The Senate Ratifies The Kigali Amendment: Is Bipartisan Climate Action Possible? (Video)

Earlier this week, the Senate ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The amendment, which has already been ratified by most other countries, will result in the phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons, a group of potent greenhouse gases. Substantively, this is a big deal. Estimates are that it will prevent about ½ a degree Celsius in global warming. That's a meangingful impact.

Politically, it's also important. It shows both that international cooperation on climate issues is feasible, and that legislative action in the United States is feasible. The vote was 69 to 27, and almost half of GOP senators supported it.

I agree that this is a major accomplishment and everyone should be celebrating. I do feel compelled to note, however, that 20 years ago, the vote would probably have been 98 to 1, and the lone no vote would have been a senator who in a former life voted against Sandy Koufax or Derek Jeter getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot.