MARKEY: U.S. MUST BE A LEADER, NOT A LAGGARD, ADDRESSING GLOBAL WARMING

Washington, DC - Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, praised two bipartisan private sector panels of scientists, union manufacturers and consumers at a House Energy and Air Quality subcommittee hearing.  Rep. Markey noted that the experts outlined a way forward that would curb green house gas emissions through the development and deployment of renewable fuels and energy efficient technologies.  Markey argued for bold, mandatory government policies and incentives to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Rep. Markey said, “If the debate over the reality of global warming and the threat it poses to our planet is largely settled due to the overwhelming international scientific consensus, the debate about what we should do to respond to this threat has only just begun.”

“These panels each lay out a pathway for our country to be a leader rather than a laggard in cutting carbon pollution. Yet only by aggressively implementing measures to enforce a mandatory cap and trade system to freeze and then reduce carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases will Bush’s claim of a ‘serious challenge of climate change’ be addressed and not just stand idle as a mysterious ‘Rosebud’-like whisper,” Markey continued.

The Solar Energy Society has projected that renewable fuels could provide for 40% of American energy needs by 2030.  Taking full advantage of the bipartisan panels’ recommendations could help sequester carbon emissions from our utilities and allow renewables to provide 50% of the remaining 2030 U.S .energy needs.

Rep. Markey’s prepared statements follows:

Mr. Chairman, thank you for calling today’s hearing and for the aggressive hearing schedule that you have laid out for the Subcommittee over the coming months.
In his State of the Union Address, President Bush actually uttered the words “serious challenge of global climate change.”  Not since Charles Foster Kane whispered the word “Rosebud” on his deathbed at the beginning of the movie Citizen Kane have a few words touched off so much speculation about what their author actually meant and what it all signifies.

But if the debate over the reality of global warming and the threat it poses to our planet is largely settled due to the overwhelming international scientific consensus, the debate about what we should do to respond to this threat has only just begun.

Both panels call for cost-effective energy efficiency measures, such as more fuel efficient cars and SUVs, which could significantly reduce the amount of carbon pollution we generate, more energy efficient green buildings, and more energy efficient consumer, commercial, and industrial appliances. 

Both call for policies to promote research, development, and deployment of low or zero emitting green house gas technologies, many of which are already cost-effective and simply sitting on the shelf, such as wind power, solar power, and other renewables. 

According to a recent study by the Solar Energy Society, “renewable energy has the potential to provide approximately 40 percent of the U.S. electric need projected for 2030 by the Energy Information Agency (EIA),” and that if we take full advantage of energy efficiency measures, “renewables could provide about 50 percent of the remaining 2030 U.S. electric need.”

All of these recommendations deserve examination by this Subcommittee, and I look forward to hearing the testimony from our two distinguished panels.  I also want to welcome back to the Subcommittee the distinguished former Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, the Gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Sharp).  It is fitting that we begin our examination of this issue by seeking out the advice of such a distinguished alumnus of our Committee.  We welcome you back, and we look forward to hearing from you.

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