Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, over the last several months, I have participated in more than 20 hours of discussion during five hearings on the global warming issue. I am well aware of the impacts which the Kyoto Protocol may have on this country, but I am also aware of the possible consequences of global climate change. When we look at this weather map from CNN of July 20, 1998, we can start to see the dimensions of the problem where we have had some of the most unusual weather in this country that people have experienced ever. All across this country, people are aware as they are sweating at home how different the weather is this year than any other year. And as scientists have looked at it, they have seen that indeed this weather has been unusually severe this summer. We have had fires in Florida, floods in the Midwest, tornadoes destroying entire communities. And we look back at the temperature, last Wednesday the high temperature was 117 degrees in Phoenix. Today marks the 17th day in a row the temperatures are over 100 in Dallas. Does anyone remember last winter? Not even a snowflake fell here in Washington. From January to June, average temperatures were the warmest on record. Temperatures in 1997 were the highest on record, and in 1998, so far it is even warmer. Scientists predict that even more severe storms and unusual weather patterns will occur if we continue to pour greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.”