Gore testifies before Senate committee

I tuned in to the webcast of all two-and-a-half hours of Al Gore's appearance before the Senate's Environment and Public Works committee today.

"Now, with a starring role in an Oscar-winning documentary under his belt, a best-selling book and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, the former vice-president and longtime legislator was greeted like a conquering hero when he wasn't being challenged by global warming skeptics.

"Gore, who held the first hearings in Congress on the issue 20 years ago, urged legislators to respond to a 'true planetary emergency' by passing legislation cutting greenhouse gas emissions." [This is from Canada.com, which I use because it is from beyond our politically-polarized counrty.]

Yet the way Gore was treated by Senator Inhofe, the ranking member of the minority, was appalling. Rather than ask questions, Inhofe would make a statement and then refuse to allow Gore to speak. And tonight on the minority page there is this press release:

GORE REFUSES TO TAKE PERSONAL ENERGY ETHICS PLEDGE – Former Vice President Al Gore refused to take a “Personal Energy Ethics Pledge” today to consume no more energy than the average American household.

The pledge was presented to Gore by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, during today’s global warming hearing. Senator Inhofe showed Gore a film frame from “An Inconvenient Truth” where it asks viewers: “Are you ready to change the way you live?”

Gore has been criticized for excessive home energy usage at his residence in Tennessee. His electricity usage is reportedly 20 times higher than the average American household.

Senator Barbara Boxer, chairman of the committee, intervened to allow former vice president Gore to answer. Gore said his family is using renewable engery and is adding solar panels to their house. He has, in effect, already changed his family's way of living. It was obvious to me that Inhofe was trying to shift the focus from industry's excessive greenhouse gas emissions to Gore personally, attacking HIM instead of the problem. Also from Canada.com was this part of the exchange:

Republican Joe Barton of Texas said the science is still uneven and was critical of Gore's solutions, saying they "fail the common sense test" and "provide little benefit at a huge cost."

"One scientist said it's a stronger consensus than on anything except perhaps gravity," an incredulous Gore responded.

"The planet has a fever. If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says: 'You have to intervene here,' you don't say: 'Well, I read a science fiction novel that told me it's not a problem.'

"If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame retardant. You take action."

I was impressed with Gore's calm and measured responses and his ability to bring the focus back to the real emergency. To read more about what was said today, read both sides of the issue at this link to the Senate committee: http://epw.senate.gov/public/