The students of Visiting Assistant Professor of Government Peter Cannavo's Introduction to Environmental Politics course (Government 285) held a mock U.S. Senate hearing on the Kyoto Treaty on climate change, on Wednesday, December 7. The students represented 10 different interest groups and addressed the "Senators" of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, played by other Government 285 students. The Senators were Steve Morris '06, Ian Mandel '06, Caitlin Rochford '06, Sam Johnson '06, Annie Harleman '08, Bevin Kenny '07 and Chris Piatelli '07.
The purpose of the hearing was to decide whether or not to re-open the debate on the Kyoto protocol, which the United States has not yet ratified. The protocol is an international agreement that commits 38 industrialized countries to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases between 2008 and 2012 to levels that are 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels. "This is one of the most pressing issues of our time," said Mandel is opening statements. "We are anxious to hear what these experts have to say."
The first interest group to speak was the Climatologists, including Greg Armstrong '06, Jon Rees '06 and Greg Cerra '06. This group discussed the Greenhouse Effect and current evidence of climate change. The Greenhouse Effect is caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trapping heat from the sun and reflecting it back into the Earth, raising the temperature. The primary cause is human-induced carbon dioxide emissions. Evidence of a rise in global temperature includes melting ice in places such as Antarctica and mountain tops and rising sea levels. Effects of global warming are increased drought or increased precipitation in different areas, species being forced north as their habitats change and coral bleaching. "In order to mitigate the problem carbon dioxide must be cut now," said Cerra. "The Kyoto Protocol should be part of the United States' future."
Other groups that presented cases were the Conservatives and global warming skeptics: Dan Bleeker '06, Suzanne Desormeau '06, Greg Leiman '07 and Rebecca Grusky '06; the Environmentalists: Jack Newton '06, Jordan Feltus '06, Roy Rothschild '06 and Brittany Frank '07; the Economists: Eric Luoma '06, Andrew Lyons '06, Erik Kallio '06 and Rob Rosenzweig '07; the Representatives from developing countries: Kelly Vaughan '06, Chris Nelson '07, Suzie Wilson '06 and James Matthews '06; the Representatives from the European Union: Chris Fazio '06, Meghan Hepp '07 and Jessica Wolinsky '06; the Fossil Fuel Industry: Ben Preston-Fridman '06, Jay Leonard '06, Michael Rapetti '06 and Warren Berkstresser '06; the Alternative Energy Industry: Jackie Kim '06, Emily Zwerner '06, John Frazier '06 and Mac Lynch '06; the Auto Manufacturers: Zoe Baldwin '06, Paxton Ramsdell '07, Ricky Reichenbach '06 and Gabe Tash '06.
The State and Local Governments Group, including Annie Hardiman '06, Josh Agins '07, Chad Carta '06 and Carey Ruckert '07, spoke last. This group cited the measures individual cities and states are taking to combat carbon dioxide emissions in their area, including building modifications, residential density and the California Clean Air Act. "We are here to support the Kyoto Protocol. The states need funding for these programs," said Agins in closing.
At the end of the hearing, the Senators voted on re-opening the debate. The vote was four against re-opening the debate and three in favor of further debate on Kyoto.
-- by Laura Trubiano '07
