It’s no surprise that Washington’s current environmental course is a far cry from the previous one under President Bush. Friday marked a historic day for the United States as the House of Representative passed legislation which would take strong steps to reduce global warming.

The legislation would require the 2005 global warming levels to be reduced by 17% by 2020 and 83% by 2050. It would put the greatest pressure on manufactures, utilities and the like.

The legislation must also be passed by the Senate. Individuals are hopeful that the legislation will be passed in the fall.

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The bill represents a new page for the United States which has in the past, shied away from making strong environmental commitments. However many members of the House remain divided regarding the bill, particularly the republicans. Many believe that the bill will be ineffective in improving the environment or the current economic crisis.

Obama described the legislation as a “bold and necessary step” which “holds the promise of creating new industries and millions of new jobs, decreasing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil”. Clearly there is a sharp distinction between the two parties’ feelings on the bill.

The bill is aimed to lessen dependency on forms of energy which increase pollution and bring about a positive atmosphere for clean energy. It also includes a ‘cap and trade’ element which would allow industries to sell pollution permits among each other. The intention of which would be to reduce pollution through the permits.

Many republicans have attacked the bill, accusing it of possibly worsening the economic situation by forcing companies to outsource in order to avoid environmental restrictions. On the other hand, environmentalists have assailed the legislation as not being harsh enough. In any case, all advancements will be paused until the bill reaches the Senate.