March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010
August 2010
September 2010 October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 March 2023 April 2023 May 2023 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 March 2024
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
31
News Every Day |

The Senate just approved an international climate treaty, with bipartisan support

24

The Senate has historically been the place where climate policy goes to die. Most climate bills garner zero Republican support, and Democrats haven’t had the 60 votes required to pass legislation since 2010. The recent Inflation Reduction Act was a unique exception — the bill’s $369 billion in climate and energy spending was pushed through with 50 Democratic votes under an arcane process called “budget reconciliation.” 

But on Wednesday, the Senate flipped the script and voted to approve an international agreement designed to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. Sixty-nine Senators, including 19 Republicans, voted in favor of ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which sets a timeline for the world to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs. (The Senate must approve international treaties by a two-thirds vote before the President can ratify them.) 

“Ratifying the Kigali Amendment, along with passing the Inflation Reduction Act, is the strongest one-two punch against climate change any Congress has ever taken,” said Senator Chuck Schumer after the vote.

HFCs are chemicals used in heating and cooling equipment like refrigerators, air conditioners, and heat pumps. They were adopted in the 1990s as a substitute for another chemical, chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, which were found to be destroying the ozone layer.

In 1987, in a historic show of international cooperation, every country in the world came together to ratify the Montreal Protocol, an agreement to phase out CFCs. But it later became clear that the replacement chemicals created new problems. When HFCs leak into the atmosphere, they can be thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide at heating up the planet. 

So in 2016, the world came together again to negotiate the Kigali Amendment, an update to the Montreal Protocol that requires participating countries to cut HFC pollution by at least 80 percent by 2050. It’s a plan that scientists estimate could shave off half a degree Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) of global warming by the end of the century — a significant amount considering the planet has already warmed 1.2 degrees C (2.2 degrees F) since the preindustrial era. But former President Donald Trump never sent the amendment to the Senate for approval.

An air conditioned on the side of a building
Scott Heins/Getty Images

The U.S. did, however, take action through another path. In December 2020, Congress passed a bipartisan law called the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, which requires U.S. companies to phase down production and use of HFCs by 85 percent in 15 years. Federal agencies have already begun enforcing new rules to limit HFCs, as required by the law, by blocking illegal imports of the chemicals.

The law was supported by the manufacturing and chemical industries, which have also lobbied for the U.S. to approve the Kigali Amendment. As Jean Chemnick of E&E News notes, phasing out HFCs “offers virtually no downside for U.S. businesses.” 

That’s because the American chemical and heating and cooling industries have cleaner alternatives at the ready, and stand to gain from cornering the market for these new chemicals internationally — especially as global warming increases demand for air conditioning. But even though companies are taking action domestically, if the U.S. failed to ratify the amendment, American companies would eventually face trade restrictions in countries that have joined the agreement. Supporters said ratifying the amendment would help the U.S. outcompete China, which has been slower to adopt alternatives. It has been a key priority for President Joe Biden, who submitted the amendment to the Senate for approval last November. 

“Ratifying Kigali means ensuring U.S. companies dominate the export markets,” Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, told his colleagues on the Senate floor on Tuesday. Ratification could spur 33,000 new American manufacturing jobs, he said, citing industry estimates. But “failure to ratify means U.S. businesses that employ tens of thousands of people across the country will not be able to sell many of their products in key countries.”

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline The Senate just approved an international climate treaty, with bipartisan support on Sep 21, 2022.

WTA

Азаренко вышла в полуфинал турнира WTA-1000 в Майами

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye

Top 5 Websites to Watch FREE Movies - TV Shows (No Sign up!)

Top 10 Emmanuelle Seigner Movies

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!

Ria.city






Read also

Lady Gaga fans left gutted as they discover the truth about her rumoured third Beyonce collab

Will Macron visit revive Lula's int'l brand, once revered as one of 'planet's most popular' leaders?

Man arrested for cyberstalking, accused of harassing same victim for 20 years

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

Top 5 Websites to Watch FREE Movies - TV Shows (No Sign up!)



Sports today


Новости тенниса
WTA

Теннисистка Александрова оказалась сильнее полячки Швентек на турнире WTA в США



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

«Радио Зенит» – информационный партнер форума «Мы вместе. Спорт»



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

GeekVape в сотрудничестве с Absolute Racing выиграла чемпионат в категории GT3


Новости России

Game News

Пробный запуск вампирского градостроя Vampire Legacy: City Builder


Russian.city


Game News

Destiny 2 is bringing back 12 fan favorite guns, including monsters like The Recluse and Luna's Howl, and a meme that could now be OP


Губернаторы России
Динамо

Отставка Кудашова и уход Гусева и Уила: кого «Динамо» рискует потерять после вылета из Кубка Гагарина


Заказать недорогой ремонт кухонной мебели в районе в Москве и Московской области

Он обещал — вернулся: сможет ли Минаков перебить Томпсона

Педагогическая дилемма: почему учителя не хотят работать в школах

В метрах от спада: есть ли риск кризиса на российском рынке жилья


Консультации, Составление Договоров, Присутствие Продюсера при заключении договоров и переговорах. Лекции. Переговоры. Встречи и Обсуждения.

Эффект Карабаса: Почему Моргенштерн взялся спасать молодых коллег от музыкального лейбла Rhymes Music

Финал всероссийского студенческого трека Олимпиады Кружкового движения НТО «Летающая робототехника» 2024

«В России будет то, чего не было, и не будет того, что было»: Земфира, Noize MC, Парфенов и другие звезды записали рэп-молитву в память о Навальном


Хачанов: хочу вернуться в топ-10 ATP

Теннисист Медведев вышел в полуфинал турнира в Майами, обыграв Харри

Азаренко вышла в полуфинал турнира WTA-1000 в Майами

Теннисистка Касаткина отреагировала на высказывания Винер о россиянах



Шапки женские вязаные на Wildberries, 2024 — новый цвет от 392 руб. (модель 466)

Топливному компромиссу между Украиной и Азербайджаном пришел конец?

Заказать недорогой ремонт кухонной мебели в районе в Москве и Московской области

Рынок вторичной недвижимости Крыма: цены растут, а спрос?


Умер пермский художник, нарисовавший президента Путина с мячом

Миллиарды Абрамовича не помогли: либерал глумился над ЧП в "Крокусе"

Стартовал конкурсный отбор на участие в летней выездной программе литературного проекта «Языковая арт-резиденция»

Актриса Яна Поплавская станет одним из почетных гостей Национальной премии «СВОИМ» в Нижнем Новгороде


Лавров заявил, что сфер сотрудничества России и Запада практически не осталось

В метрах от спада: есть ли риск кризиса на российском рынке жилья

Строительство порта в Кеми оценивается в десятки миллиардов рублей

В Москве арестовали одного из директоров "Росатома" по делу о крупной взятке



Путин в России и мире






Персональные новости Russian.city
Shaman

Shaman направит деньги от концерта в Ессентуках пострадавшим в "Крокусе"



News Every Day

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости