The Green Parent

In case you haven’t already heard, Barack Obama has tagged Delaware Senator Joe Biden to be his running mate in the upcoming November election. The Senator certainly has the experience and foreign relations credentials to balance out any that were lacking in Obama’s campaign. He’s been Delaware’s Senator since 1972 and is the current Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

But what does the Biden nomination mean for greenies? It’s actually great news. According to the League of Conservation Voters, Senator Biden has consistently voted for pro-environmental actions in his 36 years in the Senate.

In 2006, he cosponsored the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act that would have implemented aggressive policies to limit greenhouse gas emissions. As Charimen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden recently introduced a bill that challenges the committee to make international climate change negotiations a priority for all members and the subject of a formal study. In June, Senator Biden introduced legislation calling for the U.S. to take a leading role in protecting biodiversity. Here’s an excerpt from his speech announcing this bill:

Mr. President, we have a moral obligation to protect biodiversity. Ensuring that we can feed and clothe and shelter millions more people while preserving the elaborate tapestry of creation will allow our children and grandchildren to inherit the rich planet that we were bequeathed. Species extinctions are nothing new. But species extinctions that are avoidable, that are within our power to prevent, extinctions due to our greed, or our ignorance, impose on us a special responsibility. Those are mistakes that can never be undone. We must resolve to do all we can to replace greed with a better calculation of our long-term interests. We must resolve to replace ignorance with knowledge and with wisdom.

And here is a list of Congressional eco-bills and amendments that Senator Biden has recently sponsored:

• S.RES.30 : A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for the United States to address global climate change through the negotiation of fair and effective international commitments.
• S.1562 A bill to direct the Secretary of Energy to provide grants to States for the distribution of compact fluorescent lights.
• S.AMDT.3880 to S.RES.279 A bill to add environmental protection to the list of bilateral goals that should be addressed by the United States and the Republic of Korea.
• S.AMDT.4826 to S.3036 To express the sense of the Senate that the United States should address global climate change through the negotiation of fair and effective international commitments.
• S. 3698 [109th]: Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act

All in all, the Biden nomination is good news for greenies…if he and Obama can pull off a November win. If you’re not already registered to vote, there has never been a more important time to do so. The environment is literally on the line in this election. Don’t leave it up to someone else. Click below to register now.

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