Angie Craig: “recently, I attended the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change…”

“recently, I attended the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-6) at The Hague, in the Netherlands. I went to observe Undersecretary of State Frank Loy and the rest of the U.S. negotiating team confront the complex issues associated with the requirements of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The experience brought into clearer focus for me some disturbing themes that appear to be behind the intense international pressure brought to bear on the United States to reach agreement on some profound economic, social, and environmental issues. At the outset, let me make clear that I did not arrive at The Hague without first studying the climate issue. For several years now, I have closely followed the progress of the climate change debate. I have sought the input of nationally recognized scientists credentialed in the disciplines of atmospheric, ocean, and computer modeling sciences. I have reviewed scientific reports, most notably the document entitled Research Pathways for the Next Decade, prepared by scientists affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate. In addition, I have traveled to institutions such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts and met with ocean scientists who are very involved in climate research.…”