Gore to talk to Congress on global warming

Former Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore will testify to Congress next week on global warming, Senator John F. Kerry announced this morning.

Gore, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his advocacy on the issue and won an Oscar for his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," will testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday morning on climate change, the latest science, and the importance of US leadership.

“My friend and former Senate colleague Al Gore is one of this nation’s leading authorities on the subject of climate change, and we are honored that he has agreed to appear before the Committee,” Kerry said in a statement.

“Al Gore has been sounding the alarm on climate change for over three decades, and he understands the urgent need for American engagement and leadership on this issue. America must act decisively in order for the nations of the world to reach agreement on a climate change treaty at the December 2009 meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark. The timeline is short for us to respond to the threat of climate change, and this hearing will examine what America must do to lead the world in crafting a truly global solution.”

Kerry has pledged to make climate change a priority for the committee, whose chairmanship he assumed with the new Congress.