Lipinski Hears From Vice President Gore on Climate Change
Calls on Congress and President to Enact Comprehensive Legislation

WASHINGTON, DC - On Wednesday, Science Committee Vice Chairman Dan Lipinski and other Members of the House Committee on Science and Technology welcomed Vice President Al Gore back to his former House Committee to provide testimony on the subject of climate change.  The hearing, entitled "Perspectives on Climate Change," was a rare joint meeting of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Science and Technology Committee and the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

"I believe that this hearing will help Congress move forward in addressing the energy challenges America faces," said Lipinski. "Vice President Gore has illustrated in dramatic detail in his Oscar-winning documentary - An Inconvenient Truth - and in our hearing today that we need to take action now." 

During the hearing Gore advised lawmakers on the need to cut significantly carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other global warming gases.  Doing that, he said, will require the development of state-of-the-art technology for new types of power plants, the use of more energy-efficient products, and joining the rest of the world in a global accord to reduce worldwide emissions.

"Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers posed by climate change and our addiction to fossil fuels," stated Lipinski.  "At the same time, American ingenuity is leading to the development of new technologies that will help us address these issues.  But the Federal government needs to be doing more to encourage these efforts and to institute new, efficient methods of limiting dangerous emissions."

"As Vice Chair of the Science and Technology Committee I will continue to serve as a leader in promoting a new energy economy for America," continued Lipinski. "I call on Congress and the President to enact comprehensive legislation this year that will promote energy independence at home while reducing dangerous emissions, creating jobs, and enhancing our competitiveness in the 21^st Century."