House Select Committee On Energy Independence And Global Warming - Building U.S. Resilience to Global Warming Impacts
Statement
House Select Committee On Energy Independence And Global Warming - Building U.S. Resilience to Global Warming Impacts
Opening Statement for Edward J. Markey (D-MA)
"Building U.S. Resilience to Global Warming Impacts"
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
October 22, 2009
We all remember the tragic consequences of Hurricane Katrina -- the breached
levees, water-filled streets, and families seeking shelter in the Superdome. While many
individuals courageously responded to this disaster, government leadership failed the
people of New Orleans when they needed help most. Katrina foreshadows the
consequences of climate change if we do not make the necessary preparations.
Since then, scientists have shown that the warming of our climate system from
emissions of heat-trapping gases -- from our tailpipes and smokestacks -- is unequivocal.
We face not only an increasing number of strong storms, but also many
permanent alterations that will affect people throughout the country. Coastal cities like
Boston will be at risk of inundation from sea level rise, which is accelerating as our
oceans warm and our polar ice caps melt. Alaskan villages are finding the land they call
home literally melting out from underneath them as the permafrost thaws. In the West,
our shrinking mountain snowpack strains our water resource systems. Throughout this
country, our farms are threatened by rising temperatures, water scarcity, and pests. For a
projected 2.2 degree (Fahrenheit) rise in temperatures over the next 30 years, we can
expect significant declines in the crops that make up the base of our food system.
The past is no longer a predictor of the future. We need to develop our resilience
in order to safeguard our health, our environment, our economy, and our national
security. We need to develop a comprehensive strategy to adapt, conduct world-class
climate research, and coordinate federal, state, and local action.
Now, some will argue that we should not address the root of the problem and only
address its symptoms -- that we should only adapt to climate change and not address
global warming pollution. We cannot just address the symptoms. When someone has a
heart attack, the doctor prescribes medication to help prevent another attack and puts the
patient on a low-fat diet to improve long-term health. Our country experienced a heart
attack in New Orleans and we must now develop BOTH the institutional medication to
manage the impacts of warming AND ALSO shift society to a low-carbon energy
regimen for a healthy climate. Just as we cannot medicate our way out of heart problems,
we cannot simply adapt our way out of global warming.
We have taken the first steps to cut carbon pollution and build resilience to global
warming impacts. Earlier this year, the House passed the Waxman-Markey American
Clean Energy and Security Act, which will set us on a pollution cutting path and at the
same time create millions of new jobs, making America the global leader of the clean
energy economy. The Act will also create a National Climate Service that will provide
decision-makers with the very best climate information and help federal agencies and
states adapt to the dangerous consequences of climate change.
In a new report that I requested, the Government Accountability Office assesses
the current steps our country is taking to address the impacts of global warming. They
find that federal efforts thus far have been largely ad hoc. To effectively address the
impacts, we need a strategic plan that sets our priorities, improves the information
available to decision-makers, and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of federal, state,
and local governments.
I look forward to the testimony of our witnesses and hearing from them how
Congress can help build our resilience to global warming.
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