WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives today passed the landmark "American Clean Energy and Security Act" by surprisingly narrow 219-212 vote. The bill, which was widely opposed by Republicans, was hailed by Democrats as "historic," while Republicans called it a "job killer."

The bill, which includes so-called "cap and trade" is designed to combat global warming by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, even though scientists increasingly doubt that there is a connection between warming temperatures and atmospheric CO2.

By putting a price on emissions, "cap and trade" provisions in the 1,200-page bill will, according to a Wall Street Journal assessment, "Chang the way electricity is generated, how homes and offices are designed, how foreign trade is conducted and how much Americans pay to drive or heat their homes."

Republicans say per family energy costs associated with home heating and vehicles will increase by several thousand dollars annually, but the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office pegs the increase at closer to $175 per hear per household.

The legislation, which still faces stiff resistance in the U.S. Senate, mandates that 15 percent of the nation's electricity come from renewable sources, most notably wind and solar power. But even here, the future is uncertain. Many environmental groups oppose the erection of unsightly wind towers on the nation's publicly-owned range lands, and still more environmentalists oppose the installation of solar power stations in the nation's deserts because the facilities use large amounts of water that are already allocated to threatened or endangered plants, animals and fish.

Among the major obstacles to Senate passage are provisions that impose import tariffs on countries that to do match U.S. carbon dioxide restrictions. These House provisions are aimed at forcing the Chinese government to deal more forcefully with the country's air polluting factors. Many observers believe the restrictions could touch of a trade war, or perhaps even cause the Chinese government to rethink its heavy investment in U.S. debt instruments. Minus these investments, borrowing costs in the U.S. would surely soar.

One of the biggest compromises in the bill involved the near elimination of an Obama Administration plan to sell pollution permits and raise more than $600 billion over the first decade - money to finance continuation of the so-called "middle class" tax cut. In a concession to the hydroelectric, ethanol and nuclear lobbies - Congress stripped those provisions from the bill.

The House bill has been closely watched by forestry advocates who were horrified to learn that federal biomass - thinnings from dead and dying national forests - were not included in the renewable energy standard within the legislation. At this time, it is not clear which of several compromise provisions was adopted, but in the hours leading to the House vote it appeared that at least some provision for federal biomass was being included in the legislation.