GOP goes for Gore

Republicans accuse Gore of environment hype

Al Gore's environmental credentials came under fire from Republicans yesterday as he appeared before Congress to urge America to take a lead in tackling climate change.
The former vice-president, fresh from winning an Oscar for his documentary An Inconvenient Truth, faced tough questions from congressmen and senators who doubt that global warming is man-made.
They listened as Mr Gore appealed for the US to start framing federal legislation to cut carbon emissions.
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His passionate performance did nothing to calm speculation in Washington's political circles that he may yet seek the Democrat presidential nomination in 2008, despite the shadow of defeat in 2000 that hangs over him.
Mr Gore has always been most sure-footed on the environment, which he championed early in his career.
"The US is the natural leader of the world and the world is facing a truly planetary crisis," he said. "There is hope in the whole country that the US Congress will rise to the occasion and present a meaningful solution to this crisis."
The whole country evidently does not include Joe Barton, a Republican from oil-producing Texas, who questioned Mr Gore about several claims in his film, the third highest grossing documentary ever.
Why did Mr Gore say sea levels would rise by 23ft, when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said it was 23in, Mr Barton demanded. Why did he link malaria in Nairobi to global warming? Why did he link more hurricanes to a hotter planet?
He asked if Mr Gore exaggerated his case out of concern that "your issue must compete for attention and resources with others that are already compelling and do not need Hollywood hyperbole?"
A distinguished group of American scientists has already accused the Tennessee politician of smoothing over the science to enhance his claims, while a conservative research group has claimed that Mr Gore's 28-room home in Nashville consumes more electricity in a month than the average American household uses in a year.
A spokesman for Mr Gore said he was taking measures to make his house greener.
Time limits on his answers to members of the energy and commerce committee prevented Mr Gore from replying to Mr Barton in detail.
"We have had 10 of the hottest years on record since 1990. The planet has a fever and if your baby has a fever you take it to the doctor," he said.
Mr Gore was invited to appear before the committee by the Democrats, who are attempting to raise climate change to the top of the political agenda.
He presented 12 proposals for legislation, including reducing income taxes in favour of green taxes, a moratorium on coal-fired plants, and a 90 per cent reduction in America's CO\u2082 emissions by 2050.
The latter suggestion baffled members of the committee, including Democrats, as being far too ambitious and likely to cause an economic collapse.