WASHINGTON – Senator Frank H. Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement this morning at a hearing to discuss Global Climate Change. “The timing of this climate change hearing is appropriate given the decisions made yesterday in Bonn, Germany to finalize the operational rules for the Kyoto Protocol. Unfortunately, those decisions have made a flawed treaty even worse. “The negotiators placed more restrictive rules on innovative solutions that could have a real impact on atmosphere. Along the way they cut a series of deals that set bad precedent for future efforts to limit emissions. The results of Bonn take us further away from the Byrd-Hagel Resolution which passed 95-0. They have made the Kyoto Protocol even more expensive and less effective. I’m further convinced of the President’s wisdom to reject the flawed Kyoto Protocol. “We should seek an alternative way to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases while providing the energy we need. Despite what many in the international community would have you believe, Kyoto is not the only game in town. “Kyoto’s emission targets are not scientifically based or environmentally effective. Today’s witnesses are voluntarily reducing their emissions without the Kyoto Protocol forcing their hand. They are developing promising new options – carbon sequestration – to reduce emissions to the atmosphere “There are several policy actions we can take to foster more of these voluntary activities ensuring real, quantifiable results. We can improve the DOE program for reporting voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reductions and use it as a robust scorecard for our efforts to reduce emissions in a cost-effective manner. We should also invest in energy R&D to develop the energy technologies of tomorrow – energy without emissions – and to develop a range of tools, including carbon sequestration, that we can use to manage our risk. I proposed this last year, and Senators Byrd and Stevens have included this proposal in their legislation. “We should focus on the potential to avoid emissions in developing countries through energy technology transfer. This is clearly the right way forward - not the flawed Kyoto Protocol made worse by decisions made in Bonn.” ###