Political Quotes

“I thank my colleagues for drawing attention to this critical issue and problem. I want to start with the solution. The solution to climate change is American innovation. The solution to climate change is American innovation. We have to get beyond the idea first that we need to choose between a clean environment and a strong economy. We all want cleaner air and water. We all want jobs. They don't have to contradict each other. When we frame the debate as a conflict between an economy and the environment, we talk past one another and we are not realistic about our own history. This is, at the beginning, kind of a math problem. According to the EPA's annual inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. pumped about 6 billion tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in 2005--6 billion tons. The overwhelming scientific consensus is that putting this much pollution into the air is bad for the planet, bad for our kids, and bad for our grandkids. Most scientists tell us we need to reduce emissions about 17 percent from that peak by 2020 and over 80 percent by about 2050 in order to contain climate change to manageable levels. So the question is this. How do we establish the appropriate incentives to get that number lower to produce energy more cleanly, at prices we can afford, in quantities that support modern life. We have to reduce pollution. We need to create jobs. Instead of arguing which is more important, let's figure out how we can use American innovation to do both.…”