(220b) U.S. Congress Heating Up On Climate Change

In recent years, climate change has become an increasingly urgent global concern. In spite of resistance from the Bush Administration, it is now generally well-accepted in Washington that the atmosphere of our planet is warming. Though there remains some debate about whether that warming is a manmade or natural phemomenon, the U.S. Congress has come to the conclusion that legislative action is necessary to mitigate the environmental, economic and geopolitical threats it represents.

In the first Session of Congress since the majority changed hands in the 2006 election, anumber of bills were introduced that would "cap and trade" carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases or sequester those gases. These proposals create a number of challenges and opportunities for the regulated community. It is clear that our existing and ever-evolving framework of laws and regulations is changing rapidly. This presentation will address that developing legal framework, as well as other efforts to address climate change, and provide a practical legal primer for conference participants.