U.S. Climate Legislation
While there is much to praise about ACES, the climate section of the bill is seriously weakened by its heavy reliance on offsets to substitute for actual emissions cuts by large polluters. The House bill allows up to two billion offsets each year - each supposedly an avoided emission of one metric ton of carbon dioxide. As the debate continues in the Senate, International Rivers is working with a broad coalition of groups to make sure that whatever legislation emerges will be strong enough to fight global climate change.
Blogs
- Offsets and the Truthy Targets of Waxman-Markey, Patrick McCully
- Offsets and the House Climate and Energy Bill, Patrick McCully
- Waxman-Markey Bill: No Cuts until 2026!, Payal Parekh
- Senate Climate Bill Keeps the Offset Spigot Wide Open, Katy Yan
Letters
- Coalition Letter to Senator Barbara Boxer on Offsets
- 300+ Groups Sign-on Letter to Boxer, Senate, and President Obama
News Articles
- NY Times Editorial Highlights Offsets Loophole in ACES Bill
- San Francisco Chronicle on Illusory Benefits of Carbon Offsets
Analyses
- Climate Reality Check report card on Kerry-Lieberman Bill, May 2010 (long version)
- Read the latest analysis of the Kerry-Boxer Senate Bill, October 2009
- Analysis of the Waxman-Markey Draft
- Spreadsheet Showing Impacts of Offsets Upon ACES Targets
Press Releases