Bingaman, Jeff

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The Impacts of Global Warming: The Need for Cooperation & Leadership An overview of this Issue

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Sustainable Development Law & PolicyVolume 7Issue 2 Winter 2007: Climate Law Reporter 2007 Article 3The Impacts of Global Warming: The Need forCooperation & Leadership An overview of thisIssueJeff BingamanFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/sdlpPart of the Environmental Law Commons, and the International Law CommonsThis Introduction is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington College of Law Journals & Law Reviews at Digital Commons @American University Washington College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sustainable Development Law & Policy by an authorizedadministrator of Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. For more information, please contactfbrown@wcl.american.edu.Recommended CitationBingaman, Jeff. “The Impacts of Global Warming: The Need for Cooperation & Leadership.” Sustainable Development Law & Policy,Winter 2007, 2.WINTER 2007Global warming is an international issue that requiresleadership across the globe. Despite progress that hasbeen made at state and local levels, the United Stateshas failed to provide any real international commitment andleadership on controlling greenhouse gas emissions. Membersof Congress, Governors, NGO’s and CEO’s are increasinglypushing for leadership and certainty with regard to this issue.Everyone is familiar with the litany of possible consequences:rising sea levels, retreating glaciers, melting permafrost, moresevere droughts, an increase in the intensity of storms and hurri-canes, and more heat waves. The stakes are high and the risks aregreat. We need to begin acting against these risks while it is stillrelatively affordable to do so. Given the urgency of the issue andincreasing acceptance from both business and the public, it isnow politically feasible for the United States to implementeconomy-wide programs to reduce the amount of carbon dioxidewhich our country sends into the atmosphere.Global warming issues are difficult, but not insurmountable.We must start by following the states’ example of demonstratingthe political will and resolve to work through this serious andcomplicated issue. Previous experiences with the Clean Air Act,the Clean Water Act, and Superfund demonstrate that as thestates have moved on these issues, it is now the federal govern-ment’s turn to enact policy. We can do so in a bipartisan mannerthat reflects the states’ success, but we cannot continue to delayif we want to enact a meaningful, consistent national program.The risks associated with a changing climate clearly justify theadoption of mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions.If Congress is going to manage U.S. greenhouse gas emis-sions effectively, it will need advice and expert analysis fromthe business community, the scientific community, and the legalcommunity. There is a vast gap between what is understoodabout global warming by the scientific and policy community,and what is known by political leaders in the position to steerU.S. policy. We must close that gap and move our energy andindustrial systems in a fundamentally different direction, or werisk pushing the planet past a tipping point.This issue of Sustainable Development Law & Policy dis-cusses many of the current issues within the climate law debate.Contributors suggest strengthening multilateral agreements,such as the Montreal Protocol, to help reduce greenhouse gasemissions. Within this issue the economics of climate change areexplored. Information is provided about the United States takinga regional approach to fighting climate change, while other arti-cles discuss the need to link carbon markets. Additionally, vari-ous other critical issues are explored in this publication. 2Sustainable Development Law & Policy (“SDLP”) is a publication ofAmerican University’s Washington College of Law (“WCL”). No por-tion of this publication may be reprinted without the express written per-mission of SDLP. The views expressed in SDLP are those of the authorsand do not necessarily reflect those of the SDLP staff or WCL. All cor-respondence, reprinting, and article submissions may be sent to: SDLP,American University, Washington College of Law, 4801 MassachusettsAvenue, NW, Suite 631, Washington, DC 20016. E-mail: sdlp@wcl.american.edu. Phone: 202.274.4057. Current and back issues are avail-able on our website, at http://www.wcl.american. edu/org/sustainabledevelopment. Please see the inside back cover for submissions and sub-scription information.American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university.Editorial Staff:Editors-in-ChiefKelly Rain, Maria VankoManaging EditorCari ShiffmanFeatures EditorFrank PigottClimate Features EditorMeryl Eschen MillsSenior Editorial BoardAthena Kennedy, Jennifer Rohleder, Ayako Sato, JC Sylvan, MattTrumbullStaffStephanie Atkinson, Daniel Brindis, John Cossa, Marcel De Armas,Andrew Elligers, Christy Erickson, Jon Feldon, Kevin Gallagher,Ernesto Gonzalez, Jessica Gordon, Desiree Moreno Gutierrez, NoraHammadou, Jose Diaz Herrera, Salah Husseini, Scott Johnson, UrsulaKazarian, Blase Kornacki, Pierre Lancelin, Michael Lee, ChrisMcChesney, Jaesa McLin, Stephen Medlock, Lisa Novins, AbbyOkrent, Chiara Rocha, Rahul Saksena, Chris Stefan, Bridget VanBuren, Catherine Verdier, Lucy Wiggins, Mark Wilson, Julie YeagleAdvisory Board:Daniel Bradlow, David Hunter, Kenneth Markowitz, David Newman,Marcos Orellana, William L. Thomas, Perry Wallace, Glenn Wiser,Durwood Zaelke© Copyright Sustainable Development Law & Policy, 2007. All rights reserved.THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WARMING: THE NEED FOR COOPERATION & LEADERSHIPAN OVERVIEW OF THIS ISSUEby Senator Jeff Bingaman** Senator Bingaman won election to the United States Senate in 1982, as a Sena-tor for New Mexico. Since then, he has been active in solving real problems facingthe citizens of the United States. As Chairman of the Senate Energy and NaturalResources Committee, Senator Bingaman continues to be a leader in improvingnational energy policy and educating Americans about the need for action onglobal warming. 

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