CANBERRA, Australia, June 30 (UPI) -- Environmental activists in Australia and the United States are facing the same problem -- they don't necessarily like the legislation in their countries but have to consider taking what they can.
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 last week with U.S. President Barack Obama's strong support. It next heads to the Senate, where passage is less sure.
The House vote was 219-212 and the huge bill, which sets caps on greenhouse gas emissions, needed considerable watering down before even getting that measure of support.
Many U.S. environmental groups came out against the measure because it didn't go far enough to battle climate change.
In Australia, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, also envisioning a cap-and-trade system of controlling greenhouse gas releases, is to go into effect July 1, 2011. The government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has set what it called "a new ambitious 25 percent by 2020 target" for emissions reduction.
A release from the office of Australian Minister for Climate Change and Water Penny Wong, states: "Together this package of measures strengthens our response to climate change, ensuring Australia plays its part in global efforts to tackle climate change while managing any impacts on our economy.
"We will also continue to work with interested groups on an ongoing basis to deal with other technical matters as they arise. …
"Passage of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme legislation this year -- including these new measures announced (May 4) -- is squarely in Australia's national interest."
Like the American plan, the Australian plan has seen considerable alterations since it was originally introduced.
The Rudd government was able to win a House vote, 73-63, on June 4. Like the United States the legislation next goes to the Senate, which was to have voted on it last week but instead will consider it when senators return to Canberra in August.
Opposition members said they needed the extra time to look over the legislation because, opposition emissions trading spokesman Andrew Robb told the Australian Broadcasting Corp., "People haven't got the foggiest idea what impact it will have on emissions itself -- this information needs to be on the table."
Where the more conservative forces seem to hold the sway in the U.S. climate bill consideration, it's the environmentalists who could swing the vote in Australia.
Climate scientist Tim Flannery told ABC Television, "a first step is better than nothing," but Greens leader Bob Brown said the bill's target of greenhouse gas emissions of 5 percent in 11 years isn't enough and large-scale polluters receive too much support.
