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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (99637)	2/16/2007 6:40:30 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 362625

Now tied for #3 on my list, and moving up... Ex-Iowa Gov. Vilsack offers plan to cut greenhouse gases Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer Wednesday, February 14, 2007 Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack -- staking his ground in the Democratic presidential race on what he called "the single most important issue facing America today" -- proposed a sweeping national energy policy Tuesday that calls for reducing greenhouse gases 75 percent by 2050, dramatically cutting American dependence on fossil fuels and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in renewable energy. Vilsack, during a speech in San Francisco at the Commonwealth Club of California, offered the most wide-ranging and detailed energy policy of any of almost two dozen 2008 presidential hopefuls, Democratic or Republican. While lauding efforts by some politicians such as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to push landmark legislation aimed at controlling global warming, Vilsack said such efforts will not be nearly enough to reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil. Vilsack said he would work as president to slash carbon emissions by 75 percent by 2050, establish a mandatory national "cap and trade" system to meet those levels, push for a 25-cent-per-gallon federal tax credit for the production of ethanol made from cellular fiber, mandate tougher standards for coal-fired power plants, and make the country's transportation system nearly petroleum free. In an unusual pledge -- one he said was proposed by his 26-year-old son, Doug -- Vilsack said he would track the "carbon footprint" of his travel and the electricity use of his presidential campaign offices, then invest in credits toward clean renewable energy to offset the campaign's consumption. Vilsack predicted that while many pundits will ignore his energy plan, "it is the responsibility of the next president to lead our nation and persuade the skeptics" on the issue of energy security "because our nation's destiny truly hangs in the balance." Vilsack's proposal came as top corporate executives, including those from PG&E and BP America, testified in Congress about the importance of legislation to combat greenhouse gases. His visit to California also came the same day the state Senate easily passed legislation that scheduled California's presidential primary for Feb. 5, 2008. Vilsack said California's move to an early spot in the primary season may not necessarily give the state more clout in picking a president. He argued that a crowded early primary would "simply enhance the significance of the first three or four states in the process," such as Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, all states where intimate retail campaigning plays an important part in the selection process. Many political insiders believe an early California primary could hurt presidential candidates such as Vilsack, whose efforts have been overshadowed by what he called the "rock star" candidates in the race including Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. Clinton, Obama and other Democrats such as former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards are expected to have the money and profile to campaign in California and reach millions of voters through television commercials in the nation's most populous state. Vilsack downplayed the importance of that, saying any candidate can capture the voters' attentions "if you do well in the first two or three primaries, and that's what I intend to do." Vilsack, 56, a former two-term governor, was the first Democrat to officially enter the presidential race. In addition to his energy proposals, he has aggressively opposed the war in Iraq. On Tuesday, he was sharply critical of current congressional efforts to pass a nonbinding resolution opposing President Bush's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq, saying the best way to support U.S. troops would be to cut off all funding to a war that has been ill-planned by the Bush administration, which has not properly equipped its soldiers there. Vilsack said his call for energy independence is tied directly to issues of foreign policy, especially Iraq. "For more than 3,000 American soldiers, (energy independence) has literally been a matter of life and death," Vilsack said, referring to America's reliance on imported oil from the Middle East. Vilsack's energy program calls for requiring all fuel providers to reduce the amount of carbon produced by 10 percent in the next decade, and he would mandate that all new power plants be "carbon free" by 2020. He also said he would overhaul the nation's Department of Energy, which "has evolved into an advocate for fossil-based fuel providers." E-mail Carla Marinucci at cmarinucci@sfchronicle.com. sfgate.com