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90-517: The bill was also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill , after its authors, Representatives Henry A. Waxman of California and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts , both Democrats . Waxman was at the time the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee , and Markey was the chairman of that committee's Energy and Power Subcommittee . The bill proposed a cap and trade system, under which

180-739: A bachelor's degree in political science in 1961 and a J.D. degree from UCLA School of Law in 1964. After graduating, he worked as a lawyer. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 1968, and served three terms. Along with U.S. Representative Howard Berman , whom he studied with at UCLA, Waxman co-founded the Los Angeles County Young Democrats . In 1974, Democratic U.S. Representative Chet Holifield retired after 16 terms in Congress. Waxman gave up his state assembly seat to run for

270-457: A 'Yes' vote, and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) delayed resigning the House to vote for the legislation as well. The bill was approved in the House by a vote of 219–212, with 8 Republicans supporting, and 44 Democrats voting against, and 3 members not voting. All representatives present at the time of the vote had cast votes. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), and John Sullivan (R-OK) missed

360-660: A D.C.-based lobbying firm, Regent Lecturer for University of California, Los Angeles, and lecturer at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health . Waxman was born to a Jewish household in Los Angeles, California, the son of Esther (née Silverman) and Ralph Louis Waxman. His father was born in Montreal, Canada; his mother was from Pennsylvania. All of his grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. He attended college at UCLA , earning

450-415: A Democrat had yet been defeated. At 3:47   am on June 26, 2009, H.Res. 587 was reported to the house, which amended H.R. 2454, adding to the bill. This resolution was passed in the house just hours later at 11:21   am. Republicans complained that neither the public nor the representatives were given adequate time to study the 310-page amendment. Markey refuted Rush Limbaugh 's assertion that

540-696: A Democratic position." Waxman supported fellow representative Jane Harman during her primary challenge from Marcy Winograd when Winograd said she would support a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, instead of the two-state resolution endorsed by Waxman and Harman. Saying it suffers from "a culture of corruption" and "has become obsessed with secrecy," he accused the American government of having abandoned these values. "(The) Republican leadership ignores presidential rules and norms and has no consideration for custom," he said. Waxman

630-623: A bill to the U.S. House that would lift the ban on federal money for subway tunneling in the district. This bill passed the House via unanimous vote on September 20, 2006. Waxman, as the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, oversaw the case of Solyndra , a solar company that filed for bankruptcy after receiving a $ 535 million loan guarantee from the DOE. Waxman recounted meeting with Solyndra's CEO two months before they filed for bankruptcy, who assured him that "Solyndra’s future

720-400: A cap-and-trade system, "would lose a direct revenue stream of hundreds of millions of dollars if the federal plan were passed." The three existing regional carbon cap and trade programs, which were in varying states of development, would likely be merged into the national plan, since "the federal 'cap-and-trade' plan pre-empts any similar state scheme from 2012 to 2017." However, ACES left states

810-550: A carbon tax rather than a cap and trade system. Alternatively, Senators Maria Cantwell and Susan Collins introduced the Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal (CLEAR) Act . This bill proposed a cap and dividend approach in which 75% of the revenue is returned to taxpayers in the form of a dividend, and the rest is used to fund to development of renewable energy. News agencies Reuters and Agence France-Presse and United Kingdom newspaper The Guardian reported

900-457: A close vote. On the day of the vote, Democrats were still working to ensure they had the votes needed to pass the bill. Republicans tried to pull back their proposed amendments, realizing they were giving the Democrats more time to corral votes, however, they were unable to pull their proposed amendments off the floor. Shortly before the vote, John Boehner read aloud to the House from most of

990-467: A government watchdog group, presented Waxman with its Good Government Award for his various contributions to government transparency and oversight. On the day after the 2006 elections, Waxman directed his aides to draw up an "oversight plan" for the panel. He had already let it be known that he wanted to investigate Halliburton , as well as its alleged malfeasance related to government contracts in Iraq . It

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1080-601: A plan that still faces hurdles" The article noted that representatives from members of the Eastern U.S. 10-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative , the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord , which joined six U.S. states with Canada's Manitoba, and the 11-state-and-four Canadian province Western Climate Initiative were supporting the legislation, even though the Eastern market member states, which had already been operating under

1170-576: A reduction of no more than 0.2° Celsius . Economist Arnold Kling said the bill "maximizes rent-seeking (favoritism toward particular businesses) and minimizes carbon reduction". Other economists argued that the bill would create significant financial costs. The Wall Street Journal accused the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of significantly underestimating the bill's ultimate costs, pointing out supposed flaws in its calculations. The Wall Street Journal also suggested that

1260-405: A report suggesting economic waste in some of the world's commercial fisheries, EDF advocates an approach: catch shares , which sets a scientifically based limit on the total amount of fish that can be caught; that amount is then divided among individuals or groups, who can sell their shares or lease them to fishermen. EDF suggests that concern about consolidation or corporate ownership of fisheries

1350-562: A statistical study that supported a link between organic contaminants and cancer rates in the City of New Orleans, a study that received a tremendous amount of media attention and certainly contributed to the enactment of the law. On April 11, 2018, the group announced plans for MethaneSAT , a satellite to help identify global methane emissions , concentrating on the 50 major oil and gas regions responsible for 80% of methane production. The satellite launched on March 4, 2024. EDF says it will make

1440-483: A time when the world is looking to the U.S. for leadership on climate change." Critics of the bill were concerned about it not going far enough, and claimed that there were too many concessions made to special interests in rewriting the bill. Thus, making the bill weak and potentially harmful to the economy and environment. Dr. James E. Hansen , one of the first to warn about the risks of climate change and an advocate of taking related action, also argued strongly against

1530-407: A vote of 33–25, largely falling along political party lines. Republicans proposed over 400 amendments to the bill, the majority of which many think were proposed to delay passage. Some of the more prominent from both parties are listed below: By the end of May 20, 2009, 2 Republican and 24 Democratic amendments had been adopted. 15 Republican amendments had been defeated. No amendment sponsored by

1620-524: Is a United States–based nonprofit environmental advocacy group . The group is known for its work on issues including global warming , ecosystem restoration , oceans, and human health, and advocates using sound science , economics and law to find environmental solutions that work. It is nonpartisan, and its work often advocates market -based solutions to environmental problems. The group's headquarters are in New York City , with offices across

1710-420: Is a step in the right direction in the fight against dangerous climate change and for developing cleaner, more secure energy resources." David Jenkins, REP vice president for government and political affairs, noted that "Doing nothing is not an option. The costs and risks of failing to limit greenhouse gas emissions are too high. We owe it to our country and to our country's future citizens to take action. Today,

1800-536: Is an American politician and lobbyist who was a U.S. representative from California from 1975 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party . His district included much of the western part of the city of Los Angeles, as well as West Hollywood , Santa Monica , and Beverly Hills , and was numbered the 24th district from 1975 to 1993, the 29th district from 1993 to 2003, and the 30th district from 2003 to 2013, changing because of redistricting after

1890-469: Is better than a carbon tax . He explained how the incentives work Even when polluters get free permits, they still have an incentive to reduce their emissions, so that they can sell their excess permits to someone else. That's not just theory: allowances for sulfur dioxide emissions are allocated to electric utilities free of charge, yet the cap-and-trade system for SO2 has been highly successful at controlling acid rain. Tia Nelson testified in support of

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1980-430: Is not going away, and neither is hydraulic fracturing. We must be clear-eyed about this, and fight to protect public health and the environment from unacceptable impacts. We must also work hard to put policies in place that ensure that natural gas serves as an enabler of renewable power generation, not an impediment to it. We fear that those who oppose all natural gas production everywhere are, in effect, making it harder for

2070-538: Is noted as the scientist who inspired the environmental movement. The founders of EDF successfully sought a ban on DDT in Suffolk County , Long Island, New York. Next, they succeeded in banning DDT statewide, then took their efforts nationally. In looking back at passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, top EPA officials responsible for implementing the law recall that EDF published

2160-570: Is unwarranted. EDF has been accused of funding and disseminating studies that utilize questionable science and economics in their promotion of catch share fishery management. Also, they have employed substantial political lobbying to promote fisheries policies that tend to force out smaller fishing businesses in favor of consolidated, corporate owned fleets, while denying any adverse effects these programs have on fishing families and communities. EDF has held meetings with private investors where their West Coast vice president, David Festa, promoted

2250-577: Is very likely that he could also investigate the numerous scandals surrounding Jack Abramoff . This led to concerns among Democratic aides that the Government Reform Committee under Waxman would stage a repeat of the committee's performance under the Clinton administration , when it issued over 1,000 subpoenas. However, Waxman told Newsweek that he is interested in accountability and not retaliation. In 2009, he began serving as

2340-512: The Los Angeles Times , Waxman cites the 2005 study: "The panel concurred as well that in 1985, the decision to hold further tunneling in abeyance was prudent, given the circumstances and extent of information and technology at that time. Much has changed since then to significantly improve tunneling and operation safety." In 2005, a robust real estate market, multi-dwelling construction boom, and lack of public mass transit planning on

2430-927: The 1990 , 2000 , and 2010 censuses. Waxman was an influential liberal member of Congress , and was instrumental in passing laws including the Infant Formula Act of 1980 , the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 , the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, the Clean Air Act of 1990, the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990, the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, the State Children's Health Insurance Program of 1997,

2520-591: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee , the principal investigative committee of the House. He was the committee's ranking Democrat from 1997 to 2007. In 1998, while he was still ranking member, he created a "Special Investigations Division" to investigate matters that he felt the full committee had neglected. This was possible because the committee has broad powers to investigate any matter with federal policy implications, even if another committee has jurisdiction over it. He has also harshly criticized

2610-679: The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. In 1985, he played an instrumental role in banning federal funding for the Red Line subway in Los Angeles so that it would not go into his affluent Westside district. He is currently chairman at Waxman Strategies,

2700-527: The Red Line subway after a methane gas explosion in the Fairfax District . Prior to that, Waxman had privately expressed concerns about "gentrification" of his affluent district. Waxman maintains that the 1985 bill was sponsored in the interest of public safety and not, as some allege, to hinder access of the working classes in South and East Los Angeles to his affluent district. In a letter to

2790-518: The Republicans for Environmental Protection caucus. With no prospect of overcoming a threatened Republican filibuster, the bill was never brought to the floor of the Senate for discussion or a vote. The table below summarizes the required greenhouse gas emission reductions, with the benchmark of the 2005 emission levels. Henry Waxman Henry Arnold Waxman (born September 12, 1939)

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2880-651: The Rigs-to-Reefs program in the Gulf of Mexico , in which former offshore oil production platforms are converted to permanent artificial reefs. The EDF sees the program as a way to preserve the existing reef habitat of the oil platforms. EDF sees natural gas as a way to quickly replace coal, with the idea that gas in time will be replaced by renewable energy. The organization presses for stricter environmental controls on gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing , without banning them. In November 2013, after negotiations with

2970-679: The Sierra Club . The League of Conservation Voters threatened to withhold endorsements from any representative who votes against the bill. In addition to environmental organizations the Energy and Commerce Committee received letters of support from a broad range of organizations, including the United Auto Workers , Exelon , General Electric , Dow Chemical Company , Pacific Gas and Electric Company , and DuPont . The New York Times noted that "industry officials were split, with

3060-779: The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen . The Guardian US environment correspondent noted that ACES passing the US House of Representatives "delivers an important boost to the prospects of reaching an agreement for international action on climate change at Copenhagen this year." The New York Times noted that "the German chancellor, Angela Merkel , who was in Washington on Friday to meet with Mr. Obama, strongly endorsed

3150-621: The United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers opposing the bill and some of the nation's biggest corporations, including Dow Chemical and Ford , backing it." The Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP), a national grassroots organization, issued a press release after the vote stating "House passage today of the American Clean Energy and Security Act

3240-666: The 24th (1975–1993) to the 29th (1993–2003) to the 30th (2003–2013) to the 33rd (2013-2015). At the time of his retirement, he was one of the last two members, along with George Miller of California, of the large Democratic freshman class of 1975. From 2003 to 2013, Waxman's district included Santa Monica , Beverly Hills , Agoura Hills , Calabasas , Hidden Hills , Malibu , West Hollywood , and Westlake Village , as well as such areas of western Los Angeles as West Los Angeles , Fairfax , Pacific Palisades , Brentwood , Beverlywood , Topanga , Chatsworth , Palms , Westwood , West Hills , Westside Village , Woodland Hills , but through

3330-548: The 300 page Manager's amendment that was filed at 3:09   am on the day of the vote. He voiced opposition to the practice of changing bills in the middle of the night before the vote, and concern that the manager's amendment made substantial changes to the bill. He did not want the House to vote on the bill before the members could learn what was in the amendment, so he read much of it aloud. Manager's amendments are supposed to be for clerical changes only, not substantive ones. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) returned from rehab to cast

3420-537: The Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee , after defeating Chairman John Dingell in a 137–122 secret vote of House Democrats on November 20, 2008. Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming once described Waxman as being 'tougher than a boiled owl.' Waxman is proud of his "strong Jewish identity" and has drawn political conclusions from his exploration of the religion. "Judaism is about acting and doing

3510-596: The Clean Air Act to counter emissions of greenhouse gases. Environmental organizations critical of the bill said the bill fell short by allowing for 85 percent or more of pollution permits to be given away free of cost to the electricity sector. A coalition of environmental groups released a statement saying that "to craft a bill that allows for 2 billion tons of offsets per year—roughly equivalent to 27 percent of 2007 U.S. greenhouse gas emissions—is to allow for continued and dangerous delay in real action by our country at

3600-498: The Congressional Budget Office indicated that the program would be deficit-neutral and would cost households an average of $ 175 per year. The legislation would set a cap on total emissions over the 2012–2050 period and would require regulated entities to hold rights, or allowances, to emit greenhouse gases. After allowances were initially distributed, entities would be free to buy and sell them (the trade part of

3690-484: The Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in 1995, Waxman was a powerful figure in the House as chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and the Environment from 1979. In this role, he conducted investigations into a range of health and environmental issues, including universal health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, AIDS, and air and water pollution. In 1994, Waxman forced

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3780-468: The House looked to the future and did the right thing for our economy, security, and environment." The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated the discussion draft version of the bill to cost average households $ 98–$ 140 per year. A preliminary update of this study said that the changes "would likely result in lower allowance prices, a smaller impact on energy bills, and a smaller impact on household consumption." Economist Paul Krugman argued for

3870-488: The House, declaring "June 26, 2009, will go down as an historic moment in world's efforts to tackle climate change. For the first time, a Congressional body passed legislation that would place mandatory limits on the emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming." It was reported that the passage of ACES in Congress would increase the likelihood that a successor to the Kyoto Protocol would be adopted at

3960-516: The Pacific Northwest is likely to damage smaller, local operators who have an interest in protecting fisheries and limiting by-catch . Many fishermen fear that the approach gives a competitive advantage to larger, non-local operations, jeopardizing independent operators, including boats, fisheries, and ports. EDF argues that the way we manage our fisheries needs to change if we want to protect fishermen, fish, and coastal communities. In

4050-648: The Republicans for ignoring their "constitutional responsibility" to conduct oversight over the government. On March 16, 2004, at Waxman's request, the Committee on Government Reform Minority Office published "Iraq on the Record, the Bush Administration's Public Statements on Iraq", a detailed and searchable collection of 237 specific misleading statements made by Bush Administration officials about

4140-584: The Texas energy company TXU , with which the organization has negotiated to reduce emissions and develop more environmentally friendly business practices. EDF's philosophy is that it is willing to talk with big business and try new approaches in order to get environmental results. A 2009 op-ed piece by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman's Association in the trade journal Fishermen's News argues that EDF's approach to fisheries policy in

4230-527: The US, with scientists and policy specialists working worldwide. US regional offices include Austin, Texas ; Boston ; Boulder, Colorado ; Los Angeles ; Raleigh, North Carolina ; San Francisco ; Washington, D.C. and St. Petersburg, Florida . The group has a growing international presence, with offices in London, Brussels, Mumbai and Beijing. Fred Krupp has served as its president since 1984. In May 2011 Krupp

4320-495: The United States, specifically through updates to programs and policies including food safety, clean air, HIV research, and the social safety net. In Waxman's honor, Maher introduced a segment titled "The Baldy Awards", to recognize the achievements of Waxman and other "work horse" politicians. Articles Environmental Defense Fund Environmental Defense Fund or EDF (formerly known as Environmental Defense )

4410-456: The allowances will be allocated directly to local distribution companies (LDCs) who are mandated to use them exclusively for the benefit of customers. 5% will go to merchant coal generators and others with long-term power purchase agreements . A study in June 2009 by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicated that the bill would be roughly deficit-neutral for the government over

4500-423: The availability and cost of prescription drugs, and the right of communities to know about pollution levels. As an example of Waxman's thoughts regarding tobacco, on April 13, 2010, he requested that Major League Baseball ban smokeless tobacco in all its various forms - snuff , dipping tobacco , chewing tobacco , snus , etc. With the Democrats' victory in the 2006 midterm elections , Waxman became chairman of

4590-608: The bill because he considered the bill "watered-down". Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) voted against the bill because he considered the bill "too-weak" and opposed offsets, among other similar criticisms. Republicans supporting the bill were Army Secretary nominee John M. McHugh and moderate Republican Main Street Partnership caucus members Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), Mike Castle (R-DE), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Chris Smith (R-NJ). Kirk and Castle were members of

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4680-488: The bill even though it fell short of European goals for reducing the emissions of heat-trapping gases." The bill was offered as a "discussion draft" in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on March 31, 2009. A final version of the legislation was introduced on May 15, 2009, by the same title, assigned bill number H.R. 2454 . On May 21, 2009, the bill passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee by

4770-473: The bill in September 2009, while attacking the bill's opponents: "It's important, then, to understand that claims of immense economic damage from climate legislation are as bogus, in their own way, as climate change denial . Saving the planet won't come free (although the early stages of conservation actually might). But it won't cost all that much either." During May 2009, he argued that a cap and trade system

4860-424: The bill on April 24, 2009. Criticism focused on ultimate costs and benefits of the plan. A report written for The Heritage Foundation , a conservative think tank, on the discussion draft of the bill claimed that the economy would react to this cap-and-trade system like it would lead to an energy crisis. This same report also claimed that the impact on global temperature by the end of the 21st century would amount to

4950-460: The bill was not available at all, saying the bill was available to read on the Internet and at the reading clerk's desk since the 3:47   am reporting. Speaker Nancy Pelosi scheduled the vote for June 26, 2009. The week leading up to the vote was marked by courting moderate Republicans and on-the-fence Democrats from rural and coal districts to support the legislation in what was expected to be

5040-476: The bill's costs would disproportionately affect lower-income households, for which the CBO estimates did not account. The New York Times reported that the bill's provisions to levy tariffs on Chinese imports due to carbon emissions could provoke a trade war. The Competitive Enterprise Institute argued that the bill was essentially the "largest tax hike in world history". The American Petroleum Institute , representing

5130-467: The bill: 1) It restricted the EPA's ability to regulate CO 2 emissions from power plants; 2) it set "meager" targets for emission reductions, with only a 13% reduction by 2020; 3) it lacked certain controls important to the trading of allowances to emit carbon; and 4) it failed to set predictable prices for carbon, making it harder for businesses and households to make investment decisions. Dr. Hansen advocated

5220-406: The chief executives of the seven major tobacco companies to swear under oath that nicotine was not addictive. Waxman's stated legislative priorities are health and environmental issues. These include universal health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, tobacco, AIDS, air and water quality standards, pesticides, nursing home quality standards, women's health research and reproductive rights,

5310-663: The creation of a new 33rd Congressional District by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, in the November 2012 general election, Waxman won re-election in an area including his home community of Beverly Hills and stretching to Malibu and Pacific-coastal communities heading south, including Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and Northwest San Pedro. Before

5400-593: The data public. The goal is to help reduce methane emissions by 45% by 2025. Funding for the project comes from The Audacious Project, an initiative of the worldwide TED conference group. MethaneSAT will provide data on methane emissions that can be combined with other satellite data sources including Tropomi , GHGSat and the CarbonMapper program. Key accomplishments of Environmental Defense Fund include: EDF has drawn criticism for its ties to large corporations including McDonald's , FedEx , Walmart , and

5490-525: The district, which had been re-numbered from the 19th to the 24th in a mid-decade redistricting. Waxman won the Democratic nomination for the district, and easily won the general election, as this was tantamount to election in this heavily Democratic district. He was re-elected 17 times, with no substantive opposition. He faced no major-party opposition in 1986, and was completely unopposed in 2008. His district changed numbers four times in his tenure — from

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5580-468: The electricity generated by nuclear power required the purchase of far fewer allowances than other forms of electricity generation; that the bill provided various types of financial support to build clean energy generating sources, including nuclear; and that an EPA study indicated that twice as many nuclear plants would be built if the law was passed versus the status quo. There was criticism that unless China and India adopted similar emissions standards,

5670-513: The free allowances were allocated, and how any proceeds from selling allowances were used. That net impact would reflect both the added costs that households experienced because of higher prices and the share of the allowance value that they received in the form of benefit payments, rebates, tax decreases or credits, wages, and returns on their investments." In other words, while a cap and trade system imposes costs on high emitters, it can generate revenues for low emitters that sell permits to them. While

5760-502: The fuel efficiency standards in the "cash for clunkers" provision of the bill, because new cars would only need to get 22 MPG to be considered fuel efficient. New SUVs and pickup trucks would only need to get 18 MPG to be considered fuel efficient. Vehicles older than 25 years were not eligible for the program. CNN reported that "One of the biggest criticisms is that it's not very environmentally friendly." The New York Times noted that "while some environmentalists enthusiastically supported

5850-828: The government sets the bar on emission levels, the market determines who gains and who loses. The bill was supported by a number of environmental organizations including, the Defenders of Wildlife , the Alliance for Climate Protection , the Environmental Defense Fund , the National Wildlife Federation , The Nature Conservancy , the Audubon Society , the Natural Resources Defense Council and

5940-412: The government would set a limit (cap) on the total amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted nationally. Companies then buy or sell (trade) permits to emit these gases, primarily carbon dioxide CO 2 . The cap is reduced over time to reduce total carbon emissions. The cap-and-trade program proposed by the legislation would reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions while generating revenue. A study by

6030-486: The impact on global climate would be insubstantial. This was largely an argument based on the leading role these two countries had obtained in carbon dioxide emissions which could reach 34% of the global total by 2030. Critics also noted that the bill would create the largest market in carbon in the world. It would also "open up the so-called 'sub-prime carbon' market in carbon offsets , whereby industries can claim emissions reductions by investing in various projects around

6120-456: The legislation, others, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth , opposed it." Friends of the Earth, an international environmental organization, announced its opposition to ACES as they believed the bill was too weak. They cited support from Shell Oil Company and Duke Energy as evidence of the bill's shortcomings. They also objected to the removal of the EPA's existing authority to use

6210-401: The mid-1960s that the osprey and other large raptors were rapidly disappearing. Their research uncovered a link between the spraying of DDT to kill mosquitos and thinning egg shells of large birds. Their research was most likely based on the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson about the dangers of DDT and the effects that it had on birds, published in 1962. Carson, who died in 1964,

6300-454: The middle quintile, about $ 235; and in the fourth quintile, about $ 340. Overall net costs would average 0.2 percent of households' after-tax income. The analysis did not attempt to quantify the environmental benefits of reduced greenhouse gas emissions . The report also stated that the "net financial impact of the program on households in different income brackets would depend in large part on how many allowances were sold (versus given away), how

6390-498: The narrow passage of the "historic" legislation in the House, regarding the vote to be a "major" and "hard-fought" victory for President Obama, while an Associated Press article, carried by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , reported the vote to be "a triumph for [the] U.S. President." The New York Times commented that "the House legislation reflects a series of concessions necessary to attract

6480-410: The next decade: enacting the legislation would increase revenues by $ 873 billion over the 2010–2019 period and would increase direct spending by $ 864 billion over that 10-year period. In total, CBO and JCT estimate that enacting the legislation would reduce future budget deficits by about $ 4 billion over the 2010–2014 period and by about $ 9 billion over the 2010–2019 period The study also indicated that

6570-510: The oil industry, EDF representatives joined spokesmen for Anadarko Petroleum , Noble Energy , and Encana , to endorse Colorado governor John Hickenlooper 's proposed tighter regulation of emissions of volatile organic compounds by oil and gas production. EDF has funded studies jointly with the petroleum industry on the environmental effects of natural gas production. The policy has been criticized by some environmentalists. EDF counsel and blogger Mark Brownstein answered: Demand for natural gas

6660-454: The option of resuming trade of pollution credits after 2017 and "would allow holders of RGGI allowances to convert them into federal allowances, which means the states will likely hold auctions until the federal plan begins. Citizens Against Government Waste named both Reps. Waxman and Markey the May 2009 Porkers of the month for "adding and altering provisions to placate special interests and buy

6750-520: The petroleum and natural gas industry, said the bill would place "disproportionate burden on all consumers of gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, propane and other petroleum products", and by 2035, it would cause gasoline prices in excess of $ 4.00 per gallon by today's standards. Nuclear power plants generate minimal greenhouse gases, yet one critic wrote that the bill did not sufficiently advocate this clean power source. In response to this criticism, House of Representatives staff members wrote that

6840-534: The program). Those entities that emit more gases face a higher cost, which provides an economic incentive to reduce emissions. Key elements of the bill include: Alternative compliance payments were $ 25/MWh in violation of the standard, adjusted for inflation beginning in 2010. The bill's cap-and-trade program allocates 85% of allowances to industry for free, auctioning the remainder. The revenue from these allowances will be used to finance conservation of tropical forests abroad and to support low-income households. 30% of

6930-525: The purchase of fishing rights as an investment that can yield 400% profits, and "options value" despite its claims that these rights are designed to provide financial incentives for the fishermen themselves. Multiple non-profit organizations have expressed repeated frustrations with EDF and its promotion of these management policies. Recent studies show that despite EDF's claims, catch shares do not end overfishing and typically result in no long term environmental gains. The Environmental Defense Fund supports

7020-719: The right thing, not simply believing in it or mindlessly following ritual," he said in a speech presented by the University of Southern California 's Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life. Waxman said he applies Jewish ethical values to his congressional service. He further said that the "Jewish values" of "human rights, social justice, and equal opportunities ... are synonymous with American values," and that such values "are in my opinion closer to

7110-400: The support of Democrats from different regions and with different ideologies. In the months of horse-trading before the vote Friday, the bill's targets for emissions of heat-trapping gases were weakened, its mandate for renewable electricity was scaled back, and incentives for industries were sweetened." Business Week emphasized its perceived significance of the legislation and its passage in

7200-451: The tax burden on individual households would be limited: the net annual economy-wide cost of the cap-and-trade program in 2020 would be $ 22 billion—or about $ 175 per household ... households in the lowest income quintile would see an average net benefit of about $ 40 in 2020, while households in the highest income quintile would see a net cost of $ 245. Added costs for households in the second lowest quintile would be about $ 40 that year; in

7290-470: The threat posed by Iraq. It contains statements that were misleading based on what was known to the Administration at the time the statements were made. It does not include statements that appear mistaken only in hindsight. If a statement was an accurate reflection of U.S. intelligence at the time it was made, it was excluded even if it now appears erroneous. In 2006, Project On Government Oversight,

7380-558: The vote due to "a family conflict", travel abroad in Albania, and "alcohol addiction treatment", respectively. Democratic votes against largely came from freshmen in Republican-leaning seats, conservative "blue dog" democrats , as well as Democrats from areas dependent on coal for electricity or areas with large numbers of manufacturing jobs. However, some Democrats from liberal districts, like Pete Stark (CA) voted against

7470-416: The votes of appropriately skeptical members of Congress". While the Environmental Defense Fund and many other environmental organizations strongly supported the bill, other environmentalists sharply criticized the legislation as too weak and called urgently for it to be amended so as to include additional and more vigorous measures to protect climate and natural resources. Some environmentalists criticized

7560-515: The westside caused by Waxman's bill resulted in gridlock throughout Waxman's district. At the request of Los Angeles Mayor and LA Metro Board President Antonio Villaraigosa , Waxman agreed to lift the ban if a panel of five engineers found tunneling under the Miracle Mile stretch of Wilshire Boulevard to be safe. In October 2005, the panel decided that tunneling was possible, and on December 16, Waxman responded by announcing he would introduce

7650-420: The world that theoretically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) claimed it was virtually impossible to verify whether carbon offsets represented real emissions reductions. " On June 26, 2009, Reuters reported that "[s]tates that have set the U.S. agenda on addressing greenhouse gas emissions are lining up behind a federal climate bill, fearing signs of dissent would weaken

7740-637: Was among a group of experts named by US Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu to a subcommittee of the Energy Advisory Board that was charged with making recommendations to improve the safety and environmental performance of natural gas hydraulic fracturing from shale formations. The subcommittee issued an interim report in August and its final report in November of the same year. In 1991, The Economist called EDF "America's most economically literate green campaigners." The organization

7830-469: Was bright with sales and production booming." Waxman was accused of being involved with the Solyndra loan by Darrell Issa . Waxman responded, saying he had no involvement in the selection of the loan. Once hailed in the media as a "lobbyist's worst nightmare," Waxman became a successful and influential lobbyist when he opened his own firm after retiring from Congress. In 1993, a news clip of Waxman

7920-448: Was ranked first among environmental groups in a 2007 Financial Times global study of 850 business-nonprofit partnerships. Charity Navigator , an independent charity evaluator , has given EDF a four-out-of-four stars rating overall since June 1, 2012. The organization's founders, including Art Cooley , Robert Burnap , George Woodwell , Charles Wurster , Dennis Puleston , Victor Yannacone and Robert Smolker , discovered in

8010-490: Was strongly critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment , which places limits on taxpayer-funded abortions in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act . Instead of this version, it was reported that many Democrats supported a version that would find "common ground." In 1985, Waxman sponsored a bill supported by affluent homeowners groups in his district to ban federal funding for

8100-428: Was used for the movie And The Band Played On , and in 2021, Waxman was praised by television host Bill Maher on his HBO Talk Show Series Real Time with Bill Maher . In discussing the concept of political "work horses", as compared to "show horses", Maher described Waxman's legislative achievements and emphasized that Waxman's tenacity and low public profile as a "work horse" allowed him to effect substantial change in

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