Not only has Boucher been pushing coal-to-liquids subsidies and measures to block states' rights to be more aggressive than the lazy Federal government on climate change, but Energy & Environment Daily (June 13, 2007)reports that, Boucher has been hanging out and travelling with Jim Connaughton (Council on Environmental Quality), the Bush Administration's chief appologist for doing nothing substantive on global warming. Boucher says that, in addition to Connaughton, "I've been in a dialogue with the others in the White House over this." Boucher's position on climate change is reportedly close to that of the White House and he expects them to support what he pushes in Congress.
Now if that doesn't scare you, I don't know what would. We know that Bush wants no mandatory commitments to combat climate change, and, above all, Bush is wedded to traditional energy industries--oil and coal. At most Bush wants to create an illusion of action, while actually doing nothing but delaying action by the U.S. and the international community. Jim Connaughton, CEQ, says Bush seeks an international agreement only on "aspirational goals"--i.e., all talk, no action.
If that's what Boucher wants then Virginia voters need to put pressure on him to move well beyond that head-in-the-sand approach. Mandates for clean energy, efficiency and carbon pricing (carbon fees or, second best, a cap with auctioned-rights-and-trade)are desperately needed.
If Virginians can't move Rick Boucher in the right direction, then the House leadership should shift responsibility from Boucher to a leader who will write aggressive climate legislation that the Nation needs.
We import 700,000 gallons of ethanol per day from the mid-west used (10%) at every gas pump in NoVA, Richmond and Hampton Roads. Some or all of that could be grown and produced in Virginia to re-vitalize rural Virginia and stop the desperation of coal to liquid fuel, which would turn our hybrids into Hummers.