# The Energy Bills Are Not Enough

*Published:* 2007-09-24
*Author:* Sheryl Canter

*The author of today’s post, Sheryl Canter, is an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.*

The energy bills passed by the House and Senate may have you thinking you can relax about climate change, but think again. These bills have some important provisions and we hope they pass, but a [new analysis \[PDF\]](http://www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/7055_energybill070924.pdf) by Environmental Defense shows that they don’t solve the global warming problem. Even if the best fuel-saving and renewable energy provisions in the bills were combined in conference committee, greenhouse emissions would continue to rise for the next three decades.

This underscores the urgent need for this Congress to pass comprehensive climate change legislation that reduces emissions far below today’s levels.

![Energy Bills Analysis](/climate411/wp-content/files/2007/09/EnergyBills.png)

Our analysis compares three scenarios: more optimistic (the best bill out of conference and full implementation by federal agencies), less optimistic (weaker CAFE standards and fewer actions on oil savings), and business-as-usual. Under the less optimistic assessment, emissions would be 35 percent above 2005 levels in 2040. Under the more optimistic scenario, greenhouse gas emission levels still would be 11 percent higher in 2040.

As Bill Chameides pointed out in his post on the [U.S. Emissions Target](https://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/03/21/us_emissions/), the U.S. must cut emissions below current levels by 60 to 80 percent by 2050. These bills cut emissions below current levels by 0 percent.

The energy bills promote energy independence, boost renewable energy sources, and raise automotive efficiency standards, and all of these are important. But they will not solve the global warming problem.