Climate Change Legislation Fails in Senate (broadcast Friday, June 6th, 2008)

This week, the US Senate took up debate on proposed climate change legislation -- but the bill, the 'Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act'(S. 3036), failed to win the needed number of votes to avoid a filibuster and was pulled from the floor. The bill would have cut greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds by the year 2050, largely by means of a cap-and-trade system. Amendments offered to the legislation would have increased funding for nuclear power, wind and solar, and funded research into carbon sequestration technology. President Bush had threatened to veto the legislation if it passes Congress, saying that it was likely to severely damage the economy and drive jobs overseas, while creating a massive new bureaucracy. In this segment, we'll talk about the bill, find out future prospects for climate change legislation -- and find out if any of the senators currently campaigning for President took a stand on pulled bill. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.