Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - October 18, 2007)

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of the Lieberman-Warner America's Climate Security Act. This bill will address the most significant environmental challenge facing our country and I want to add my praise to that already heard of the two leaders, Senator Lieberman and Senator Warner. I am convinced this bill does represent a tipping point because of the coalition brought together to advance this bill.

The scientific evidence clearly demonstrates the human contribution to climate change. According to recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, increases in greenhouse gas emissions have already increased global temperatures and likely contributed to more extreme weather events such as drought and floods. These emissions will continue to change the climate, causing warming in most regions of the world, and likely causing more droughts, floods, and other societal problems.

In the United States alone, emissions of the primary greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, have risen more than 20 percent since 1990. Climate change is one of the most daunting challenges we face, and we must develop reasonable solutions to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

That is why I am truly excited about this coalition. Senator Lieberman deserves much praise for his longstanding leadership, for working with Members on both sides of the aisle. Senator Warner's commitment to taking on this cause gives me much hope that for the first time we are actually going to get a bill through that is going to make a difference.

This bipartisan bill presents a practical, economically sound approach to reducing America's greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent over 2005 levels by the year 2050.

I also thank Senator Coleman for his contributions to this bill, for making sure that we looked at the economic impact, particularly on low-income families.

I have observed in person the dramatic effects of climate change. I have had the opportunity to be briefed by the most preeminent experts in this field.

On a trip to Antarctica and New Zealand, for example, I learned more about the groundbreaking research done by scientists from the University of Maine. One of those professors, a distinguished National Academy of Sciences member, George Denton, toured parts of sites in New Zealand with us. He showed us sites that had been buried by massive glaciers at the beginning of the 20th century but are now ice free. Fifty percent of the glaciers in New Zealand have melted since 1860--an event unprecedented in the last 5,000 years.

The melting is even more dramatic in the northern hemisphere. In the last 30 years, the Arctic has lost sea ice covering an area 10 times as large as the State of Maine. At this rate that area is going to be ice free by the year 2050.

In Barrow, AK, I witnessed the impact of the melting permafrost. I saw telephone poles that had been planted decades ago in the permafrost that are now leaning over. I talked to native people who told me they were seeing insects that they have never seen that far north; that there has been an extraordinary change in the pattern of fish spawning in the area.

These are dramatic changes. The time has come to take meaningful action to respond to climate change--not only talk about it but to pass legislation. My colleagues have worked so hard to develop this legislation that will preserve our environment for future generations while providing reasonable, achievable emission reduction goals, offsets, and incentives for the industries covered by this bill.

The America's Climate Security Act covers U.S. electric power, transportation, and manufacturing sources that together account for 75 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. It requires these sectors to reduce their emissions to 70 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. I am pleased that the bill also strengthens energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings, and sets aside credits and funding to deploy advanced technologies for reducing emissions and helps protect low- and middle-income Americans from higher energy costs.

Let me conclude my remarks by again applauding the leadership and the hard work of my colleagues from Connecticut and Virginia. I urge all of our colleagues to consider joining us on this important legislation.

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