McCain Wants Emissions Cap

Today, Sen. McCain will deliver a speech in DC, calling for America to wean itself from foreign oil and fight global warming by placing a cap on greenhouse gas emission. NYT:

In the text of a speech he is scheduled to deliver today in Washington, Mr. McCain said: “The problem isn’t a Hollywood invention nor is doing something about it a vanity of Cassandra-like hysterics. It is a serious and urgent economic, environmental and national security challenge.” [snip]

“The world is already feeling the powerful effects of global warming,” the text of the speech set for today said, “and far more dire consequences are predicted if we let the growing deluge of greenhouse gas emissions continue, and wreak havoc with God’s creation.”

Mr. McCain describes energy independence as a pressing national security issue. He warns that selling oil props up Iran, which he describes as “the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism.” He says President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela is “using his country’s oil revenues to establish a dictatorship, bully his neighbors and succeed Castro as Latin America’s leading antagonist of the United States.”

The text of his speech should be available here on his website later today. Perhaps McCain should have a little talk with Karl Rove, who acted like a bully to Sheryl Crow at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

McCain has co-sponsored the same emission reduction bill in Congress as Barack Obama. It would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2% a year. The would be "mandatory caps for power plants, industry and oil refineries." The same bill was proposed during the last Congress, but was defeated in the Republican controlled Senate.