Create Debate Week 1

Thank you for participating in Gather's create debate.  Below you can check out Senator Dodd's energy and evironmental plan yourself.

From environmentalists to the leading voices on the issue of global warming: Chris Dodd’s bold energy plan is setting the standard in the presidential race. With a Corporate Carbon Tax that makes polluters pay to his call for historic fuel efficiency standards that break America’s dependence on Middle East oil by 2015, Chris Dodd is the only candidate in the field with a plan to make America the world leader on climate change and bring energy costs down for families and businesses.

The Dodd Energy Plan

The Goals:

• Reduce 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Dodd Plan will begin to turn back the clock on global climate change, safeguard our environment, and protect American health.
• Enhance national security by eliminating our dependence on Middle East oil by 2015. We must end the cycle of fighting terrorists on one hand while financing their supporters on the other.
• Strengthen our economy and create jobs. From our university labs to our farms, from manufacturing to our technology entrepreneurs, the Dodd Plan will create jobs across the economic spectrum.

1. Reduce 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. By mandating the framework of the Sanders "Cap-and-trade" legislation and the toughest, most transparent rules possible, we can make serious reductions to carbon emissions every decade. By 2020, the U.S. must reduce its emissions by 15% of 80 percent below 1990 levels; by 2040, emissions must be reduced by 2/3 of 80 percent; and by 2050, emissions must be reduced to a level that is 80 percent.
   • A portion of the allocated credits will be auctioned off and revenues directed to the Corporate Carbon Tax Trust Fund.
2. Enact a Corporate Carbon Tax. A Corporate Carbon Tax will discourage big corporate polluters and stimulate innovation. The revenues of a corporate carbon tax—estimated at over $50 billion annually—will be placed into a Corporate Carbon Tax Trust Fund (CCTTF) to fund:
   • Fast tracked research, development and deployment of renewable technologies such as wind, solar, as well as ethanol and other biofuels;
   • Efforts to expedite the process for bringing energy efficient technologies to market;
3. Increase efficiency standards for consumer products. The Dodd Plan would adopt stronger standards for appliances, light bulbs and other electricity powered consumer products to reduce energy costs for consumers.
   • Reduce costs of energy efficient consumer products such as lighting, automobiles and appliances, making them price competitive.
   • Freeze electricity usage from 2010 onward through efficiency.
4. Raise fuel economy standards in automobiles to 50 mpg. Under a Dodd Administration, America will lead the world in fuel economy standards ensuring all cars get 50 miles per gallon by model year 2017, lowering our emissions.
5. Impose tough standards for construction of new coal plants. The Dodd Plan requires all new plants capture and sequester CO2. No exceptions.
   • The Dodd Administration would not invest in "coal to liquid" technologies and programs -- turning coal into liquid fuel does not support the overall goal of turning the clock back on global climate change and is not consistent with reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
6. Increase renewable electricity standard to 20% by 2020. The best proven method to reduce costs of renewable sources of energy is to set tough but achievable renewable electricity standards.
7. Make Historic Investments in Biofuels and other Clean Energy Technologies Produced Out On Our Farms. In a Dodd Administration, we will substantially increase investments in biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel produced on our farms, perpetuating not tyranny and hate, but the values of America’s Heartland. The Dodd Energy Plan would set the goal of renewable fuel usage in cars and homes at 8.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2008 and steadily increasing to 36 billion gallons by 2022. By 2016, an increasing portion of renewable fuels would be advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol, biobutanol and others.
   • All biofuels must be produced in a sustainable way consistent with driving down carbon emissions, from production to use.
8. Make the Production Tax Credit permanent for clean and renewable sources of energy. The permanent production tax credit is a powerful economic incentive for energy producers to increase their use of clean and renewable technologies. By making the Production Tax Credit permanent, energy companies will continue to develop alternative energy sources like wind and solar power with the knowledge that they will continue to receive an economic incentive for their innovation.
9. Make high-efficiency automobiles affordable for every American family. Americans will purchase more efficient cars and trucks like hybrid if they are competitively priced. By providing an array of incentives and tax rebates, we can speed the transition from traditional cars to much more efficient hybrid vehicles.
10. Require that all new government vehicles use hybrid, plug-in, or other fuel efficient and alternative technology.
11. Require that all new and existing federal buildings be equipped with the latest energy efficiency technologies. With the Federal government one of the world’s largest purchasers of vehicles and America’s single largest energy consumer, we have a remarkable opportunity to lead by example and create markets for emerging technologies. In a Dodd Administration, every federal building will be built or retrofitted with the greenest technologies, from light-bulbs to power generation, and every vehicle will run on E85, biodiesel or other sources of clean energy.
12. Create a technical education curriculum that trains a new generation of automobile mechanics, electricians, plumbers, and construction workers to install, repair and maintain energy efficient goods across the spectrum, from cars to lamps. Training programs will:
    • Assure consumers that they can use their energy efficient products without having to worry about what happens when they break.
    • Create a new sector of jobs to meet the newly created demand for workers with specialized skills.
13. Increase access to affordable and convenient mass transit systems across all regions of the country. Mass transit saves families money in fuel costs and lowers pollution by reducing the number of cars on the road during rush hours.
14. Export safe renewable energy technologies to, friends, allies and developing nations. We all know renewable and clean energy technology will allow America to achieve energy independence. A Dodd Administration would understand the power of that technology to transform not only American society, but others. By sharing that technology with other nations, we can allow them to end their alliances of necessity with dictators from oil-producing nations like Venezuela and Iran and once again begin to take up America’s role as a responsible world leader.