With the risk of a Senate filibuster and/or defeat of the energy bill looming, it may seem premature for me to applaud House Speaker Pelosi, Michigan Representative Dingell and all the other key players who were instrumental in the passage of the energy bill by the House yesterday. Nevertheless, their efforts are much appreciated.

Here's a body of lawmakers who, in effect, have snubbed their collective nose at President Bush and his lackey Allan Hubbard. By a vote of 235 to 181, the House passed a bill that would accomplish the following:

• raise CAFE Standards to an average 35 mpg by 2020, a 40% increase in efficiency over today's standards
• require 15% of electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2020
• provide tax incentives for developing ethanol as a motor fuel, and require 36 billion gallons of it to be produced on an annual basis by the year 2022
• impose new light-bulb standards that would effectively eliminate the incandescent bulb by 2015
• finance tax incentives for hybrid cars, ethanol production and renewable-energy development
• rollback $13.5 billion in tax breaks for the five largest oil companies

It's not perfect, and there are bound to be some changes made if/when the Senate takes up debate. But if nothing else, the House has sent a clear message to the White House that it's time for action. The President's bluff has been called.

Carbon Neutral Journal's kudos are brought to you by Grand Targhee Resort.

Popularity: 18%