global warming changing the political climate

US Congressman Dave Obey, 7th district in northern Wisconsin, is very concerned about global warming because he think if current trends continue there’ll be more serious storms and the oceans will rise flooding coastal regions. click here for live stream broadcast

Climate Change Changing Our Land

  

On a sunny fall weekend in Spooner in northwestern Wisconsin several hundred people watched Al Gore’s film about global warming. The movie, titled “An Inconvenient Truth” was introduced by Democrat State Senator Bob Jauch and Congressman Dave Obey.  Nick Vander Puy from the Superior Broadcast Network talks with Congressman Obey about global warming and environmentalism. Obey had a serious cold that day and his voice was affected.

 

Global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect.  Carbon dioxide and other gases collect in the atmosphere acting like an insulating blanket. This traps the sun’s heat and makes the earth heat up.

 

Coal burning electric power plants and automobiles are the largest source for carbon dioxide pollution.

 

During the past century the temperature on earth has risen 1 degree Fahrenheit.  And many scientists say temperatures could rise several more degrees during this century, causing cataclysmic change.

 

But a determined minority doesn’t agree.  Oklahoma republican Senator James Inhofe, for instance, featured in Gore’s movie, says the  global warming threat is “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American public.”

 

 

Congressman Dave Obey responds.

 

“Well, I think that Senator Inhofe has a bad case of detachment from reality. He’s managed to find one of the dwindling number of scientists around the country whose economic well being relies on denying that global warming is a crisis and he thinks he’s conducted a public opinion poll.”

 

 

Obey has seen Al Gore’s global warming movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” three times. 

 

“The fact is that it is a virtually unanimous conclusion of the reputable science community that we have a serious global warming problem on our hands that could threaten not just our environment, but threaten the basic society.”

 

A recent Pentagon study offers a hair-raising, apocalyptic account suggesting global warming poses a greater threat to national security than terrorism.  Anticipate mega droughts, widespread famine, and rampant rioting.

 

“If you can imagine a country eighty years from now where you have dozens of Katrinas, dozens of New Orleans under the water, because the sea level has risen by a huge number of feet, that’s what we face if we don’t get off our duffs and take action now.”

 

But right now sixteen story brown utility poles are being erected through northwestern Wisconsin to bring electricity from Dakota coal plants and flooded Cree Indian land in northern Manitoba.  The Houston based Enbridge Gas Company also wants to transport tar sands from Alberta to northern Illinois in a pipeline right  next to the giant electric line. All these activities are major contributors to global warming.  And Enbridge has a notorious record for spilling oil from busted pipelines.

 

“Well, in terms of the prospects I have absolutely no idea. It depends who is on the regulatory agencies, it depends on the kind of evidence that’s brought in, it depends on who’s running the government, in both Canada and the United States, so that’s something I just can’t speculate on..”

 

Congressman Dave Obey acknowledges the end of cheap oil.

 

“Well, I think we’re gonna have the end of cheap oil.  China will dictate that to us. And I would think those higher prices would make other technologies more viable. The question is are we going to invest enough in the infrastructure so you can use products like bio-diesel.”

 

Looking back on more than thirty years in Congress Obey recalls his greatest environmental accomplishments.

 

“Oh I just think it’s the steady action we’ve taken through the years to clean up our air, clean up our water, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Act.”

 

“We’ve provided lots of money through section 154 to help communities with sewer and water so that you can clean up the impact on Lake Superior…and stuff like that.

 

  to learn more about Al Gore's movie, and global warming go to www.climatecrisis.net

Web site design and photos by Sandy Lyon

 

---

to download an mp3 of this story click here

Directions for Downloading These Radio Stories
These stories have been compressed so that you can listen to them on your computer.
You'll need to download the story, however...a process that takes a few short minutes.
 Please read all directions before actually downloading.
 1. Hold cursor over link and click the right mouse button, then click "Save Target As" on the menu that pops up.
2. Then, select where you want to save the MP3 on your computer and click "Save".
A dialog box will pop up and the MP3 will start downloading. It will take a few minutes.
3. After it is done downloading click "Open" on the dialog box or go and open the MP3 from where you saved it.
4. Make sure your speakers are turned on and listen to the story. Enjoy!