Let me start this post by saying that I am far from being a political expert. In fact, I am probably the last person anyone would want to talk to about politics. That being said, I glanced at an article to day by Scientific American about the new climate bill (S. 1733) that would, at least in part, put more stringent regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. Some senators, Sen. Max Baucus in particular, is warning that the regulations on emissions may need to be lowered to allow the bill to be passed in the Senate. Even though he is suggesting they be lowered, I don't know if by how much and how they will compare to current emission regulations. Usually I am the first person to say that "small steps are just as important as large ones." I definitely believe in this, but regarding this climate bill I have a different opinion. I think it is time for us to not slack off our intentions and put together a bill that will actually have an impact on global warming. Many other nations in the world are taking a strong leading role in country-level climate protection, and we need to do the same. We have already slacked off by not committing to the Kyoto Protocol, and we cannot afford more backing down. When legislators back down on requirements for emissions, I belive it sends the idea to everyone that maybe we don't need to be more eco-friendly. And I think legislators need to set an example for how the rest of the country should approach global warming and climate change - with a positive attitude and the desire to push the limits on our environmental "cleanliness."