Senator John McCain and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Petersen urged increased collaboration to eliminate causes of global warming at a symposium at the U.S. Senate on June 9.
8/24/2005 :: “Most people are not able to see the effects of climate change, like animal displacement because of melting sea ice and the moving of Inuit villages because of thawing permafrost,” McCain said at the symposium entitled Meeting the Climate Challenge in the Arctic Region.
During his visit to Svalbard last year Senator McCain witnessed firsthand the severity of climate change impacts in the Arctic. McCain and Senator Joe Liebermann have introduced the McCain-Liebermann Environmental Stewardship Act to the U.S. Senate, a bill that intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and further the development of alternative energy. Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) and Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE) spoke in support of the bill at the symposium and urged increased international cooperation.
“Change doesn’t come easily or quickly but we will succeed. The evidence of global warming is too strong and the cost of inaction is high. We need to reduce gas emissions and use new technology to take advantage of bio fuel and solar power,” McCain said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Petersen spoke on the rise of global warming as the issue of primary importance to Arctic countries, since the reduced focus on security after the end of the cold war. The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment Report shows that climate change is occurring much faster in the Arctic than previously expected, with some figures showing average temperatures in the Arctic increasing nearly twice as fast as the rest of the world. A potential sea-level rise will be felt globally.
“In Norway we are ready to act. In the near future we will complete the regulation of almost all sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Norway by means of climate policy instruments. These include green taxes, a special CO2 tax and a national emissions trading system for greenhouse gases, Petersen said.
The Minister urged all nations to help reduce causes of climate change. At the end of 2006 Norway will take over the Arctic Council Chairmanship from Russia, which will coincide with the International Polar Year. Petersen believes this will be an opportunity to increase focus on international cooperation and polar research. “We would like to see an updated assessment on climate change in the Arctic within 10 years,” Petersen said. “Future generations will pay the price if we do not act quickly.”
Senator McCain's speech at the Symposium
Final Report
Royal Norwegian Embassy / Arild Strømmen 10 June 2005