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FOIA Number: 2017-1094-F
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MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
WH Task Force on Climate Change
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Roger Ballentine; Paul Bledsoe; Julie Anderson
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41300
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VP Gore Speeches - Climate Change
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100
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1
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Monday, August 2, 1999
202-456-7035
VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF DECLASSIFIED ARCTIC
IMAGES TO HELP RESEARCH GLOBAL WARMING
Calls on Congress to Fully Fund the Administration's Climate Change Initiatives
Washington, D.C. - Vice President Gore today announced the declassification and release
of 59 satellite images of the Arctic Ocean that will be used by scientists to better understand the
interaction between polar ice caps and global warming.
Release of the high-resolution images was approved by the National Imagery Mapping
Agency at the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF is the primary U.S.
sponsor of SHEBA, an international expedition to the Arctic that has documented changes in the
ice pack consistent with those expected as a result of global warming.
"No place on Earth is more sensitive to global warming than the Arctic, and these satellite
images provide scientists with valuable data for understanding how climate change affects this
complex region," Vice President Gore said. "By making these satellite images available to the
scientific community, we take another important step toward meeting the challenge of global
warming."
The Vice President announced the release at the National Geographic Society, where he
led a discussion on climate change with a group of youngsters attending the Better World
Science Camp. He was joined by Bill Nye, the host of Disney's Bill Nye the Science Guy, who
helped teach the campers about the study of ice cores.
In his remarks today, the Vice President also noted the recent drought and heat wave
gripping much of the country.
"We had heat waves long before there was any threat of global warming," Vice President
Gore said. "But global warming is real and we should act together now so that in the future our
families will not have to suffer more extreme weather of all kinds."
SHEBA - formally known as the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean Project - is
jointly sponsored by the governments of the United States, Canada, and Japan. As part of the
project, a Canadian icebreaker was deliberately trapped in Arctic ice for a full year in 1997 and
1998 so that more than 100 scientists could take measurements of the atmosphere, ocean, and ice.
Over the course of the year, the ship drifted 1500 miles with the shifting ice.
Preliminary findings from SHEBA show that the Arctic ice sheet is roughly five percent
smaller, and one meter thinner, than in the 1970s. Scientists believe that continued shrinkage of
the ice pack could accelerate global warming because ice reflects more incoming solar radiation
than the ocean does.
The newly released satellite images show the area around the trapped icebreaker over a
period of several months. SHEBA scientists will use the images, in conjunction with data
gathered on the ice, to develop a better understanding of changes in the ice's surface and
reflectivity.
Declassification of the images, taken by U.S. intelligence satellites, was facilitated by
MEDEA, a group of scientists that works closely with the intelligence community to examine
and use national security data for scientific research. MEDEA was established in 1991 as an
outgrowth of discussions initiated by then-Senator Gore.
"By working in partnership, our intelligence and scientific communities are advancing
vital research that will help us understand, and meet, critical challenges like global warming," the
Vice President said.
Vice President Gore also called on Congress to fully fund the President's Climate Change
Technology Initiative and to drop legislative "riders" that would hamper the Administration's
efforts to address global warming.
The Administration, which secured a record $1 billion this year for clean energy research
and development, is proposing an increase to $1.37 billion in fiscal year 2000. So far, Congress
has appropriated almost none of the proposed increase. In addition, several appropriations bills
include language that could block ongoing initiatives, including voluntary programs with
industry that reduce energy waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
"The evidence of global warming grows stronger every day, yet Congress is trying to
strangle common-sense programs that save energy, save consumers money, and reduce global
warming pollution," Vice President Gore said. "I urge Congress to work with us, not against us,
to meet the challenge of climate change."
One of the newly released satellite images can be viewed today on the Web at www-
nsidc.colorado.edu/TEST/NTML
###
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Tuesday, June 29, 1999
(202) 456-7035
ENERGY EFFICIENT TAX INCENTIVES INTRODUCED
INTO CONGRESS BY REPRESENTATIVE MATSUI
Washington, DC -- Today, Representative Bob Matsui introduced the Administration's
package of energy efficiency tax incentives to help America meet the profound challenge of
global climate change in a way that opens new economic opportunities for our nation. The five-
year, $3.6 billion package will provide real incentives for consumers to buy more energy
efficient homes, cars and other selected products, such as high-efficiency water heaters and
rooftop solar systems. It will also encourage more production of renewable energy, such as wind
power and power from farm and forestry resources.
STATEMENT BY THE VICE PRESIDENT
This legislation is a win-win-win proposition. For American families and consumers this
legislation will mean lower energy costs and the potential for new economic opportunities. For
our nation, it will mean more jobs, more innovation, increased competitiveness, and greater
energy security. And for our environment, the gains in energy efficiency will mean better air
quality and fewer emissions of the greenhouse gases contributing to global warming.
All those who helped make this bill responsive to the needs of our environment and our
economy deserve our thanks and appreciation, including General Motors, Ford, and
DaimlerChrysler, who helped develop the incentives for qualifying electric and hybrid vehicles.
I especially want to thank Representative Matsui for his hard work in turning a set of good ideas
into sound legislation.
For American families, consumers, and businesses, this legislation is about saving dollars
and cents. For our environment, it is about common sense. This past year, a growing body of
scientific evidence on global warming has thrown into sharp relief the magnitude of the
challenge before us. 1998 was far away the single warmest year on record and it was punctuated
by some of the severest weather of the century. I now urge Congress to pass this legislation into
law.
###
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Monday, January 25, 1999
(202) 456-7035
STATEMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT GORE ON GLOBAL WARMING
President Clinton and I are proposing significant new investments in fiscal year 2000 to
accelerate our aggressive, common-sense efforts to meet the challenge of global warming.
Two weeks ago, scientists confirmed that 1998 was the warmest year on record.
providing yet more evidence that global warming is real. Thankfully, last year also produced
genuine progress in addressing this grave threat. Developing countries showed new willingness
to join us in meeting this challenge, while leading corporations voluntarily pledged to
significantly reduce their greenhouse gas pollution.
We will continue to work on the diplomatic front to achieve a truly global response to this
global challenge. And we are firmly committed to stepping up our efforts at home as well. That is
why President Clinton and I are proposing a record $4 billion for expanded research and other
programs to better understand and protect our climate, and for tax incentives for consumers and
businesses to purchase energy-efficient cars, homes, and appliances.
Efforts to address global warming can at the same time help to protect public health. To
maximize these twin benefits, our budget includes $200 million for a new Clean Air Partnership
Fund that will allow state and local governments to finance projects achieving early reductions in
both greenhouse gases and lung-damaging pollutants like smog and soot. This innovative Fund
will leverage significant private investment for coordinated, cost-effective pollution reduction.
Our climate change proposals will save consumers money and create new business
opportunities while ensuring a safer planet for our children and grandchildren. Just today, BP
Amoco expanded its historic commitment to reducing greenhouse pollution, again demonstrating
that a strong economy and a healthy environment go hand in hand. I urge Congress to join us in
that spirit and approve these sound investments in our future.
###
President Clinton's FY 2000
Climate Change Budget
The President's FY 2000 budget request for climate change comprises a number of
key elements. including the Climate Change Technology Initiative, which mixes tax
incentives and direct spending to spur the development and deployment of energy
efficient technology and renewable energy: a new Clean Air Partnership Fund to
boost state and local efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution: and the
United States Global Research Program. to enhance our understanding of the
human and natural forces that influence our climate system.
The President's overall climate change package for FY 2000 totals over $4 billion.
Climate-Change-Related Programs ($ in Millions)
1999
2000
Change
Global Change Research Program (climate science)
1.681
1,786
+105
Climate Change Technology Initiative - spending
1.021
1.368
+347
Climate Change Technology Initiative - tax incentives
1
383
+382
Clean Air Partnership Fund
0
200
+200
Cleaner Coal and Power
123
122
-1
Weatherization & State Energy Grants
166
191
+25
Total Climate-Related Domestic Programs
2,992
4,050
+1,058
Clean Air Partnership Fund
To help protect public health and ease the threat of global warming. President Clinton is
proposing the creation of a new Clean Air Partnership Fund. The President's FY 2000 budget
includes $200 million for the Fund. which will provide grants to states and localities to support
state. local and private efforts that achieve reductions in both greenhouse gas emissions and
ground-level air pollutants. The Fund will be administered by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) under existing authority.
Integrated Pollution Control. The Clean Air Partnership Fund will stimulate integrated.
cost-effective pollution control strategies. It directs new resources to state and local
governments to finance projects and programs that achieve accelerated. integrated
reductions in soot, smog, air toxics and greenhouse gases.
A Quicker Path to Cleaner Air. By providing new resources for projects that accelerate
pollution reductions, this financing will enable communities to achieve multi-pollutant
clean air goals sooner and in advance of current requirements.
Technological Innovation. The Fund will help spur both public and private sector
innovations in next-generation technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other
air pollutants.
Public-Private Partnerships. The Fund will encourage public-private partnerships to
demonstrate ways to create a cleaner environment at the local level.
Leveraging Non-Federal Investments. The Fund can be used to capitalize local
revolving funds and fund other mechanisms to provide low-interest loans or matching
grants that leverage the original federal investment.
1
Climate Change Technology Initiative:
$3.6 Billion in Tax Incentives
The President is proposing a $3.6 billion package in tax incentives over 5 years to help
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging energy efficiency and helping to develop
renewable energy sources (see Table 1). This year's package of tax proposals has been updated
and modified from last year's.
TABLE 1
Tax Incentives
Revenue effect
(dollars-in billions)
Total
FY2000-2004
Homes and Buildings
Provide tax credit for energy-efficient building equipment
-1.5
Provide tax credit for new energy-efficient homes
-().4
Provide tax credit for rooftop solar systems
-0.1
Cars
Extend tax credit for electric or fuel cell vehicles and provide tax
-0.9
credits for highly fuel efficient hybrid vehicles
Renewables
-0.3
Extend tax credit for electricity produced from wind and biomass, expand
eligible biomass sources and include coal-biomass cofiring
-0.3
Industry
Provide tax credit for combined heat and power systems
Tax Initiative
Total*
-3.6
*Total does not add because of rounding.
HOMES AND BUILDINGS
Tax credit to consumers who purchase new energy efficient homes. To encourage the
purchase of new energy-efficient homes, consumers would receive a tax credit of $1,000
for homes purchased from 2000-2001 that are at least 30 percent more energy efficient
than the standard under the 1998 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); a
credit of $1,500 for homes purchased from 2000-2002 that are at least 40 percent more
efficient than the IECC standard; and a credit of $2,000 for homes purchased from 2000-
2004 that are at least 50 percent more efficient than the IECC standard.
2
Tax credit for installing energy efficient equipment in existing homes or buildings.
This credit will encourage the purchase of electric heat pump and natural gas water
heaters, electric and natural gas heat pumps. advanced central air conditioners and fuel
cells. The credit would apply to both residential and commercial equipment. For fuel
cells the credit would be 20 percent of the cost of the investment. subject to a cap. For
all other equipment, the credit would be 10 percent of the cost of the investment. subject
to a cap. for energy-efficient equipment purchased in 2000 and 2001 and 20 percent.
subject to a cap, for higher-efficiency equipment purchased from 2000 through 2003.
Tax credit for rooftop solar systems. A tax credit equal to 15 percent of the cost of the
investment will encourage the purchase by consumers and businesses of rooftop solar
systems and solar water heating systems. The maximum credit would be $2,000 for
roottop photovoltaic systems installed through 2006 and $1.000 for solar water heating
systems placed in service from 2000 through 2004.
VEHICLES
Tax credits for electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and high-efficiency hybrid vehicles.
Cars and light trucks (including minivans, sport utilities, and pickups) currently account
for 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Tax credits for electric. fuel cell and hvbrid
vehicles will help to move these high efficiency technologies from the laboratory to the
highway. These technologies can significantly reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the
most prevalent greenhouse gas.
Extend the present tax credit for electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles
Under current law, a 10 percent credit is provided for the cost of qualified electric
vehicles and fuel cell vehicles up to $4,000. The full amount of the credit is
available for purchases prior to 2002. The credit begins to phase down in 2002
and phases out in 2005. The President's proposal would extend the tax credit at
its $4,000 maximum level through 2006.
Tax credits for highly fuel efficient hybrid vehicles. The credit -- available for
all qualifying vehicles, including cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup
trucks -- would be:
-- $1,000 for each vehicle that is one-third more fuel efficient than a
comparable vehicle in its class. Available from 2003-2004;
-- $2,000 for each vehicle that is two-thirds more fuel efficient than a
comparable vehicle in its class. Available from 2003-2006.
-- $3,000 for each vehicle that is twice as fuel efficient as a comparable
vehicle in its class. Available 2003-2006; and
3
-- $4,000 for each vehicle that is three times as fuel efficient as a
comparable vehicle in its class. Available 2004-2006.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Tax credit for electricity produced from wind. Current law encourages the production of
electricity from wind, which emits no greenhouse gases. through a tax credit of 1.5 cents
per kilowatt hour (adjusted for inflation after 1992). The current tax credit covers
facilities placed in service before July 1. 1999. The President proposes a 5-year extension
of this tax credit.
Tax credits for electricity produced from biomass. This package of credits would:
-- Extend current biomass credit. This proposal extends for five years the
current 1.5 cent per kilowatt hour tax credit (adjusted for inflation after 1992).
which is scheduled to expire after June 30. 1999.
-- Expand definition of eligible biomass. This proposal expands the definition
of biomass eligible for the 1.5 cent tax credit to include certain forest-related
resources and agricultural and other sources.
-- Include cofiring biomass and coal. This proposal adds a 1.0 cent per kilowatt
hour tax credit for electricity produced by cofiring biomass in coal plants.
INDUSTRY
Tax credit for combined heat and power (CHP) systems. CHP systems make effective
use of thermal energy that is otherwise wasted in producing electricity by more
conventional methods. To encourage and accelerate investment in CHP equipment, this
proposal provides an 8 percent tax credit for investments in large CHP systems that have
a total energy efficiency exceeding 70 percent and in smaller systems that have a total
energy efficiency exceeding 60 percent. The credit would apply to property placed in
service from 2000 through 2002.
4
Climate Change Technology Initiative:
$1.4 Billion for Energy Efficiency & Renewables
The President's FY 2000 budget proposes nearly $1.4 billion for the research. development and
deployment of renewable energy technologies and energy-efficient practices. This represents a
$347 million increase (34 percent) over FY 1999 spending (see Table 2). The President's
proposed investment package. covers the four major carbon-emitting sectors of the economy --
Buildings. Transportation, Industry. and Electricity -- well as Carbon Sequestration. The
following sections highlight selected programs in each of these areas of effort. The full agency
programs extend well beyond what is described here.
Table 1. R&D and Technology Deployment Funding ($ in Millions)
Change
1998
1999
2000
from 1999
Energy
729
902
1,124
+222
Programs within DOE -- non-add
Solar and Renewable Energy
272
336
399
+63
Energy Conservation R&D
457
526
647
+121
Fossil Energy R&D
--
24
37
+13
Nuclear Energy
--
0
5
+5
Basic Science
--
14
33
+19
Energy Information Admin.
--
3
3
0
EPA
90
109
216
+107
Housing & Urban Development
0
10
10
0
Agriculture
0
0
16
+16
Commerce
0
0
2
+2
Total R&D and Technology
819
1,021
1,368
+347
Tax Incentives
--
1
383
+382
Total CCTI
819
1,022
1,751
+729
Totals may not add due to rounding
5
BUILDINGS
Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). The Department Housing
and Urban Development (HUD). Department of Energy (DOE). the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). and
other agencies are working with the building industry to develop. demonstrate and deploy
housing technologies to make homes 50 percent more energy-efficient within a decade
and to enable the retrofitting of at least 15 million existing homes within a decade to
make them 30 percent more energy efficient.
-- In support of PATH's goals. DOE's Building America program will aid
developers in building 2.000 highly energy-efficient. environmentally sound and
cost-effective houses and then disseminate the results to the builders of 15.000
other houses.
Energy Efficient Appliances and Equipment. A number of DOE and EPA programs
aim to improve the energy-efficiency of appliances and equipment and encourage more
widespread use of high-efficiency products:
-- DOE will accelerate the lighting and appliance energy efficiency standards
program to realize even greater savings of energy, consumer energy costs and
greenhouse gas emissions.
-- DOE and EPA's Energy Star Products program saves consumers money and
reduces greenhouse gas emissions at the same time by promoting the use of
energy-efficient appliances -- everything from computers to refrigerators to central
air-conditioning units. New funding will support the launch of new Energy Star
product lines.
-- DOE will increase investment R&D for key energy efficient technologies
such as advanced lighting, space conditioning. building cogeneration and
advanced appliances.
Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings. DOE and EPA work in partnership with
industry to research, develop, and deploy new technologies and practices to improve the
energy performance of commercial buildings. Buildings in the top 25 percent in energy
efficiency qualify for EPA's "Energy Star Buildings" label. Participants include the
Empire State Building, the World Trade Center, and Chicago's Sears Tower.
Energy Smart Schools. Announced in October, 1998, this initiative cuts across several
DOE programs and brings together public and private sector resources to cut schools'
energy bills so that the savings can be reinvested in students and their education.
6
TRANSPORTATION
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles. A government-industry effort to develop
attractive. affordable cars that meet all applicable safety and environmental standards and
get up to three times the fuel efficiency of today's cars. Since 1993, great strides have
been made in producing lower-cost. light-weight materials. inexpensive fuel cells, and
advanced internal combustion engines for use in hybrid vehicles. The program aims to
produce a prototype mid-sized family car capable of 80 miles per gallon (mpg) with a
two-thirds reduction in carbon emissions by 2004. The FY 2000 budget includes $264
million for PNGV-related work. an increase of $24 million over the amount appropriated
in FY 1999.
Light and Heavy Trucks. Similar government-industry efforts are aimed at developing
cleaner. more efficient diesel engines for both light and heavy trucks.
-- By 2002. DOE aims to develop advanced diesel cycle engine technologies for
pickup trucks. vans. and sport utility vehicles which achieve at least a 35 percent
fuel efficiency improvement relative to current gasoline-fueled trucks by 2002
while meeting strict emission standards.
-- By 2004. DOE, in coordination with EPA and DOD. aims to develop engine
and vehicle technologies for heavy trucks that will increase the fuel economy to
12 mpg from the current average of 5.3 mpg.
Biofuels. Working closely with USDA, DOE will continue its work in the biochemistry
of converting wood chips, grasses, agricultural wastes, and other products into ethanol
and other potentially useful fuels. The program has completed the design of a 10 million
gallons/year first-of-a-kind refinery for producing ethanol from biomass. In the upcoming
year, it will aim to demonstrate the conversion of agricultural wastes to ethanol at a small
commercial scale using a genetically engineered fermentative microorganism.
INDUSTRY
Industries of the Future. This DOE program works cooperatively with the nation's most
energy-intensive industries -- such as aluminum, glass, chemicals. forest products,
mining, petroleum refining, and steel -- on developing technologies that increase energy
and resource efficiency. Examples of promising collaborative efforts include
improvements in the process of making steel and improvements in the aluminum
production process that could dramatically increase efficiency and eliminate emissions of
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), a highly potent greenhouse gas.
Industrial Cogeneration. DOE is developing new industrial power/cogeneration systems
to capture heat that would otherwise be wasted. These systems are expected to be 15
7
percent more energy efficient, 80 percent cleaner than conventional power systems and
cut electricity costs by 10 percent. In addition, EPA and DOE are also working to
eliminate barriers to the rapid dissemination of combined heat and power technology.
Agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will undertake R&D and
support demonstration projects aimed at both lowering greenhouse gas emissions from
agriculture and reducing agriculture's vulnerability to climate change.
--The Natural Resources Conservation Service will invest $3 million in projects
to demonstrate and test various greenhouse gas mitigation strategies and
monitoring mechanisms. such as compost-based waste-handling facilities.
rotational grazing systems and improved feed and forage systems.
--The Agricultural Research Service will devote $7 million toward the
development of new technology and expertise for reducing agriculture's
vulnerability to a changing climate. Field experiments will seek to measure
various potential effects of climate change, such as varying amounts and patterns
of rainfall on forage production. Work will also be done to improve our
knowledge of biomass feedstocks and innovative bioenergy technologies.
ELECTRICITY
Photovoltaic Energy Systems. Over the past 20 years, Federal R&D has resulted in a 90
percent cost reduction in solar photovoltaics. DOE will accelerate R&D of the next
generation photovoltaic cells; increase manufacturing R&D; increase research in
buildings-integrated applications; and fund new efforts to develop unconventional
technological breakthroughs.
-- Million Solar Roofs. In June, 1997, the President announced an initiative to
encourage the installation of one million solar systems by 2010, which would
reduce carbon emissions equivalent to the annual emissions from 850,000 cars.
DOE has received commitments for over half a million solar rooftop installations.
Biomass. Biomass refers to trees, crops and agricultural wastes used to produce power,
fuels or chemicals. It represents a tremendous renewable resource whose use can help
strengthen our energy security, protect the environment, and enhance our rural economy.
-- Biomass Power. DOE is testing and demonstrating biomass co-firing with
coal; developing advanced technologies for biomass gasification using paper
industry by-products; and developing and testing high-yield, low-cost biomass
feedstocks.
-- Developing An Integrated Biomass Industry. This year DOE, USDA, and
8
other federal agencies and private partners, will launch a national partnership to
develop an integrated biomass industry.
Wind Power. DOE will continue developing a next-generation wind turbine able to
produce power at 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour in good wind regions. accelerate R&D on
critical components. and accelerate testing and field validation.
Hydrogen. DOE will accelerate research on low-cost hydrogen production and storage.
prerequisites to the widespread use of hydrogen as a fuel.
High Temperature Superconductivity. DOE supports industry-led projects to capitalize
on recent breakthroughs in superconducting wire technology. aimed at developing devices
such as advanced motors. power cables. and transformers. These technologies would
allow more electricity to reach the consumer without an increase in fossil fuel input.
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
R&D for Sequestration. Research initiatives are being funded to find ways to sequester
(store) carbon. Examples include:
-- Enhancing Forest and Farmland Sinks. USDA will spend $6 million for
R&D and demonstration projects for optimizing forest, farmland, and rangeland
carbon sinks. The focus of such projects will include storage of carbon in forest
soils and increased durability and use of wood products to sequester carbon.
-- Enhancing natural geological and oceanic processes. DOE will support
research into the feasibility of capturing and storing carbon dioxide in
underground geological structures or in the deep ocean.
9
Other Climate-Related Investments
There are a number of additional programs funded in the FY 2000 budget that -- while not part of
the Climate Change Technology Initiative or the U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program
per se -- contribute to improving energy efficiency and/or reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
These programs include:
Cleaner Coal and Power. The FY 2000 budget includes $122 million to support the
Department of Energy's (DOE) aggressive R&D effort to develop next-generation
technologies for coal combustion. Research and development on two new coal
combustion technologies -- integrated gasification combined cycle and pressurized
fluidized bed combustion -- could lead to ultra-high efficiency coal plants with
dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Low Income Weatherization and State Energy Grants. These DOE programs facilitate
energy efficiency investments at the State and local level. The Weatherization
Assistance Program, for example. delivers energy conservation services, such as
insulation, to low-income Americans, reducing energy costs for consumers. improving
health and safety, and reducing carbon emissions. The total FY 2000 budget request for
these two programs is $191 million -- a $25 million increase over FY 1999
appropriations.
Agricultural & Forestry Conservation Programs. Many U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) conservation programs have the co-benefit of reducing carbon emissions
resulting from agriculture and forestry and enhancing the ability of "sinks," such as
forests and farmlands, to sequester or store carbon. This includes programs such as the
Conservation Reserve Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and the
Farmland Protection Program. In general, these programs assist farmers, ranchers, and
other landowners in conserving and improving soil, water, and other natural resources
associated with rural land.
10
U.S. Global Change Research Program
The United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) seeks to provide a sound
scientific understanding of both the human and natural forces that influence the Earth's climate
system. The information produced by USGCRP's scientists is used by national and international
policy makers to make informed decisions on global change issues. It is a multi-agency scientific
research program coordinated through the National Science and Technology Council's
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
For FY 2000. the President is requesting nearly $1.8 billion for the U.S. Global Change Research
Program, an increase of $105 million, or 6 percent. above FY 1999 estimated budget levels. Of
the FY 2000 budget request, $828 million is for scientific research (up $84 million) and $958
million is for NASA's development of climate monitoring satellites and ground based
observation systems. Other important USGCRP budget highlights include:
Carbon Cycle Initiative. The FY 2000 budget request establishes a new multi-agency
initiative to study of the role of farms and forests in capturing carbon. Such agricultural
carbon "sinks" may provide the U.S. and other nations with new tools for offsetting
greenhouse gas emissions. The funding will also help scientists better understand carbon
sources and sinks on large geographic and time scales. The initiative includes $10
million in new funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and $5 million
for the Department of Energy (DOE).
Soil Carbon Inventory. The FY 2000 budget request includes $14 million (an increase of
$12 million from FY 1999) to significantly expand efforts to conduct a comprehensive
scientific inventory of carbon stored in U.S. soils and to develop methods to predict how
soil carbon levels would be affected by different practices and policies. The inventory
will be conducted by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
3 Dimensional Mapping of Forests. The FY 2000 budget provides funding to launch
NASA's Vegetation Canopy Lidar, which, for the first time, will give scientists a three
dimensional view of the Earth's forests to help determine the contribution of forests in
sequestering atmospheric carbon.
Consequences of Climate Change. The FY 2000 budget provides funding to complete a
report on the first national assessment of the potential consequences of climate change on
the United States. The report will identify potential impacts on key economic sectors and
geographic regions, mitigation and adaptation strategies, and provide technical
information for policy makers.
Regional variability. The FY 2000 budget request includes funding to help scientists
examine climate change and variability on a regional scale. Supported in part by the
Administration's new Information Technology Initiative, the funding will help improve
U.S. computer capabilities to run the complex models required to understand the impacts
of climate change and variability at the regional scale.
11
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release
Contact: (202) 456-7035
Saturday, November 14, 1998
STATEMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT GORE
ON THE BUENOS AIRES CLIMATE CHANGE AGREEMENT
The agreement reached early today in Buenos Aires ensures that the nations of the world will
continue moving forward against the threat of global warming. Our goal must be a global solution that
protects future generations while maintaining strong and sustainable economic growth. Today's
agreement is a critical step. but much work remains.
Barley a year after the historic agreement in Kyoto. we are making progress in fulfilling its
promise. I am particularly pleased by the growing engagement of developing countries, marked most
notably by Argentina's pledge to take on a binding emissions target. And I commend Kazakstan's
pledge to do so as well.
In signing the Kyoto Protocol. the United States reaffirmed its commitment to work with other
nations to resolve the many issues still before us. I look forward to achieving the kind of progress we
need before we can submit the Protocol for the approval of the U.S. Senate.
###
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
Contact:
For Immediate Release
Monday, August 10, 1998
(202) 456-7035
VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES NEW DATA SHOWING THAT JULY 1998 WAS
THE HOTTEST MONTH ON RECORD
Also Announces First-Ever Centers To Study Environmental Threats to Children
Washington, DC Vice President Gore announced today new data showing that July 1998
was the hottest month on record.
"Every month this year has set a new record for average global temperature, and July was
the hottest month in nearly 120 years," Vice President Gore said. "Scientists say we are warming the
planet and unless we take action we can expect even more extreme weather more heat waves,
more flooding, more powerful storms and more drought. How much more evidence do we need?"
Today's data compiled by the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Climatic Data Center shows that July 1998 set a new record for global
temperature, making it the hottest month since reliable records began in 1880. The average global
temperature for July was 61.7 degrees Fahrenheit, 1.26 degrees higher than the long-term average
for July, and 0.45 degrees higher than the previous record set in July 1997.
This announcement continues this year's record breaking heat trends -- the first seven
months of this year have set a new global temperature record, following 1997, which was the
warmest year on record. This summer is the warmest on record for Texas, Louisiana and Florida.
In Dallas, temperatures stayed above 100 degrees for 29 days in a row.
The Vice President again called on Congress to fully fund the Administration's proposed
research and tax incentives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy
efficiency and developing clean energy technologies.
Besides causing more extreme weather, additional heat in the climate system also promotes
the formation of smog which aggravates respiratory problems. With that in mind, the Vice
President also announced the establishment of the first-ever Federal research centers dedicated
solely to studying children's environmental health hazards.
Children are at disproportionate risk from environmental health threats because, pound for
pound, they breathe more air, drink more water, and eat more food than adults. Children's behavior,
such as playing close to the ground, leads to greater exposures. In addition to these heightened
exposures, children's developing systems are more vulnerable to environmental threats, which can
result in illnesses such as asthma attacks or reduced intellectual development.
"Our children are our most precious resource, and we must do all we can to provide them with a
safe, healthy environment," Vice President Gore said. "These new research centers will ensure that our
efforts to prevent asthma and protect children against pesticides and other environmental hazards are
guided by the best possible science."
With joint funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), "Centers of Excellence in Children's Environmental Health Research"
will be created at eight leading research institutions. These unique centers will perform targeted research
into children's environmental health. and translate their scientific findings into intervention and
prevention strategies by working directly with communities and community groups.
The research centers include: the University of Southern California's School of Medicine; the
University of Iowa's College of Medicine; the University of Michigan's School of Public Health; Johns
Hopkins Universities' Children's Center; the University of California at Berkeley's School of Public
Health: the University of Washington's Department of Environmental Health; Mount Sinai School of
Medicine; and Columbia Universities' School of Public Health. Each center was selected through an
extensive peer review process by health experts inside and outside of government and will receive
between $1.2 million and $1.5 million.
These centers will address two of the most important areas of children's environmental health --
the causes of asthma and effects of pesticide exposure. Recent reports have found an alarming rise of
childhood asthma in the United States -- asthma in children under age five increased 160 percent from
1980 to 1994, and is now the number one cause for childhood hospitalization.
The work at five of these research centers will better the nation's understanding of the link between
the rise in asthma rates and secondhand smoke, smog, and other pollutants. The other three centers will
examine children's vulnerabilities to pesticides, which can affect the endocrine system, reduce intellectual
development, and cause damage to the central nervous system.
Recognizing children's vulnerability to environmental health threats and the need for improved
research, President Clinton issued the Executive Order on the Protection of Children from Environmental
Health Risks and Safety Risks on April 21, 1997, which made children's environmental health a priority
for the Federal government and included actions to improve research. In response to this mandate, EPA
and the HHS allocated $10.6 million for the establishment of eight "Centers of Excellence in Children's
Environmental Health Research."
Attached is a description of each grant.
University of Southern California, School of Medicine
Los Angeles, CA
With the help of the $1.35 million grant, the University of Southern California Department of
Preventive Medicine, in conjunction with the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
School of Medicine will investigate the relationship of second-hand tobacco smoke, air pollution,
and indoor allergens to the development of asthma in children. In partnership with Communities
for a Better Environment and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation Los Angeles Chapter, the
center will conduct a major research and intervention study in Los Angeles communities to
develop tools for health and environmental officials to better protect children's health. Concerned
Citizens for South Central Los Angeles and Mothers of East Los Angeles-Santa Isabel, will serve
as advisors.
University of Iowa, College of Medicine
Iowa City, Iowa
The College of Medicine at the University of Iowa will use the $1.21 million Clinton
Administration grant to investigate respiratory illness in children from rural communities.
Together with the Keokuk County Rural Health Study, researchers will examine causes of asthma
in children living in rural Keokuk County and develop a multi-component approach for reducing
levels of respiratory illness among children in rural areas.
University of Michigan, School of Public Health
Ann Arbor, MI
With the $1.3 million grant, the University of Michigan School of Public Health will study
environmental factors which contribute to pediatric asthma. Working with the Kettering/Butzel
Health Initiative, Detroit Health Department, Warren/Conner Development Coalition, Butzel
Family Center, Latino Family Services, United Community Housing Coalition, researchers will
conduct assessments of asthmatic children in Detroit and use findings to develop initiatives to
reduce asthma among inner-city children.
Johns Hopkins University Children's Center
Baltimore, MD
The Johns Hopkins University Hospital School of Medicine will use its $1.31 million grant to
examine the role of air pollutants such as particulate matter, environmental tobacco smoke, and
ozone in rising asthma rates among inner city children. By studying students in Baltimore City
Schools, researchers will determine how exposures to environmental pollutants and allergens
relate to asthma and develop new ways to protect children from environmental health risks.
University of California at Berkeley, School of Public Health
Berkeley, CA
The School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley plans to use its $1.18
million award to evaluate the impact of pesticide exposure on children's growth and development.
Working with La Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas and La Natividad Medical Center, the
school will study the effects of pesticide exposure in children of the agricultural community of
Salinas, CA and develop methods to protect children from health risks associated with pesticides.
University of Washington, Department of Environmental Health
Seattle, WA
The University of Washington Department of Environmental Health will use its $1.35 million
grant to conduct research on the special vulnerability of children to health risks from pesticides. In
conjunction with the Washington State Migrant Council, this center will implement research and
intervention projects among children of farm workers in state's Yakima Valley to provide local,
state and Federal officials with new tools and approaches for improving the health of children in
agricultural regions across the nation.
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, NY
With the help of a $1.4 million grant, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine will undertake research
to identify, characterize, and prevent developmental effects among inner city children resulting
from exposures to pollutants that occur in their diets and homes. In cooperation with East Harlem
Community Health Committee and the Boriken Neighborhood Health Center, Mount Sinai will
develop both direct and indirect methods for reducing household exposures 10 pollutants and will
attempt to apply these methods broadly across East Harlem.
Columbia University, School of Public Health
New York, NY
The Columbia University School of Public Health will use the $1.48 million grant to investigate
the relationship between environmental pollutants, such as particulate matter and environmental
tobacco smoke, and the incidence of asthma among inner city children. Working in partnership
with West Harlem Environmental Action Inc. and the New York State Department of Health, this
center will develop and evaluate a community wide intervention to increase the awareness of
environmental hazards and educate community members to prevent and reduce them.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Monday, August 10, 1998
(202) 456-7035
VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES NEW DATA SHOWING
WARMEST AUGUST ON RECORD
Joins Rep. Matsui in Announcing Proposed Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives
Washington, DC -- Vice President Gore announced new data today showing that last month
was the warmest August on record, and he joined Rep. Bob Matsui in announcing proposed energy
efficiency tax incentives designed to encourage innovation and reduce energy costs for American
businesses and consumers.
"We have had the hottest year in more than a century, followed by the eight straight hottest
months in more than a century, together with some of the most severe weather of the century," Vice
President Gore said. "How much more evidence do we need that global warming is real and here to
stay?"
Last month was the warmest August on record globally, according to data from the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average global temperature
index for the month was 61.4 degrees Fahrenheit -- 1.3 degrees above the long-term mean of 60.1
degrees for August (based on data from 1880 to 1997). The previous record for August was 61.1
degrees, set in 1997.
For the year to date (January through August), the average global temperature of 58.5 degrees
Fahrenheit was also 1.3 degrees above the long-term mean of 57.2 for that period.
The Vice President joined Matsui in announcing the congressman's introduction of the
Administration's five-year, $3.6 billion energy efficiency tax package. The bill would cut energy costs
for American families and businesses; increase the nation's economic competitiveness; cut U.S.
dependence on foreign oil; and protect the environment through improved air quality and lower
emissions of greenhouse gases.
"For consumers, these kinds of tax incentives mean lower energy costs -- by providing
incentives for more energy-efficient homes, and by providing tax credits to people who buy more
energy-efficient vehicles," Vice President Gore said.
"For industry, it means more jobs and increased competitiveness -- by making it cheaper and
easier to create energy-efficient heat and power systems, and by encouraging more renewable forms of
electricity," he added.
###
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Monday, June 8, 1998
(202) 456-7035
VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES RECORD GLOBAL TEMPERATURES IN
THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 1998
New Data Suggests That Global Warming May Be Making Effects of El Nino Even Worse
Washington, DC -- Vice President Gore today announced new data showing record
global temperatures in the first five months of 1998, and a new analysis by federal scientists
suggesting that global warming may be making the effects of El Nino even worse.
The Vice President released a report by the Commerce Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showing that average global temperatures for
January through May far exceed previous records for those months. The report also shows that
over the past century, El Ninos have become more frequent and progressively warmer.
"This century is the warmest in 600 years, 1997 was the warmest year on record, and
we've set new temperature records every month since January," Vice President Gore said in
remarks at the White House. "This report is a reminder once again that global warming is
real, and that unless we act, we can expect more extreme weather in the years ahead."
The Vice President called on Congress to approve the Administration's Climate Change
Technology Initiative, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by providing $6.3 billion
over five years for tax and research incentives to spur the development and use of energy-
efficient products and clean energy technologies. The package includes tax credits for
consumers who buy super-efficient cars, homes and appliances.
"Regrettably, there are those in Congress who'd rather pretend that climate change is
not real," the Vice President said. "It's time for Congress to wake up to the mounting evidence
and help us meet this challenge head on. The time to act is now."
The NOAA analysis examined the 10 strongest El Nino events of this century and
found that they have become more frequent and warmer. During El Nino, a naturally
occurring phenomenon, rising ocean temperatures in the Southern Pacific Ocean set off
climatic shifts that can produce extreme heat and extreme precipitation in different regions of
the world. Although it is not clear that the increasing frequency and warmth of El Ninos is a
direct result of global warming, the analysis suggests that the effects of El Nino are
compounded by rising global temperatures.
For the first five months of 1998, new temperature records were set in five states, and
new precipitation records in 13. Temperature or precipitation, and in some cases both, were
far above normal in 32 states. Tornadoes have killed 122 people this year, matching the annual
record set in 1984. Elsewhere around the world, unusually warm ocean temperatures have
severely damaged fragile coral reefs from the Florida Keys to Australia, and prolonged
drought have contributed to thousands of wildfires in Malaysia, Brazil and Mexico.
"This El Nino gives us a taste of the extreme, erratic weather our children and
grandchildren can expect more of unless we reverse the trend of global warming," the Vice
President said.
The Vice President directed NOAA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
to work with other agencies in preparing a detailed review of the 1987-88 El Nino, its impacts
and its costs. He also announced a new National Aeronautics and Space Administration web
site (http://modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/fire_atlas/fires.html) tracking major forest fires around the
world with state-of-the-art satellite imagery.
###
NATIONAL US DEPARTMENT OCEANIC U.S. DEPARTMENT AND ПОАА ATMOSPHERIC COMMERCE ADMINISTRATION
OF
1997-98 El NINO
CLIMATE AND WEATHER SUMMARY
JUNE 8, 1998
NOAA/National Weather Service
National Centers for Environmental Prediction
Climate Prediction Center
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
EL NIÑO AND CLIMATE CHANGE: Record Temperature and Precipitation
SUMMARY
The 1997/98 El Niño, one of the most significant climatic events of the century, produced
extreme weather worldwide. El Niños have become more frequent and progressively warmer
over the past century, and new data and analysis suggest that global warming is exacerbating the
effects of El Niño. Global temperatures for January-May 1998 substantially exceed previous
records.
During this latest El Niño, temperature and precipitation records were broken across the United
States. Many areas suffered heavy flooding, and a series of severe tornadoes has killed 122
people so far this year, already matching the annual record set in 1984. Elsewhere around the
world, El Niño contributed to major droughts and wildfire in Mexico, Indonesia and Brazil;
devastating floods in South America; and massive coral bleaching from Panama to Africa to
Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Globally, 1997 was the warmest year on record. Average temperatures for January-May 1998
have since set new all-time highs. Combined land and ocean temperatures for the five-month
period exceed the previous record by 0.25 C (0.45 F).
Analysis of data from the ten strongest El Niños of the past century shows that they are occurring
more frequently, and that they are becoming progressively warmer. These higher temperatures
tend to produce more extreme weather events. Although El Niños occur cyclically, independent
of any long-term warming trend, there is observational evidence to suggest that rising global
temperatures may be linked to stronger, more frequent El Niños.
THE EL NIÑO PHENOMENON
El Niño, meaning "Little Boy" or "Christ Child" in Spanish, was the name given by fishermen to
unusually warm water off the West Coast of South America. El Niños occur every few years and
disrupt the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific, which subsequently affects weather
around the globe. Its far-reaching consequences include increased rainfall across the southern US
and Peru, which has caused destructive flooding, and drought in the west Pacific, sometimes
associated with devastating fires. During El Niño, the trade winds which normally blow west
towards Indonesia, relax in the central and western Pacific, allowing normally cool, nutrient-rich
waters off of South America to warm significantly, leading to a decline in these fisheries. As the
Pacific's warmest water spreads eastward, the hot humid air which fuels thunderstorms moves
with it. El Niño changes the position of the jet stream, winds which affect the weather not only in
North and South America, but as far away as Africa and Antarctica.
THE 1997/98 EL NINO
The 1997-98 El Niño was first noted by numerical models and scientists at NOAA's Climate
Prediction Center in early spring 1997 when sea surface temperatures (SST) in the equatorial
Pacific ocean began to increase. By March 1997, the SSTs were approximately 1°C (1.8°F)
above normal in the extreme eastern equatorial Pacific and the vicinity of the international
dateline. By May 1997, the evolution of the atmospheric and oceanic conditions in the tropical
Pacific were consistent with the beginning stages of warm episode, or El Niño, conditions. Along
with the increased SSTs, tropical convection began to gradually shift eastward toward the date
line. Numerical models indicated that a continued warming trend in the tropical Pacific would
persist through the end of the year, and that the warm episode conditions would intensify during
the summer. In May 1997, SSTs greater than 29°C (84° F) were observed from Indonesia to
160°W. Equatorial SST anomalies (departures from normal) exceeded +1°C from 175°W
eastward to the South American Coast, with values greater than +4°C (7.2°F) observed in the
extreme eastern Pacific. These strong conditions have persisted in the tropical Pacific Ocean
since June 1997. As of May 1998, strong El Niño conditions continued as SSTs remained above
28°C throughout most of the region. The latest NOAA forecasts indicate a return to near normal
conditions in the tropical Pacific during the next 3-6 months. Thereafter, the NCEP coupled
model indicates that near normal conditions will persist through the end of 1998.
RISING GLOBAL TEMPERATURES
The most recent near-surface land and sea-surface ocean temperatures, based on weather stations,
ocean ships and buoys, and satellites indicate that global temperatures for both land and ocean
during 1998 (through May) far exceed all previous record high temperatures (FIGURE 1). Land
temperatures are 0.32 C (0.58° F) warmer than any previous January-through-May period. Ocean
temperatures are 0.20 C (0.36 F) warmer than any previous January-through-May period.
Combined land and ocean temperatures exceed the old record by 0.25 C (0.45° F).
The warmth has clearly been reflected in the US. as temperatures have averaged 4 to 6 deg F
above normal throughout the Great Lakes States and the Northeast. A number of new one-day
record high temperatures were set during March of this year. They include: 92 F in Connecticut,
95 F in Maryland, 92 F in Massachusetts, 88 F in Vermont, 89 F in Maine, 92 F in New Jersey,
and 89 F in New Hampshire.
The record warmth is continuing through May as initial data reports show near-surface land
temperatures during May exceeding the previous record set in 1994 by 0.15 C (0.27 F). Ocean
temperatures also continue to remain at record high levels in May, exceeding the previous record,
set just last year, by 0.15 C (0.27 F). These record high ocean temperatures are persisting despite
some cooling of ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific related to the beginning of the
demise of the recent El Niño event.
During the past few decades, global temperatures have persistently broken previous record highs
every few years, but never to the extent observed in 1998. Each month this year has set a new all-
time record high global temperature (FIGURE 2). This is unprecedented and is not likely to
occur in a stationary climate. New analyses of tree-rings, historical records, and other proxy
measurements indicate that these temperatures are warmer than the planet has experienced for at
least the last 600 years.
EL NINO AND GLOBAL WARMING
Examination of data from the ten strongest El Niño events of the Century reveals two general
trends: increasing frequency of El Niño events in the past few decades, compared to what was
observed earlier this Century; and rising global temperatures during these events (FIGURE 3).
It can not be determined from current evidence whether El Niños are becoming more frequent or
more intense as a direct result of global warming. It appears evident, however, that the effects of
El Niño could be compounded by rising global temperatures. In other words, the extreme
weather and climate conditions related to naturally occurring El Niño events could be exacerbated
by an ongoing global warming trend. The additional heat near the Earth's surface powers the
energy required to evaporate enormous amounts of water. This affects the entire atmospheric
water and energy balance.
El Niño events also strongly impact regional precipitation patterns. In the United States, for
example, wet conditions ordinarily occur with El Niño events in the west, south, and southeast.
This year, however, conditions have been wetter than average throughout virtually the entire
country. This continues the Century-long trend toward wetter conditions in the USA, and more
extreme rainfall and snowfall events.
Based on records dating back to 1895, many states have broken all-time records for mean
temperatures and total precipitation during the period January-May 1998 (Figure Map). During
the first five months of 1998, records for total precipitation were broken in California, Maryland,
North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. For the same time period, Idaho had its second
wettest year to date, Rhode Island its third wettest, Nevada its fourth wettest, and Massachusetts,
Oregon, and Pennsylvania their fifth wettest year to date. Outside of California and Arizona every
state has had above average temperatures with 24 states experiencing much above normal
temperatures (in the upper ten percentile). Thirteen states have had their warmest January - May
period on record. Seventeen states had much above normal precipitation, nine states had both
much above normal precipitation and temperature, and Maryland had both the wettest and
warmest period on record to date.
While some regions experience heavy precipitation during El Niño, in others, increased global
temperatures lead to conditions that are drier than normal. For example, during the past year,
Indonesia and Central America have suffered droughts, which have contributed to catastrophic
wildfires.
APPENDIX: JANUARY-MAY (YEAR-TO-DATE) TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
RECORDS IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES
Many temperature and precipitation records were broken in the United States during the January
through May period, with several regions and 17 states setting records for precipitation and
temperature for this period. The Northeast region and 13 states had the warmest January through
May period on record, while the East North Central and Central regions and the states of Illinois,
Indiana, Maine and Minnesota had the second warmest January through May periods on record.
During the same period, the Southwest and West regions, and California, Maryland, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia broke records for precipitation dating back to 1985. Idaho
also had the second wettest five-month period on record.
(Temperatures in degrees F, Precipitation in inches)
January-May 1998 was the wettest on record (back to 1895) for 2 regions and 5 states:
1998
1998 Percent
1961-90
Second Wettest
Region
Value
of Normal
Normal
Value & Year
Southeast
27.72"
134%
20.76"
27.31" in 1979
West
19.66"
218%
9.03"
19.04" in 1995
1998
1998 Percent
1961-90
Second Wettest
State
Value
of Normal
Normal
Value & Year
California
28.04"
228%
12.31"
27.49" in 1909
Maryland
24.55"
141%
17.39"
24.45" in 1924
North Carolina
29.20"
145%
20.08"
26.31" in 1979
South Carolina
29.98"
149%
20.17"
28.64" in 1929
Virginia
27.88"
162%
17.26"
23.30" in 1984
January-May 1998 was the second wettest on record (back to 1895) for 1 state:
1998
1998 Percent
1961-90
Wettest
State
Value
of Normal
Normal
Value & Year
Idaho
11.89"
134%
8.86"
12.17" in 1996
NOAA/NESDIS/National Climatic Data Center
January-May 1998 was the warmest on record (back to 1895) for I region and 13 states:
1998
1998 Dep.
1961-90
Second Warmest
Region
Value
from Normal
Normal
Value & Year
Northeast
40.9
+5.4
35.5
39.8 in 1921
1998
1998 Dep.
1961-90
Second Warmest
State
Value
from Normal
Normal
Value & Year
Connecticut
43.6
+5.2
38.4
42.8 in 1991
Delaware
50.0
+4.9
45.1
49.5 in 1991
Maryland
48.8
+4.5
44.3
48.6 in 1990
Massachusetts
41.8
+4.6
37.2
41.2 in 1949
Michigan
39.1
+6.1
33.0
38.6 in 1921
New Hampshire
37.9
+5.2
32.7
36.1 in 1953
New Jersey
47.7
+5.4
42.3
46.4 in 1991
New York
40.1
+5.8
34.3
38.9 in 1921
Ohio
46.4
+5.9
40.5
45.8 in 1921
Pennsylvania
44.5
+5.9
38.6
44.0 in 1921
Rhode Island
44.1
+4.5
39.6
43.0 in 1949
Vermont
36.9
+5.3
31.6
35.8 in 1953
Wisconsin
38.7
+7.2
31.5
37.9 in 1987
January-May 1998 was the second warmest on record (back to 1895) for 2 regions and 4 states:
1998
1998 Dep.
1961-90
Warmest
Region
Value
from Normal
Normal
Value & Year
East North Central
38.5
+6.4
32.1
39.0 in 1987
Central
48.3
+4.4
43.9
49.0 in 1921
1998
1998 Dep.
1961-90
Warmest
State
Value
from Normal
Normal
Value & Year
Illinois
46.6
+5.2
41.4
47.3 in 1921
Indiana
46.7
+5.3
41.4
47.1 in 1921
Maine
33.60
+4.3
29.3
33.62 in 1913
Minnesota
36.0
+7.3
28.7
37.4 in 1987
NOAA/NESDIS/National Climatic Data Center
MONTHLY CLIMATE HIGHLIGHTS
January 1998
Weather patterns only occasionally deviated from the classic El Niño structure, as Arctic air
edged into the northern plains and Pacific storms hit parts of the Pacific Northwest. Frequent
storminess continued across the south and east, including a powerful storm that produced
flooding in the southeast and one of the worst ice storms on record in parts of New England. In
terms of temperatures, arctic air was held at bay, although it occasionally reached the northern
plains. Though the temperature fell to -40 F at Jordan, Mont., on the 12th, the only areas of the
U.S. where monthly mean temperatures averaged below normal were across portions of Montana
and southern California. Monthly mean temperatures were 10 degrees above normal across
portions of the Great Basin, northern plains, Ohio Valley, and the Middle Atlantic region.
The persistent storminess lead to record breaking monthly precipitation totals at the following
locations: New Orleans, LA (19.28 inches), Mobile, Ala (16.92 inches), Baton Rouge, La. (14.94
inches), Asheville, N.C. (9.96 inches), Roanoke, Va. (7.97 inches), Blacksburg, Va. (7.39 inches),
and Burlington, Vt. (5.15 inches). Late in the month, an east coast storm caused beach erosion
and dumped record snowfall across the central and southern Appalachians, with Flat Top, W. Va.
accumulating 35.0 inches of snow in a 24-hour period on January 27-28. Elsewhere in West
Virginia, 24-hour snowfall records were established at Bluefield (21.9 inches) and Beckley (31.0
inches). Storm total snowfall reached 42 inches in Ghent, W. Va. and 40 inches at Beech
Mountain, N.C.
During the week of January 5-9, 1998, the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada were severely
affected by a storm system with a very deep southerly flow and abundant moisture. This resulted
in flooding rains from the lower Mississippi valley through the southeast and into the northeast,
accompanied by several tornadoes, and a severe ice storm in parts of the northeast/New England
and into Canada.
The heaviest rains and most severe flooding occurred in the mountains of North Carolina and
northeast Tennessee, where up to 16 inches of rain fell in a two day period in Jackson County,
N.C. Estimates indicated over 500 homes either destroyed or with severe damage in North
Carolina, and over 200 homes severely damaged or destroyed in Tennessee. Tornado touchdowns
produced some damage in Dublin, Ga. and Easley, S.C. Flooding also was a problem in parts of
the lower Mississippi valley and upstate New York.
The severe ice storm mainly affected upstate New York, northern New Hampshire and Vermont,
much of Maine, and southeast Canada. Some locations received over 3 inches of rain (in the form
of freezing rain). Canada reported over 3 million utility customers without power immediately
after the storm, while the northeast U.S. reported over 500,000 customers without power. In
Maine, four out of five residents lost electrical service at some point during or after the storm, and
nearly 3 million feet of power lines were destroyed. Overall damages were well over $2 billion for
Canada and over $300 million for the U.S. The last U.S. ice storm to strike with this (or greater)
intensity was during February 1994 in the southeast U.S.
February 1998
February was again very warm across most of the continental U.S. aided by the strong El Niño
signal. Mean monthly temperatures were as much at 6-16 F above normal across portions of the
northern plains. These warm temperatures resulted in many record temperatures including an
average temperature of 29.1 F at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., which was 15.1 F above normal. The
only below normal areas in the contiguous U.S. were across portions of the southwest and west
coast. Especially impressive was the lack of night-time cold, as temperatures remained above the
20 F mark for the entire month in Topeka, Kan. --the first occurrence since records began 102
years ago. At Madison, Wis., the month's extreme lowest daily temperature was only 11 F, which
is equal to their normal daily average February minimum. Unusually cloudy weather continued
across a large portion of the eastern half of the country, which acted as a night-time blanket and
kept temperatures well above normal. At month's end, the water temperature of Lake Erie at
Buffalo was 36 F, the highest on record for the end of the month. The only other seasons that the
lake remained unfrozen were 1952-1953 and 1982-1983.
In terms of precipitation, across California and the southwest, four weeks of nearly continuous
storminess resulted in widespread flooding, mudslides, and agriculture disruptions. Late in the
month a shift in the weather pattern brought some of that storminess out of the southwest and
into the northern plains. February precipitation records were set at nearly a dozen locations in the
east and at least 19 stations in California. Santa Barbara, Calif., received an incredible monthly
total of 21.74 inches, breaking the old record of 17.33 set in 1962 and establishing a record for
any month. Records for that location date back to 1867.
Severe thunderstorms produced winds gusts to 104 mph in Miami, 90 mph in Hollywood, and 66
mph in Homestead on the 2nd and 3rd of the month. Over 220,000 Florida Power and Light
customers were left without power, as the company said damage to its system was the worst since
the "Storm of the Century" in March 1993. Another batch of severe thunderstorms spawned
deadly tornadoes across central Florida on February 22-23, killing 42 people.
California Flooding
During the month of February 1998, California was struck by a series of storms due in part to the
affects of El Niño. The current estimates indicate over $550 million in damages for the state, with
that total expected to climb. The state also reported 17 storm-related deaths for the winter, and
35 counties were declared federal disaster areas. Clear Lake in northern California reached its
highest level since 1909, flooding portions of Lakeport, about 90 miles north of San Francisco.
The west coast has dealt with severe flooding for each of the last four winters (including this
year). However, the previous three winters were not significantly influenced by El Niño, thus
showing that (as climatologists have pointed out in prior years) severe flooding can occur on the
west coast during non-El Niño years.
Florida Tornadoes
During the late evening of February 22 and early morning of February 23, 1998. a series of
tornadoes ripped across central Florida. At least one of the tornadoes reached an estimated F4
intensity. Forty-two fatalities occurred, over 800 residences were destroyed, another 700 were
left uninhabitable, over 3500 were damaged to some extent, and 135,000 utility customers lost
power at the height of the storms. Damages from the tornado outbreak exceeded $60 million, and
Florida's overall storm damage total since last fall is approximately $500 million. Hardest hit
locations in the tornado outbreak were Winter Garden, Altamonte Springs, Sanford, and
Campbell. Overall, 54 of Florida's 67 counties were declared federal disaster areas due to storms
over the past few months.
March 1998
March's weather featured an impressive cold outbreak (about 150 daily-record lows from March
7-13) followed by a summer-like warm spell (about 200 daily-record highs and more than 20
monthly record highs from March 22-31). The Arctic outbreak produced the coldest weather of
the season in many locations across the Central and Southeastern States in an otherwise mild
winter. Snow cover protected winter wheat on the central and northern Plains, but in the
Southeast, tender vegetation and peach blooms were damaged by three consecutive freezes
(March 11-13). March temperatures ranged from 2 to 7 F below normal on the Plains to as much
as 5 F above normal in the Great Lakes and Northeastern States. Monthly readings averaged
within 2 F of normal in California and the Southwest, although sharply cooler air arrived at
month's end, in conjunction with a renewed series of storms.
In California, a month-long stretch without torrential rain--which allowed for recovery from the
February deluge--was replaced by cold, wet conditions toward month's end. Monthly rainfall
totaled more than 200 percent of normal across parts of southern California, the Southwest, and
the southern Plains.
An active storm track across the Central and Midwestern States helped to provide abundant
snowfall. Monthly totals of 13.6 inches in Wichita, Kan. and 12.3 inches in Norfolk, Neb.
represented more than 50 percent of their respective season-to-date totals. On southern
California's Mt. Laguna, the snow depth reached 19 inches on March 29. The last two weather
systems also produced a wide variety of severe weather, including several tornadoes. On March
20, a total of 15 people were killed in Georgia and North Carolina. Nine days later, two people in
Minnesota died in separate tornadoes.
During a 96-hour period early in the month (March 4-8), 4 to 12 inches of rain inundated parts of
the Southeast. The downpours, a culmination of a 5-month wet spell, sent rivers to near-record
levels in parts of Alabama, Georgia, and western Florida. Meanwhile in Virginia, a continuation
of wet conditions through most of the month resulted in record January-March precipitation in
locations such as Roanoke (21.17 inches; 232 percent of normal) and Richmond (19.33 inches;
193 percent).
On March 9, streaks of above-normal temperatures ended at 47 days in Moline, IL and 53 days in
Milwaukee, WI. Across the Southeast, a 3-day spell of damaging cold commenced on March 11.
In the East, the late-month record warmth came just a few days after a significant snowstorm. On
March 22, 5.0 inches fell in New York's Central Park, boosting the season-to-date snowfall to 5.5
inches. Nine days later, the Park posted a March-record-tying high of 86 F. On the last 4 days of
the month, highs soared to March-record levels in more than 20 locations. Monthly temperatures
ranged from 1 to 14 F above normal in Alaska.
Serious drought continued in Hawaii through March. On Oahu, Honolulu experienced their third-
driest March (0.03 inches; 1 percent of normal) and January-March (1.01 inches; 13 percent)
periods on record. At the major reporting stations, 6-month rainfall ranged from 4.86 inches (28
percent of normal) in Honolulu to 16.68 inches (59 percent) in Lihue. Hilo received 37.47 inches
(47 percent of normal) from October to March, but only 6.21 inches (18 percent) since January 1,
1998.
April 1998
Under the influence of a very strong southern branch of a split jet stream, below-normal
temperatures prevailed from California into the Southeast. Monthly departures ranged from -2 to
-5 F from California to the central and southern Plains. Meanwhile, readings averaged 2 to 7 F
above normal across the Nation's northern tier. Because of the unusual warmth, some fruit trees
across the Great Lakes and Northeastern States were already in bloom when more typical
weather--resulting in several freezes--returned toward month's end.
The jet stream's active southern branch produced unsettled weather across California and the
Southwest. Farther east, several April rainfall records were broken across the Ohio Valley and
into the Southeast. At month's end, many rivers--including the middle Mississippi and lower Ohio
Rivers--remained very high. In contrast, the procession of storms failed to dampen the South
Central United States. The dry spell, which stretched to 6 weeks by the end of April, also
affected the immediate Gulf Coast and most of Florida, although a late-month storm boosted
topsoil moisture from eastern Texas to Florida.
Deadly tornado outbreaks struck on April 1, 8-9, and 16, claiming 45 lives across five
Southeastern States. The last time more people died in April tornadoes was 1979. On the
evening of April 8, an F5 (winds in excess of 260 mph) cut a 21-mile swath across Jefferson
County, Ala., killing 31 people. Through the first 4 months of 1998, the nation's tornado toll
reached 103, the highest calendar-year total since 1984, when 122 died.
During the first half of the month, several storms dumped significant snow from the Southwest to
the central High Plains. In the Northeast, however, there was no April snowfall in Rochester,
N.Y. for the first time since 1952. Meanwhile, record warmth developed across the Northwest.
The last day of the month featured an April-record high of 90 F in Portland, Ore.
Nearly all of Alaska wrapped up a third consecutive month with above-normal temperatures.
Monthly departures ranged from 0 to +14 F. Drought continued throughout most of Hawaii,
although significant improvement occurred in windward (east-facing) areas.
May 1998
The biggest weather story of the month was the tornadoes and severe thunderstorms which
pummeled the northern Great Plains eastward across the Great Lakes states to upstate New York
and New England from Saturday evening May 30th through Sunday May 31st. At 8:44pm May
30th a strong tornado, tentatively classified as an F4 on the Fujita damage scale, struck Spencer,
South Dakota killing 6 persons, injuring 150 and literally destroying up to 90 percent of the town.
As the storm system swept eastward during Sunday, 9 additional deaths occurred in Wisconsin,
Michigan, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania due to tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. More
than 34 tornadoes (preliminary estimate) occurred on Sunday across the northeastern states.
Dozens of people were injured and 15 homes were destroyed in Mechanicville, New York.
Winds gusted to 107 mph in Dodge County, Wisconsin, 92 mph near Grand Rapids, Michigan,
and 70 to 80 mph around Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota.
About the same time in the Pacific Northwest, heavy rains hit central Oregon from Thursday, May
28th through the weekend. The heaviest rains occurred in Crook, Deschutes, Wheeler, and
Jefferson Counties with 7 inches near Prineville. Many small streams and rivers overflowed,
resulting in the Governor declaring a state of emergency in Crook county. Fifty homes were
damaged in Prineville and 400 were evacuated as water spilled over the Ochoco Dam.
The other major weather event was the fires that developed in Mexico and Central America and
the resulting smoke plume which blanketed Texas and effected portions of the central part of the
nation. By May 15th, 10,000 fires covering more than 6000 acres of Mexico and Central America
generated enough smoke and particulate matter to trigger a health alert from the Texas Natural
Resource Conservation Commission. The health alert remained in effect through May 25th.
Other significant events included heavy rains of up to 5 inches over the Midwest on May 2nd and
3rd sent roads under 4 to 5 feet of water in portions of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and West
Virginia. On May 7th, tornadoes struck South Carolina and North Carolina. One person was
killed in Edgefield, South Carolina, crushed in their mobile home. Forty-five thousand persons
were without power in Winston Salem, North Carolina, while 200 people were sent to shelters in
Lincoln County, Georgia as a tornado struck near Lincolnton.
For the month of May, 10 persons were killed by tornadoes alone, not counting severe
thunderstorm deaths. For the first five months of this year, 120 persons have been killed by
tornadoes, compared to the long term average of 61.
ARTMENT ON OF COMMERCE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
NATIONAL OCEANIC U.S. OF OEPARTMENT AND NOAA ALMUSPHERIC COMMERCE COMMISTRATION
5
Global Surface Mean Temperature Anomalies
January-May
National Climatic Data Center/NESDIS/NOAA
0.6
1.1
Land and Ocean
Deg. C
0.0
0.0
Deg. F
-0.6
-1.1
0.6
1.1
Ocean
Leg. C
0.0
0.0
Deg. F
-0.6
-1.1
1.6
0.6
Land
Deg. C
0.0
0.0
Deg. LL
0.6
-1.2
-2.2
1880
1900
1920
1940
1960
1980
2000
Year
Figure 1
Global near-surface temperature deviations from the 1961-90. Average for land and ocean areas
combined, and land and ocean areas separately. Data are based on weather stations, ships of
opportunity and research vessels, ocean buoys, and polar-orbiting satellites.
Source: NOAA, National Climatic Data Center
we
a
a COMMER
DOLARK
Average 1998 Global Temperature
NORA
NATIONAL
yourse
UNITED STATES OF
vs. Previous Record
$17
DEPARTMENT OR
CTAMENTS
for each Month Jan-May
National Climatic Data Center / NESDIS / NOAA
1.62
0.9
1.44
0.8
1998
1998
INCREASE OVER 1961-90 MEAN (DEG C)
0.7
1.26
0.6
1.08
1998
1998
1995
1990
1998
0.5
.90
1988
0.4
.72
1991
1997
0.3
.54
0.2
.36
INCREASE OVER 1961-90 MEAN (DEG F)
0.1
.18
1onth-by-month record high global near-surface temperature deviations from the 1961-90
ompared to 1998 new-record high temperatures. Data are based on weather stations, ships of
opportunity and research vessels, ocean buoys, and polar-orbiting satellites. Records date back to
O
O
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Source: NOAA, National Climatic Data Center
MONTH
Figure 2
1880
Figure 3
Global near-surface temperature deviations from the 1961-90 average
DEPARTMENTO OF COMMERCE
for the ten strongest El Niños of the Century. The shortest El Niño
events persisted 6 months and the longest 15 months.
*
Source: NOAA, National Climatic Data Center
JED STATES OF AMERICA
MATIONAL OCEANIC US DEPARTMENT AND NOAA ATMOSPHERIC OF COMMERCE COMMISSIONER
Top 10 El Niño Events of This Century
and
Global Surface Mean Temperature Anomalies
National Climatic Data Center/NESDIS/NOAA
0.5
0.9
Land and Ocean
Deg. C
0.0
0.0
Deg F
-0.5
-0.9
0.5
0.9
Ocean
Deg. C
0.0
0.0
Deg. F
-0.5
-0.9
0.5
0.9
Land
Deg. C
0.0
0.0
Deg. F
-0.5
-0.9
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
Year
January - May
Temperature and Precipitation Summary
Shaded areas are
much above normal
- Precipitation
States that have been much above normal (in the upper ten percentiles)
tod January through May 1998 are shaded: black --- for both
te., crature and precipitation, solid gray for temperature only, gray
wavy for precipitation only. Those states with an asterisk had all time
record highs for temperature or total precipitation. Maryland set all-time record highs for both
- Temperature
precipitation and temperature. Records date back to 1895.
- Both Temperature
*
= all time record high
Source: NOAA, National Climatic Data Center
(since 1895)
and Precipitation
Figure 4
f
- 1
REMARKS FOR VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE
GLOBAL WARMING ANNOUNCEMENT / CHILDREN'S HEALTH CENTERS
Monday, August 10, 1998
I want to thank Dawn Rogers for coming here today and sharing her story. Like most
Americans, when we hear stories like these, we don't react as leaders or lawmakers -- we react as
parents. I can only imagine how difficult it must be as a parent to watch your child struggle with
every breath of air especially with this sweltering summer heat.
We all know that heat makes conditions like asthma worse. I am here today, on behalf of
President Clinton, to announce a new initiative that will help protect children like Randy Rogers
who are struggling through this oppressive heat. First, I want to take a few moments to talk
about why it's so hot this summer and unveil some startling new climate information that should
make all of us take notice. I also want to discuss the mounting evidence of global warming,
which is rising faster than most thermometers this summer.
You don't have to be a scientist to know that it has been dangerously hot this summer.
As one newspaper said a few days ago, "going outside these days has felt like opening the oven
to check on the cookies." In Florida, we saw hot spring and summer weather lead to some of the
most devastating fires in that state's history. In Texas, the mercury stayed above 100 degrees for
an unprecedented 28 straight days and claimed at least 119 lives. There is a risk that we will
suffer even more of these natural disasters in the future, because there is growing evidence that
we are dangerously warming our planet.
Last month, I announced that the first six months of the year, January through June, each
set new records for high global temperatures. That means in the 118 years since we began
keeping reliable records, last January was the warmest January, last February was the warmest
- 2 -
February, last March was the warmest March, last April was the hottest April, last May was the
hottest May, and last June was the hottest June. That came right on the heels of 1997, which was
the warmest year on record.
Well, now the July data is in. And guess what: this was the hottest July on record,
too. [POINT TO CHART 1] And that's not all. According to the new data we are
releasing today, July wasn't just the hottest July on record, it was the hottest month on
record since we began keeping reliable records more than a century ago.
When you look at the January-through-July figures since 1880, you see quite clearly the
long-term warming trend. [POINT TO CHART 2] And when you get to 1998, you see just how
unprecedented this year's temperatures are. They are at least 1.3 degrees Farenheit above the
average.
When you put more heat into our climate, the result is more extreme weather of all sorts
-- more floods, more drought, stronger storms and tornadoes.
Higher temperatures also promote the formation of smog, which worsens respiratory
problems. Too often, children like Randy Rogers end up paying the greatest price. Simple acts
that most of us take for granted - like going for a walk, or visiting a friend - are nearly
impossible for children with asthma, because it's hard for them to breathe. In fact, in Texas
today, we have been working with health agencies to make sure children with asthma are kept in
their homes.
But we all know: telling people to stay inside is a band-aid, it's not a solution. While we
work to protect children from the heat, we must do more to prevent conditions that aggravate
asthma. Children have special vulnerabilities when it comes to health and environmental
hazards. Pound for pound, they drink more water, breathe more air, and eat more food than
- 3 -
adults - and their systems aren't as developed. Yet, when President Clinton and I first took
office, this nation had no strategies or solutions targeted to solving the unique health challenges
children face.
That's why, over the past 5 ½ years, President Clinton and I have taken special steps --
from cleaning our air and water to our fight to end teen smoking - to reduce the environmental
and safety risks our children face. Last April, the President signed an Executive Order that
challenged agencies to consider the special environmental risks to children. It also invited
scientists from our leading research institutions to apply for grants to find answers to these
questions. Over the past year, we have gone through an extensive peer review process.
Today, we take the next critical step to get more of the scientific research we need to
more fully protect our kids.
I am proud to announce that today - for the first time in history - we are creating
eight federal research centers dedicated solely to studying environmental threats to
children. We call them "Centers of Excellence in Children's Environmental Health and
Disease Prevention Research."
These centers will perform targeted research into children's environmental health
hazards, and then work with communities to translate their findings into prevention
strategies to protect our children.
It's my pleasure to announce that the eight centers that will conduct this research are: the
University of California at Berkeley, School of Public Health
the University of Southern
California, Department of Preventive Medicine Columbia University, School of Public
Health
University of Iowa, College of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University Children's
Center
University of Michigan, School of Public Health
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
4
and the University of Washington. Department of Environmental Health.
The work at five of the centers -- Southern Cal, Iowa, Michigan, Johns Hopkins, and
Columbia will focus on asthma research among children, to improve the nation's
understanding of the link between the rise in asthma rates and second-hand smoke, smog, and
other pollutants. The other three centers Mount Sinai, Washington, and Berkeley will focus
largely on children's vulnerabilities to pesticides. and what we can do to prevent exposure.
And while we work to reduce children's asthma and other environmental hazards, we will
continue to work to reduce global warming. Think about it: month after month of record
temperatures. Heat waves, fires, and floods across the country. Now, the hottest month on
record. How much more evidence do we need that global warming is real, and it's here?
Unfortunately, despite all the evidence, some in Congress continue to stand in the way.
We know that if we act now, we can meet the challenges of global warming without economic
cooling. Through new technologies, we can find solutions that are sensible and doable and
actually grow our economy at the same time. But Congress is refusing to fully fund our program
of research and tax incentives to achieve these goals. It is time for Congress to act, and I promise
you this: President Clinton and I will continue to work to find solutions to the challenge of global
warming.
In the end, this isn't about charts and numbers. It's about children like Randy Rogers and
millions of families who suffer the consequences of our inaction every single day. Today, we
have more evidence than ever that global warming is real. We owe it to future generations to
heed the hard lessons of science -- to speak out forcefully - and to take common-sense steps that
can meet this challenge in the 21st century. Thank you.
As
NOT FORRELEASE By
President Al Gore
New Findings on El Nino and Climate Change
Monday, June 8, 1998
Thank you, Dr. Baker. I commend you and the entire staff at NOAA for the work you've
done throughout this El Nino. Your forecasters saw the El Nino coming well in advance, and if not
for the early warning, the damage would have been far greater. We owe you a great deal of thanks
for that.
James Lee Witt of FEMA couldn't be with us today, but we're indebted to him and his staff
as well for all they did to help families and communities brace for this El Nino and recover from its
devastating impact. The two agencies formed a very solid team, and we can be thankful for the fine
job they've done.
Let me add that I've seen first-hand the terrible human impact of extreme weather this past
year --from the ice storms in Maine, to the ferocious twister that struck my state of Tennessee,
to the powerful tornado that swept through Spencer, South Dakota just last week.
At its heart, this is about much more than weather and climate patterns --it's about
flesh-and-blood families who need protection from disaster, and help rebuilding their lives and
communities once disaster strikes.
We can be thankful that El Nino is showing signs of winding down.
It wreaked havoc not just in the United States, but across the world --including record heat
and drought, record rainfall, and now blazing forest fires. And the impact of those fires is felt right
here. Smoke and haze from the Mexican fires have blanketed Southern Texas and blown as far
north as Minnesota and Wisconsin. We are working with Mexico to contain these terrible fires.
And this morning, I am pleased to announce that we will also support Mexico's efforts to
replant and restore damaged forests --concentrating on those that are rich in biodiversity. In
addition, I'm pleased to announce a new NASA website tracking these fires around the world with
state-of-the-art satellite imagery.
As El Nino fades, we need to take a very careful look at the extreme weather we've just been
through and what it implies for our future. The report we are releasing today is an important first
step. Here is what it tells us: Global warming appears to be making the effects of El Nino even
worse.
Let me be very clear about what we're saying. El Ninos are naturally occurring events. We
experienced El Ninos long before human activity dramatically increased the concentration of
greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. But now, when an El Nino arrives, it comes against the
backdrop of rising global temperatures. This century is the warmest in 600 years, 1997 was the
warmest year on record, and global temperatures in the first five months of this year have been
unprecedented.
As the data in this report show [POINT TO CHART 1], each and every month so far this
year has set a new record for global temperature. And the new records are substantially higher than
the old ones.
When you look at the January-through-May figures going back to 1880 [POINT TO
CHART 2], you see the long-term warming trend, and you see just how unprecedented this year's
temperatures are. Across the United States, temperatures were 2.5 degrees higher than average. The
Northeast was 4.4 degrees warmer than normal. And in the Great Lakes region, the difference was
a full 6.4 degrees. As you can see on this map [POINT TO MAP], nearly half the states had
temperatures well above normal.
Thirteen had their warmest January-through-May on record.
So, how does this warming trend affect El Nino? NOAA's scientists have gone back and
looked at the 10 strongest El Nino events of this century. They found two things [POINT TO
CHART 3]: First, El Ninos are occurring more frequently. Second, they are getting progressively
warmer. We can't say for sure whether the increased frequency is a direct result of global warming.
But we know that as a result of global warming, there is more heat in the climate system, and it is
heat that drives El Nino. So when El Nino comes, its effects --extreme temperatures, extreme
precipitation --are likely to be compounded by global warming.
It's like pumping high-octane fuel into your El Nino engine.
Clearly, it will take more research to fully understand the relationship between El Nino and
global warming. That is why, today, I am asking NOAA, FEMA and other appropriate agencies
to undertake a more detailed review of this winter's El Nino, as well as its impacts and costs, so we
have a firmer understanding of how our climate system is changing, and what that means for us.
There are certain things we know right now. We know that we are affecting the Earth's
climate, and that we must act now or face grave consequences.
This winter's El Nino gives us a taste of the extreme, erratic weather our children and
grandchildren can expect more of unless we reverse the trend of global warming. It is a window on
the future --a future that could include more flood, drought, disease, and forest fires --if we don't act
today.
I believe that if we heed the signs of climate change, we can guard against that kind of future.
President Clinton and I have created a climate change plan to do just that --by tapping our ingenuity,
our technological prowess, and our entrepreneurial spirit. If we do this the right way, we can meet
the challenge of global warming without economic cooling.
In fact, we can turn this challenge into new economic opportunity --creating new jobs for
Americans and leading the world in the emerging $400 billion market for technology to clean up our
environment.
We are starting already, forging partnerships with the auto industry, the building industry and
others to dramatically improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Together,
we are creating the "solution industries" of tomorrow. As an investment in these "solution
industries," we are proposing $6.3 billion in tax and research incentives to spur the development and
use of energy-efficient products and clean energy technologies.
For instance, consumers who buy super-efficient cars, homes or appliances would receive
tax credits --they'd save energy, and save money.
Regrettably, some in Congress want to pretend that climate change is not real. Not only are
they blocking our common-sense plan, they are trying to eliminate vital programs already in place.
Just last week, the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee voted to cut funding for
solar and other renewable energy programs.
These actions are short-sighted, and it is future generations that will pay the price.
Every month this year has delivered new evidence of global warming, and El Nino has given
us a picture of what the future may hold if we fail to act. It is time for Congress to wake up to the
mounting evidence of climate change, and help us meet this challenge head on. The time to act is
now --and we owe it to America's families to rise to that challenge.
Before I conclude, I want to say a brief word about the initiative known as the "e-rate" --our
effort to give schools and libraries greatly discounted Internet connections, so all our children can
seize the full promise of the Information Age.
Every child in America deserves a 21st Century education, and access to 21st Century
technology.
The e-rate is critical to our effort to put computers in every classroom and library --giving
every child the tools to succeed. But some in industry and in the Congress would undermine this
program, and hold our children back. That's the wrong approach for America's future.
Let me be clear: I strongly oppose any effort to pull the plug on the e-rate, and deny our
children the full promise of the Information Age. I call on both Congress and industry to put all
politics aside, and work with us to put 21st Century educational technology in every classroom and
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
December 11, 1997
REMARKS BY THE VICE PRESIDENT
ON KYOTO AGREEMENT
The Roosevelt Room
12:30 P.M. EST
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Senator Lieberman,
I want to begin by thanking you for your very generous words and for your own
leadership. I want to acknowledge your wife, Hadassah -- Joe and Hadassah
Lieberman have been great friends to Tipper and me over the years, and I just
really admire the principled leadership that Joe Lieberman has brought to
environmental issues and practically every other issue that he has dealt with.
I also want to express my thanks to Deb Callahan of the League
of Conservation Voters, and Tom Kasten, President of TriGen Industries, for
being part of this program. I want to acknowledge my colleagues in President
Clinton's Cabinet -- Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt; Secretary of
Energy Federico Pena; Administrator of the EPA Carol Browner; the Director of
the Federal Emergency Management Administration James Lee Witt; Gene Sperling,
head of the Nation Economic Council; Deputy Secretary of Treasury Larry
Summers; and Deputy Secretary of Labor Kitty Higgins; and Deputy Secretary of
Transportation Mort Downey; Jim Baker of NOAA; and Rich Rominger, Deputy
Secretary of Agriculture. I also want to acknowledge Stu Eizenstat and Katie
McGinty, both of whom are still coming back from Kyoto.
There are leaders of the business and environmental
organizations here -- forgive me for not trying to acknowledge everyone -- but
there are some oil company leaders, companies that specialize in conservation
products, leaders in businesses that trade emissions rights and so forth. And
thank you all for being here.
History was made yesterday in Kyoto because, for the
first time, the industrialized nations of the world agreed to a
binding and realistic framework to deal with the enormous
challenge of global warming. Because of yesterday's agreement,
we can now begin to reduce the forms of air pollution that cause
global warming. Our air and water here at home will be cleaner,
and our businesses will be more competitive in the new global
economy.
Over the course of the next century, it will mean
that our children's future will be more secure from the dangers
that scientists have warned about -- more record floods and
droughts, spreading infectious diseases, melting glaciers and
rising sea levels and stronger, more frequent storms.
I'm extremely proud of the work of our negotiating
team and I'm especially proud of the work of our chief
negotiator, Under Secretary of State Stu Eizenstat, who did a
superb job in pulling together all of the facets of this
negotiation and he really did a great job; and as mentioned by
Senator Lieberman, the work of Katie McGinty, who joined Stu
during the final work there. I also want to thank Under
Secretary Tim Worth for the five years of hard work that he put
into this agreement, and all of the others who have put so much
time and effort into this over a long period of time.
No question about the fact that these have been
among the most difficult negotiations ever held -- maybe the most
difficult. One of the individuals that I met with in Kyoto
earlier this week described them as an intricate,
three-dimensional chess game. I think that kind of understates
the difficulties of it. Over 160 nations participated and there
were, as everyone knows, deep and profound differences among the
different delegations.
But we hung tough, and in the end the final
agreement was based on the core elements of the American
proposal. And make no mistake, we stuck by the President's
principles and we prevailed. This agreement reflects most of the
key elements of the President's plan. It's based on the simple
idea that it will not be government bureaucrats or regulators,
but free markets and free minds that will be our best bet to win
the battle against global warming, while lifting the lives and
the hopes of citizens around the world.
The agreement will enhance growth and create new
incentives for the rapid development of technologies through a
system of joint implementation and emissions trading. It creates
binding limits. It asks us to do what we promised, not promise
what we cannot do. It is comprehensive, including all six
greenhouse gases. And some of you know that there was a big
fight there -- we wanted all six of them; most of the rest of the
world just wanted to cover half of the greenhouse gases. It's
also based on the specific timeline that we proposed. And it
will create a level playing field for American industry.
I think that all Americans can and should be proud
of the role that our country played in leading the world to
finish this agreement. And we would not have reached this
critical moment in what has been a decade's long fight, if it had
not been for the vision and tenacity of President Clinton. As
someone who has cared very deeply about this issue for a long
time, I want to express my personal gratitude to President
Clinton for his leadership and courage.
Although Kyoto is indeed an important turning point,
everybody understands we still have a lot of hard work ahead of
us. In many ways, this is just beginning. We still have to
press for meaningful participation by key developing nations. We
made a good start on that and laid down a foundation, put in
place a framework and a negotiating process that will continue in
the months ahead on that point. And let's be clear, as we said
from the very beginning, we will not submit this agreement for
ratification until key developing nations participate in this
effort. This is a global problem that will require a global
solution. But I am confident that with the framework achieved in
Kyoto and the continued negotiations with the developing world
begun there, we will be able to meet this test.
In the coming days and months it will be critical
that we avoid looking at this effort through a narrow, political
lens. Too much is at stake. We must focus instead on the
longer-term future of our planet and our economy, and on the
health and well-being of our families and communities.
This is not a Democratic or Republican problem. Nor
is it a problem for any one nation alone. It is a problem for
the entire world. It's new in that respect, and it requires new
thinking and the kind of leadership that President Clinton has
provided. The stakes are simply too high -- environmentally,
economically and morally -- for us to allow the special interests
to get in the way of the common interest of all human kind.
So many times in our nation's history we have banded
together and successfully met what seemed to be an insurmountable
environmental challenge. And each time the skeptics have said it
couldn't be done at all or it could only be done at the cost of
ruining our economy. We've heard that often. And each time they
were wrong. From cleaning up our rivers and lakes, to combating
acid rain, to tackling ozone depletion and others, our technology
and our innovation have allowed Americans to enjoy a cleaner
environment and a stronger economy at the same time.
Never in history have we had the kind of forceful,
persistent environmental protection efforts we've had here in the
United States over the last five years, and we've had the
strongest sustained economic recovery at the same time that we've
had in more than a generation -- 13.5 million new jobs, record
low unemployment, the deficit almost eliminated, higher wages and
more new businesses while inflation declined. So cleaning up the
environment and strengthening our economy go hand in hand.
Before I go to your questions, let me conclude by
saying I'm very optimistic today. I believe the American people
can meet the challenge of global warming and end up with a better
and stronger economy in the process. So on behalf of President
Clinton, I call on all Americans in our best bipartisan tradition
to join together in this critical undertaking, to stand with us
on the right side of history. For in the end, I think that at at
core of global warming is not just a challenge, but an
opportunity to create a cleaner and more sustainable environment
with new jobs and new businesses and a more secure future.
Thank you very much. I appreciate you all being
here. (Applause.)
Q
Mr. Vice President, how much will this treaty
cost the average American in either higher taxes or energy costs?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, we've completely ruled
out new taxes of any kind as a means of meeting our obligations
under this treaty. We have specifically indicated that the
President will propose in his State of the Union address new tax
incentives -- that is tax cuts -- to encourage the purchase of
the new technologies that will be necessary in order to have more
efficient uses of energy and generate less pollution.
Q
Mr. Vice President, will you wait until after
Argentina next year, when maybe the developing countries will
come on board, before this treaty is officially submitted to the
Senate?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, as we said from the very
beginning, we will not submit this for ratification until there's
meaningful participation by key developing nations. Now, there
is a negotiation now underway that will aim toward the meeting in
Buenos Aires next November. However, there will also be
bilateral talks with key developing nations.
And the progress made in the Kyoto treaty on joint
implementation with credit offers mechanisms for pulling
developing nations into this, voluntarily. And based on what we
heard during these talks in Kyoto, I can tell you that while the
world was given the impression that there was a monolithic
opinion on the part of the developing world, actually lots of
these developing countries have a different position and want to
be a part of this treaty. Some of them are suffering the impacts
of global warming already. Some of them are trying to urge the
others to join in this.
And so we've got a big task ahead of us, but we've
got some prospects of getting agreement to bring key developing
countries in. We will not -- let me repeat -- we will not submit
it to ratification, as we've said from the very beginning, until
we have that participation from key developing countries.
Q
Mr. Vice President, when you talk about -- are
you talking about voluntary -- (inaudible.) The second part of
the question is, even before the agreement -- (inaudible) --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all on your
first question, no, we're not talking about voluntary limits.
We're talking about voluntary agreements to join in binding
limits. That's a big difference. And we don't have that yet,
but we're heading in that direction and I think that there's
reason for optimism that eventually we will get there.
Now, as for the second part of your question,
there's going to be a huge debate in our country in the years
ahead about why it's in our best interests to secure the future
for the next generation and the generations after that. The fact
is, we've reached a new period in history when the power that we
have with new technologies in our civilization, multiplied by the
larger population around the world, leads to the emissions of
these greenhouse gases, a form of pollution that traps more heat
in the atmosphere and changes the climate. And the consequences
are devastating, unless we act. And the awareness of that fact
has been growing steadily.
And I think that, as Senator Lieberman said a moment
ago, the American people are ahead of the politicians where
cleaning up the environment is concerned. They want cleaner air,
they want cleaner water, they want less pollution, and they want
the new technologies that create new jobs and new businesses as
we take the lead here in the United States in making and
selling this new generation of products around the world.
Q
Would you prefer to see this come in 1999 after
a new Congress has been sworn in? And does it help you or hurt
you if this becomes a serious 1998 campaign issue?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I have no idea what the answer
to the second question is. On the first question, we will
concentrate on getting the meaningful participation from these
key developing countries, and that will be the threshold that we
have to cross before sending it for ratification. We've said
that from the very beginning; I reiterate it again here today.
And that's without regard to other thresholds in the political
process.
Q
But again, does it help you if it becomes a
campaign issue or does it hurt you to be demagogued so easily?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I don't know the answer
to that question. I think the American people want to see the
people in public office in both parties do the right thing. And
I believe that protecting the environment is the right thing.
And I think that they're way ahead of political calculations on
this. They see the problem. They see the need to solve the
problem. And we need to debate this issue fully and completely,
and we will.
But I think that at the end of the day, the
strongly-felt opinion of the American people will win out.
Q
How are you going to fight the special interest
groups?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, the same way we did when
we fought for clean water and clean air. I think when people at
the grass-roots level get involved, you will see the miracle of
American democracy, where the public interest eventually wins
out. We've got some representatives of religious groups here
today. We've got representatives of grass-roots citizens
organizations. There's a movement out there in America that
rejects this false conflict between the economy and the
environment. And there's a growing realization that the
environment is the economy and that if we get serious about
cleaning up our air and water and stopping the pollution that
leads on a global basis to this problem of climate change, then
we're going to create more jobs and more new businesses and a
higher quality of life in the process, and a stronger economy
overall.
So this is in the best interests of the United
States and the world. And we're going to be tireless in trying
to convey that message and enlist men, women, children and
families all across the United States in an effort to make sure
that our country does the right thing.
Thank you all very much. I appreciate it.
(Applause.)
END
1:51 P.M. EST
Office of the Press Secretary
http://www.whitehouse.gov/CEQ/19971211-1158.html
USIS Transcription
12/8/97 11:10am
Remarks by Vice President Al Gore
The United Nations Committee on Climate Change Conference of the Parties
December 8, 1997
Kyoto, Japan
Thank you. Prime Minister Hashimoto and President Figueres, President Kinza Clodumar,
other distinguished heads of state, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
It is an honor to be here at this historic gathering, in this ancient capital of such beauty and
grace. On behalf of President Clinton and the American people, and our U.S. negotiator,
Ambassador Stu Eizenstat, I salute our Japanese hosts for their gracious hospitality, and
offer a special thank you to Prime Minister Hashimoto, and to our chairs, Minister Ohki,
and Ambassador Estrada, for their hard work and leadership.
Since we gathered at the Rio Conference in 1992, both scientific consensus and political
will have come a long way. If we pause for a moment and look around us, we can see how
extraordinary this gathering really is.
We have reached a fundamentally new stage in the development of human civilization, in
which it is necessary to take responsibility for a recent but profound alteration in the
relationship between our species and our planet. Because of new technological power and
our growing numbers, we now must pay careful attention to the consequences of what we
are doing to the Earth - especially to the atmosphere.
There are other parts of the Earth's ecological system that are also threatened by the
increasingly harsh impact of thoughtless behavior:
The poisoning of too many places where people -- especially poor people -- live, and the
deaths of too many children -- especially poor children -- from polluted water and dirty air.
The dangerous and unsustainable depletion of ocean fisheries. And
The rapid destruction of critical habitats -- rain forests, temperate forests, boreal forests,
wetlands, coral reefs, and other precious wellsprings of genetic variety upon which the
future of humankind depends.
But the most vulnerable part of the Earth"s environment is the very thin layer of air clinging
near to the surface of the planet, that we are now so carelessly filling with gaseous wastes
that we are actually altering the relationship between the Earth and the Sun -- by trapping
more solar radiation under this growing blanket of pollution that envelops the entire world.
The extra heat which cannot escape is beginning to change the global patterns of climate to
which we are accustomed, and to which we have adapted over the last 10,000 years.
Last week we learned from scientists that this year, 1997, with only three weeks remaining,
will be the hottest year since records have been kept. Indeed, nine of the ten hottest years
since the measurements began have come in the last ten years. The trend is clear. The
human consequences and the economic costs -- of failing to act are unthinkable. More
record floods and droughts. Diseases and pests spreading to new areas. Crop failures and
famines. Melting glaciers, stronger storms, and rising seas.
Our fundamental challenge now is to find out whether and how we can change the behaviors
that are causing the problem.
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To do so requires humility, because the spiritual roots of our crisis are pridefulness and a
failure to understand and respect our connections to God's Earth and to each other.
Each of the 160 nations here has brought unique perspectives to the table, but we all
understand that our work in Kyoto is only a beginning. Non of the proposals being debated
here will solve the problem completely by itself. But if we get off to the right start here, we
can quickly build momentum as we learn together how to meet this challenge. Our first step
should be to set realistic and achievable, binding emissions limits, which will create new
markets for new technologies and new ideas that will, in turn, expand the boundaries of the
possible and create new hope. Other steps will then follow. And then, ultimately, we will
achieve a safe overall concentration level for greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere.
This is the step-by-step approach we took in Montreal ten years ago to address the problem
of ozone depletion. And it is working.
This time, success will require first and foremost that we heal the divisions among us.
The first and most important task for developed countries is to hear the immediate needs of
the developing world. And let me say, the United States has listened and we have learned.
We understand that your first priority is to lift your citizens from the poverty so many
endure and build strong economies that will assure a better future. This is your right: it will
not be denied.
And let me be clear in our answer to you: we do not want to founder on a false divide.
Reducing poverty and protecting the Earth's environment are both crucial components of
truly sustainable development. We want to forge a lasting partnership to achieve a better
future. One key is mobilizing new investment in your countries to ensure that you have
higher standards of living, with modern, clean and efficient technologies.
That is what our proposals for emissions trading and joint implementation strive to do.
To our partners in the developed world, let me say we have listened and learned from you as
well. We understand that while we share a common goal, each of us faces unique
challenges.
You have shown leadership here, and for that we are grateful. We came to Kyoto to find
new ways to bridge our differences. In doing so, however, we must not waiver in our
resolve. For our part, the United States remains firmly committed to a strong, binding target
that will reduce our own emissions by nearly 30 percent from what they would otherwise be
-- a commitment as strong, or stronger, than any we have heard here from any country. The
imperative here is to do what we promise, rather than to promise what we cannot do.
All of us, must reject the advice of those who ask us to believe there really is no problem at
all. We know their arguments: we have heard others like them throughout history. For
example, in my country, we remember the tobacco company spokesman who insisted for so
long that smoking did no harm. To those who seek to obfuscate and obstruct, we say: we
will not allow you to put narrow special interests above the interests of all humankind.
So what does the United States propose we do?
The first measure of any proposal must be its environmental merit, and ours is
environmentally solid and sound.
It is strong and comprehensive, covering all six significant greenhouse gases. It recognizes
the link between the air and the land, including both sources and sinks. It provides the tools
to ensure that targets can be met offering emissions trading, joint implementation and
research as powerful engines of technology development and transfer. It further reduces
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emissions below. 1990 levels in the years 2012 and beyond. It provides the means to
ensure that all nations can join us on their own terms in meeting this common challenge.
It is also economically sound. And. with strict monitoring and accountability, it ensures that
we will keep our bond with one another.
Whether or not agreement is reached here, we will take concrete steps to help meet this
challenge. President Clinton and I understand that out first obligations is to address this
issue at home. I commit to you today that the United States is prepared to act -- and will act.
For my part, I have come here to Kyoto because I am both determined and optimistic that
we can succeed. I believe that by our coming together in Kyoto we have already achieved a
major victory, one both of substance and of spirit. I have no doubt that the process we have
started here inevitably will lead to a solution in the days or years ahead.
Some of you have, perhaps, heard from your home capitals that President Clinton and I have
been burning up the phone lines, consulting and sharing new ideas. Today let me add this.
After talking with our negotiators this morning and after speaking on the telephone from
here a short time ago with President Clinton, I am instructing our delegation right now to
show increased negotiating flexibility if a comprehensive plan can be put in place, one with
realistic targets and timetables, market mechanisms, and the meaningful participation of key
developing countries.
Earlier this century, the Scottish mountain climber, W.H. Murray, wrote:
"Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills
countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
providence moves, too."
So let us press forward. Let us resolve to conduct ourselves in such a way that our children's
children will read about the "Spirit of Kyoto," and remember well the place and the time
where humankind first chose to embark together on a long-term sustainable relationship
between our civilization and the Earth's environment.
In that spirit, let us transcend our differences and commit to secure our common destiny: a
planet whole and healthy, whose nations are at peace, prosperous and free; and whose
people everywhere are able to reach for their God-given potential.
Thank you.
To comment on this service,
send feedback to the Web Development Team.
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GLACIER SP
Page 1
REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT ALBERT GORE
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
Tuesday, September 2, 1997
GLACIER.SP
Page 2
I thank all of you for joining me here in Glacier
National Park -- one of the greatest glories of America's
park system. The rich landscape we see all around us
-- the deep valleys and dramatic summits -- date back
more than a billion years, when Ice Age glaciers cut
through this terrain, shaping and sculpting what is now
one of the largest wild areas in the United States.
The Blackfeet Indians called this land "the
Backbone of the World" -- and there is no question
that, for the two million people who visit this park each
year, Glacier connects us to the very core of our
nature. It's a place where stunning summits overlook a
million acres of wilderness; where the most rugged
rock formations rub against meadows of beargrass
blossoms; where grizzly bear, and elk, and bighorn
sheep roam free.
GLACIER.SP
Page 3
It's easy to understand why Glacier means so
much to the families that come here. It is a land that
seems almost untouched by time, undamaged by man's
heavy hand. To look out on Glacier's alpine beauty is
to want to preserve it and protect it -- for our children,
and for our children's children.
That's a responsibility President Clinton and I have
taken very seriously -- not just here in Glacier, but in all
of America's special places. That's why we prevented
oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge. That's why we
preserved 1.7 million precious acres in Utah by creating
the Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument.
That's why we protected 1.4 million acres of the
unique California desert. That's why we're restoring
the Florida Everglades.
GLACIER. SP
Page 4
That's why we're protecting Yellowstone National
Park from the dangers of mining on its borders. That's
why we're putting record resources into our parks and
rivers and wilderness preserves. To President Clinton
and me, preserving America's special places isn't just
good public policy -- it's a moral obligation.
I have come here today because Glacier National
Park faces a grave threat to its heritage -- and it's one
that can't be met with a simple restoration plan. The
50 glaciers in this park -- which date back to the last
Ice Age, 10,000 years ago -- are melting away at an
alarming rate. Over the last century, we have lost
nearly three-quarters of all the glaciers in this park.
Grinnell Glacier has retreated by over 3,100 feet.
propty I
AHR HR nota accorpiracy
GLACIER SP
Page 5
Jackson Glacier has lost about 75% of its surface
area. If this trend continues, in about thirty years,
there won't be any glaciers left at all. To borrow a
phrase from a well-known pop musician, this could
become be the Park Formerly Known as Glacier. wordwide happening
What's happening at Glacier National Park is strong
evidence of global warming over the past century -- the
disruption of our climate because of greenhouse gas
emissions into the atmosphere, all over the world. The
overwhelming evidence shows that global warming is
no longer a theory -- it's a reality. Greenhouse gases
keep rising at record rates. The last few decades have
been the warmest of this century -- and the ten
warmest years in this century have all occurred since
1980.
The time was come to response
Jice man 5,000
wery
25
quetch was
GLACIER SP
Page 6
More than 2,000 scientists from all over the world
on a special panel on climate change found that the
evidence shows, and I quote, "a discernable human
influence on global climate."
If we stay on our present course, scientists predict
that average global temperatures will rise by 2 to 6
degrees Fahrenheit in the next century. That may not
sound like much. But keep in mind that the difference
in temperature between today and the last ice age,
when all the glaciers in this park were formed, is only
about nine degrees Fahrenheit. That's why, if we fail
to act, scientists believe the human impact of global
warming will be severe:
GLACIER. SP
Page 7
we
Infectious diseases could spread, affecting families
and children in regions that had been too cold for
tropical viruses to survive. Farmers and rural
communities could be in jeopardy, since farms depend
on a stable climate to be productive. Back in 1988,
when we faced both record temperatures and
droughts, the United States lost a third of its grain
supply. We could face greater floods, droughts, and
heat waves. Some see the unusually severe flooding in
the Midwest, the Dakotas, and around the country --
those "hundred-year floods" that seem to be happening
every couple of years now -- as early evidence of this.
As we see here at Glacier, the impact on our
natural heritage and special places could be just as
strong.
GLACIER SP
Page 8
Our seas could rise by one to three feet, flooding
thousands of miles of Florida, Louisiana, and other
coastal areas. A sea level rise of just one foot could
place a third of the Florida Everglades completely
underwater; it would also threaten our coral reefs, and
endanger the countless varieties of fish that live in
them. With warmer temperatures, we could lose
&
important parts of our forests. Some have predicted
that the Northeast could lose all of its sugar maples;
and in New Hampshire's White Mountains, many of the
trees could stop changing colors with the seasons.
The dail foliage would Cose its
monant colors
GLACIER SP
Page 9
Scientists aren't the only ones who are concerned.
The President of the Reinsurance Association of
America, Frank Nutter, says that significant, perhaps
permanent changes in our climate could bankrupt the
insurance industry in years to come. Strong words
from an industry that's all about calculating risk. This
larges
spring, John Browne, the CEO of British Petroleum,
acknowledged the importance of taking, and I quote,
us
"precautionary action now."
entirede
My purpose today is not to be alarmist -- nor is it
to say that we need radical changes in the way we live
and work. But it's time to face the facts: Global
warming is real. We helped to cause it -- and by taking
reasonable, common-sense steps, we can help to
reduce it.
Tobacco screatists
GLACIER SP
Page 10
What we need is an approach that is prudent and
balanced. On one hand, we must recognize that
energy consumption has led to enormous increases in
our standard of living throughout this century, and we
want to continue those increases. On the other hand,
we see all around us today glaciers that have survived
Suptuay way
for 10,000 years, now facing the prospect of melting
away in a single century. We've seen people struck by
severe heat waves -- more than 400 in Chicago just
two years ago -- and many others who have lost
homes, jobs, even their lives to increasingly heavy
storms.
We need to understand our role in climate change
-- and we need to act to address it.
GLACIER.SP
Page 11
As one ecologist recently told President Clinton
and me at the White House, simply by slowing the rate
of climate change, we can make it much easier for our
environment to evolve and adapt to it.
Thanks to President Clinton, we're already working
to develop new energy technologies, to shrink
will
greenhouse emissions in ways that also grow the
economy. Let me give you just a few examples: First
of all, after a decade of declining budgets, President
Clinton is working to restore our commitment to the
Energy Department's research into renewable energy
and energy efficiency.
quates in can same sing enewey.
soni cenologies is
of doone
GLACIER.SP
Page 12
We need help from Congress to do that -- and
quite frankly, there are some on Capitol Hill who still
cling to the old programs, and the old industry
subsidies. If we really want to move forward in this
area, and capture these new energy markets for
America -- if we want to keep up with nations like
Germany and Japan, which are already establishing an
edge in these technologies -- Congress has to join us
in meeting the challenge.
GLACIER SP
Page 13
Our efforts reach beyond Washington as well. The
President has asked some of the nation's leading
experts from academia and industry to conduct an
intensive review of all our energy research and
development programs, and to report back by October
1st with their recommendations -- so we can start to
shape a national energy strategy for the next century.
We're working with the auto industry through our
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles -- to try
to triple the fuel efficiency of cars with no loss in
n COST
comfort or safety. We're working with the building
industry through our Partnership for Advancing
Technologies in Housing, to make homes cheaper,
more energy-efficient, and more
environmentally-friendly
GLACIER SP
Page 14
But we know that America's efforts alone will
never be good enough. Because winds circle the earth
within a few weeks, greenhouse gases don't respect
national borders. Any real solution to global warming
must be an international solution -- including developing
nations as well as industrialized ones.
This December, when the nations of the world
meet in Kyoto, Japan on this issue, the United States
will work to achieve realistic, binding limits on the
emissions of greenhouse gases.
We will emphasize approaches that are flexible and
market-based, to give industry the opportunity to
it
develop the most cost-effective solutions.
GLACIER.SP
Page 15
We will continue our efforts in research and
development. We will work with industry, with
environmental groups, with all who share a stake in
this problem here at home. And we will ask all nations,
4
developed and developing, to join with us to meet this
challenge.
We don't have all the answers today. But we
know we must reverse the trend of global warming.
We must safeguard our precious natural resources, and
to
put a premium on public health and safety.
GLACIER SP
Page 16
You see, thirty years from now, I want my
grandchildren to live in a world that is safer from
disease, freer from droughts and floods, able to grow
the food they need for their children and families.
But just as importantly, I want them to understand
that God created only one earth -- and that its parks
and forests and wilderness preserves can never be
replicated. Our responsibility to this land is one of the
most profound and sacred responsibilities we have. It
is really a responsibility to each other -- and to future
generations.
Want's them we werehem above
contruing
onesling Gloisy has while
to
GLACIER SP
Page 17
Ultimately, that's why we came here today, to the
very Crown of this Continent. We've got to start
facing up to that responsibility -- not just for the sake
of these glaciers, but for the sake of our children. Here
in the shadow of these glorious mountains, let us
resolve to make that start -- let us protect this land for
its rightful inheritors -- and let us fulfill our obligation
to the millions of families who have yet to enjoy it.
that are before cough
HIGHLIGHTS OF REMARKS MADE BY
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE
Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park, MT
Tuesday, September 2, 1997
I thank all of you for joining me here in Glacier National Park -- one of the greatest
glories of America's park system. The rich landscape we see all around us -- the deep valleys
and dramatic summits -- date back more than a billion years, when Ice Age glaciers cut through
this terrain, shaping and sculpting what is now one of the largest wild areas in the United States.
It's easy to understand why Glacier means so much to the families that come here. It is a
land that seems almost untouched by time, undamaged by man's heavy hand. To look out on
Glacier's alpine beauty is to want to preserve it and protect it -- for our children, and for our
children's children.
That's a responsibility President Clinton and I have taken very seriously -- not just here in
Glacier, but in all of America's special places. That's why we prevented oil and gas drilling in
the Arctic Refuge. That's why we preserved 1.7 million precious acres in Utah by creating the
Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument. That's why we protected 1.4 million acres of the
unique California desert. That's why we're restoring the Florida Everglades. That's why we're
protecting Yellowstone National Park from the dangers of mining on its borders. That's why
we're putting record resources into our parks and rivers and wilderness preserves. To President
Clinton and me, preserving America's special places isn't just good public policy -- it's a moral
obligation.
I have come here today because Glacier National Park faces a grave threat to its heritage
-- and it's one that can't be met with a simple local restoration plan. The 50 glaciers in this park
-- which date back to the last Ice Age, 10,000 years ago -- are melting away at an alarming rate.
Over the last century, we have lost nearly three-quarters of all the glaciers in this park. Grinnell
Glacier has retreated by over 3,100 feet. If this trend continues, in about thirty years. there won't
be any glaciers left at all. To borrow a phrase from a well-known pop musician, this could
become be the Park Formerly Known as Glacier.
What's happening at Glacier National Park is part of a global pattern. Glaciers are
retreating worldwide. This is strong evidence of global warming over the past century -- the
disruption of our climate because of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, all over the
world. The overwhelming evidence shows that global warming is no longer a theory -- it's a
reality. Greenhouse gases keep rising at record rates. The last few decades have been the
warmest of this century -- and the ten warmest years in this century have all occurred since 1980.
More than 2,000 scientists from all over the world on a special panel on climate change
found that the evidence shows. and I quote, "a discernable human influence on global climate."
If we stay on our present course, scientists predict that average global temperatures will
rise by 2 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit in the next century. That may not sound like much. But keep
in mind that the difference in temperature between today and the last ice age, when all the
glaciers in this park were formed, is only about nine degrees Fahrenheit. That's why, if we fail
to act, scientists believe the human impact of global warming will be severe:
Infectious diseases could spread, affecting families and children in regions that had been
too cold for tropical viruses to survive. Farmers and rural communities could be in jeopardy,
since farms depend on a stable climate to be productive. Back in 1988, when we faced both
record temperatures and droughts, the United States lost a third of its grain supply. We could
face greater floods, droughts, and heat waves. Some see the unusually severe flooding in the
Midwest, the Dakotas, and around the country -- those "hundred-year floods" that seem to be
happening every couple of years now -- as early evidence of this.
As we see here at Glacier, the impact on our natural heritage and special places could be
just as strong.
Our seas could rise by one to three feet, flooding thousands of miles of Florida,
Louisiana, and other coastal areas. A sea level rise of just one foot could place a third of the
Florida Everglades completely underwater; it would also threaten our coral reefs, and endanger
the countless varieties of fish that live in them. With warmer temperatures, we could lose
important parts of our forests. Some have predicted that the Northeast could lose all of its sugar
maples; and in New Hampshire's White Mountains, the fall foliage would lose its vibrant colors.
Scientists aren't the only ones who are concerned. The President of the Reinsurance
Association of America, Frank Nutter, says that significant, perhaps permanent changes in our
climate could bankrupt the insurance industry in years to come. Strong words from an industry
that's all about calculating risk. This spring, John Browne, the CEO of British Petroleum, the
largest oil producer in the U.S., acknowledged that, and I quote, "If we are all to take
responsibility for the future of our planet, then it falls to us to begin to take precautionary action
now."
My purpose today is not to be alarmist -- nor is it to say that we need radical changes in
the way we live and work. But it's time to face the facts: Global warming is real. We helped to
cause it -- and by taking reasonable, common-sense steps, we can help to reduce it.
What we need is an approach that is prudent and balanced. On one hand, we must
recognize that energy consumption has led to enormous increases in our standard of living
throughout this century, and we want to continue those increases. On the other hand, we see all
around us today glaciers that have survived for 10,000 years, now facing the prospect of melting
away in a single century. We've seen people struck by severe heat waves more than 400 lives
lost in Chicago just two years ago -- and many others who have lost homes, jobs, even their lives
to increasingly heavy storms.
We need to understand our role in climate change -- and we need to act to address it.
Thanks to President Clinton, we're already working to develop new energy technologies,
to shrink greenhouse emissions in ways that will continue prosperity. Let me give you just a few
examples:
First of all, after a decade of declining budgets, President Clinton is working to restore
our commitment to the Energy Department's research into renewable energy and energy
efficiency.
We need help from Congress to do that. If we really want to move forward in this area,
and capture these new energy markets for America -- if we want to keep up with nations like
Germany and Japan, which are already establishing an edge in these technologies -- Congress has
to join us in meeting the challenge.
We're working with the auto industry through our Partnership for a New Generation of
Vehicles -- to try to triple the fuel efficiency of cars with no loss in comfort, safety or cost. We're
working with the building industry through our Partnership for Advancing Technologies in
Housing, to make homes cheaper, more energy-efficient, and more environmentally-friendly.
But we know that America's efforts alone will never be good enough. Because winds
circle the earth within a few weeks, greenhouse gases don't respect national borders. Any real
solution to global warming must be an international solution -- including developing nations as
well as industrialized ones.
This December, when the nations of the world meet in Kyoto, Japan on this issue, the
United States will work to achieve realistic, binding limits on the emissions of greenhouse gases.
We will emphasize approaches that are flexible and market-based, to give industry the
opportunity to develop the most cost-effective solutions.
We will continue our efforts in research and development. We will work with industry,
with environmental groups, with all who share a stake in this problem here at home. And we
will ask all nations, developed and developing, to join with us to meet this challenge.
We don't have all the answers today. But we know we must reverse the trend of global
warming. We must safeguard our precious natural resources, and put a premium on public health
and safety.
Thirty years from now. I want my grandchildren to live in a world that is safer from
disease, freer from droughts and floods, able to grow the food they need for their children and
families.
But just as importantly. I want them to understand that God created only one earth -- and
that its parks and forests and wilderness preserves can never be replicated. Our responsibility to
this land is one of the most profound and sacred responsibilities we have. It is really a
responsibility to each other -- and to future generations.
Ultimately, that's why we came here today, to the very Crown of this Continent. We've
got to start facing up to that responsibility -- not just for the sake of these glaciers that are
melting before our very eyes, but for the sake of our children. Here in the shadow of these
glorious mountains, let us resolve to make that start -- let us protect this land for its rightful
inheritors -- and let us fulfill our obligation to the millions of families who have yet to enjoy it.