Jan 30 2009
Will Congress Act on Global Warming this Year?
Former Vice President Al Gore addressed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday to strongly urge congressional action on global warming this year. Ahead of an international conference in Copenhagen, Denmark later on this year in December, Gore warned that “We have arrived at a moment of decision.” Indeed, a new report on global warming concluded that its effects are, in a sense, irreversible. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, states that even if all carbon dioxide emissions were to cease today, the climate would still feel the effects of what has already been done for the next 1,000 years. Susan Solomon, the lead author of the report, noted that such a finding only makes taking current action all the more imperative. The Obama administration, in seeking to break with the stalling policies of former President Bush, wants the United States to become proactive on global warming ahead of the Copenhagen conference. International participants will be hoping to outline a new treaty to follow the Kyoto Protocols that the U.S. under Bush previously failed to ratify.
GUEST: Liz Perera, Washington Representative for the Union of Concerned Scientist’s Climate Program.
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One Response to “Will Congress Act on Global Warming this Year?”
Global warming seemed to get pushed to the back burner, so to speak, once the major economic crises took over the news. But obviously global warming is still an issue regardless of any economic problems that we’re having. I hope Congress chooses to address it this session.
It is always fascinating to see the various requests to Congress. This Congressional session will perhaps be more interesting because of everything included in the stimulus bill and everything else that Congress will have to deal with. I’m curious to see how this particular Congress will handle all of the competing priorities. This issue in particular will probably inspire long debates if it is addressed at all.
The Democrats are touting their first 100 days as the time when they are going to get a tremendous amount accomplished. I hope they do accomplish something significant in the first 100 days. It seemed like the last Congress didn’t accomplish much in all of 2008. I saw that the Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is asking people to give their opinion on the most important thing for Congress to do in their first 100 days. Then they’re going to work to get Congress to accomplish what the public actually wants them to do. If you think they should address global warming, make sure to add your opinion so Congress can know what our priorities are – http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?id=200