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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2000

ANSWERS TO CLIMATE QUESTIONS FOUND IN TECHNOLOGY, NOT KYOTO TREATY, NMA'S LAWSON TELLS SENATE

Washington--The time has come to move beyond the debate on the flawed Kyoto Treaty and to move forward with sensible programs that allow the United States to once and for all find the answers to the questions about climate change, the National Mining Association said today.

In testimony before the Senate Energy Committee, Richard L. Lawson, NMA president and CEO, said that while climate is a long term, global issue, we must all take it very seriously. "But, our preoccupation with the Kyoto Protocol and the very real, negative implications that its command and control regime has for our economy has effectively precluded the debate that we must have on the policy and research programs that are needed to find long term answers," he testified.
Lawson reminded panel members that Senate Resolution 98, which passed by a 95 - 0 vote, said that a treaty would not be ratified if it is not global or if it harms the United States economy. "Kyoto does not meet either test and clearly will not be approved by the Senate," he stressed.

S. 882, The Energy and Climate Policy Act of 1999, and S. 1776, The Climate Change Energy Policy Response Act, were the subject of today's hearing. Lawson said the measures represent the sensible, long term, technology driven approach to the climate change issue that is needed.

Unlike the short term, economically devastating and globally ineffective command and control regime that would be required by the Kyoto Protocol, Lawson said the approach embodied in these bills would strengthen our economy and at the same time enable us to continue to be a leader in innovation and new technology development. "The approach is sound economic policy, it is sound international policy, it is sound energy policy," he stressed.

"It is time to move beyond Kyoto and the provisions of S. 882 and S. 1776 allow us to do that. The legislation we are discussing today will help us to proceed now, in a non-regulated environment, to develop technology to reduce and sequester emissions so that we can act quickly if at some time in the future, science concludes that action is necessary."

Lawson pointed out that you cannot discuss climate change policy without talking about energy as over 85% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions come from energy production and use.

"Energy use is expected to increase in the United States and more rapidly in the developing countries of the world. Energy has and will continue to be necessary to support economic growth. Coal, oil, natural gas, renewables and nuclear power are all needed if we are to have a chance of bringing the populations of the developing world to standards even remotely close to that that we enjoy in the United States. This is a reality that must be factored into any serious climate policy for it to have any chance of success," he testified.

"This reality is not factored into Kyoto. Kyoto is so costly in the short term - to the United States economy as well as to the economies of most developed nations - that resources will not be available to develop the technologies that are needed in the longer time frame to ensure that energy is used most efficiently and with minimal environmental impact throughout the globe. Kyoto is ineffective, as it is not a global agreement. It does not address the developing world where emissions will continue in a steep upward path."

Lawson stressed that there is a better way to address climate and to be ready for the possibility that emission levels would have to be reduced. The voluntary actions that are being taken by many industries including mining, will make a difference now, he said.

"The technologies that are now being developed will make a difference in the future. Technology that will enhance the efficiency of electricity generation with coal is especially important, as much of our nation's future electricity requirements will be met with coal. Coal fired electricity will be equally important in the developing world as their energy use expands. And, a number of research efforts designed to reduce CO2 emissions associated with coal use, or, to actually eliminate them through sequestration, are underway," he testified.

In conclusion, Lawson said both S. 882 and S. 1776 will move this and other research along. "The non-regulatory, long term approaches taken by this proposed legislation are good economic policy, good energy policy and good climate policy."