The Senate climate change bill — the Kerry-Boxer Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act — that was unveiled late last week includes provisions for states and federal agencies to develop natural resource adaptation plans. This move came at the urging of more than 40 national environmental and conservation groups that pushed the job-creation aspect of the initiatives, with ideas to employ construction crews, engineers and scientists to restore America’s landscapes, strengthen ecosystems so they can withstand disruptive changes, remove invasive species from natural areas, repair damaged watersheds and help revive rural economies.
The bill also promotes water efficiency by supporting the EPA’s WaterSense program, which is an efficiency rating system similar to Energy Star. WaterSense requires federal agencies to lead by example in water conservation, and provides grants to states and other entities for water efficiency programs.
There’s a good summary of measures in the bill, including comparisons to the Waxman-Markey bill that passed the house at Climate Science Watch.
