Joe Biden - Is global warming a problem that humans must take actions to address?

The Kyoto Protocol, an accord reached in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 would commit signatory countries to reductions in emissions of heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide.

"By declaring he has 'no interest' in the Kyoto treaty, the President has walked away from yet another important environmental commitment," said Senator Biden. "I can't say I'm surprised, but I am disappointed. Many of our allies are upset, and with good reason. The President's decision to turn his back on this treaty is a huge setback for the environment and could delay action on global warming for years."

A similar Resolution which calls for U.S. participation in international climate change agreements was narrowly defeated this summer, but the new Energy Bill, the rise in oil prices and a devastating hurricane season, might bring more support for the Lugar-Biden Climate Change Resolution, bringing the United States into closer conformity with international climate-watching trends.

This year’s natural disasters were nearly predicted in the US government’s Climate Action Report of 2002, which underscored that global warming will have serious environmental consequences for the United States, including an increased risk of storm damage to coastal communities, such as in the region in the Gulf of Mexico, where Hurricane Katrina almost wiped New Orleans off the map.

The Lugar-Biden resolution proposes an official Senate Observer Group to ensure bipartisan Senate support for any new agreements. If adopted, this resolution will replace the last major statement of the Senate’s position on international climate change which was made back in 1997, prior to the Kyoto Protocol, Biden’s offices reported.

“This is a serious issue and it is time for us to take action," said Biden in a statement.