[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 80 (Monday, June 11, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6019-S6020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             GLOBAL WARMING

  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I am grateful for the 
opportunity to address a couple of topics that have been in my heart.
  I had the privilege of being here Friday afternoon to hear Senator 
Byrd

[[Page S6020]]

explain the legislation he was offering to try to get our arms around 
the problem of global warming. It was in Senator Byrd's presentation to 
the Senate that he shared with us that a vast majority of the 
scientific community in fact has recognized that the Earth's 
temperature is warming and that, indeed, man is contributing to that 
warming through the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere, 
thus causing a greenhouse effect.
  I was so moved by Senator Byrd's presentation, after which he then 
introduced the legislation, in light of the fact that this present 
administration had set aside the Kyoto accords and is going about in 
its own way to try to address the problem.
  Senator Byrd offered this legislation, sponsored by himself and 
cosponsored by Senator Stevens, as a means to try to accelerate and 
focus world attention on this phenomenon; to use Senator Byrd's words, 
that something out there in fact is happening.
  I was moved to speak after Senator Byrd's presentation. What I shared 
was an experience of looking at global warming from the perspective of 
my past life as the elected insurance commissioner of Florida, 
recognizing that it would have devastating effects upon a State such as 
Florida with such an extensive coastline. The rise of the seas would 
have an immediate effect upon most of our population which is along the 
coast. The warming of the atmosphere would cause increased frequency 
and ferociousness of storms, particularly the storms that are a part of 
our life still in Florida known as hurricanes, and the rising 
temperature for the tropical and subtropical climes would likewise have 
the result of increasing pestilence and disease.
  I was then moved to remember in my mind's eye the view I had out the 
window of the spacecraft Columbia on the 24th flight of the space 
shuttle, looking back at planet Earth, how beautiful it is and yet how 
fragile it looks. It is gorgeous. It is a blue and white ball suspended 
in the middle of nothing. Space is nothing. It is an airless vacuum 
that goes on and on for billions and billions of light years. In the 
midst of that void is this wonderful creation we call home, planet 
Earth.

  I described to Senator Byrd Friday that on the first day, you are 
looking at nation states. On the second day, you are looking at 
continents. On the third day, you are looking at the whole planet. That 
is the perspective you have. The first time you look out, you are 
looking for home. You are looking for Florida, and then you are looking 
for America. Then in a few days you are looking for home, and there it 
is, planet Earth, blue because of the oceans, white because of the 
clouds.
  If you look at the land mass, it is usually a dull brown except in 
parts where there are the contrasts of colors, such as the Horn of 
Africa, the bright, almost orange-reddish sands of eastern Africa set 
off against the bright blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
  I am saying all of this because I wanted to add to the comments I 
made on Friday about global warming. I was struck with the beauty of 
this creation, but I was also struck with how fragile it looked. I 
could see how we are not being good stewards. I could see the 
destruction of the rain forests, and then I could look to the east and 
see the mouth of the Amazon. The waters of the Atlantic were discolored 
for hundreds of miles with the silt that resulted from the destruction 
of the trees hundreds of miles upriver. I would look at the rim of the 
Earth, a bright blue band. But on closer inspection, you could see the 
thin film enveloping the Earth that sustains all of our life known as 
the atmosphere.
  I came away from that experience of 6 days in outer space with a 
profound sense that I needed to be a better steward of what God has 
given us in this beautiful, colorful planet called Earth.
  That is what I was moved to think of when Senator Byrd introduced his 
legislation concerning global warming; that we better be serious and 
listen to the scientific community, saying that things are changing, 
that people in States such as mine along the coast of this country had 
better be wary of the immediate effects upon the consequences of global 
warming, and that we should be better stewards of what we have been 
given by our creator, if, in fact, we are doing what we ought to do.
  I have often let my imagination wander with regard to space travel. I 
firmly believe that in my lifetime, certainly in the lifetime of a lot 
of our young friends, we will see an international mission from planet 
Earth to another planet, probably Mars. When we get there, are those 
dry river beds that we see in our telescopes? And if they are, what 
happened to that water? And if we find, in fact, that there was water, 
then there likely was life. And if there was life, to what degree did 
it develop; was it civilized? And if it was civilized, what happened? 
What can we learn so that we can be better stewards of our civilization 
on planet Earth?
  Senator Byrd, as he so eloquently expressed his concerns and interest 
and, therefore, the offering of the legislation to study the problem, 
was most timely. The President is on his way to Europe tonight to 
discuss this issue with the many leaders of Europe, their concern that 
he unilaterally disregarded the Kyoto accords. If we are not going to 
have the Kyoto accords for the nations of the world to come together to 
do something about the rise of the greenhouse effect on planet Earth, 
then we better get together with some other kind of protocol quickly. 
Senator Byrd and Senator Stevens are offering that kind of leadership 
as a way. It is just one suggestion, but it is an important suggestion. 
It is timely.
  I took this moment to offer those thoughts and, again, to say my 
profound appreciation to the great Senator from the State of West 
Virginia for what he has offered.
  I yield the floor.
  (Mr. NELSON of Florida assumed the chair.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.

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