Mike Quigley: “There was a time when climate change was a concern for future generations, a time when we focused on predicting the…”

“There was a time when climate change was a concern for future generations, a time when we focused on predicting the possible problems and brainstorming the possible solutions, a time when the threat was real, but we still had time to act. We had not come face-to-face with our tipping point. That time has passed. President Obama put it best when he said: ``We are the first generation to feel the impacts of climate change, and the last generation that can still do something about it.'' The time to act is now, and the call to action cannot be any clearer. Despite the fact that more than 12,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies are in agreement that climate change is real and humans are significantly to blame, my colleagues continue to debate its validity. Well, if the devastating global and environmental threats aren't proof enough, let me share some of the negative impacts climate change is having on our air quality and public health now. Simply put, climate change and air pollution make a dangerous pair. In fact, air pollution is among the most serious, indirect health effects of global climate change. The same power plants that release harmful carbon dioxide into our atmosphere also create dangerous levels of soot, smog, and ground-level ozone. The result is a combination of ozone and fine particles that can have devastating health impacts. In all, 147 million people in the U.S., nearly half of this Nation--our Nation--are breathing unhealthy air.…”