Posted on 02/02/2007 10:19:06 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Despite a strongly worded global warming report from the world's top climate scientists, the Bush administration expressed continued opposition Friday to mandatory reductions in heat-trapping "greenhouse" gases.
Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman warned against "unintended consequences" — including job losses — that he said might result if the government requires economy-wide caps on carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels.
He and other administration officials at a news conference praised the report Friday by a United Nations-sponsored panel of top climate scientist who said there is little doubt the earth is warming as a result of man-made emissions.
But Bodman said technology advancements that will cut the amount of carbon emissions, promote energy conservation, and hasten development of non-fossil fuels can address the problem.
"We have aggressive but practical solutions," added Stephen Johnson, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
More than a half-dozen bills have been introduced, mostly by Democrats, calling for some form of mandatory carbon controls in the United States, which emits a quarter of the earth's carbon dioxide releases into the atmosphere.
Democrats newly in control of Congress and other critics of President Bush's environmental policies pounced on the long-awaited United Nations report like fresh meat.
"Although President Bush just noticed that the earth is heating up, the American public, every reputable scientist and other world leaders have long recognized that global warming is real and it's serious. The time to act is now," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who with GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe (news, bio, voting record) of Maine crafted one of a half-dozen competing bills to address global warming.
Rep. Edward Markey (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., a senior member of House panels on energy and natural resources, said that "for those who are still trying to determine responsibility for global warming, this new U.N. report on climate change is a scientific smoking gun."
The White House issued a statement less than four hours after the report's release defending Bush's six-year record on global climate change, beginning with his acknowledgment in 2001 that the increase in greenhouse gases is due largely to human activity.
It said Bush and his budget proposals have devoted $29 billion to climate-related science, technology, international assistance and incentive programs — "more money than any other country."
Bush has called for slowing the growth rate of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, which averages 1 percent a year, but has rejected government-ordered reductions. Last week he also called for a 20 percent reduction in U.S. gasoline consumption over the next 10 years.
Markey said it will be Congress who will have "to meet this challenge by moving aggressively to transition away from forms of energy which have the capacity to destroy the planet as we know it."
Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation, called it already "past time to act and solve global warming with the urgency and determination with which Americans have successfully confronted other threats to our security and to wildlife."
"This report really provides strong weight behind those saying we need much stronger action" from the United States and other nations, said Robert Watson, the World Bank's chief spokesman on global warming and former chairman of the U.N. scientific panel responsible for evaluating the threat of climate change.
Some evangelical Christians who helped Bush win re-election in 2004 demanded he provide more world leadership on the issue in light of the new U.N. report.
"I am absolutely certain that as Christians we need to act today to curb global warming pollution," said Jim Ball, national coordinator of the Evangelical Climate Initiative and president of the Evangelical Environmental Network.
Democrats newly in control of Congress and other critics of President Bush's environmental policies pounced on the long-awaited United Nations report like fresh meat.
"Although President Bush just noticed that the earth is heating up, the American public, every reputable scientist and other world leaders have long recognized that global warming is real and it's serious. The time to act is now," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who with GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe (news, bio, voting record) of Maine crafted one of a half-dozen competing bills to address global warming.
Rep. Edward Markey (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., a senior member of House panels on energy and natural resources, said that "for those who are still trying to determine responsibility for global warming, this new U.N. report on climate change is a scientific smoking gun."
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How can so many supposedly intelligent people be so stupid?
Bush should come out and say, due to this report we plan on building 30 nuclear power plants over the next 20 years. See what the whackos say then.
An aggressive solution that would be free to FedGov is to repeal the Treaty.
Woo Hoo!
Bush bump!
"unintended consequences"
Why does that sound like a dual meaning?
Is Co2 pollution and falls under the Clean Air Act ! ?
Yes
Yea, right. That's why every senator including KERRY voted against the kyoto treaty in 92. (I think it was 92).
Stupid idiots.
Way to go Bush!! I love it when he sticks it to them!!
CORRECTION:
They kyoto protocol was soundly and unanimously opposed in the senate in 1997, not 92.
Lets project the Hillary first 365 days as president. She will halt major oil exploration in Alaska and off the coast of Louisiana (at least within 12 miles). She will demand major cleaning efforts of coal-fired electrical plants...which will pass down to the customers of that plant (figure $40 million each). She will demand massive government funding into research for wind and solar energy...although both are going full-blast today...with only very minor contributions to the national grid. She will likely have a household and commerical business established quota of power use...and a tacked on $300 per house per year tax if you go past the 85 percent point (your Hillary goal will be a 15 percent reduction)...with the commerical tax going into the tens of thousands.
Forget about any nuclear power plant projects until after 2012...and most of the new ones will have to be 12 miles off the coast in order to avoid state efforts to kill off the projects. Get used to this scenario.
Naturally caused Co2 is considered pollution ?
What is it that qualifies someone as a top scientist?
Some evangelical Christians who helped Bush win re-election in 2004 demanded he provide more world leadership on the issue in light of the new U.N. report.
I can't help but wonder if these so-called "evangelical Christians" worship the creation rather than the Creator.
Oh "I" don't think so; but it is listed as such with the EPA/UN. That is what the 'carbon credits' are all about. And, back in 1999(?), the EPA was issued Executive Powers to police such pollution (CO2 being one) at their discretion.
China owns 43% of the carbon credits with the UN. See the link I posted here hypertexted 'money'
I'm getting really tired of the man-made emissions ABOUT
(alleged) global warming.
Who says they're "supposedly intelligent"? lokk at fat-a$$
Kennedy.
The same "scientists" who have contributed to and prepared this "paper on global warming" are often hard core enviros.
They do everything they can to stop wind farms, nuclear power, hydroelectric power, etc.
Their favorite President let Bruce Babbitt run wild, and Clinton himself closed off millions of acres where the cleanest burning coal deposits known to man were known to be and were ready to be mined.
I am more than a little tired of all their hypocritical words and actions. They use hundreds of products every day that cannot be produced without some sort of energy.
They use cell phones, and then scream the loudest against cell towers.
TOTAL HYPOCRITES, IMO.
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