Statements about Global Warming
05/07/2007
"The need to drastically change our energy policy is no longer a debatable proposition. It is not a question of whether, but how; not a question of if, but when. For the sake of our security, our economy, our jobs and our planet, the age of oil must end in our time." Speech to Detroit business and political leaders.
01/30/2007
Remarks as prepared for delivery:
Statement of Senator Barack Obama
EPW Hearing on Climate Change
January 30, 2007
Thank you, Senator Boxer, for holding this hearing. I applaud your leadership on
what is certainly one of the greatest challenges of our time.
For decades, we’ve been warned by legions of scientists and mountains of
evidence that global warming is real – that we couldn’t just keep burning fossil fuels and
contributing to the changing atmosphere without consequence. And yet, for decades, far
too many have ignored the warnings, either dismissing the science as a hoax or believing
that it was solely the concern of enviros looking to save polar bears and rainforests.
Today’s bipartisan hearing is a sign that the long-running debate over the
existence of climate change is over. It represents a sea change in the attitude of this
country and this Congress that we have moved from the question of “Is it real?” to “What
can we do about it?”
We now know that climate change is about more than a few unseasonably mild
winters or hot summers. It’s about the chain of natural catastrophes and devastating
weather patterns that global warming has begun to set off around the world – the
frequency and intensity of which are breaking records thousands of years old. And it’s
about the devastating consequences climate change might have on human health, access
to water, and the production of our food.
Still, despite all the ominous harbingers of things to come, we do not have to
stand by helplessly and accept this future. In fact, we can’t afford to. Climate change
may be unleashing the forces of nature, but we can’t forget that while this has been
accelerated by man, it can also be slowed by man.
Since coming to Washington, I have believed that the right approach is a proposal
that Senator Lieberman, and Senator McCain have been pushing for years, and I thank
them for their leadership on this issue.
The Lieberman-McCain bill establishes limits for greenhouse gas emissions well
into the 21st century. To remain below these limits, the bill encourages the market to
determine how best to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, rewarding cost-effective
approaches using a system of tradeable allowances.
The idea here is simple. If you’re a business that can’t yet meet a lower cap on
harmful carbon emissions, you have two choices. You can either purchase credits from
other companies that have achieved more than their emissions goal, or you can
temporarily purchase a permit from the government. The money from the sale of these
permits will go towards investments in clean energy technology, such as green buildings,
high-power batteries for hybrid cars, safer nuclear plants to generate electricity, large
scale biofuels facilities, and advanced coal power plants that capture the carbon dioxide
they generate. This will actually spur American innovation, creating business
opportunities as new markets develop in low-carbon technologies and services. As Fred
Krupp, the president of Environmental Defense has said, “Once you put a value on
carbon reductions, you make winners out of innovators.”
In short, the Lieberman-McCain proposal addresses the real costs and
consequences of our current patterns of energy use, and establishes a framework for a
market-based solution that relies on American will, ingenuity, and technological
expertise.
It’s a framework that’s not only good for the environment; it’s also good for
business. In the face of federal inaction, states, localities, and private enterprises have
filled the void with a number of truly innovative proposals to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. One example is the Chicago Climate Exchange, a voluntary global
marketplace for reducing and trading greenhouse gas emissions. Such measures have
been an important step in the right direction, but businesses that operate around the
country need regulatory certainty and that’s just not possible when they’re facing a
hodge-podge of state and local regulations.
Climate change is one of the major tests of our generation. It's a challenge that
asks us, will we stand by while drought and famine, storms and floods overtake our
planet? Or will we look back at today and say that this was the moment when we took a
stand? That this was the moment when we began to turn things around.
T
he climate changes we are experiencing are already causing us harm. But in the
end, it will not be us who deal with its most devastating effects. It will be our children,
and our grandchildren.
This is our generation’s chance to protect their future. It’s a chance that will not
last much longer, but if we work together and seize this moment, we can change the
course of this nation forever. The Lieberman-McCain bill makes me hopeful that we can
start right away, and I am proud to be an original cosponsor. Thank you for allowing me
the opportunity to testify today.
01/30/2007
"It's inexcusable for a country of our wealth and ingenuity and power not to be leaders. We abdicated responsibility ... We were laggards on this issue. This [bill to improve fuel efficiency standards] gives us an opportunity to show the world that we are prepared to work with them in a constructive, positive, but aggessive way." "US lawmakers call for long-overdue action on global warming." Agence France Presse.
01/12/2007
"With each passing year, the consequences of federal inaction on reducing greenhouse gas emissions become more devastating for our children and grandchildren, and the range of solutions grows smaller." "Climate bill sets stage for contentious debate in Congress." Associated Press.
10/28/2006
"Maybe there are a couple of holdouts in the White House that don't believe in climate change, but there are 10,000 scientists who believe that maybe we should do something about it." San Francisco Chronicle.
09/19/2006
"National security and global warming are two of the most important issues we face in the 21st century. Both problems are directly linked to our dangerous reliance on foreign oil and non-renewable energy sources, and both can be greatly improved through increased use of clean energy. We can no longer ignore these mounting threats, especially when we have the power to deal with and correct them right here in America." US Newswire.
04/04/2006
"When it comes to climate change, it's the fossil fuels we insist on burning--particularly oil--that are the single greatest cause of global warming and the damaging weather patterns that have been its result. Climate change may be unleashing the forces of nature, but we can't forget that this has been accelerated by man and can be slowed by man too." Chicago Tribune.
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by Emma