Climate Bill Death Leaves States to Act

The recent failure of the U.S. Senate to act on a climate bill indicates a lack of national consensus of either a problem or an appropriate solution, and leaves states and regions to develop their own policies reflecting regional interests, according to the New York Times.  Political analyst Bill Schneider, interviewed by the Times, said that climate change has not reached the level of a national crisis the way jobs and the economy have; until it does, national action is unlikely.

Many state and regional efforts to combat climate change and energy issues are already underway. Among examples cited by the article are cap-and-trade programs developed by several different sets of states banding together, renewable energy standards, deployment of smart meters to more accurately monitor electricity use, energy efficiency incentives, and alternative energy development. These smaller-scale efforts may be hampered by state politics that are in flux throughout the country; new governors could either enhance or defeat efforts already underway.