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Republican Address: Climate Change Bill 'Unwise'


A U.S. Republican governor has criticized a climate bill backed by Democrats and President Barack Obama, calling it wasteful and inefficient.

In the Republicans' weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, Governor Mitch Daniels of the mid-western U.S. state of Indiana said a proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020 will put added costs on businesses.

Daniels said the requirement would cost his state jobs, many of which he says would go to China and India.

Democrats who support the bill make the opposite case - saying the proposal will create millions of jobs in new energy technology fields.

But Daniels said Saturday the proposal has "no chance of achieving its objective of a cooler earth," arguing instead for further development of wind and a cleaner way to use coal.

The bill, which was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee last week, calls for a system that would allow businesses to buy permits to emit greenhouse gasses from other firms that use less energy.

The 33-25 vote split largely along party lines, with Democrats for and Republicans against.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.

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