GLOBAL WARMING CONCERNS PROPEL EMERSON TO JAPAN

Proposed global warming regulations could have a devastating impact on the nation's economy, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson says.

Emerson's concerns are shared by others, including the Missouri Farm Bureau and the National Federation of Independent Business.

The Cape Girardeau Republican is one of two congresswomen from Missouri who are attending the global warming talks currently underway in Kyoto, Japan.

Emerson and Karen McCarthy, a Kansas City Democrat, are part of the 14-member House delegation that is observing the United Nations talks, which could lead to an international agreement to combat global warming.

The aim of the conference is to urge world leaders to embrace legally binding steps to limit the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere.

Some scientists fear that global warming could cause major climate changes.

Emerson arrived in Japan on Friday and will remain for the duration of the talks, scheduled to end Wednesday.

The Clinton administration has proposed holding the line on greenhouse gas emissions at the 1990 level by 2010. European countries want more stringent restrictions.

Emerson cites an economic analysis done by Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates.

The study concluded that a carbon tax of $200 a metric ton would be required to return greenhouse gas emissions to the 1990 level by 2010.

If that occurred, the U.S. could lose 1.8 million jobs. Missouri could lose an estimated 43,000 jobs, the study said.

Missourians would see gasoline prices rise by nearly 50 cents a gallon and residential utility costs increase by 60 to 70 percent, according to the study.

Emerson remains skeptical about the need to combat global warming.

She said there isn't any consensus among scientists regarding the issue.

"We don't really know if in fact there is a global warming problem," she said.

Some of the same scientists, who today are sounding the alarm over global warming, predicted in 1973 that the world was preparing to enter another Ice Age, Emerson said.

She doesn't want the United States to get caught up in the "whole feeding frenzy" over global warming.

Emerson worries that in the U.S., President Clinton will impose new regulations by executive order if he can't win support in Congress to further control greenhouse gas emissions.

That concern is shared by Missouri Farm Bureau officials like Charles Kruse. The Dexter area farmer is president of the Farm Bureau.

Farming is an energy-intensive business. Regulations that add to energy and equipment costs would hit farmers in the pocketbook, Kruse said.

Kruse welcomed the fact that Emerson is among the lawmakers observing the talks in Japan.

Emerson is scheduled to speak Monday via telephone from Japan to Missouri Farm Bureau members attending the group's annual meeting at Lake of the Ozarks.

Kruse believes the Clinton administration will commit the U.S. to new environmental regulations.

"The president is dead set on signing this global warming treaty," he said.

He worries that Clinton will sign a treaty that commits the nation to drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions while trading competitors like China, Mexico and Argentina would be under no such restrictions.

But Kruse doubts the Senate would ratify such a treaty.

Like Emerson, Kruse questions the science of global warming.

"Some scientists say the Earth has cooled slightly over the last several years," he said.

"It just seems strange we are going to march ahead regardless of the facts," Kruse said.

He said it is wrong to view farmers and others in this debate as anti-environment.

"Nobody who is raising questions about this and no one is opposing this whole process is doing this because they don't care about the environment," he said.

The National Federation of Independent Business also has serious concerns about possible emissions regulations. The association represents 600,000 small businesses.

Susan Eckerly, NFIB's chief Senate lobbyist, said the business group's members worry that any regulations to address global warming would include energy taxes.

At this point, the regulatory cost outweighs any climate concerns, she said.

The owners and operators of small businesses don't think the issue of global warming warrants new energy taxes, Eckerly said.