Need To Combat Warming Recognized

Vice President Gore today described the broad parameters of a major new federal investment strategy to address global warming, air pollution, and energy use. Environmental Defense praised the proposal and reiterated its willingness to work with any Presidential candidate to develop ways to reduce harmful emissions.

“The environment and economy are intimately intertwined,” said Fred Krupp, executive director of Environmental Defense. “A market-based investment strategy, which rewards actual emissions reductions, could spur just the sort of environmental and technological revolution that could break our dependence on fuels that are too expensive and too dirty.” Environmental Defense urged that all political leaders — whether they are members of Congress, or Presidential hopefuls — develop bold initiatives to curb global -warming pollution.

According to scientists, the 1990’s, likely the hottest decade of the past thousand years, capped decades of shrinking glaciers, thinning Arctic ice, intensifying rainstorms, and rising seas. Given the risks entailed by these changes, Environmental Defense believes that the time has come for America to exert its economic prowess with actions to solve global warming, and that government policy must catalyze this effort.

“We owe our children a safe and healthy future. Global warming puts all that at risk,” said Dr. Michael Oppenheimer, Environmental Defense chief scientist. “These incentives can begin the job of protecting the planet but, as this proposal recognizes, enforceable standards will be needed to complete it.”