There can be no doubt that the time has come — now, not sometime in the future — to develop a robust renewable energy industry and to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are hurting the climate.

That's why it is distressing to see two bills that would advance these goals falter in the U.S. Senate in recent days.

The Climate Security Act would have required manufacturers, utilities and others to cut emissions, with a goal of a 66 percent reduction by 2050.

The other bill, the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act, would have extended tax incentives for businesses who develop clean alternative energy technologies. It cleared the U.S. House with bipartisan support, 263-160.

But Republicans used procedural moves to block the bills from reaching a full floor vote. They argued that the bills were too costly and would harm the struggling economy, or would close tax loopholes used by hedge-fund managers and large corporations.

Yes, the process of weaning the U.S. from fossil fuels will be expensive and difficult.

But the future benefits of energy independence, not to mention a cooler, healthier planet, far outweigh the short-term costs.

Because the long-term costs of ignoring this clear imperative will be far greater.