See here for Miles Grants' excellent live blog of Senate hearings on climate change, clean energy jobs, economic growth and national security. A few highlights:FINAL UPDATE 4:20pm - Hearing ends and committee adjourns. Disappointing not to see more committee members attending today's hearing. Where were people reportedly on the fence like Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA)? Where were the obstructionists like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)?
3:15pm - Gunn: "Climate change poses a clear and present danger to the United States of America."
3:07pm - Retired Navy Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn says the threats of climate change may not be 100% certain -- but in the military, by the time threats are 100% clear, something bad will have already happened on the battlefield. We can't wait to act.
3:00pm - Sen. [John] Warner describing how Sen. Kerry helped get him interested in energy & climate issues. Interesting to hear the affection Sen. Warner, World War II veteran and son of a World War I veteran, has for Sen. Kerry, who came to prominence on Capitol Hill as a leader of Vietnam veterans against the war.
2:47pm - Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) says global warming will increase drought, famine, epidemics, and mass migration. Points out we're sending hundreds of billions of dollars to authoritarian regimes to buy fossil fuels. Calls oil a "magnet for conflict."
2:39pm - Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) opens the hearing by saying that just as 9/11 showed us we can't be complacent in the face of global security threats, we can't sit back and wait for someone else to confront the threat of global warming.
1:00pm - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) says as the Senate considers comprehensive climate & energy legislation, agrees it's incredibly important to consider the cost of inaction and says that's a great point to ponder as the hearing comes to a close.
11:54am - Quick recap of the morning: Gov. Christine Gregoire (D-WA) and Gov. Bill Ritter (D-CO) have been the clear stars of the hearing so far, demonstrating how clean energy is creating jobs even in a time of economic slowdown. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) have been the main opposition, but have been unable to say anything other than "we must stick with our energy status quo." Good luck selling that to voters.
11:33am - Sen. Inhofe says to Gov. Bill Ritter (D-CO) I'm "wondering why you're here." He tells Ritter that Colorado shouldn't be focusing on all these nonsense good-paying, stable clean energy jobs and should instead be focused on developing expensive, water-intensive oil shale. When DC environmentalists urge states to do support clean energy, we're told it's "big government." So what is it when Sen. Inhofe tells the governor of Colorado how to run his state? Gov. Ritter stands by Colorado's clean energy policies. Inhofe gives Ritter a dismissive "that's fine," completely ignores his answer, and launches into his next question/mini-tirade.
11:04am - Gov. Bill Ritter (D-CO) says the state's move to clean energy is "energizing our economy even in the worst downturn in 75 years." While the national economy continues to stumble, Gov. Ritter says Colorado's unemployment rate has been steady for four months now, thanks to clean energy's stabilizing effect. Gov. Ritter says this is about turning climate challenges into economic opportunities.
