Political Positions of Rudy Giuliani - Global Warming

Global Warming

Giuliani believes that "human beings are contributing to" global warming. In a December 2007 interview with CBS News anchor Katie Couric, he suggested that part of the solution to potential anthropogenic forcing of global warming – whilst still maintaining energy security – is an increased reliance on coal-burning power plants, combined with the development and deployment of technologies such as "clean coal" and carbon dioxide geosequestration which could help to make coal less environmentally intensive, and also on nuclear power:

"I think the best answer to it is energy independence. We've got more coal reserves in the U.S. than they have oil reserves in Saudi Arabia. If we find a way to deal with it and use it so it doesn't hurt the environment, we're going to find ourselves not contributing to global warming... I think we have to take another look at nuclear power. // We haven't had a licensed nuclear power plant in 30 years. It has to be done carefully. But we haven't lost a life to nuclear power yet."

Giuliani did not address the fact that coal-generated electricity produces more carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels, and was not asked what specific measures could be taken to reduce the environmental impacts of coal. His Texas-based law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani, is a major lobbyist on behalf of coal-fired power plants and the fossil fuel industry.

Commenting on Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, Giuliani said he feels that the film did not go far enough to outline what the United States can do to combat global warming.