To the editor:
I applaud Congresswoman Niki Tsongas for her vote in favor of, and strong support for, the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This legislation is a significant step toward America's effort to achieve energy independence and mitigate the impact of global warming.
There are those that suggest the science supporting the existence of global warming isn't conclusive enough to justify this action. However, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, representing an authoritative consensus of the world's scientists, has repeatedly warned that human activities, particularly carbon emissions, are changing the world's climate in potentially catastrophic ways.
The genius of the bill's cap-and-trade approach is that it creates a market-based incentive for producers to phase-in renewable energy technologies, such as wind, solar, biofuels, and even nuclear power. The declining allotment of emissions allowances gives energy producers time to adapt to the declining cap on carbon emissions. This is preferable to more dramatic emissions controls, which are surely inevitable and will be of a higher cost if we fail to act now.
It seems almost everyone agrees that America must reduce its dependence on foreign oil. While far from perfect, the American Clean Energy and Security Act moves our country in the right direction by unleashing the power of the market in developing new technologies, enhances U.S. environmental and energy leadership, and bolsters our national security by alleviating our reliance on energy from potentially hostile foreign actors.
Thank you Congresswoman Tsongas for taking this critically important step and standing firm against those that might wait until it is too late.
JOEL GAGNON
Haverhill
