Climate Stewardship Act of 2003

CLIMATE STEWARDSHIP ACT OF 2003

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to express my support for the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 2000 levels by the year 2010.

The scientific evidence that people are causing the Earth to warm grows more robust each year. According to the National Academy of Sciences, "Greenhouse gases are accumulating in the Earth's atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures to rise. Temperatures are, in fact, rising. . . ." Indeed, a new scientific analysis shows that the Earth is warmer now than it has been in the last 1,000 years.

Perhaps most alarming is the rapid warming that is occurring in the Arctic. According to data released last week by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Arctic temperatures are currently increasing at a rate of two degrees per decade, and Arctic ice is melting at a rate of 9 percent per decade. Scientists are now projecting that the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in the summer by mid-century. Due to the importance of the Arctic Ocean to the world's climate as a whole, this prediction is truly alarming.

To be sure, there are still numerous uncertainties. Researchers at the University of Maine have pointed out that past changes in the climate have tended to occur very abruptly, but we do not know if future changes in the climate will also occur in abrupt shifts. Nor do we know how quickly future warming will occur. Due to these uncertainties, I believe we should not only direct more attention to better understanding the climate, but also take prudent actions to reduce the risk of disruptive climatic changes.

The McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship proposal would reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to 2000 levels by the year 2010. In light of the climate changes observed to date and the potential risks of even greater and more abrupt changes, I support this goal. It is a prudent step in the right direction, and I intend to vote in favor of the McCain-Lieberman amendment.

Although I am in favor of the Climate Stewardship Act, I think more thought needs to go into the exact actions by which we reach the goal of reducing emissions to 2000 levels by 2010. These are important decisions, and Congress should not allow such important decisions to rest in the hands of the agencies. I support concrete, certifiable reductions, and these reductions should come primarily by increasing the efficiency of our economy and further developing our renewable energy resources. Increasing CAFE standards for automobiles, efficiency standards for air conditioners and other appliances, and reducing power plant emissions are just a few examples of concrete steps that we can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The United States has made tremendous strides in increasing the energy efficiency of the economy. In doing so, we have averted millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions. With further steps in improving our energy efficiency, the McCain-Lieberman target is imminently attainable. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.