Senate rejects amendment stating climate change is real and that human activity significantly contributes to it, How they voted.

A proposed amendment to the Keystone pipeline bill sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz (D., Hawaii) stating the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and that human activity significantly contributes to it was rejected by a vote of 50 for, 49 opposed and 1 not voting. The amendment needed 60 votes to pass. Lamar Alexander voted for the amendment. He was joined by Republicans Kelly Ayotte (NH), Susan Collins  (ME), Lindsey Graham (SC) and Mark Kirk (IL). All other Republicans voted "no." All Democrats voted "yes."

The overwhelming majority of scientist accept that climate change is real and that human activity significantly contributes to it. I accept that. I think we can disagree on how severe the threat is or what if anything to do about it and there certainly is a lot of alarmism and exaggeration. However if I were in the Senate, I would have voted for this amendment which simply affirms what is virtually a scientific consensus. I can accept the scientific theory of global warming and still support building the Keystone pipeline, which I do. 

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