In case not seen, attached is the statement on climate change released yesterday by 11 National Academies of Science, including the U.S., saying that "the scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify taking prompt action.  It is vital that all nations identify cost-effective steps that they can take now, to contribute to substantial and long-term reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions.”

Yesterday at the British Embassy, Sen. Bingaman was among a group of senators who met with Prime Minister Tony Blair, who shares Bingaman’s interest in climate policy.  (Mr. Blair, as president of the G8 this year, has said that he will focus on the challenges of climate change at the G8 Summit in Scotland next month.)  Because of that common interest, Bingaman appreciated the opportunity to tell the Rt. Hon. Mr. Blair about the momentum that is building in the U.S. Senate toward doing something meaningful to address the problems caused by a warming world.

In the energy bill that the Senate will consider next week, and in amendments that will be offered, we are doing most of what the Academies recommend in their statement, except for the international study.

The report was published by the Royal Society (U.K.’s national academy of science) and the other G8 science academies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the U.S.  Significantly, along with the science academies of the G8, the statement’s signatories include Brazil, China and India -– countries which are among the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the developing world.

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