IT SOUNDS like a wish list from an environmental group: new standards for fuel efficiency in cars; laws forcing power companies to produce 15 per cent of their electricity through renewable sources; traditional, inefficient 100-watt light bulbs to be banned; federal government operations to be carbon neutral by 2050.
But at least some of these proposals are actually likely to become US law, after the passed Congress on 4 August. The legislation could still fail, but green groups are cautiously optimistic. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a substantial down payment in reducing global warming emissions,鈥� says Philip Clapp of the National Environmental Trust.
The next hurdle will come in September, when Congress reconvenes and attempts to reconcile the differences between the two bills. Even if the key provisions survive, the legislation could still be vetoed. President George W. Bush objects to the plans to shift energy use away from fossil fuels, and also to a companion bill that calls for $16 billion in taxes to be levied on the oil and gas industry.
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