Georgia Senator Views Effects of Climate Change in Greenland

By BEN EVANS Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia traveled to Greenland over the weekend to get a firsthand glimpse at the effects of global warming.

The first-term Republican from Marietta said the trip reinforced his belief that the United States should gradually move away from fossil fuels like oil and coal. But it didn't convince him that more urgent steps are needed, and he remains unconvinced that the current warming is a departure from long-term natural cycles.

"There is no question that carbon (dioxide) is contributing to the warming but there's also no question that warming is cyclical and has happened in the past," he said in a phone interview Monday.

Isakson took the trip as part of a 10-member congressional delegation led by California Democrat Barbara Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The group flew from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Friday and returned Sunday after visiting the large ice-covered island's southwestern coast.

He said the group viewed massive, melting glaciers by boat and plane, with briefings from U.S. and Danish scientists.

Isakson has consistently opposed mandatory reductions in "greenhouse gas" emissions from power plants and other sources that scientists widely believe are causing the earth's climate to warm. The phenomenon could have dire consequences, scientists believe, including rising sea levels and increased flooding in coastal areas, more extreme weather conditions such as drought, and general destruction of natural habitat.

The United States accounts for about a quarter of the emissions. Industries say mandatory reductions would weaken the nation's economy and have instead called for voluntary, longer-term solutions, such as incentives for developing alternative power. Isakson said he prefers that approach.

"There are those that yell, 'The sky is falling and stop driving cars and shut down all the power plants,' and then there are those that say nothing's happening," he said. "Well, there's a wealth of information in between ... You're talking about centuries when you're talking about these models."

Georgia's other senator, Republican Saxby Chambliss of Moultrie, took a similar trip to Greenland last year, saying it made him "much more aware of the issue."

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