Climate-change plan criticized

On Sept. 20, the Department of Energy released a strategic plan outlining technological approaches to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. The plan essentially updates a draft plan released last year. It was unveiled at a hearing of the House Science Subcommittee on Energy and elicited widespread criticism from subcommittee members and most of the witnesses. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), chair of the subcommittee, expressed disappointment that the plan sets no timelines for deployment of the technologies and does not assess their relative impact on atmospheric concentrations of CO₂. Judith M. Greenwald of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change said the plan does not provide a path to stabilizing concentrations of greenhouse gases. Also, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office says relying exclusively on R&D funding is not an effective strategy for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Placing a cap or tax on emissions would be a far more cost-effective approach, the report concludes.