Does the Senate not care about climate change?

Ayesha Rascoe, writing for Reuters, breaks the disappointing news:

A U.S. Senate vote [last Wednesday] rejected an effort to put climate-change legislation on a fast track, making it harder for Congress to put limits on greenhouse gas emissions this year.

What???!!!

Interestingly, the vote took place on April 1. I only wish it were an April Fool's Day joke.

Apparently, big campaign donations from corporate polluters mean more to our lawmakers than the health of the planet that they'll be leaving to their children and grandchildren.

So they continue to refuse to inconvenience big business by forcing them to limit their greenhouse gas emissions.

The article goes on to cite the sad truth:

John McMackin, a director of a glass container company and part of a lobby for energy-intensive firms, said this vote shows there are still a large number of moderate Democrats from heavy manufacturing states that are skeptical of climate change legislation.

"Until they are satisfied that their industrial base can be protected, they are not going to make it easy for this bill to move," McMackin said.

So there you have it. The Senators have their priorities. And saving the planet is not one of them, even though their corporate bedpartners might someday no longer have a liveable planet on which to do business.

>> See how your senators voted.

My own Democratic Senator Bob Casey has a lot of explaining to do. (I will be calling your office, Senator C.)