SFgate: Speaker, Republicans clash in global warming hearing

[tex-wyo-dem]

Speaker, Republicans clash in global warming hearing
GOP member insists Pelosi take questions about her plans

Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Friday, February 9, 2007

(02-09) 04:00 PST Washington -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used the bully pulpit of her new position Thursday to pressure fellow lawmakers to get legislation to combat global warming ready for a vote this summer.

In a highly unusual move for a speaker, the San Francisco Democrat appeared as a witness before the House Science and Technology Committee along with scientists who co-wrote the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which warns of dire consequences if the world does not rein in greenhouse gases.

"We hold our children's future in our hands -- not just our grandchildren or great-grandchildren, but our own children," Pelosi told lawmakers. "As the most adaptable creatures on the planet, it is time for us to adapt."

Pelosi's testimony -- combined with her recent creation of a new House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming -- reflects a deliberate strategy to elevate the issue in Congress this year and press her own Democratic committee chairmen to act quickly.

<more>

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/02/09/MNGEKO1R451.DTL&type=politics

[rodeodance]

1. Sensenbrenner doing his usual crapola: see here

........Pelosi's appearance sparked a small fight in the committee when Republican James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin objected to her appearing as a witness without taking questions from lawmakers. Pelosi had agreed to make opening remarks, but due to her tight schedule had not agreed to questions.

"It is mandatory," Sensenbrenner insisted, citing House rules. "I just want to see the rules followed."

Democrats objected, criticizing Republicans for failing to extend a courtesy often made to lawmakers who testify. "I'm very disappointed and very surprised," said Jerry Costello, D-Ill.

After Pelosi took several questions, a Republican, Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach (Orange County), apologized for the surprise grilling.

"We should pay her the same respect we paid to Newt Gingrich," Rohrabacher said.

But the questions elicited some captivating exchanges between Pelosi and top Republicans.

"What are you planning to do, Madam Speaker, to make sure that we don't legislate in this area in a way that wrecks the American economy and costs our workers jobs?" Sensenbrenner asked.

[rodeodance]

2. "I'm one of those people who used to pooh-pooh global warming," said Bob Inglis, R-S.C.,

.......The scientists said the impacts of global warming observed over the past 30 years -- rising temperatures, melting ice sheets and rising sea levels -- will likely accelerate this century.

"Effects expected include more heavy rains, more drought, more heat waves and more sea level rise," said Susan Solomon, a senior scientist at the Earth System Research Laboratory. "How much depends on how much we choose to emit on a global basis."

While lawmakers are split over how to address climate change, most on the panel agreed the threat is real.

"I'm one of those people who used to pooh-pooh global warming," said Bob Inglis, R-S.C., who said he changed his mind after a visit with fellow lawmakers to Antarctica in 2005. "Now I'm persuaded."

[tex-wyo-dem]

3. Good for Mr. Inglis...

at least there seems to be a few Reps who are accepting reality. It's the ones making money off of the denial we have to watch out for.

[Zhade]

8. Wow - a rare breed of conservative: one who will accept facts!

NT!

[0rganism]

4. can't wait to see what happens when this hits the senate

Will the Republican minority dare flaunt their anti-science plumage by filibustering corrective environmental regulation? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode...

[Miss Chybil]

5. Great! Recommend. nt

[seasat]

6. The small minded thinkers always play the economy card.

When neoluddite repugs bring up the red herring that cutting back on emissions will slow the economy, they are thinking short term. I'd ask them back what they think will happen to the economy if there is a sudden climate change brought about by rapid greenhouse warming. How about the savings to the economy when we have reduced medical burdens by switching to cleaner burning alternative fuels lowering respiratory problems? How about the benefit of switching from relying on energy sources that have highly fluctuating prices from unstable hostile countries? I remember reading a study a while back that demonstrated that a decent cut back in greenhouse gas emission might only slow the economy a fraction of percent in GDP. In the long term we'll be better off both environmentally and economically.

[Lisa]

7. Exactly! I've heard the situation compared to the introduction of computers

One could have viewed that as a potential "disruption" to the economy, back in the 1950s -- but how about the tremendous opportunities for new jobs and ways of making money (more sustainably, too)? There is the potential for a new industrial revolution based on more efficient, renewable power use.

This report was commissioned by the Clinton White House:
http://stephenschneider.stanford.edu/Publications/PDF_Papers/Krause2001.pdf

And this think tank has been describing how businesses and governments could make money by responding to global warming:
http://www.pewclimate.org/what_s_being_done/in_the_business_community/

[Peace Patriot]

9. "As the most adaptable creatures on the planet, it is time for us to adapt."

Great line! I like that kind of thinking. We are immensely adaptable. And there is no reason at all to think that we cannot re-organize ourselves, reign in the greedbags and war profiteers, re-group, and come out in far better shape--as a country, as a democracy, and as a world community--than we started.

You wonder why the billionaire CEO Corporate Rulers have pushed this extreme minority stupid opinion about evolution? It's not a random thing at all. It's quite pointed. If we can't and don't evolve, then we can't and won't adapt to their outrageous profiteering by pulling their corporate charters and seizing their assets for the common good. The near simultaneous scientific discoveries of biological evolution and relativity presented us with the REALITY that we can change, adapt and improve, something we have always known, subconsciously, but which has never been undertaken in the conscious knowledge that this is how universe works, locally and cosmically. Thus, we can become the conscious agents of change, and NO entrenched, "conservative" (fascist, rightwing) power is safe from that realization among human beings. That is WHY they have sought to suppress it, and to return us to the Dark Ages, when nothing seemed changeable.

"As the most adaptable creatures on the planet, it is time for us to adapt." Thank you, Speaker Pelosi.

Some proposed adaptations, now occurring throughout South America:

1. TRANSPARENT elections.
2. Grass roots organization.
3. Think big.