The AFL-CIO issued a statement yesterday, which supports "balanced measures to combat global warming." In the statement, the union says, "A growing body of scientific evidence has confirmed the environmental challenge posed by global warming, and the human use of fossil fuels is undisputedly contributing to global warming, causing rising sea levels, changes in climate patterns and threats to coastal areas." AFL-CIO encouraged a careful and thoughtful analysis of the effect of legislative alternatives on critical sectors of the nation's economy, and seemed to express "tacit" support for an approach being developed by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA.). The Bingaman-Specter proposal, not yet introduced, would control emissions on an "upstream" basis, from fossil fuel producers as opposed to a power plants or vehicles. It includes greenhouse gas (GHG) caps based on "intensity" (defined as emissions per dollar of Gross National Product), and its targets are more moderate than those advanced in the Lieberman-McCain bill and/or other GHG reduction bills currently introduced.
The AFL-CIO statement stands out because labor groups have largely avoided the subject since the 1997 negotiations that led to the United Nations-sponsored Kyoto Protocol.
In a prepared statement, Chairman Bingaman said, "It's certainly encouraging to see organized labor weigh in with their views on energy policy, and especially on global warming. I'm looking forward to working with all labor groups as we continue to further refine and improve our climate bill."