Tom Carper

As for those who want to demonize cap-and-trade, their numbered States are part of the energy program already, including Delaware.

Our President was a guy named George Herbert Walker Bush, and as I recall, he proposed harnessing market forces to try to address the problems that we had with acid rain destroying forests and water and lakes and so forth in New England.

I just think we have to do something about it while we have time.

Parts of my State are going to be underwater. Not just my State, but States along the East Coast from Maine to Florida.

If we do not do anything, we will continue to see the kind of ice melts up in the North Pole.

When you put a price on carbon, all of these other energy sources become more competitive.

The legislation to provide transportation which would reduce greenhouse gases is enormously important, and there is no better time to focus on a matter of this importance than on this legislation.

The development patterns that we have experienced in this country over the last 30 to 40 years are not the product of a market or invisible hand.

I think it is very important that this committee stays on the realities and looks at opportunities to reduce costs of freight and not increase our costs of operations.

All right. Thank you.

If designed correctly, is designating a significant portion of funds to transportation accompanying a climate bill cost effective?

I think engaging the community in a thoughtful way that looks at the values they want... makes a very large difference.

I think the Federal Government needs to be a better partner in terms of the multi-modal transportation.

I am impressed that two very different States, Utah and Oregon, and I have been privileged to visit them both, but two very different States are at the forefront of efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.

In my opinion, the caps are completely severed from what technology is able to deliver in terms of reduced emissions.

The Waxman-Markey treatment of transportation fuels creates numerous problems.

Having a hearing on transportation's role in climate change is essential given the sector is responsible for roughly one-third of the greenhouse gases released in the United States.

I have asked the Chairman to ask the EPA to re-run that analysis because it does not include some information that it should.

I introduced, along with Senator Arlen Specter, the Clean Low Emission Affordable New Transportation Efficiency Act, known as CLEAN-TEA.

While this is a major improvement, we must remember that our goal is to reduce greenhouse gases by 60 to 80 percent.

The new standard requires the entire U.S. fleet of cars and trucks to average about 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

If we do not curb emissions from transportation, we will either fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the level scientists say are necessary, or we will have to ask other sectors to make up the difference.

Transportation accounts for some 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in our country.

I intend to join my colleague Senator Voinovich, who has taken the lead in drafting legislation that would provide EPA with narrowly tailored authority to implement CAIR, or its replacement.

At the end of the day, I think we are going to get something done, and it is because of really the participation of everybody at this table.