Al Franken: “OK. Well, the Pope--I mean, didn't the Catholic Church go after Galileo? Look, between the science supporting climate…”

“OK. Well, the Pope--I mean, didn't the Catholic Church go after Galileo? Look, between the science supporting climate change and the reality of the dangers that climate change brings, we have to ramp up our efforts to master this challenge, and that means wise investments in clean energy R&D and deployment. They are just a good place to start. Plus, these investments encourage the growth of domestic clean energy-- a domestic clean energy economy which would create jobs--and has created jobs--grow our manufacturing base, and keep us competitive in global energy markets. That is so important because Germany, China, Denmark, and countries all over the world are winning this race. One of the great parts about this job is spending half the time here and half the time home in Minnesota. Minnesota is a national leader in clean energy. In 2007, Minnesota passed the highest renewable energy standard in the country at the time, and all our utilities are on track to meet the goal of 25 percent renewable by 2025. Our largest utility, Xcel Energy, is on its way to 30 percent by 2020. We have universities such as the University of Minnesota Morris which is pushing the frontiers of innovation in greening its campus through a biomass gasification system which provides heating and cooling and electricity, wind turbines that produce power, and LEED- certified buildings.…”