Posted on 02/16/2005 5:04:37 PM PST by Mr.Pinette
Today the Kyoto Protocol enters into effect for the 141 nations that are signatories to the treaty. While most of the industrialized world has signed on to this global effort to combat climate change, the United States, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has been noticeably absent from the process since the Bush administration's withdrawal in 2001. Yesterday former Vice President Al Gore spoke out on the Kyoto Protocol, below are excerpts from his speech.
"Unfortunately we have also seen over the last few years a decision on the part of the Bush White House to withdraw from the global process by which this crisis is being confronted. President Bush has instead directed the nation’s attention and resources toward false crises while refusing to acknowledge a real crisis that is unfolding right before our eyes..."
"...Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq and the alleged need for privatizing Social Security are examples of false crises. But here’s a real crisis staring him in the face that desperately needs leadership from the President of the United States and his financial supporters in the oil and coal industry don’t want him to acknowledge the reality of the crisis so he pretends that it doesn’t exist. And he relies on individuals who are pretty much - their relation - the people he relies on relate to the scientific community pretty much the way that phony reporter related to the White House Press Corp..."
"The Kyoto Treaty formally takes effect tomorrow and it marks the beginning of the world’s first legally binding effort to deal with the climate crisis. It is an historic event. It will be the first of many efforts that will follow Kyoto, all of which will build on Kyoto.
It is unfortunate that the United States has abdicated its responsibility to join in leading this effort and I hope that the Bush White House will rejoin the coalition of the willing and confront this issue.
During the seven years since Kyoto was first addressed, we have learned a great deal. First, we have learned that the scientific evidence for the climate crisis is even stronger than was known seven years ago. A recent paper in Science, for example, examined every single peer reviewed scientific journal article from 1993 to 2003 that contained the phrase "global climate change". Of the 928 articles that used that phrase, not a single one disagreed with the consensus view that current climate change is caused by human activity -- not a single one. There have been faux controversies created by other articles but not any peer reviewed scientific article..."
"During the last seven years we have also learned that the solutions to global warming will be cheaper and easier than was thought when Kyoto was first drafted. A lot of major companies including Intel, DuPont, BP, Alcoa, and others have reported cost savings totaling billions of dollars as a result of programs to reduce heat trapping gases. Technologies for improving the efficiency of coal combustion have taken big strides forward as have technologies for capturing and storing heat-trapping gases offering some new hope for using plentiful resources without worsening the climate crisis..."
"Because the US has abdicated national leadership California and states in the Northeast have filled the leadership vacuum and have taken steps on their own. It is vitally important that our federal system be allowed to operate in confronting this crisis.
It takes a moral courage to attack a real crisis and this current administration has failed to demonstrate moral courage and has failed to confront this real crisis. But the problem is so vast that there is a great need for leadership from other quarters such as from California and the Northeast compact states and I applaud them and applaud the selected companies that are providing leadership in confronting this crisis..."
"Now can the protocol be effective without US participation? Eventually the US must participate. All multi-national companies located - based inside the United States will have to comply with the Treaty that takes effect tomorrow with respect to their operations in 141 different countries and 34 industrialized countries. The United States and Australia are really the only industrialized countries in the entire world that are not a party to this treaty.
Companies based in the US already have to face tougher environmental restrictions in China than they do in the United States and this process is going to accelerate and so the dynamic created will eventually lead our country to join this process. It will start to be effective even without US participation but it will only become truly effective when the provisions are toughened and when the US does join the process..."
"There is with the Bush Administration an unreality bubble that will burst. The rest of the world is beginning as of tomorrow, for the first time in a legally binding way, beginning to confront the reality of the climate crisis. By choosing to stick his head in the sand the Bush Administration not only embarrasses the country when the world expects leadership from the US but it also puts our economy at risk by encouraging illusory decision making.
The rest of the world is going to begin to constrain carbon emissions and those businesses that are lulled into a false sense that there is no problem and they don’t have to take steps to solve the problem are going to find themselves facing much tougher competition in the global marketplace from competitors who adapt to the emerging new reality that the rest of the world begins to embrace tomorrow..."
Who cares what that duffus says
Who is AlGore?
Don't see no figures in there backing up your "crisis" Mr Sore.
Bush Has Analysis - Claims Gore 'Crisis' All Wrong
Al Gore? Sorry, I don't recognize the name..
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighting Troops
Is he the fellow who grew beard?
The man is a lying SOB - the greatest polluters - Russia, China, India - are exempt.
Al who???
Screw Kyoto and Al Ghoul too.
Al needs to stop dingling his norwood in public.
Go away Al, go back to the tobacco fields, get your hands right down in it, while you wail about your dead sister who died of cancer, 'proud tobacco farmer' that you were/are.
Or whatever.
Is there some way we can get Al Bore and Jimmy Carter jobs somewhere? Wouldn't it be nice if both of these characters would just shut up and go away?
Is this the same Al Gore who held a global warming speech on the coldest day NYC had seen in decades?
Totally false premise.
I think that was while he was growing up in Washington DC.
To think the shape we would be in if he was President.
Albore conveniently forgets that the Senate voted against Kyoto 95-0--during the Clinton Administration.
Gore,Kennedy,Kerry,both Clintons need to be challenged on everything they say. I've never seen a bunch of more corrupt, vaccuous, small brained, leftist leaning crap than these people in my life.
IMO Al Gore is starting his campaign for 2008. He will challenge Hitlery for the nomination. You didn't expect a coronation, did you?
Screw Kyoto and Al Ghoul too.
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Yes, Crazy Al trying to defend the non-defendable. Keep at you crazy raving fool, you will complement howling Howie. Too much of that Tennessee corn whiskey, ole Al's mind and body have had it...seen him lately? Wow, he's lookin' almost as bad a Gin-Soaked Teddy. Old Al doesn't have the sense or purpose to say much of anything these days. All he has is his Kyoto deal...
Here's the real deal. Got it? Very few care a lick about this except the enviromental wackos. So the Rats will scream to keep this small segment of the base happy.
In reality, if Whore, I mean Gore were in the WH or any other Rat for that matter, there is NO WAY they would sign on. Why? The Clinton WH did a study showing if we adopted this silly thang it would cost 4-5% off GDP. Since GDP (at trend) grows 3-3.5% annually it would mean we would ALWAYS be in a recession or worse.
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