Herb Kohl: “Today the Senate took an important step toward expanding the debate on global warming. Greenhouse gasses and global…”

“Today the Senate took an important step toward expanding the debate on global warming. Greenhouse gasses and global warming are a real threat to our environment and our way of life. The National Academy of Sciences has verified the scientific evidence backing global warming. And the private sector is facing the real world impact of global warming as they contemplate the insurance costs of rising sea levels and more destructive storms. A decade ago, debate ranged within and without the ivory towers of academia over the hazy science backing claims of global warming. Today, the fog has lifted and we can see the impact that burning fossil fuels has had on the climate. The changes to our environment are real. Our job now is to decide what to do about it. The approach set out by this version of the McCain-Lieberman bill is a reasonable first step. It is not perfect, and if we would have been able to take up and debate amendments there are several, significant changes I would have supported. My biggest concern is that this bill would have us move toward reducing emissions without requiring the rest of the world to join us. While we have a responsibility to reduce our own emissions, we need to work with the international community. China, for example, is approaching the United States as a producer of green house gasses and must be a part of any practical effort to reverse global warming.”