Chamber of Commerce sounds alarm on climate legislation. Carbon plan debate: Boon or disaster?

The Montana Chamber of Commerce http://www.montanachamber.net/ws/home.php is hoping to get ahead of climate change legislation pending before Congress and the state legislature this year.

Full Story: http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/global/story.asp?s=8042314

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Business groups campaign against climate-change bill

BILLINGS, Mont. – Energy companies and other business interests have launched a nationwide campaign to undercut climate-change legislation pending in Congress, saying it could cost millions of jobs, drive gasoline prices sharply higher and suck thousands of dollars from household incomes.

Full Story: http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_8632894

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Carbon plan debate: Boon or disaster?

By MIKE STARK
Of The Gazette Staff

Depending on whom you talked to Wednesday, a proposal aimed at cutting U.S. carbon emissions will either have dire consequences for Montana’s economy or will create ample business opportunities that also better the environment.

For much of the day, Billings was the latest stage for an ongoing national debate about the potential costs of curbing carbon dioxide emissions linked to the earth’s warming climate.

Full Story: http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/03/20/news/local/20-debate.txt

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Coming to grips with warming
By Independent Record – 03/20/08
Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s remark this week that Montana lacks enough clout with automobile manufacturers to set its own fuel efficiency and emissions standards hardly comes as a surprise.

As he pointed out, the suggestion in a global warming report that the state should establish such standards is impractical because Montana, unlike California, doesn’t buy enough vehicles to hold that kind of sway over automakers.

But in a larger sense, the governor said, a patchwork of different state regulations is unworkable, anyway. Manufacturers can’t be expected to cater to a smorgasbord of different standards in different states. What’s needed, Schweitzer said, is congressional action to set uniform standards throughout the country.

Full Story: http://helenair.com/articles/2008/03/20/opinions/top/irview_080320.txt