On Tuesday, April 10, the Hamilton students currently participating in the college's Washington D.C. program attended a debate between Senator John Kerry and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on "Global Climate Change and the Environment." The New York University Brademas Center for the Study of Congress sponsored the event. After the debate, which was covered live by C-Span, Hamilton students were able to speak with Gingrich and Kerry, asking questions and taking pictures.
New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service Dean Ellen Schall commented on the debate. "These issues are difficult to resolve largely because the practical impact of decisions made today are often not felt for decades, even though the political impacts can be felt immediately." U.S. Senator Kerry (D-Mass.) and current American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Gingrich both agreed global warming was an issue that must be addressed, but they differed on the approach. Kerry wants the government to have a hand in the solution, calling for "Cap and Trade" laws. Gingrich, however, said that with the proper economic incentives, the marketplace would determine its own solutions to curbing carbon emissions.
By Eric Kuhn '09
