NYT: Sen. Kerry Says Grab Climate Opportunity in Congress, With China

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the New York Times: "While the unit price of gas or the unit price of electricity might go up individually [following a cap on carbon emissions], the overall costs of an individual at home and their total consumption will go down because of energy efficiencies. People really need to step back and get away from the quick-hit political slogans. We're looking at an enormous opportunity, and we need to grab it."

Internationally, the prospects of striking a deal at the forthcoming Copenhagen U.N. conference or during President Obama's visit to China seem bleak. Carol M. Browner, White House policy coordinator for climate change issues, said that with regulatory steps taken to curb auto emissions, House action on an energy bill, and progress made on Senate legislation: "We've got what we need to go to Copenhagen." As for the China visit, Kerry said Obama should offer "a proposal to China that is specific" for the two countries. "He can get an agreement and generate momentum for the Copenhagen talks," said Kerry.