Associated Press:
Georgia Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss isn't ready to call himself a global warming alarmist, but a recent trip with Sen. John McCain to Greenland to view melting polar ice has given him a new perspective on the issue.
"You can truly see that there is some melting going on," Chambliss said in an interview with The Associated Press. "When you see it, all of a sudden you say, 'Hey, that issue that we've been talking about off and on over the years, there really is something to it.'"
Chambliss has long opposed forcing reductions in "greenhouse gas" emissions from power plants and other sources that scientists widely believe are causing the earth's climate to gradually warm. The phenomenon could have dire consequences, scientists believe, including rising sea levels and increased flooding in coastal areas, more extreme weather conditions such as drought, and general destruction of natural habitat.
Is Chambliss ready to actually do something about it? Well, not so much.
Chambliss hesitated when asked whether he would vote differently on McCain's legislation now, noting the complexity of the issue and the need for getting emerging countries such as India and China to reduce emissions.
"I don't know enough about it from this one trip to make up my mind as to whether we're doing everything we can do right now ... or whether there's something else we need to do," he said, adding that he couldn't recall the particulars of McCain's bill. "If I voted against it, I probably haven't changed my mind. But I am much more aware of the issue."
At least he's aware of what he's not doing anything about.
Tags: news politics Georgia environment global warming science John McCain Saxby Chambliss
