Attempting to reverse years of environmental neglect by the Bush administration, the US Congress has included a few green expenditures in their recently completed appropriations bills.
President Bush had proposed a half billion dollar cut in the Environmental Protection Agency's budget earlier this year (2007).
The House appropriations bill instead increases the EPA's budget by $800 million, including funds for better enforcement of environmental laws and regulations.
In January, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi convened a Select Committee on Energy Indepedence and Global Warming to examine these issues. As a result, Congress has approved $50 million to establish the Commission on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, a clearinghouse for federal research on Global Warming.
The US Supreme Court has declared the EPA has authority to regulate greenhouse gas emmissions, because they are a form of pollution. New funding will allow these regulations to be put into place and enforced... assuming there's no veto by President Bush.
Keep your fingers crossed and communicate your wishes with your Congressional Representative.
