Congress has finally acted on global warming—by denying it exists. It’s in the grand lawmaking tradition of the Indiana state legislature’s 1897 attempt to ___1___ the value of pi.
The Republican-led House of Representatives is currently working on the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011, which would ___2___ the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide emissions to mitigate climate change.
In the House Energy and Commerce Committee, California Democrat Henry Waxman had proposed an amendment calling on Congress to at least acknowledge that “warming of the climate system is ___3___,” just as abundant scientific evidence confirms.
But on Tuesday, March 15, all the committee’s Republicans ___4___ that amendment, as well as two others acknowledging the threat of climate change to public well-being. Rep. Ed Markey, Democrat from Massachusetts, had this to say:
“I rise in opposition to a bill that repeals the scientific finding that pollution is harming our people and our planet. However, I won’t rise physically, because I’m worried that Republicans will ___5___ the law of gravity, sending us floating.”
【视听版科学小组荣誉出品】
redefine bar unequivocal voted down overturn
美国国会终于对全球变暖问题有所行动了，只不过是——否认它的存在。此举也不足为怪，因为早在1987年，印第安纳州立法机构就曾试图重新规定π的值，此次只不过是延续了“光荣传统”而已。 共和党人领导的众议院正在起草《能源税预防法令》（2011），这项议案将禁止环境保护署为缓和气候变化而控制二氧化碳排放。 众议院能源和商务委员会成员，加利福尼亚州民主党人亨利•韦克斯曼已向国会提交了一份修正案，呼吁国会至少应认同“全球气候系统的变暖是不容置疑的”，充分的科学证据已经证实了这一点。 不过就在3月15日，该委员会中所有的共和党成员以及另外两名认为气候变化威胁到人们安定生活的成员都否决了亨利提出的修正案。马萨诸塞州民主党人、众议院议员爱德华•马基则说： “对于废弃环境污染有害人类和地球这一科学发现的法案，我肯定会站出来反对。不过，恐怕我是站不起来了，因为我担心共和党人马上要颠覆万有引力定律了，这样一来，大家脚都要着不了地了，哪还站得起来╮(╯_╰)╭”