More than half way through 2010, records are being set month after month for the hottest temperatures ever recorded. Ironically, as temperatures soared and the scientific evidence of global warming mounted, the Senate leadership was forced to take off the table legislation that offered any significant response to the threat to our planet. The unfortunate calculation was that there are not enough votes in the Senate to pass measures that seriously address the causes of climate change, including greenhouse gasses emitted by burling coal and oil. "I am disappointed that because of Republican obstructionism and the need to get 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, the Senate has not been able to go as far as it should in transforming our energy system," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate green jobs subcommittee.

The Senate now plans to pursue a more limited measure focused on responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and to increase energy efficiency. "While the proposed bill offered by Majority Leader Reid contains important provisions, it goes nowhere near far enough," Sanders said.

Sanders said a solar energy bill he proposed still may get a vote this year in the full Senate. "The United States now has the potential to create millions of jobs by moving away from foreign oil and fossil fuels into energy efficiency and such renewable energy sources as wind, solar geothermal and biomass. I'm going to do everything I can to fight for my legislation which would move us toward 10 million solar rooftops in 10 years."

The Senate energy committee last week voted 13 to 10 for Sanders' bill that would authorize $250 million for competitive grants in 2012 and additional funding through 2021. Along with existing incentives, the program could meet and exceed the goal of installing 10 million solar systems over a 10-year period, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.