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- The Clinton administration should be negotiating a strong, enforceable and legally
binding global warming treaty that protects our children's future by cutting global
warming pollution 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2005.
- The president should raise miles-per-gallon (CAFE) standards to from 27.5 mpg to 45 mpg
for cars and from 20.7 mpg to 34 mpg for light trucks, as the majority of the commission
he appointed recommended.
- Increase research and investment into clean car technology like hydrogen fuel cells and
improved batteries.
- Cut subsidies for oil and coal development. Increase funding for clean, renewable energy
like wind and solar power.
- Raise energy efficiency standards for home appliances and electronics. Create incentives
for homeowners and businesses to become more efficient.
- Require that any energy industry restructuring encourage energy efficiency and the use
of clean, renewable technology, and that dirty, coal-fired power plants switch to cleaner
natural gas.
- President Clinton is negotiating a weak, unenforceable treaty based on risky trading
schemes and "borrowing" pollution reductions from the future. He seeks to
stabilize global warming pollution at 1990 levels by the years 2010-2015 (the George Bush
goal put it off 15 years, but made it mandatory.)
- President Clinton appointed a commission to study global warming pollution from cars and
trucks, but hasn't heeded the majority's recommendation to raise CAFE standards. Congress
has frozen CAFE for the last several years. This year bills (H.R. 880 and S. 286) are
circulating that would repeal the president's authority to manage CAFE standards. The
White House has not actively opposed these measures.
- Chrysler and GM are pursuing fuel cells that run on gasoline, effectively perpetuating
our addiction to oil and pollution of our atmosphere. The Clinton administration's
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles has yet to produce significant gains in fuel
economy.
- Current budget plans include continued coal and oil subsidies. A recent spending
authorization bill (H.R. 1277) sought to blend funding for clean, renewable energy with
general research funds (including nuclear and coal). The Clinton administration has
proposed increases in energy efficiency and renewable energy budgets, but Congress blocked
many of them.
- New energy efficiency plans have been slow to materialize. After several years of delay,
the administration recently adopted stronger standards for refrigerators.
- Coal-fired power plants continue to dominate the U.S. energy market. Projections
indicate that utility deregulation may actually increase coal consumption.
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