NEWS

Congress must act now on global warming

06/10/2008

The Daily Telegram
Published Saturday, June 07, 2008

As the U.S. Senate debated global warming Friday, a bill to reduce carbon emissions was derailed as the discussion turned to high gas prices. Republican opponents argued a provision of the proposed law would add 53 cents a gallon to the gas tax, suggesting Americans can hardly afford the existing price, which is nearing $4 a gallon, much less a higher one.
It’s all a matter of interpretation, of course. True — the bill would add 53 cents to the gas price. But Democrats argue the extra amount would jump start the development of more fuel-efficient vehicles. All in all, it’s the same free market vs. government intervention argument Republicans and Democrats have debated for years.

This is no time, however, to reach a philosophical impasse. Yet the global warming discussion seems to be heading toward a dead end.

That’s tragically ironic given the gas price situation. For decades, Congress has held similar discussions on oil drilling, automotive fuel efficiency and alternative energy — but little progress was made. Today, we’ve learned (the hard way) that nothing positive emerges when gridlock prevails. Most Americans, whether they be individuals or business owners, are wringing their hands about escalating energy prices. In millions of conversations that arise daily, people pose the same question: How will we cope?

Now, imagine for a minute what people will be asking a decade or two down the road if highly populated regions begin suffering from lack of water due to higher temperatures and changing weather patterns. How will they cope if running water costs $4 a gallon?

Let’s allow history to be our guide. The United States is now suffering because we ignored obvious problems in the energy sector. We’ll be repeating that mistake by ignoring obvious climate changes.

Congress needs to address global warming in an intelligent manner, setting aside partisan bickering. The threat is too big to ignore.


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