On the recordDecember 10, 2013
The weather outside is frightful; and if you listen to certain conservative media networks, you hear something not so delightful. You hear that, because it is snowing, there must not be climate change. This is unscientific, it is reductive; but that is what climate deniers say this time of year. Well, Mr. Speaker, winter happens every year, and the fact that it is snowing simply means that it is snowing. Instead of looking at December snowflakes, we should be looking at the science. Since 1970, not that long ago, winter temperatures have increased an average of .55 degrees per decade, reducing snowpacks and creating water shortages across the country. If you want to look at something immediate, look at California, where we are experiencing the driest year on record, and that is why we need to start getting serious about our response to climate change. We need to adopt new policies and adapt to the changes that are happening. And one place to start is how we operate our reservoirs. Instead of relying on old-school water manuals that are decades out of date, we should be using modern science and modern weather forecasting. Our water supply, our food supply and our future will be impacted by climate change, so let's lead. ____________________
