that pressurizes coal to produce a vapor and filters carbon dioxide and smog-causing pollutants from the gas before burning it. The captured greenhouse gases are stored underground, to not contribute to atmospheric warming, a technique known as "sequestration." But the FutureGen project is hardly a panacea. As pointed out by many conservation and environmental organizations, a commitment to piloting “zero emission” coal plants is a far cry from a commitment to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. In addition, there are potential serious problems with the FutureGen approach. First, carbon sequestration is not yet a proven, successful technique. Second, extracting coal from the ground is not a low-impact process and boosting coal extraction across the country could have dire consequences on the environment, especially in coal-rich state like Montana.
Whether FutureGen is simply an excuse to build new coal plants, prolonging our dependence on fossil fuels and diverting critical investment away from renewables, is not yet known. The technology is estimated at 20-30 percent more costly than traditional coal burning systems and thus far, many coal energy producers - and the Bush Administration - have been slow in getting an actual project off the ground and running. (www.grist.org - 12/03/04 "Coal position" & 12/16/05 "Coal reversal")
We agree with the Montana delegation that the emergency of global climate change calls for a multi-pronged, comprehensive solution and look forward to hearing their proposals.
But, scientific study after study stress that human output of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases must be at the forefront of a global warming solution. The urgency of this issue necessitates decreasing emissions NOW – and the appropriate standards put in place by Congress to accomplish this!
Please contact Montana’s congressional members and urge them to support strong limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, when these proposals come before Congress.
