What Democrats are doing about the environment

By Michael J.W. Stickings

From our friends at the Senate Democratic Policy Committee: 

The Clean Energy and Environmental Accomplishments of Senate Democrats in the 110th and 111th Congresses

As the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day approaches, many people will reflect on the significant steps the nation has taken to improve the environment and protect our natural resources. While real progress has been made since the first Earth Day in 1970, work continues to help provide current and future generations with cleaner air, cleaner water, reductions in pollution, the elimination of hazardous waste sites, and stronger natural resource protections.

Senate Democrats have been honoring those efforts since regaining the majority in 2006 by aggressively promoting a legislative agenda that includes strong clean energy, environmental, and natural resource protection provisions. This Fact Sheet details the many legislative clean energy and environmental accomplishments Senate Democrats have achieved during the 110th and 111th Congresses.

111th Congress

110th Congress

Needless to say, there is still much to be done, including meaningful legislation to address climate change, preferably one with a robust cap-and-trade system, as well as a national commitment to green technology similar to the past commitment to the space program, yet even broader given the economy- and society-wide implications of changing America's energy production and consumption, but the Democrats, unlike the party across the aisle, have done a great deal so far to move the country towards environmental responsibility.