The idea of “a more perfect union,” in the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States has has always rested on the principle of balance…balance of power among the three branches of the Federal Government, between the Federal Government and the States, between freedom, individual rights, interdependence and mutual responsibility. 

Of late, it seems that we’ve lost sight of the importance of balance and in recent days, the proposed law passed by the Arizona State Legislature (mercifully vetoed by that State’s Governor) was at least for me, a stunning example of this. In the last few years our attention has been focused on the importance of “religious freedom,” the “right to bear arms,” the “rights of natural born citizens vs. those of immigrants,” the “rights of free enterprise.” 

What has been lost in the furious debate about these freedoms, one of the founding tenants of our democracy, is that one person’s freedom cannot be expressed at the expense of another person.  And we have developed amendments to the Constitution and a body of laws and regulations to safeguard this balance…balancing my freedom with yours. We have looked to government at the national, state and local levels to provide these safeguards.

From the web site of Senator Dianne Feinstein

Senator Feinstein discusses her five-part package of global warming legislation at a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on January 30, 2007 .

An international consensus has been forged: Global warming is real. It is already happening. And greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels, tropical deforestation, and agriculture – are the leading cause of that warming....

That is why I am working on a comprehensive package of legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – the leading cause of global warming – from all sectors of the economy. Every business, home, and industry will have to do its part.

There are five bills in total: