Environmentalists Divided Over Approach to Climate Change Bill

Environmental groups are divided over potential climate change legislation because some groups believed in toning down their demands for green jobs and reduced oil imports while other groups believed this to be wrong time to ease up on their call for stricter climate controls, the Washington Post reported. The Post quoted Lou Hayden of the American Petroleum Institute as saying that his group has no intention to question climate science but would like to fight for jobs, which means recommending offshore drilling in American waters.

Smaller environmental groups say that there is no need to water down the climate bill as it is bound to create jobs in the alternate energy sector. It also helps avoid the large amount spent on oil imports, wrote the Post. Carter S. Roberts, President of World Wildlife Fund said: "The reality is, we need to save ourselves. The connection between an intact planet and people's well-being ... is the part of the equation that's missing."