July 31, 2007
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia got a firsthand look at effects of global warming with a trip to Greenland, but the Georgia Republican says it hasn't convinced him that more urgent steps are needed.
Isakson said the weekend trip reinforced his belief that the United States should gradually move away from fossil fuels like oil and coal. But he said he remains unconvinced that the current warming is a departure from long-term natural cycles.
Isakson was part of a ten-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 Greenland'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. Isakson says he prefers voluntary, longer-term solutions, such as incentives for developing alternative power.
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