Feinstein Speaks on Need to Fight Global Warming

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein made her first speech ever on the UC Berkeley campus on Friday, emphasizing the need to “get started” in the fight against global warming.

Feinstein gave the speech and introduced a number of new congressional bills aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. as part of a two-day international conference on climate change policy hosted by Boalt Hall School of Law.

“We have to get started,” Feinstein told the crowd of more than 150 academic, government and industry experts who gathered for the conference. “The recent shift of power in Washington opens the door to action, where that door was firmly shut before.”

As part of a plan to “control and contain the warming,” the senator presented a package of five bills designed to cut greenhouse emissions in the future and lower the United States’ dependency on fossil fuels.

Feinstein said the cornerstone bill is a “cap and trade” program for limiting greenhouse emissions.

This approach attempts to control pollution by taxing companies whose emissions are too high and giving the revenue to companies who lower their emissions below federal regulations. The program aims to tailor global warming regulations to different production sectors, Feinstein said.

Although she emphasized the need for the bills to be made into policy, Feinstein was quick to acknowledge the complaints of some environmentalists, who say the bills do not do enough to cut greenhouse emissions.

“I do not believe that any of these are perfect bills or that they cannot be improved,” she said. “What I have tried to do is put forward a practical, achievable and sustainable regimen.”

Feinstein also said critics of the bills should not let small differences get in the way of implementing needed changes.

“Getting a moderate bill passed that can be strengthened … can become the most significant thing we can do,” she said.

While her energy bill has the support of many large energy companies, including PG&E, Feinstein admitted that getting the bill through Congress would be a tough fight in many parts of the country.

“Right now, we are looking for the access ramp to the freeway for change,” she said.

Those in attendance expressed satisfaction that climate change policy was finally drawing attention and scrutiny from government officials.

“It’s great that she is so passionate about getting us started,” said Margaret Taylor, an assistant professor of public policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy. “I particularly favor the energy efficiency bill.”

Boalt Hall Dean Christopher Edley Jr., who introduced Feinstein at the conference, added that the struggle to modify global climate change policy has a long way to go.

“The hardest part is what happens after this conference is over,” Edley said.

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