Tapsearch Com EditorRepublicans still fighting over whether global warming is for real
March 23rd 2007 02:17
An inconenient truth
Al Gore went before Congress last Wednesday to plea for government intervention on the global warming crisis. He sees the problem as a moral issue, not a political one. Funnily enough, the politicans don't agree.
The Associated Press wrote that
Gore advised lawmakers to cut carbon dioxide and other warming gases 90 percent by 2050 to avoid a crisis. Doing that, he said, will require a ban on any new coal-burning power plants -- a major source of industrial carbon dioxide -- that lack state-of-the-art controls to capture the gases.
He rejected the contention by opponents of quick action on global warming that the United States should only impose mandatory controls on greenhouse gases if China, India and other rapidly developing nations agree to do the same.
"The best way and the only way to get China and India on board is for the U.S. to demonstrate real leadership," Gore said. "As the world's largest economy and the greatest superpower, we are uniquely situated to tackle a problem of this magnitude," he said.
He rejected the contention by opponents of quick action on global warming that the United States should only impose mandatory controls on greenhouse gases if China, India and other rapidly developing nations agree to do the same.
"The best way and the only way to get China and India on board is for the U.S. to demonstrate real leadership," Gore said. "As the world's largest economy and the greatest superpower, we are uniquely situated to tackle a problem of this magnitude," he said.
Bush is pushing for more nuclear energy to fix the energy problem (Does this sound a little familar to fellow Aussies?) No doubt they are worried about putting coal producers off side in lieu of the election.
"You're not just off a little, you're totally wrong," said Texas Rep. Joe Barton, the leading Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as he challenged Gore's conclusion that carbon dioxide emissions cause rising global temperatures. Barton and Gore's exchange grew testy at one point -- Barton demanding that Gore get to the point and Gore responding that he would like time to answer without being interrupted.
Other comments by republicans included: "I think we can find answers to use the coal energy, to use the natural gas we have."
The former vice president insisted that the link between carbon dioxide and warming is beyond dispute and is the source of broad agreement in the scientific community.
My favourite part of this testimony is where Gore used a metaphor comparing the planet to a child with a fever. You take a child with a fever to the doctor. That we, as global citizens, need to look after our planet, that it's sick with fever.
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