Hastert Opening Statement to Al Gore: Joint Energy & Commerce and Science Committee Hearing On Climate Change
Hastert Opening Statement to Al Gore: Joint Energy & Commerce and Science Committee Hearing On Climate Change
Mr. Gore welcome back to the Energy and Commerce Committee; we appreciate you and Professor Lomborg appearing before us today to discuss the very important issues surrounding global climate change.
Mr. Gore, in the past you've made some interesting remarks regarding the best way to communicate your beliefs on global climate change to the world. Last year, you told an online publication that - and I quote - "it is appropriate to have an overrepresentation of factual presentations on how dangerous [global warming] is as a predicate to opening up the audience."
While I understand that sometimes it is appropriate to overstate facts in order to make a point, as legislators we don't have that luxury: we cannot exaggerate to make a point; we legislate in order to make a difference.
Mr. Gore I happen to agree with you that the debate over climate change is over: I believe the Earth's climate is constantly changing. As a farmer, I can tell you I see evidence of this fact every year. Any one of my constituents could tell you the same thing. I also agree with the science that tells us the Earth's average temperature increased in the 20th Century. And, finally, I agree with you that human activity and economic development has an impact upon our environment.
I'm less certain about the nature and extent of man's contribution, versus natural forces, to global climate. Testimony before this Committee has demonstrated to us that the Earth's climate system is complex and the myriad of factors that impact temperature are not completely understood.
Given that complexity, however, I am certain that man's economic activity has had, and does have, negative ramifications for our environment generally and climate particularly. Nonetheless, I would like to point out that human endeavors have a positive influence as well: we build schools, churches, libraries, and hospitals; we create jobs, we feed and educate our families, and we develop cures for maladies and diseases which shortened the lives of our forefathers. In short, economic development has generated the current unparalleled standard of living we all enjoy today. My grandson Jack lives in a better world because of economic growth; and I am convinced that his grandchildren will inherit an even more prosperous world.
If we require a solution to global warming, the answer is found in technological innovation which itself is fueled by economic growth and development. The Kyoto Protocol is an object lesson of this point. Many of the signatories of this agreement, including most of Europe, Canada, and Japan, are not on target to meet their Kyoto obligations; all this during a period of economic stagnation for most of these countries. At the same time, the United States, because of increasingly efficient use of energy and other voluntary measures, has experienced more significant economic growth and greater reductions in CO2 emissions than many of these Kyoto signatories. Additionally, since this treaty doesn't include large emitters of greenhouse gases such as China and India, the ultimate result of this treaty will be a miniscule, if even detectible, impact upon the Earth's temperature.
Thus we must face the challenge of climate change with an eye toward preserving economic development while driving the technological solutions that will allow us to deal with global issues in a rational and meaningful way.
One of these technologies is commercially available right now: nuclear power already produces clean and affordable electricity here in the United States and around the world.
Mr. Gore I hope you and I can agree on the following facts:
* Available, affordable, and reliable sources of energy are critical for economic development.
* Currently the US gets 50% of its electricity from the burning of coal, 19% from natural gas, 19% from nuclear power, and the remainder from oil, hydro and renewables.
* The Energy Information Administration estimates that over the next 20 years we will need 40 percent more generating capacity and that coal will meet a large part of this increased demand.
* Approximately one-third of US greenhouse gas emissions come from the generation of electricity.
* And, finally, testimony received by this committee tells us that commercially available technology to capture and sequester CO2 emissions will only become widely available outside this 20 year window.
Therefore, if we are going to significantly reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from the generation of electricity, in the near term we only have two choices: switch to natural gas or rely more upon nuclear power.
Of course the problem with "switching" to the use of natural gas is that it increases the cost of industrial production in this country and leads to the loss of energy-dependent industries and jobs. Additionally, an increase in demand for natural gas makes us dependent upon the same insecure foreign sources for electricity generation as we are for transportation fuels.
Thus, it is my strong belief that the only sensible proposal to both help our environment and provide the electricity we need to fuel our economy is to increase our reliance upon nuclear power.
Mr. Gore: I will commit to you today that I will work diligently with our distinguished chairmen, Mr. Dingell and Mr. Boucher, to craft a reasonable and common sense proposal to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions that will not result in lower economic growth, job loss, or simply transfers our emissions to other countries, if you will commit to me to use your considerable talents and celebrity status as a global climate change spokesman to help get the 40 to 50 new nuclear power plants we will need over the next 20 years to meet the demands of our growing economy; and work to break the filibuster by the Senate Majority Leader preventing the completion of the Yucca Mountain permanent nuclear waste repository. Nuclear waste is the last issue to resolve before the next wave of power plants and we have the solution in Yucca Mountain. The rate payers of the US have already paid more than $18 billion to get this done and it is time we move forward on this critical project.
Mr. Gore will you help?
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