"And it is getting hotter, and the ice caps are melting, and there is a buildup of  carbon dioxide in the air. And I think we really need to address the burning of fossil fuels. If we are contributing to the destruction of this planet, we need to do something about it."

        Pat Robertson, Evangelical Christian leader and former Republican Candidate for U.S. President.

For the past decade, public opinion polls have revealed that the majority of Americans across the political spectrum support the Kyoto Protocol and other mandatory approaches to curbing emissions of heat-trapping gases that cause climate change.  Recent events in the U.S. are likely to shore up that support. 

Scientific studies revealing that global warming has intensified recent hurricane activity raise a concern that Hurricane Katrina-like events may become more common. Add to that drought in the Western U.S. and record floods this year in the northeast along with the high prices Americans are paying for overdependence on fossil fuels – both at the gas pump and to heat their homes -- and you have a recipe for change.  

As a response, U.S. politicians and business leaders are looking towards increasing production of clean, renewable energy technologies. Though the federal government has yet to embrace responsible policies to transition to these new technologies, states, local governments, and the business community are stepping into the breach. In fact, 2006 saw the beginning of implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the California Global Warming Solutions Act, two measures that will likely provide the framework for a future national climate policy. At the same time, new voices are joining the call and working to reduce global warming pollution, from Evangelical leaders calling on the government to protect God’s creation to students coming together to increase renewable energy on university campuses.

This report highlights the groundswell of support for responsible climate change policy by detailing efforts at the local, state, and regional level, evolving business attitudes toward climate policy, and constituencies that have recently become active supporters of mandatory climate policies.  It also briefly revisits the Bush administration’s climate policy and highlights recent administration activity.