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We stand at the beginning of a new century. The vast majority of scientists and policy experts agree that if dramatic action is not taken soon, it is very likely that human well-being and global geo-political stability in the 21st century will be gravely affected by global climate change. CCAR Resolution on "National Energy Policy," 2000 In the year ahead, we will join the Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) in focusing significant attention on issues related to global warming and our nation¦s energy policy. Power plants are currently the number one industrial source of air pollution in the U.S. In addition to contributing to global warming, these pollutants can produce soot, smog, and acid rain, causing serious environmental damage and aggravating severe public health problems such as asthma and emphysema. The vast majority of this pollution comes from older power plants that were exempted from the Clean Air Act¦s emission standards in 1970. We will continue to work to promote a strong "four pollutant" bill that dramatically reduces allowable emissions of the four major pollutants and closes the loophole that currently permits excessive pollution from older power plants. We will again advocate an increase in vehicle fuel economy standards, which would be the biggest single step the U.S. can take to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We saw significant progress when the 106th Congress authorized a study of increasing Corporate Auto Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards, and we hope that the results of the study will lead to serious congressional debate about this crucial issue. We will also continue to support Senate ratification, and implementation, of the Kyoto Protocol. At the same time, we pledge to watch President Bush¦s proposals on energy policy carefully, and we will support elements that increase U.S. energy independence by reducing dependence upon fossil fuels through energy efficiency and the development of environmentally clean alternative energy sources and technologies, and will oppose elements that unnecessarily endanger our natural resources or environmentally sensitive areas. We will also make a major effort this Congress on matters affecting Children¦s Environmental Health. We will work to defend the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. Our efforts will include strongly opposing efforts to raise allowable pesticide levels for children to those calibrated to safe levels for adult males. We will also oppose efforts to shift the burden of proof in debates over those pesticides currently regarded as harmful from industry producers to the Environmental Protection Agency and the public. We will urge Congress not to repeal, delay, or otherwise impede the full implementation and enforcement of existing environmental laws and standards, and we will urge the new Administration to stringently enforce all existing environmental laws. In particular, we will follow-up on our efforts during the 106th Congress to support the Clinton Administration¦s sweeping roadless initiative for our National Forests by opposing any legislative efforts to reverse or weaken the Roadless Policy. We will similarly oppose any efforts to weaken the protections offered by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and will continue to push for a strong reauthorization bill for the ESA. Lastly, we will follow new debates on environmental issues. In this spirit, we will work to promote labeling and increased study of genetically engineered and modified foods, and we will closely follow the likely development of a major farm bill this Session, which could have dramatic effects on our clean water supply.
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