Montpelier, VT - Peter Welch, candidate for U.S. Congress, held a press conference on the urgent need to address global warming, arguing that doing so offers the country an opportunity for strengthening our economy and protecting our environment.

"There is no longer any serious question that global warming is real, is accelerating, and is caused by humans," said Welch. "Addressing global warming gives us the opportunity to improve our efficiency, save money, foster economic development, and protect our environment for future generations."

Welch was joined by a retired farmer and syrup producer, a green business leader, and several students dedicated to addressing the issue of global warming.

"Global warming threatens the Vermont way of life, from the existence of our ski areas and our maple syrup production to our ability to hunt in native forests. The question is not should we curb our greenhouse gas emissions, but how can we begin to do so immediately, efficiently and aggressively," asserted Welch.

Citing Senator Jim Jeffords' pending emissions reduction legislation, Welch commended his leadership on the issue, stating "Vermonters have been among the leading voices in the nation on environmental protection. We have been fortunate to have Jim Jeffords advocating for the protection of our environment and I pledge to continue his work on behalf of Vermonters."

In the U.S. House, Welch will support an "Apollo-like project for the 21st Century" to address global warming and strengthen our economy by:

• Immediately increasing fuel economy standards for new cars and trucks and support incentives for manufacturing efficient, flex-fuel, and alternative energy automobiles;
• Reversing the billions in tax cuts given by Congress to traditional oil and gas companies in 2005 to fund renewable energy development, alternative fuels, and efficiency;
• Developing a "Marshall Plan of the 21st Century," to foster American innovation and green business development and trade with third world countries;
• Working with our international allies with the goal to reduce green house gas emissions by 2 percent per year;
• Eliminating "royalty-relief" for oil companies drilling on public lands and using the revenue to fund renewable energy development;
• Promoting green businesses, such as Vermont's own Northern Power and NRG Systems, through tax incentives and credits; and
  Providing grants to research universities for the education of green business leaders and development of innovative technology.

Welch said that the abysmal record of the Bush administration and Bush Congress on seriously addressing climate change is another reason why we need to change leadership in Congress.

Bush administration official Philip Cooney, who had no scientific background, was caught editing climate change reports by expert scientists to downplay the link between emissions and global warming [New York Times, 6.7.05]. The "top climate scientist at NASA" and director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Dr. James Hanson, went public this winter that the Bush administration was trying to censor information from a lecture he gave linking greenhouse gas emissions to global warming [New York Times, 1.29.06].

The Republican-agenda of ignoring the existence of global warming and failing to participate in the Kyoto Protocols to reduce emissions represent still more examples of the party's failure to work with our world allies.

The scientific academies of 11 countries, including the United States released a joint letter saying the "scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action" [New York Times, 6.7.05].

In the last two years alone, under Welch's leadership in the Senate, the Vermont legislature has made significant progress to address global warming by passing:

• A renewable portfolio standards bill to promote the diversification of Vermont's energy supply with renewable sources, allow for renewable energy credit trading for producers, and increase energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses;
• A nation-leading initiative that establishes state goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
• New efficient appliance standards that are estimated to save Vermonters an anticipated $130 million in energy costs and reduce our global warming pollution; and
• The Energy Security and Reliability Act, H.859, which included new efficiency building codes and funding for small renewable energy installations.

Just last week, Welch called for legislation to support shifting our nation's automobile manufacturing focus to high-efficiency, flex-fuel, and alternative fuel vehicles of the future. This spring he called for using royalty relief now given to the oil industry revenues to fund renewable energy and efficiency programs.