Beebe: Global warming not a 'hoax'

Ark. Gov. Beebe: Global warming not a 'hoax,' can't be solved through state-by-state approach

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe said Friday he doesn't believe that global warming is a "hoax" ,but said he doesn't think it can be solved through state-by-state approaches.

"I've read some pundits lately who say, 'oh, this is just a hoax, global warming's not really a serious threat.' I don't subscribe to that theory," Beebe said on his monthly call-in radio show. "I think it is a threat, and I think global warming is occurring."

Beebe, however, said he doesn't think the problem can be solved through individual state actions and said that measures such as a so-called "carbon tax" must be looked on from a national level.

"If there's going to be a carbon tax, if there's anything on fuel-efficient or lack of fuel-efficient cars, it's going to have to be on a national basis," Beebe said. "A state-by-state approach with it is not going to solve the problem."

In October, Beebe's commission on global warming released a set of 54 recommendations that it said would help reduce global warming in the state. The group suggested a "carbon tax" that would set a fee for the release of carbon to the atmosphere.

The group said that the state should promote a national carbon tax that would not put the state at a competitive disadvantage with other states.

Beebe said he thinks the state can address global warming by promoting alternative fuels and energy and noted the four wind energy-related companies that Arkansas has landed in recent years as an example.

"Alternative fuels is also important to us from a national security standpoint," he said. "We don't need to be held hostage by people across the world, many of whom don't like us very much and put us in harm's way."

The state has also seen a number of biodiesel operations start up. The refineries use soybean oil and, sometimes, other substances, such as animal fat, to create a fuel that can be burned in diesel engines.