skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Climate Change Bill Up in DC - Colorado Wildlife in the Crosshairs

play audio
Play

Thursday, June 25, 2009   

Denver - A landmark climate change bill could be set for a vote in the House of Representatives as soon as Friday, and Colorado sportsmen and wildlife experts say it's about more than just cleaner energy.

Forrest Orswell is the state representative for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, as well as an avid hunter and Colorado native. He's hoping Congress passes the American Clean Energy and Security Act because he's already seeing the effects of climate change on his annual elk hunt in Northwest Colorado.

"We didn't see a single elk there because the migration has changed. This may not be permanent, but it's changing."

Many scientists say there's a connection between changing migratory patterns and changes in snowfall and snowmelt. Orswell agrees, saying sportsmen and anglers of all political stripes are eager to see something done about the changing climate.

"We want to sustain our hunting and fishing traditions for our children and on from there."

The proposed bill in Congress isn't perfect, admits Orswell, but it would begin to combat climate change by implementing a cap-and-trade system on greenhouse gas emitters.

Harvey Nyberg, a retired wildlife biologist in Denver, says Colorado fishermen also have a stake in the issue.

"Anglers are going to find that the opportunity to fish for native cutthroat trout in Colorado is going to diminish as a result of climate change."

A portion of the funds raised from the legislation's proposed cap-and-trade system would fund programs on the state and local levels to help wildlife adapt to the changing climate, adds Nyberg, which is something he believes is critical to the survival of many species.

Opponents of the bill say it would be expensive and would mean higher energy costs. Supporters counter that those costs can be offset, and that society would pay far higher costs down the road if action isn't taken to halt climate change now.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) is also known as the Waxman-Markey bill.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021