Sen. Gregg says Global Warming legislation deserves serious consideration

Republican Sen. Judd Gregg says a new Senate bill to combat global warming "deserves serious consideration," even though one of the bill's sponsors says it goes beyond President Bush's proposals on global warming.

Leading environmentalists in New Hampshire also support the legislation, which has bipartisan support in Congress. Sens. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and John Warner, R-Va., introduced the bill this week.

Supporters say it would reduce greenhouse gases from the largest sources by 15 percent by 2020 and 75 percent by 2050. The bill would establish a greenhouse gas emissions cap that covers electric utilities, manufacturing sources and transportation. It also contains provisions for energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings. Fully implemented, supporters say the bill has the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than half by mid-century.